At least 21 killed as Mexican cartel battles police and army south of U.S. border (near Eagle Pass)

washingtonpost.com ^ | 12/1/19 | Mary Beth Sheridan

[ransomnote]

The City Hall of Villa Union is riddled with bullet holes after a gun battle between Mexican security forces and suspected cartel gunmen on Saturday. At least 21 people were killed, four of them police officers when an armed group in a convoy of trucks stormed the town 40 miles southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas. (Gerardo Sanchez/AP)

 

MEXICO CITY — Gunmen attacked a town hall in northern Mexico, authorities said Sunday, triggering a series of clashes with security forces that left 21 dead — most of them suspected members of an organized crime group.

The attack started at around noon on Saturday, when men in at least 14 trucks brandishing assault rifles swept into the town of Villa Union, around 40 miles southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas. Authorities said they were believed to be members of the Cartel of the Northeast, an offshoot of the once-powerful Zetas.

The gunmen unleashed a furious battle at the town hall, leaving the facade peppered with bullet holes. Mexican police and soldiers fought the attackers and then pursued them as they fled, according to the Coahuila state officials.

The security forces, backed by army helicopters, chased the gunmen down in an operation that stretched into Sunday morning. The dead included four state police officers and 17 alleged cartel members.

SNIP

The clash came days after President Trump said he planned to designate Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations — prompting fierce opposition from Mexican authorities. Mexico fears such a designation could hurt investment and tourism and open the possibility of unilateral U.S. action in its southern neighbor.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he planned to meet this week with U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr to try to head off the terror designation and step up cooperation in fighting violence.

[ransomnote]

Image at link shows city hall pock marked with bullet holes.

This occurred 40 miles southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas. While WAPO's lede says that the cartel battled security forces and army soldiers, I've been seeing indications that the cartels are supported by the Mexican army. In this instance, WAPO says security forces on the ground were aided by army helicopters. I say - which side were those army helicopters "aiding"? Flying over a gun battle - hard to tell.

[ransomnote]

Further, this supposed cartel seems to be laying claim to territory along the border by driving into town and shooting up city hall. Why?

[Lurkinanloomin]

Another freeper pointed out that this area will soon be the primary corridor for smuggling as the previous routes are interrupted by the fence.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

And another rumor has it that the FEDS are trying to allow the cartels to instigate the same level of violence here in the USA as in Mexico which will collapse our nation.

The more this stuff happens closer to home, the more I might buy into it. Why wouldn’t the Swamp do this?

[exnavy]

“armed groups battle over drug routes, gas theft, extortion, kidnaping and other illegal activities.” Anyone who does not think this bleeds over the boarder is niave.

[Grampa Dave]

Their math doesn’t “add up:!

However, the results have a good ratio!

The security forces, backed by army helicopters, chased the gunmen down in an operation that stretched into Sunday morning. The dead included four state police officers and 17 alleged cartel members.

[NorseViking]

At this pace it is only a matter of time before it spills north of the border.

[Lurkinanloomin]

instigate the same level of violence here in the USA as in Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The purpose of Fast and Furious was to increase the carnage in Mexico and the US to decrease support for the 2nd Amendment in this country.

We still may not survive the Kenyanesian Usurpation.

[semaj]

In preparation of operations with members of Hezbollah, and or ISIS/al Qaeda perhaps?

[Dagnabitt]

This is our future, when the Democrats, on the raw strength of third-world replacement-population votes, permanently capture the Electoral College. Then they will finally end the USA that they hate so much. In it’s place, a border-less, nationality-free, coast-to-coat “sanctuary” open-zone.

[Georgia Girl 2]

The cartels recruit from the Mexican military.

[ransomnote]

In preparation of operations with members of Hezbollah, and or ISIS/al Qaeda perhaps?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I believe so. The president of Mexico turned down President Trump’s pointed offer of assistance with these “cartels”.

