Mexican Soldiers Arrest 20 Cartel Gunmen, Kill 3 in Coastal State Shootout

Authorities in Mexico confirmed the arrest of 20 cartel gunmen, the killing of three others, and the wounding of two more following a series of shootouts in the coastal state of Tabasco. The clashes come after the region experienced a dramatic rise in cartel shootouts and targeted killings.

This week, Mexican military forces clashed with a large squad of gunmen from Cartel Jalisco New Generation near the town of Centro, Tobasco. A series of cell phone videos captured the moment of the shootout as locals were forced to seek cover.

#CirculaEnRedes | Usuarios reportan un enfrentamiento entre miembros de la Sedena y delincuentes en el poblado Dos Montes, en Villahermosa, #Tabasco.

Se recomienda precaución si anda por la zona. pic.twitter.com/2ttE1ELSAO

— La Lengua de la Región (@lalengua_region) April 7, 2024

In the aftermath of the shootout, military forces arrested 20 gunmen, including one woman, provided medical care to two others, and killed three gunmen, the Tabasco state government revealed in a prepared statement.

#LoÚltimo #CirculaEnRedes Las #Imágenes de los detenidos y muertos tras el enfrentamiento de anoche en #DosMontes cerca ds #Villahermosa #Tabasco donde sicarios enfrentaron al #EjércitoMexicano y a la #GuardiaNacional#ÚltimaHora #NotaRoja #Alerta

https://t.co/0gWciyNole pic.twitter.com/p8fCgrsxgB

— ELHEROICO.MX (@ElHeroicoDiario) April 7, 2024

The violence in Tabasco follows an apparent turf war between rival CJNG factions fighting for control. In February, a group of CJNG gunmen claimed to be fighting against a faction of CJNG going by La Barredora. This is the group that was extorting, killing, and raping innocent victims. In that video, the CJNG claimed they were not fighting the government but hunting their rivals.

#ULTIMAHORA ‼️ ¡Ante la falta de gobierno, el Cártel Jalisco anuncia limpia en #Tabasco! Sicarios del #CJNG difundieron un video donde muestran armas de alto calibre y uniformes militares, para deslindarse de la organización criminal La Barredora, la principal generadora de… pic.twitter.com/Xrih4Jk4kw

— Alejandro Sánchez (@AlexSanchezMx) February 4, 2024

The once peaceful state of Tabasco experienced an ongoing rise in violence in recent months, with the most recent killing taking place on Thursday at a popular shopping center in Villa Hermosa, where one man died.

SIGUE EL BAÑO DE SANGRE EN TABASCO; BALACERA EN PLAZA COMERCIAL DEJA UN MUERTO

· El gobernador Carlos Merino Campos minimiza los hechos sangrientos; La Barredora Vs. La Barredora, sigue polarizando las campañas electorales

Más información https://t.co/IPGcm5gjVv pic.twitter.com/cZUwfhe5z5

— SinfronterasAgencias (@SFASinfronteras) April 11, 2024

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.