Mexican army seizes fake military trucks near Camargo

December 09, 2010 9:48 AM
Jared Taylor
The Monitor

An army mobile operating unit was patrolling the area north of the Marte R. Gomez dam near Camargo, across the U.S.-Mexico border from Rio Grande City, when they found the three trucks, which were intended to confuse the public and "cover up their crimes," a Mexican defense ministry statement reads in Spanish.

View a slideshow of the seized trucks
The pickup trucks are painted olive green with similar characteristics to those used by the Mexican army, including regular and extended cabs.

Suspected drug cartel members use trucks painted as those from the Mexican military to avoid detection by the actual authorities.

In July, army soldiers seized two other fake military trucks in Ciudad Mier, across the border from western Starr County.

Officials urge residents to report bad experiences with soldiers to the local army headquarters in Reynosa.

Tuesday's seizure was part of "Operation High Impact Nuevo León-Tamaulipas," where the Mexican government has sent additional troops to combat organized crime across the region.

The operation left six gunmen dead about 4:30 p.m. Monday near Ciudad Diaz Ordaz, across the border from Los Ebanos, where a helicopter endured assault rifle fire on a ranch near the city.

Soldiers responded, killing six gunmen. The army seized 25 guns, six grenades, two grenade launchers, two rocket launchers and three armored vehicles.

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