Drones Used by Cartel Gunmen to Attack Mexican Police Amid Expanding Turf War

A turf war between rival factions of the Gulf Cartel and their allies has been expanding into various cities as gunmen continue to use explosives not only as makeshift landmines but also as dropped projectiles from drones.

One of the most recent attacks took place late last week just south of the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, when a group of gunmen suspected of being part of the Escorpiones cartel faction used several drones to drop explosives on a squad of state police officers patrolling the area. The police officers were riding in armored vehicles and sought cover inside their vehicles to avoid injuries.

Law enforcement sources who spoke with Breitbart Texas revealed that the officers called for backup from Mexico’s Army and National Guard, but they did not respond to the scene. The only backup came from other state police officers who arrived much later due to the distance they had to cover. According to information released by the Tamaulipas government, no officers were injured in the attack.

That attack comes days after three Tamaulipas police officers died and five others sustained various injuries during a series of ambush attacks near Reynosa and San Fernando, Tamaulipas. In those attacks, Mexican National Guard forces also failed to show up as backup during the attack. In the aftermath of the shootings, Mexican government officials claimed that the killings were no cause for genuine concern and that the state was safe.

The violence has continued, with almost daily shootouts taking place in the areas between Reynosa, Rio Bravo, and San Fernando. In recent days, gunmen have left piles of bodies and other gory crime scenes in and around Reynosa.

The most recent shootout took place on Monday morning in a rural area near Reynosa, where state police killed one gunman and seized an armored vehicle.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.