Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino is calling Sunday’s shootout the first recorded spillover violence from Mexico.
Until now, sheriff Trevino had denied that Mexico's violence was spilling over to the valley, but he said Sunday's shootout is proof that the violence is now on U.S. soil.
Sheriff Trevino said the Gulf cartel has had a lot of chaos within their group since one of their leaders Samuel Borrego Flores was assassinated in September.
Some of their marijuana was stolen.
Sheriff Trevino said according to witnesses, the alleged kidnappers from Sunday's shootout were hired by the cartel and were trying to recover some of the stolen marijuana that had been smuggled into the Rio Grande Valley from Mexico.
Trevino said David Gonzales Perez and another man kidnapped two people who they believed knew where the pot was hidden, and that's when deputy Hugo Rodriguez and his partner arrived on the scene pulled them over during a traffic stop and a shootout began.
“I have to say that with this particular incident the way the witnesses and the information that we have gotten particularly in the federal system, this is the first recorded spill over violence event that we have experienced and unfortunately got one of our deputies shot," said Sheriff Trevino.
Sheriff Trevino said deputy Rodriguez was shot by Perez in the chest and abdomen.
Rodriguez and his partner deputy Manuel Morales then returned fire.
Perez was shot and killed.
Several people were arrested from that incident, and at a mobile home, deputies searched and found 50 pounds of marijuana.
Two suspects were arrested there.
Investigators are still looking for the stash house where they believe over one thousand pounds of marijuana are located.
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