5 die in Tamaulipas state

A total of five individuals have been killed or were found dead in ongoing drug and gang related violence in Tamaulipas state including three armed suspects who died exchanging gunfire with a unit of the Mexican Army, according to official government news sources.

According to a press release posted on the website of the Tamaulipas state Procuraduria General de Justicia del Estado (PGJE) or attorney general, the three armed suspects were amongst a group travelling en convoy aboard a Ford Lobo (F-150) pickup truck and a Chevrolet Malibu sedan near a gap that leads to the village of Lopez Rayon in Gonzalez municipality when they were encountered by a Mexican Army road patrol.

In the aftermath soldiers secured four rifles and 58 poncha llantas or spikes used to puncture automobile tires, along with the vehicles

According to a press releases posted on the website of the Tamaulipas state PGJE, two other individuals were found dead in southern Tamaulipas state.

• A man was found shot to death Monday evening in Ciudad Victoria. The victim was identified as Rodrigo de los Santos Gonzalez Gomez, 48 and was found at 1940 hrs near the intersection of calles 6th and Carrera.  He had been shot three times with a .223 caliber rifle.
• Tuesday morning a man was found shot to death in ejido Francisco Villa in San Fernando municipality at around 0830 hrs.  The victim was identified as Luis Arrellano Herrera, 64, and was found aboard a Dodge Caravan minivan.  The victim had been shot once in the head.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com