Officials at the U.S. consulate in the Mexican border city of Matamoros were ordered to “shelter in place” on Monday as gun violence linked to drug cartels rages around them.
The city is where four Americans were kidnapped in March – and two of them eventually killed – after apparently being mistaken for cartel rivals.
Monday’s shutdown was triggered when four people were reportedly killed the same day in a shootout with the Mexican army in the border city, which is across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas.
“Employees at the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros are currently under a shelter-in-place order until 1:30 p.m. in Matamoros due to gun violence occurring in the city.” reald a tweet from the consulate on Monday.
“We recommend that you stay home and stay tuned to local news for updates in your area,” he added.
The gunmen clashed with a Mexican marine patrol and authorities later recovered weapons and tactical equipment, according to a state official.
Employees at the U.S. consulate in Matamoros, Mexico, were ordered to “shelter in place” on Monday amid a shooting in the city involving the Mexican military. United States Department of State
The consulate in Matamoros is located across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas. US Department of State
The Gulf Cartel, a criminal syndicate and drug trafficking group, is based in the Mexican border city.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is also active in Matamoros.
Four people were reportedly killed in Monday’s shooting. Ministry of National Defense/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
One of the Americans killed in March, Shaeed Woodard, had traveled to Mexico so his cousin, Latavia McGee, could have a tummy tuck. The other American citizen killed, Zindell Brown, was in the same group.
The four kidnapping victims had apparently gotten lost in the area on their way to McGee’s medical procedure.
The shocking kidnappings and murders sparked protests in Washington, and some lawmakers, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.S.C.), called for the cartels to be called foreign domestic terrorist organizations.
The Gulf Cartel acknowledged that some of its members participated in the crime and apologized in a letter to the Mexican police. The group also handed over five members they say were responsible for the March 3 murders.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn