Violence's proximity puts Brownsville on alert
Shootouts that began Monday night in Matamoros apparently have killed 25 or more members of organized crime, and two bridges to Brownsville were closed for 20 minutes Tuesday at the request of Mexican authorities.
The violence continued sporadically Tuesday between the Mexican military and groups of gunmen from both the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas, said a Mexican law enforcement official who asked that his name not be used for security reasons. He said the violence had started in Ciudad Victoria and spread north from there.
Shootouts were reported in various areas in Matamoros, with gunmen at times spraying the streets with gunfire and throwing grenades.
The areas where gunfire was reported include Fraccionamiento Rio; Colonia Del Carmen; Colonia Jardin, which is near the Gateway International Bridge; Calle Sexta; and Lauro Villar, which is near the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates.
Mexican Navy helicopters were seen flying low on Tuesday while patrolling the city.
Authorities did not release figures for casualties, but a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation in Matamoros stated that more than 25 gunmen died and several more were injured.
A resident of the city reported that she saw firefighters outside her house washing blood from the streets.
Repeated calls to Matamoros City Hall for information about the effect of the shootouts on the scheduled Mexican Independence festivities went unanswered.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Eddie Perez confirmed that as a result of an incident in Matamoros – and at the request of the Mexican government – traffic was halted some time after midnight Monday on both the Gateway and B&M international bridges. The closures lasted about 20 minutes and were described as a precautionary measure.
“As always, CBP’s top priority is the safety of the traveling public and our officers,” Perez said. “CBP is in constant communication with our partners in Mexico, and we continue to monitor any and all situations.”
Brownsville police spokesman Eddie Garcia said his department also continues to monitor the situation in Mexico and if necessary would implement emergency plans – already in place – if it were believed that an incident in Mexico had the potential to move across the border.
Because the gunfire could be heard here, police officials at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College say they warned students living in campus dormitories to stay in their rooms.
UTB-TSC police spokesman Lt. Armando Pulido said his department had received an advisory Monday night from federal law enforcement officials about a possible incident in Mexico.
“We have an emergency plan in place, in the event of an immediate threat to our students, faculty and staff,” Pulido said Tuesday. “Last night we took steps to communicate that threat to them.”
Oscar Olvera, a student at UTB-TSC student, said the shooting had been too close for comfort.
“I was taking my girlfriend to La Estancia apartments and she asked if I heard it. And when I paused, I heard machine guns and explosions,” Olvera said. “It kept on going for five minutes and died down, then came back again for 20 minutes like a lot louder and a lot more constant, probably closer and as if more people joined.”
Olvera said he and his girlfriend sought cover when they realized they really were hearing gunfire.
“It’s the first time I hear anything like it,” he said. “When I heard machine guns, we kind of panicked. It’s something out of the ordinary.”
On Monday afternoon, a grenade attack was reported at the offices of the Mexican Attorney General’s Office – PGR – in Matamoros, which is located along Calle Sexta a few blocks from the Gateway International Bridge, a source in Mexico said.
He said a vehicle with masked assailants ran a military blockade and threw a grenade toward the office, causing damage to some SUVs that were parked outside. The SUVs reportedly had been seized in another case and were being held as evidence. No injuries were reported.
The PGR office in Matamoros has become a repeated target. During August, four different grenade attacks took place there, on Aug. 22, 24, 25 and 29. According to officials, the attacks haven’t killed anyone or caused major injury and appear to be mainly a scare tactic.
In downtown Tampico, in Tamaulipas about eight hours from Brownsville, a businessman said he witnessed a shootout between the Mexican military and armed gunmen outside of his store.
In Ciudad Victoria, the state capital of Tamaulipas, various witnesses have reported sporadic shootouts throughout the city. They also said they had seen banners warning that on Thursday, gunmen will be going after the governor, Eugenio Hernandez Flores.
A source with firsthand knowledge of criminal activity in northern Mexico said the recent shootouts come after an ultimatum was given by the Zetas to the Gulf Cartel.
According to the source, the Zetas threatened the Gulf Cartel that if they didn’t move out of Tamaulipas by Sept. 14, the Zetas would take the state by force. He said the Gulf Cartel began reinforcing strongholds with its own gunmen and with help from allies, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Familia Michoacana. The Gulf Cartel also reportedly had some members that broken out of jail in Reynosa.
Last week, 86 inmates escaped from the state prison in Reynosa, the PGR said.
On Monday, the PGR announced it had charged prison officials — including office manager Jose Guadalupe Perez Ortega, manager Jose Refugio Cepeda Mancilla and guards commander Carlos Esteban Arellano Segovia – in connection with the escape. Two guards and 86 inmates remain reportedly at large.
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