9 detained, 18 rescued in deadly Reynosa shootings

Ten people were rescued from these apartments on Wednesday by GOPES, a state special forces group. Eight others Reynosa residents were held and rescued from a different location in the same city. (Courtesy photo)

Eighteen people who were kidnapped in Reynosa on the same day of the fatal shootings in Mexico over the weekend were rescued, according to a Tamaulipas law enforcement official.

On Saturday, armed men aboard vehicles attacked the neighborhoods on the east killing 15 Reynosa residents. Four gunmen later died in confrontations with police.

The violence didn’t end that day. 

The 18 people who were kidnapped were held at two places in Rio Bravo, according to the director of GOPES, a special forces group under the office of public safety. 

Rio Bravo is a city 15 miles east of Reynosa and under the control of the same cartel operating in Matamoros. They’re considered rivals by the cartel in Reynosa. 

On Wednesday, GOPES rescued 10 people who were held in apartments against their will and watched by sicarios, or armed men. Eight others were held in a different location. Rescue operations secured their release. 

Nine people were detained overall, four of them are sicarios from Rio Bravo. Their suspected leader died during a police confrontation, according to the GOPES director. Six long weapons and 15 vehicles were also seized. 

The investigation is ongoing.


[email protected]

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the correct number of people detained.