Federal and Tamaulipas security authorities discovered on Tuesday a so-called “narco-camp” on an island in the Rio Grande from which suspected cartel gunmen allegedly engaged in a confrontation with United States border patrol agents in Texas on Monday.
Soldiers, Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) agents and state police located the camp on a small island called Isla Los Castores near the town of Los Guerra, Tamaulipas, according to media reports.
They reportedly seized weapons, ammunition, radios and tactical gear from the narcocampamento, where sleeping pads and kitchen utensils were also found.
The discovery came a day after U.S. border patrol agents patrolling in Fronton, Starr County, Texas, “received gunfire from cartel members in Mexico,” according to Chris Olivarez, spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
In a post to X, Olivarez included footage of the alleged cartel gunmen on an island.
“DPS Drone Operators captured the gunmen fleeing Mexico due to military presence, & seeking refuge on an island between the US & Mexico. The State of Texas will continue to monitor the area closely & use every resource available to prevent transnational threats to our law enforcement partners & the homeland,” he said.
Fox News reported that “U.S. Border Patrol agents exchanged gunfire with suspected cartel members near the U.S.-Mexican border on Monday.”
“… A group of illegal aliens was attempting to cross the Rio Grande while bullets were fired but did not make it across,” Fox News said. “Neither the Border Patrol agents nor the suspected cartel members were hit.”
“… The area where the gunfire exchange took place is near Fronton Island, also unofficially known as ‘Cartel Island’ due to the criminal activity there,” the news outlet said.
At her Tuesday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum cast doubt on the accuracy of media reports, saying that the government had received “a note” about the alleged incident from a Mexican Consulate in the United States that didn’t “precisely” match “the information that appeared in the media.”
Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said that the FGR was investigating. No arrests have been reported in connection with the apparent confrontation with U.S. border patrol agents.
The incident occurred one week after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States and five days after Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses announced that he had approved the immediate deployment of 1,500 additional active-duty troops to the United States’ southwest border.
The new United States government is bolstering security along the 3,145-kilometer-long U.S.-Mexico border as it seeks to stem the flow of migrants and narcotics into the U.S.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on X on Wednesday that he had issued five executive orders “directing Texas state agencies to partner with the Trump Administration.”
Those orders included “directing state agencies to assist federal immigration officers to investigate, arrest, detain, and deport illegal immigrants in Texas” and “directing the Texas Military Department to assist the United States Northern Command in repelling the invasion, securing the southern border, and neutralizing foreign enemies infiltrating Texas.”
With reports from Excélsior, El Financiero, Reforma and Noticias de Tamaulipas
Not a good look for President Sheinbaum. She questions events at the border and is then proven incredibly wrong. She keeps deflecting and in essence defending the narcos. Keep blaming the adicts. Within 5 days of the US military at the border they encounter and uncover a narco camp that Mexico had no idea was even there. I am not a Trumper, and thought Sheinbaum was a more intelligent leader, but this is not a great image. And even worse timing. When Trump sends drones and/or troops to combat and actually do something about the problem, this will be the story shared with the world as to why. Sheinbaum, Moreno & worst of all AMLO, her mentor and protoge, are unable or unwilling to DO anything to combat the scourge that is the narco state in Mexico. Sheinbaum shit the bed on this one!
Wrong! The ‘problem’ is that the USA, not México, is the ‘Narco-State.’ Your fraudulent ‘Drug War’ was supposed to solve the problem decades ago with your murder of Pablo Escobar but corrupt DEA and DOJ criminals profit mightily from Drug logistics….It’s the American Way….Shame on you….from Acapulco.
I have to agree with you. I don’t think our Presidenta is to blame for skepticism. Nothing but lies are pouring out of the Trump administration. They are despicable and inhumane. We must push back against their tyranny!
Stfu cerdo hombre
. . . in the second “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” one of the final scenes was of an armed and manned US helicopter dropping in on a “cartel” pickup filled with trafficers . . . the helicopter left the scene still fully manned, with less ammo . . . maybe Hollywood is ahead of the curve with this possiblity . . .
Sicario 2 was make believe for fantasy loving people; not people dealing with reality and facts. The movie also sucked.
President Sheinbaum is correct to be skeptical. The United States is in turmoil. Trump has normalized lies and exaggeration to the point that a culture of corruption is reflected in everything the United States is doing now.
It is a sad state of affairs.