American tourists shot by ‘mistake’ in firefight between rival Mexican cartels

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — The Americans injured in a weekend shooting in the northern Mexican border town of Miguel Alemán were mistakenly caught in the crossfire from rival drug cartels not far from the South Texas border, a congressman told Border Report.

“We are hearing that this was a mistake by the TCO (trans criminal organizations) shooting at American tourists. It happened pretty much on the front lines of ongoing activity between CDN and CDG Metros,” said. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat who represents Roma, Texas, which is just across the border from the incident.

The Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) drug cartel is the successor cartel to the Los Zetas drug cartel, one of the most ruthless operating in northern Mexico, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

The Cartel del Golfo (CDG) or Gulf Cartel, splintered into a Metros fraction component. In May, a top leader for the CDG Metros, Hugo Salinas Cortinas, nickname “La Cabra” or “The Goat,” was arrested by Mexican authorities who say he led a fentanyl drug and migrant smuggling operations in the Mexican towns of Miguel Alemán and Camargo, in the dangerous State of Tamaulipas, according to CBS News.

Mexican ambulances brought at least eight victims over the Roma International Bridge and took them to hospitals in South Texas after the shooting early Saturday morning, CBP officials said.

Victims from a shooting in Tamaulipas, Mexico, were transported across the Roma International Bridge early Saturday. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report File Photo)

According to Cuellar, the American victims suffered gunshot wounds to the feet and back and other injuries.

Cuellar also told Border Report that 13 other victims were taken to Monterrey, Mexico, which is about 100 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mexican media report that 15 to 20 tourists, including several Americans, were traveling south to the city of San Luis Potosi when they were attacked near the subdivision of Los Guerra, in Miguel Alemán. Their caravan of pickups and vans was struck on the highway.

The U.S. State Department warns Americans not to travel to the State of Tamaulipas due to “crime and kidnappings.”

In March, four Americans were kidnapped and two killed in Tamaulipas in the border town of Matamoros, farther west on the Gulf of Mexico.

Just last week, on Sept. 4, the U.S. Consulate ordered its staff to shelter in place in Matamoros after street shootings occurred from fighting amongst rival drug cartels, which left four dead.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.