Two people dead after Reynosa gunfight

REYNOSA — Two people died during a gunfight between Mexican soldiers and members of organized crime in this city’s southwest side, where several shootouts have been reported in recent weeks.

Reynosa city officials reported a “situation of risk” near the intersection of Boulevard Mil Cumbres and Avenida Central via Twitter feed as the clash occurred Thursday afternoon. They advised people to avoid the area in the Cumbres subdivision.

The city’s Twitter account was created last month to alert the public about “high-risk incidents” in the border city and to dispel rumors spread on social networking Web sites. Officials said the incident had ended by about 6 p.m., more than two hours after it began.

Among the dead were one soldier and a member of organized crime, according to a statement issued Thursday night by the Mexican Defense Ministry.

Two other soldiers were injured and rushed from the scene to receive medical attention, the statement said.

Authorities seized a gun and a vehicle linked to the attack.

In another statement issued Thursday, the ministry announced three people died Tuesday during an early morning gunfight between Mexican soldiers and suspected cartel members in a residential area on this city’s east side.

That shooting happened about 1:40 a.m. in the Fraccionamiento Reynosa neighborhood.

A group of gunmen riding inside two vehicles fired at soldiers as they patrolled an area near the intersection of Avenida Conde Sierra Negra and Calle Montana. Three suspected members of organized crime were killed amid the clash.

The Mexican army seized grenades, rifles, ammunition and a bullet-proof vest with the insignia “C.D.G.” — the Spanish acronym for the Gulf Cartel.

Soldiers also seized two vehicles used by the assailants.

Also that morning, soldiers were dispatched to the central bus station in downtown Reynosa, where three grenades were found. Army personnel worked for more than two hours to remove the explosives.

No injuries were reported at Reynosa’s central bus station, a frequent stop for Mexico-bound buses that leave McAllen. The hub serves destinations across Mexico.

The grenade discovery in downtown Reynosa is the second in less than a week.

Late last week, soldiers removed two unexploded grenades from the J.B. Chapa bridge in central Reynosa.

--

Monitor staff writer Jared Taylor contributed to this report.

--

Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.