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The Brownsville Herald says 47 have died, but the death toll is confirmed by unnamed Mexican sources, which could be anyone. At the moment, Mexican national press is running with the 47 dead, but as of posting time, we have less than ten confirmed dead.
This story will be updated as information becomes available.
As Rantburg readers may be aware Matamoros officials are notorious for not confirming anything except through Twitter and Facebook.
Story is updated with new casualties updates and details on the shootouts
Nine is the death toll in a Mexican Navy counternarcotics operation and in numerous firefights taking place in Matamoros, Tamaulipas starting Friday morning, according to several Mexican news sources.
There are plenty of places in Iraq that are more peaceful than this ...
| There are probably places in the non-Pashtun areas of Afghanistan that are more peaceful than this. |
The leader of the Gulf Drug Cartel in Matamoros, Ezquiel Cardenas Guillen, was killed in the initial encounters which included a toll of one Mexican Army soldier and two Mexican Marines dead, and two soldiers and four marines wounded. The firefights began when a military patrol fired on a convoy of eight vehicles, presumably Guillen's security detail. Four unidentified associates of Guillen were also killed in the firefight as well.
At 1100 hrs, Mexican photojournalist Alberto Guajardo Romero, 36, was found shot to death aboard his Ford Lobo pickup truck. Romero worked for the Expresso de Matamoros. Romero was apparently caught in the crossfire of the battle that killed Guillen.
On Boulevard Cavazos Lerma, Pedro Cardenas and Diagonal Cuauhtemoc, roads were closed as well as a bridge to commercial traffic into Brownsville,Texas. Later roads from Matamoros to Reynosa, Valle Hermosa and Ciudad Victoria were also closed by road blocks.
At 1300 hrs near the corner of calles Gonzalez and 8th streets were blocked by special nails designed to puncture vehicle tires laid down by armed groups. The area was cordoned by unidentified elements of the Mexican military.
At around 1600 hrs renewed fighting began anew on Avenida Gonzalez reportedly including hand grenade detonations and RPG fire, which trapped city residence in many commercial centers.
The Mexican Secretaria de Marino (SEMAR) said Friday's operation had been planned for six months and involved 660 military personnel, including 150 Mexican Marines, as well as other support units including three helicopters and 17 military vehicles.