Violence's proximity puts Brownsville on alert
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September 14, 2010 10:18 PM
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

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Aug. 22 - A grenade was thrown at the Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in Matamoros

Aug. 24 - Another grenade was thrown at PGR office in Matamoros.

Aug. 25 - A shootout at PGR office in Matamoros and a grenade was thrown near B&M International Bridge

Aug. 29 – A grenade was thrown at the Mexican Navy headquarters in Matamoros
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Shootouts that began Monday night in Matamoros apparently have killed 25 or more members of organized crime, and two bridges to Brownsville were closed for 20 minutes Tuesday at the request of Mexican authorities.

The violence continued sporadically Tuesday between the Mexican military and groups of gunmen from both the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas, said a Mexican law enforcement official who asked that his name not be used for security reasons. He said the violence had started in Ciudad Victoria and spread north from there.

Shootouts were reported in various areas in Matamoros, with gunmen at times spraying the streets with gunfire and throwing grenades.

The areas where gunfire was reported include Fraccionamiento Rio; Colonia Del Carmen; Colonia Jardin, which is near the Gateway International Bridge; Calle Sexta; and Lauro Villar, which is near the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates.

Mexican Navy helicopters were seen flying low on Tuesday while patrolling the city.

Authorities did not release figures for casualties, but a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation in Matamoros stated that more than 25 gunmen died and several more were injured.

A resident of the city reported that she saw firefighters outside her house washing blood from the streets.

Repeated calls to Matamoros City Hall for information about the effect of the shootouts on the scheduled Mexican Independence festivities went unanswered.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Eddie Perez confirmed that as a result of an incident in Matamoros – and at the request of the Mexican government – traffic was halted some time after midnight Monday on both the Gateway and B&M international bridges. The closures lasted about 20 minutes and were described as a precautionary measure.

“As always, CBP’s top priority is the safety of the traveling public and our officers,â€