Mexican army: Armored truck, grenades, guns and drugs seized in weekend firefight

February 23, 2010 6:27 PM
The Brownsville Herald

MATAMOROS — Two weekend firefights between the Mexican military and alleged cartel members in this city led to the seizure of drugs, an armored SUV, grenades and other weapons, officials said.

The shootings left one civilian and two purported cartel members dead, according to the Mexican Defense Ministry, which is known by its Spanish acronym SEDENA. Mexican officials declined to say if any military personnel were killed or wounded.

The first shooting took place about 7 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Pedro Cardenas Boulevard (also known as Sixth Street) and Manuel Cavazos Lerma Boulevard, outside the Plaza Fiesta shopping center, the Defense Ministry said. A military patrol was fired upon by cartel members and began to fight back.

Details of the firefight were not available, but the military reported that it seized 11 bundles of marijuana weighing a total of about 255 pounds, as well as a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2002 Cadillac Escalade, two fragmentation grenades, three assault rifles, 550 rounds of ammunition, 24 ammunition clips and one metallic ammunition box.

The Defense Ministry reported that two “attackersâ€