MARAMOROS — Two separate law enforcement-involved shootouts in Tamaulipas over the weekend left nine men dead, according to a pair of press releases from Tamaulipas police.
The first encounter — between state police and a group of armed civilians — occurred Saturday on the 15th kilometer of Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Mexico, which is across the Rio Grande from Roma.
Authorities suddenly came under gunfire by an unspecified number of people from several vehicles, one release said. Police fired back, killing seven of the alleged assailants.
It is unclear if any of the police forces were killed or injured.
One of the deceased suspects, identified as Miguel Angel Lopez Zarate, hailed from Sinaloa, Mexico. The other, identified as Jose Luis Luna Garza, was a Paras, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, native.
The assailants who survived the incident fled into the nearby woods, leaving behind several guns and ammunition, the release said.
The second shootout happened in the city of Valle Hermoso, southwest of Matamoros, early Sunday, resulting in two deaths, according to a state press release.
State police were patrolling Calle 13 — between the colonias of Adolfo Lopez Mateos and Hidalgo — when they came under fire at about 12:30 a.m.
A gunfight ensued between police and a trio of suspects who were shooting out of a gray 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the release states.
Two of the three men died during the shootout. One victim was identified as Alexis Parajon Hernandez, a 45-year-old Cuban. The second man was Alfredo Olvera Mendoza, 26, from Matamoros, Mexico.
The third suspect fled and evaded arrest, leaving behind a truck full of guns, tactical gear and ammunition, among other things.
It is unclear if any of the police forces were killed or injured during the encounter.
