Posted on 11/06/2010 4:47:58 PM PDT by devane617
Mexican authorities confirmed that Ezequiel "Tony Tormenta" Cardenas Guillenone of the two leaders of the Gulf Cartel and a pivotal figure in recent border drug warswas killed in a shootout in Matamoros Friday.
Violence across the city throughout the day left at least 47 others dead, including a reporter for a Matamoros newspaper, sources with knowledge of the situation said.
Three of Cardenas Guillens aides, or bodyguards, also were killed, according to Alejandro Poire, spokesman for the Mexican government. He gave no other information other than confirming the death of Cardenas Guillen and his aides.
Two Mexican soldiers also were killed, according to a release Friday night by the Mexican navy. That statement gave a total of six dead in Matamoros and said that "as of 7:45 p.m. it had no confirmation" of a death toll of more than 40.
Cardenas Guillen has long been sought by both U.S. and Mexican authorities. There is an indictment against him and Eduardo "El Cos" Costilla from a U.S. District Court in which the two are named as leaders of the Gulf Cartel.
Ezequiel Cardenas Guillen is the brother of Osiel Cardenas Guillen, who formerly was the head of the Gulf Cartel; he was caught in Matamoros in 2003, extradited to the U.S. and convicted of drug trafficking.
Sources said that all the gunfire across Matamoros Friday appeared to be related to the search for and encounter with Cardenas Guillen.
The fighting reportedly involved members of the Gulf Cartel, the Zetas and Mexican federal police and military.
The violence caused the closure of all three bridges between Brownsville and Mexico, but they had reopened by Friday evening.
At least three Mexican military helicopters were seen circling near the Gateway International Bridge, and there were unconfirmed reports that the aircraft were firing from the air.
Gunfire was reported in Matamoros in a number of incidents beginning Friday morning, with at least 30 people dead by around noon, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition that his name not be used.
In the afternoon, a major confrontation near the Matamoros city hall killed at least 17 more people, the official said. He said heavy-caliber weapons and rocket-propelled grenades were involved in the fight.
Some of the fighting in the morning reportedly occurred on Calle Alvaro Obregon near the Hotel Residencial. Grenades were thrown at the hotel, where Mexican federal police are known to gather. It is close to B&M International Bridge, and the street was temporarily sealed off.
Shootings also were reported along Avenida del Niño and in the Colonia Mariano Matamoros. Another shooting took place near the outskirts of Matamoros along the highway to Reynosa. It is believed a convoy of Zetas clashed with the Gulf Cartel before authorities arrived, the law enforcement official said.
Around midday, Carlos Alberto Guajardo, 37, a reporter for the newspaper El Expreso, was reported killed. Sources with knowledge of the incident said Guajardo apparently was shot by soldiers who were chasing suspected narcotics traffickers.
Sources said he was killed along Avenida Pedro Cardenas in Fraccionamiento Victoria when his white pickup somehow got in the middle of the chase and wound up directly behind a green Tahoe said to be driven by drug traffickers. Some believe he may have been mistaken for a drug cartel member.
After Guajardos truck was struck by bullets, troops pulled alongside the vehicle and further sprayed it with gunfire, according to a source who said he spoke with an eyewitness. The source claimed that the truck had over 20 bullet holes.
The source said that when the military left to continue their chase, a homeless man broke into the reporters truck and tried to steal photographic equipment, only to be arrested by authorities who arrived to investigate the shooting.
The U.S. Consulate in Matamoros issued a statement Friday evening warning U.S. citizens to "maintain a high level of vigilance" and "take steps to bolster their personal security."
The statement noted that restrictions had been placed on personnel of the consulate and their families, prohibiting travel outside of immediate residential areas between midnight at 6 a.m. The policies are in addition to previous restrictions, which had recommended that travel be limited to daylight hours, the statement said.
Excellent news
They could sieze control of an American town pretty quickly if they wished and the only thing that would stand in the way would have to be local cops and citizens.
Ping.
So tell me there is not a war going on down there.
” the only thing that would stand in the way would have to be local cops and citizens”
I have friends in several Texas border communities. The cops down there are armed like a military unit and the citizens are heavily armed. That fight wouldn’t last long - especially when the Texas governor sends in “a” Texas Ranger....red
Click here
You're absolutely correct. My brother in law is Brownsville PD and has told me that they are ready
Wow, and I have friends living in Brownsville for the winter months! When I ask them about the situation they say they are not worried, that was earlier this summer. Not sure what is going on with them right now.
The article points out that the National Guard numbers are very small: “Here’s a look at the break down. Arizona will have 524 members of the National Guard, Texas ranks in second with 250; California will receive 224 National Guard members and New Mexico, 72.”
Also, with Obama in charge, you can bet that they will not be allowed to chamber any live ammo. And they will be court-martialed if, heaven forbid, they shoot any Mexicans, no matter what those Mexicans are up to.
Bring peace or something.
Mexico Fed Gov is using their Marines and Navy to fight the war they are less apt to corruption.
Caps off a week of great news. This is the monster who had 72 South Americans shot and dumped in a mass grave like the Nazi Einsatzgruppen.
They are using Twitter and Facebook to warn everyone and to make sure they stay inside. Those borders towns are heavily industrialized areas and it wont be long before this starts having a material impact on our economy.
These ridiculous nicknames: “Tony the Storm”. The Gulf Cartel is a Hydra, it will just grow a new head. And they do spill over into the US and Texas, it is just less in the open because US military just does not go openly execute the narcotraficantes the way the Mexicans do. The US lets them operate and occasionally grabs cash going down south or drugs coming up, maybe send a few people to jail, but no illegals are executed as they should be, certainly not in a street-war shoot-out style as is common now in Mexico. That is Calderon’s way. On the Mexican side almost all the politicians and police and some of the army are on the take, and rest assured the same thing is going on in the good old USA. As they say, plata o plomo.
Obama and Holder can have someone from State go down to the Texas border and negotiate a ‘land for peace’ deal.
Time to reinforce Brownsville PD with a couple of platoons of Bradley Fighting Vehicles and half a dozen Apaches armed to the teeth. Let’s see how well these cartels hold up to a few Hellfire missiles and some coordinated chaingun fire.
I’m getting bored watching flying jihadis spike their landings...time to see how a few Mexicanos do...
Seems like a good way to start the weekend.
That ain’t gonna happen.
Armed citizenry, hunters, cops....
Not a realistic scenario.
Be a lot of bullets flying around.
I just moved to Texas..
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