The U.S. Consulate in the border town of Matamoros, Mexico, issued an emergency shelter-in-place order for its employees on Monday amid an outbreak of gun violence reportedly connected to a drug cartel.
“U.S. Consulate General Matamoros employees are currently under a shelter in place order until 1:30PM in Matamoros due to gun violence occurring in the city,” the consulate tweeted Monday. “We recommend you shelter in place and stay tuned to local news for updates in your area.”
U.S. Consulate General Matamoros employees are currently under a shelter in place order until 1:30PM in Matamoros due to gun violence occurring in the city. We recommend you shelter in place and stay tuned to local news for updates in your area. pic.twitter.com/fi5Uzlvs9I
— US ConGen Matamoros (@USCGMatamoros) September 4, 2023
Four people were killed in a shootout with Mexican marines Monday in Matamoros. The Tamaulipas state communications office claimed the shooting was in response to a kidnapping investigation, which led them to recover guns. They said the four killed were civilians, and no marines were injured.
In March, four Americans were kidnapped by apparent members of a cartel. Two of the victims were rescued, and two were found dead days after the kidnapping incident, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In response to the killings of the Americans, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) proposed classifying cartel groups as domestic terrorists.
“This administration has done nothing about it,” Graham told Jesse Watters on Fox News. “I’m going to introduce legislation, Jesse, to make certain Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations under U.S. law and set the stage to use military force if necessary to protect America from being poisoned by things coming out of Mexico.”
The Gulf Cartel is based in Matamoros, according to the New York Post, and the Jalisco Cartel New Generation is also active there.
The Gulf Cartel took responsibility for the killings of the Americans earlier this year. They reportedly wrote an apology to Mexican police and turned in five of their members.
Matamoros is across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas.
Tamaulipas, where Matamoros is located, is one of six Mexican states the State Department advises against traveling to because of rampant crime and kidnapping, as reported by The Dallas Express.
