At least 300 people from Ciudad Mier are taking refuge at a shelter in neighboring Miguel Aleman following rounds of violence between drug trafficking rivals.
Action 4 News has learned that the violence started following the death of Gulf Cartel leader Antonio Ezquiel Cardenas-Guillen on Friday.
Cardenas-Guillen, who went by the nickname “Tony Tormenta,” was killed in a battle with Mexican marines in Matamoros.
Residents of Ciudad Mier report that the gun battles have been non-stop.
It’s believed the fighting is taking place between Gulf Cartel and their former allies Los Zetas.
Many Ciudad Mier residents have abandoned their homes and taken refuge in a special shelter set up at the Lions Club in Miguel Aleman.
Some residents of Ciudad Mier are staying with family members in Starr and Zapata Counties.
Authorities report that the refugees at the Miguel Aleman shelter have been given blankets and food.
Ciudad Mier is located on the Mexican side of the border southeast of Falcon Dam and northwest of Roma.
The Tamaulipas border city is considered to strategic to drug traffickers because it has an important highway that connects the border with Monterrey.
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