[livius]

They’re not supported by the Mexican army. It’s simply that the Army is outgunned and outfoxed by the cartels, which have a lot more power in Mexico (including within the political class) than does a mere national army.

If AMLO had any common sense, he’d seize this opportunity to have the US declare them terrorists and come in and deal with them...btw, some of the trucks, which actually bore cartel logos on their doors, just like an army, had Texas plates.

[familyop]

The feds are watching some of those border towns pretty closely. Cartel bosses and their partners in the U.S. have been disseminating conspiracy theories claiming that President Trump’s federal government is supporting the cartels. They want civilian residents to be afraid of informing DEA agents.

Eagle Pass, Texas
From Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Pass,_Texas#Lawsuit

Lawsuit
The City of Eagle Pass was sued by the US government in 2008 to gain access to the land and construct a fence on the United States–Mexico border.[8]

Maverick County corruption scandal
An ongoing public corruption, bid-rigging, and kickback investigation by the FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety has resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of all four Maverick County commissioners, one justice of the peace, and multiple local government employees and businessmen since October 2012,...

City of Eagle Pass gasoline card theft and fraud
On August 8, 2012, a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court in Del Rio indicted five Eagle Pass residents, including a former Public Works Department employee,...

Former city manager charged with lying to the FBI
On March 30, 2017, Hector Chavez, Sr., the former Eagle Pass city manager, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI regarding a bribery scheme involving public contracts in Maverick County. Chavez, with the company Chace Management, was charged with receiving $20,000 from the owner of the engineering firm Hejl, Lee and Associates to bribe a county commissioner...

[familyop]

Did you see the photo of the pickup truck owned by the Cartel of the Northeast here? It’s marked CDN and has an emergency light bar, spotlights, bull bar and other modifications. Looks pretty official.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/mexico-cartel-member-gunbattle-police-texas-border

[arthurus]

Are the Cartels attempting to now juridically occupy territory? That would be a step toward rebellion and civil war for de jure as well as de facto control of the country. Are ready for the Estados Unidos de Sinaloa?

[familyop]

"If AMLO had any common sense, he’d seize this opportunity to have the US declare them terrorists and come in and deal with them..."

Yep. The Colombians had enough courage to host U.S. assistance during the '90s and shut down many cocaine labs in the field. It's no wonder the Colombians look down on the Mexicans.

[ransomnote]

I think some of President Trump's tweets indicate or hint that enough of Mexico's army is corrupt that the country is in effect, without an army to serve the public interest. The Mexican president has declined the president's offer of help and recently ( a few days ago) objected to the President's decision to declare the cartels terrorist organizations and has said the US cannot engage said cartels on Mexican territory.

Note that the first tweet below may indicate Mexico doesn't have an army, and the second uses warfare terminology -not the wording I would expect a neighbor to use when offering assistance. I do believe CIA, ISIS, cartels, other foreigners and plenty of Mexicos own military/police are enemies of the US and are in control of the country.

Donald J. Trump5 Nov 2019 - 5:25:23 AM

....monsters, the United States stands ready, willing & able to get involved and do the job quickly and effectively. The great new President of Mexico has made this a big issue, but the cartels have become so large and powerful that you sometimes need an army to defeat an army! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019

Donald J. Trump5 Nov 2019 - 5:28:37 AM

This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019

[familyop]

CDN is a small outfit. That’s probably why the government troops in Coahuila fought them.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one to watch. It’s big and has developed a sophisticated info war system (propaganda) including videos and social media for promotions. Quite the up and coming quasi-government. It has moved into many parts of the U.S. and is even working with many U.S. white trash addicts/dealers and some authorities in small towns.

Map of CJNG Drug Cartel influence in the U.S.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CJNG_-_US_Influence_Map_-2018.jpg

Jalisco New Generation Cartel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalisco_New_Generation_Cartel

[dragnet2]

This is allegedly a one of the involved cartel trucks...Note the Texas plates...