Gunmen attack vehicles at border crossing into north Mexico, wounding 3, including some Americans

By ALFREDO PEÑA and FABIOLA SANCHEZ
Associated Press

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — A convoy of vehicles crossing into Mexico from the U.S. was attacked by gunmen early Saturday, and three people, including American citizens, were wounded with gunshots, Mexican authorities said.

The Tamaulipas state security department said the attack happened on the international bridge that connects the town of Miguel Aleman with Roma, Texas. Initially, the agency reported nine people wounded, but it later said that three had gunshot wounds and six suffered panic attacks.

A state official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, told The Associated Press that the injured included both Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.

The injured were taken to the international bridge and handed over to U.S. authorities, said Jorge Cuéllar, Tamaulipas state security spokesman.

The Miguel Aleman fire department said the wounded were part of a group of at least 20 people travelling to central Mexico.

Upon entering Miguel Aleman from Texas, they were struck by an artisanal armored truck of the type commonly used by cartels and then came under fire. The attackers then fled.

In recent months, there has been a wave of violence in Tamaulipas that has prompted federal authorities to send in hundreds of soldiers to reinforce security patrols in the border cities of San Fernando, Reynosa and Matamoros, where cells of the Gulf Cartel and other criminal organizations operate.