Mexican Marines bag 14 bad guys, Mexican Army bags 3
2011-05-10
Posted by: badanov
For a map, click here. For a map of Tamaulipas, click here. A hat tip to Nota Roja narcoblog for additional details.
A Mexican Naval Infantry unit raided a camp on an island in the Mexican half of Falcon Reservoir in south Texas Sunday afternoon, killing 12 members of the Los Zetas drug and while losing one marine, according to Mexican news accounts.
Mexican naval officials (SEMAR) said the island was used as a staging area to transship marijuana into the US by boat. The island itself is less than four kilometers from the northern Tamaulipas city of Nuevo Ciudad Guerrero.
Reports say marine return fire killed the 12 armed suspects in the raid.
Seized in the aftermath was 19 rifles, one .50 caliber Barrett heavy rifle CDP, a 5.56mm machine gun, weapons magazines, ammunition, ballistic protection vests and tactical gear.
Mexican military units were involved in a number of other counternarcotics actions in Tamaulipas.
- The day before in Valle Hermosa, Tamaulipas, a Mexican Marine unit on patrol repelled a small arms attack, killing two armed suspects.
Valle Hermosa is halfway between Reynosa and Matamoros.
The unit was on patrol near the intersection of calles Emiliano Zapata and Lopez Mateos in the Juan Jose Tamez colony when it came under fire by armed suspects.
Following the gunfight, marines seized three rifles, two handguns, 893 rounds of ammunition, a grenade, 37 weapons magazines, a stolen vehicle and other gear.
- A Mexican Army unit patrolling in Reynosa, Tamaulipas killed three armed suspects in an exchange of gunfire Sunday.
The report said that the patrol, part of the Mexican 8th Military Zone approached a pickup truck with darkened windows near the intersection of calles Monte and Eman in the Expo Fiesta colony when they were fired on by three suspects aboard. Army return fire killed all three.
Following the gunfight, the unit seized four rifles, one handgun, one grenade, 610 rounds of ammunition, 39 weapons magazines, drugs and miscellaneous equipment.
- In Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexican Marines arrested four unidentified individuals and seized two vehicle said to be linked in fighting between rival drug gangs in several locations in the city.
Marines also found two individuals who had been killed, although in reports it wasn't clear if they were armed suspects or civilians. Marines also seized one 40mm grenade.