Hours-Long Gun Battle Breaks Out in Mexican Border City After Cartel Leader's Arrest

The Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo experienced another day of chaos following the arrest of a high-ranking leader of the Northeast Cartel, an offshoot of Los Zetas, by Mexican authorities.

The U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo tweeted on Monday morning about an "emergency situation" in the town that borders Laredo, Texas, telling U.S. citizens to shelter in place.

There is an emergency situation in Nuevo Laredo following an arrest operation. Reports of gunfire in multiple locations in the city.
Shelter in place and standby for further information. pic.twitter.com/Tp2BO44bUj

— USCG Nvo Laredo (@USAConNVL) November 28, 2022

 Large amounts of automatic gunfire can be heard in videos posted to social media.

Nuevo Laredo Tamaulipas 4:30 am. Shooting lasted over 2 hours according to residents. This as a result of the arrest of a high ranking individual within the CDN Cartel forces by federal and state agencies. pic.twitter.com/sr4IYErYsU

— Ed's Manifesto (@eds_manifesto) November 28, 2022

Así se escucharon las balaceras en #NuevoLaredo #Tamaulipas en diferentes puntos de la ciudad entre elementos de la @SEDENAmx y delincuentes del CDN/Z. Se rumora la detencion del Negrolo miembro activo y con larga trayectoria en dicha organizacion @LPueblo2 @Jalisciense1cc pic.twitter.com/erdSh4tOSD

— Vivo En Marte (@DemonioTtv) November 28, 2022

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Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed the gun battles broke out in response to the arrest of a cartel leader but the suspect had already been taken to Mexico City, according to Fox News. The gunfire stopped but schools and visa appointments were canceled for the day.

Once a stronghold for Los Zetas, Nuevo Laredo is a highly contested city for different cartels because of its importance for drug smuggling into the United States. While it has seen an increase in illegal crossings due to the ongoing border crisis, the different criminal groups are mainly focused on narcotics.

7-Day Recap
Protecting our Communities:
•203 lbs. Cocaine
•1,393 lbs. Methamphetamine
Narcotics estimated street value over $15.5M
•40 Arrests
Trade and Travel Facilitation
•86,185Comm. Cargo
•18,018 Rail Cars
•404,838 Vehicles@CBP @DFOLaredo #FieldOperations👮‍♂️👮 pic.twitter.com/s1dqP5E9bn

— Director, Field Operations, Randy Howe (@DFOLaredo) November 21, 2022