MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — Nineteen cartel gunmen died Tuesday afternoon during three separate shootouts just south of the Texas Border.
The shootouts involved members of the Gulf Cartel, Mexican Federal Police and the Mexican military, in three separate areas near the border city of Matamoros, according to information released by the Tamaulipas Government.
Sources both in Mexican law enforcement and outside law enforcement, that have direct knowledge of criminal activity in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, spoke with Breitbart Texas stating that the shootouts are part of an effort, by Mexican authorities, to capture reputed Gulf Cartel commander Ariel “El Tigre” Trevino who runs the rural area of Control, Tamaulipas.
While not a main population hub, Control is a small rural area near that has multiple dirt roads that allow cartel members to move in a clandestine fashion away from main roads, a Tamaulipas law enforcement official told Breitbart Texas.
According to information released by the Tamaulipas government, the first shootout began on Tuesday shortly after 1:30 p.m. when a convoy of Federal Police officers in the Lucio Blanco community came under fire by cartel hitmen, when authorities fought back the attack they killed three hitmen.
Just 15 minutes later in Nuevo Progreso, which is a border town that yearly sees a large number of tourists seeking cheap medical care, the Mexican army came under fire and while fighting back killed nine cartel hitmen, according to the information from the Tamaulipas government.
The third shootout began in at 2 p.m. just outside of Matamoros near Control where Mexican soldiers claim to have been attacked by cartel members and, while fighting back, killed seven of them.
After the shootouts authorities seized an armored truck, nine other SUV’s, and multiple weapons including two .50 caliber sniper rifles.
Follow Ildefonso Ortiz on Twitter @ildefonsoortiz
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