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| Shootout during Children's Day festivities |
The Spokesman of Tamaulipas, Guillermo Martínez, on April 22 stated that statewide “we are at peace…at calm” and announced that they would hold a meeting to rethink the regional security strategy.
The spokesman’s statements occur in a context of frequent reports of shootings and criminal acts in the state of Tamaulipas.
May 6, 2014—At least 41 homicides (Others have reported higher numbers) have occurred in the state of Tamaulipas from April 22 to May 5, according to official tally figures.
One of those killed this week was Colonel Salvador de Haro Muñoz, who was recently appointed Chief of Intelligence of the Public Security Ministry of Tamaulipas.
Just yesterday, 10 people were murdered. The Coordination Group of Tamaulipas, which is integrated with state and federal security forces, reported that the clashes occurred in the municipalities of Reynosa, Matamoros and Ciudad Victoria.
In Reynosa, shortly after 14:00 hours, members of a criminal group attacked Federal Police officers who were carrying out a surveillance patrol, sparking a chase that ended at the parking entrance of a shopping center on Hidalgo Boulevard and El Pasito Avenue. At that point, four armed civilians, who were traveling in one of the cars, were shot to death while trying to escape while firing at the police. Three of them were on the pavement while the fourth was dead inside the vehicle.
Meanwhile in Matamoros, on Monday at 11:15 hours, armed civilians who were traveling in a truck, opened fire at members of the Mexican Navy who were carrying out a surveillance patrol on the road Lauro del Villar, off Ciudad Industrial. One of the assailants was killed as he confronted the Mexican Navy with a high caliber weapon, while his companions managed to escape by running through undergrowth.
In Ciudad Victoria, an operation by the State Police against a criminal group ended with a shootout that left five males dead, including the Chief of Intelligence of the Public Security Ministry of Tamaulipas.
The governor of Tamaulipas regretted “deeply the death of the brave police chief, fallen in the line of duty” and expressed his condolences, as well as wishing a speedy recovery of the members of the federal forces who were injured in those incidents.
Since April 22 until last week, there were violent incidents in the municipalities of San Fernando, Matamoros, Miguel Alemán, Ciudad Victoria and Reynosa.
As of Friday of last week, government reports indicated that 24 “armed civilians” were killed.
Official figures indicate that two federal policemen were killed in a shootout in Reynosa.
It was also reported that three innocent people were also killed.
In another incident that occurred in Ciudad Victoria, the owner of a taco shop and a client were killed, while seven others were injured in the shootout that occurred on the night of April 25.
Just Tuesday of last week, a series of shootouts and blockades left at least 16 people dead.
This adds up to at least 41 homicides in Tamaulipas…and counting.
Sources: Aristegui Noticias, Milenio