The group of four suspected cartel members who fired at U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas this week was able to avoid capture after a tense standoff. Mexican authorities left the area, allowing the gunmen to walk away. Mexican authorities have since begun to deny the shooting in an attempt to minimize the violence in the region.
The shooting took place on Monday afternoon just south of Fronton, Texas, on an island where a group of smugglers suspected of being part of the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas were crossing a group of migrants into U.S. soil, Breitbart Texas reported. When U.S. Border Patrol agents tried to intercept the migrants, the gunmen reportedly fired at the agents.
In response, agents called for backup, leading to a large-scale deployment of agents and troopers, with the Texas Department of Public Safety all stationed on the north side of the river waiting for the gunmen to make a run for it north.
Mexican authorities responded and stayed south of the Rio Grande. Since Mexican authorities did not push north into the island, the gunmen stayed there waiting for their opportunity to escape.
Authorities also deployed drones to the area, which provided photographs of the four gunmen who pointed their weapons at the surveillance equipment.
U.S. authorities could not enter the 100-acre island because it is on the south side of the Rio Grande.
Mexican authorities never walked north into the water in an attempt to apprehend the gunmen but waited until nighttime and returned to their base. During the night, the gunmen went south deeper into Mexico and disappeared.
On Tuesday, the Tamaulipas head of police, Sergio Hernando Chavez, tried to deny the shooting, claiming that an attack had not taken place.
“There was no attack, no one was injured, Hernando Chavez said. “The report from CBP was that they heard shots … No traces were found.”
The Mexican cop claimed that by Tuesday, authorities entered the island and found “some objects.”
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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