Gun Battles Rock Mexican City on Texas Border
Friday, 17 Apr 2015 09:10 PM
Gunfights erupted in broad daylight Friday in a Mexican city across the U.S. border that is plagued by drug cartel violence, and several vehicles, including a school bus, were set on fire.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the clashes in Reynosa, a city of 610,000 situated across from the Texas town of McAllen, but the U.S. Consulate warned Americans to keep off the Reynosa streets.
Mexican authorities suspect the gun battles are related to a power struggle within the Gulf Cartel, said an official in the Tamaulipas state prosecutor's office.
"We don't know if there are victims because we can't reach the locations [of shootings] for the moment," the official said.
Gunmen blocked streets with vehicles, setting several ablaze, including a school bus, the official said. The tactic is used to prevent rival factions or government forces from reaching the area.
The local newspaper El Manana reported that U.S. authorities temporarily closed two border crossings.
The U.S. Consulate in the city of Matamoros, which oversees consular affairs in Reynosa, issued a message saying it "has learned of several firefights and roadblocks throughout the city" and urging Americans to "use extreme caution and to remain indoors."
The city government issued a "red light" alert on its Twitter account, urging residents to stay away from some areas.
Reynosa residents posted pictures on Twitter of burning vehicles and people lying on the ground in panic.
The Mexican government has dealt blows to the Gulf Cartel in recent years, with the arrests of several leaders. Authorities have blamed a surge of violence in Tamaulipas this year on the gang's infighting.
The gang also has battled its former allies, the Zetas Cartel, for control of drug trafficking in Tamaulipas.
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