On Monday, January 27, Chris Olivarez, lieutenant and spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), announced an armed confrontation between alleged members of a Mexican cartel and U.S. Border Patrol agents, which occurred in Starr County, Texas.
According to Olivarez, the armed individuals opened fire on the border agents while patrolling the Fronton area, located in South Texas, one of the most conflict-ridden areas of the border.
"Earlier today, @TxDPS responded to assist the U.S. Border Patrol. These shocking videos were shared on social media by Olivarez, through his X account, to show the magnitude of the confrontation and alert about the growing transnational threat."
DPS drone operators captured the gunmen fleeing from Mexico due to military presence and seeking refuge on an island between the U.S. In his statement, Olivarez detailed that DPS drone operators managed to capture images of the gunmen fleeing towards U.S. territory from Mexico, seeking refuge on an island located between both countries.
The presence of Mexican military forces in the area had forced the attackers to cross the border to the island, where they were intercepted by U.S. authorities after agents received gunfire from cartel members in Mexico while patrolling in Fronton, Starr County, the spokesman assured.
The lieutenant emphasized that the state of Texas will intensify monitoring of the area, ensuring that all available resources will be used to prevent further attacks and protect both law enforcement authorities and the local population.
"The state of Texas will continue to closely monitor the area and will utilize all available resources to prevent transnational threats to our law enforcement partners and the homeland," Olivarez assured.
This confrontation occurs at a tense moment, days after the announcement of the immigration decree signed by President Donald Trump. The decree, which seeks to intensify security policies and control illegal immigration, has been part of the agenda of the U.S. administration in its fight against drug traffickers and criminal organizations operating at the border, where Mexican cartels have considerable influence.
