Soldiers Kill 5 Gunmen in Shootout in Northeastern Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Five suspected gunmen died in a shootout with soldiers in Rio Bravo, a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, officials told Efe.

The shootout occurred on Tuesday at the Rio Bravo-Nuevo Progreso crossroads and involved army troops on a routine patrol, a Tamaulipas Attorney General’s office agent said.

The gunmen fired at the soldiers, who returned fire, killing all five of the subjects.

Several firearms, tactical gear and an SUV that had been reported stolen were seized.

Tamaulipas has been a battleground between the Gulf and Los Zetas drug cartels for years, and the state is regularly among those with the highest number of homicides.

President Enrique Peña Nieto sent additional Federal Police and military personnel to Tamaulipas in May 2014 and ordered a thorough vetting of the state and municipal police forces to root out corrupt officers.