Tapachula, Mexico (AP) – Mexican state police engaged and neutralized four gunmen near the Guatemala border, subsequently pursuing additional suspects into the territory with three armored police vehicles, where a shootout erupted in the streets of bordering towns. Officials from both nations confirmed they are investigating the incident on Monday.
A rare event occurred on Sunday when Mexican law enforcement crossed into Guatemala at Lamesila, which was captured by onlookers in a widely shared online video. In the footage, an armed man donning a ballistic vest and carrying a rifle can be seen moving quickly as the border passes in the background.
Suddenly, another vehicle, filled with armed individuals, speeds across the border. The first vehicle retreats back into Mexico, taking a side road where a third armored police vehicle collides with a civilian car, leading to an explosion of gunfire as either the police truck or the civilian vehicle is struck.
At the same time, a Guatemalan military truck, featuring soldiers in its turret, remains amidst the chaos.
This incident highlights escalating violence along parts of the border ignited by rival Mexican drug cartels and their local affiliates competing for control over lucrative smuggling routes for immigration, firearms, and drugs. The fight for control of valuable smuggling routes continues to drive conflict.
When questioned about the incident, Mexican President Claudia Sinbaum remarked on Monday that it appears Mexican authorities did indeed cross into Guatemala.
“They are investigating what transpired, and what occurred is unacceptable,” she stated.
Chiapas State Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar criticized the notion that Guatemalan authorities were protecting organized crime members. His security chief, Oscar Aparicio Avendaño, informed The Associated Press on Monday that police utilized drones to pinpoint an armed individual attempting to cross into Mexico.
The police managed to intercept the suspects, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including the leader of a local gang.
“They are trying to return (to Guatemala) to evade justice, which is why we intervened, leading to the gunfire,” Ramirez explained. The officers involved were part of the state police known as Pacares, which has also faced allegations of corruption.
As they crossed into Guatemala, authorities were cautious regarding their initial response.
Guatemala’s Vice President Karin Herrera stated on Monday that the Guatemalan government was in discussions with Mexican officials regarding the events, but added, “there’s much still to verify.”
Guatemala’s Defense Minister Henry Saenz asserted that none of the Guatemalan soldiers present in Lamesila discharged their weapons and that they are currently under investigation.
The stretch of territory between Mexico and Guatemala has witnessed ongoing violence over the past two years as new generations of cartels from Sinaloa and Jalisco wrestle for dominance.
Last year, escalating violence forced hundreds of Mexican residents to flee to Guatemala seeking safety. At times, the community has experienced power outages and observed cartel convoys parading through.
The shootout on Sunday unfolded in a narrow street lined with businesses. The use of a machine gun attached to a Guatemalan military truck in such proximity against Mexican police could have intensified the situation dramatically.
For Guatemalan security analyst and attorney Arquel Benitez, the footage circulating online exemplifies a concerning passivity from Guatemalan police and soldiers at best, and, at worst, demonstrates a potential failure to protect Guatemalan citizens from evident threats.
“It’s not about whether they followed protocols; rather, it’s a question of the circumstances under which (Guatemala) police seem absent during border incursions,” he said. “The video implies police might be supporting the armed suspects.”
___ Associated Press writers Sara Melini in Guatemala and Fabiola Sánchez in Mexico City contributed to this report.
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Source: apnews.com