LAST NIGHT'S REYNOSA FIREFIGHT THE LOCAL MEDIA FORGOT TO REPORT

Last night's gun battles, wholesale auto theft, blockades in Reynosa well illustrate the validity of the State Department's travel warning for the State of Tamaulipas:

Tamaulipas (includes Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Tampico): U.S. citizens should defer all non-essential travel to the state of Tamaulipas due to violent crime, including homicide, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault. The number of reported kidnappings in Tamaulipas is among the highest in Mexico. State and municipal law enforcement capacity is limited to nonexistent in many parts of Tamaulipas. Violent criminal activity occurs more frequently along the northern border and organized criminal groups may target public and private passenger buses traveling through Tamaulipas. These groups sometimes take all passengers hostage and demand ransom payments. U.S. government personnel are subject to movement restrictions and a curfew between midnight and 6 a.m. Matamoros, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, and Ciudad Victoria have experienced numerous gun battles and attacks with explosive devices in the past year.

In Reynosa or Matamoros a commercial bus can be commandeered to be used as part of a blockade by the military or narcos.

That happened once again last night as a firefight broke out in the city. Citizens were ripped from their vehicles as criminals "needed" their trucks for the territorial war.

Caught in the crossfire, a high school kid was killed.

Nurses were kidnapped to treat the wounded, typically narco assassins.

Hundreds of ponchallantas, tire spikes, were tossed into the streets, stranding many private vehicles.

Mexican army and navy personnel tried to quell the firefight with federal helicopters in the air overhead.

The most intense fighting was in the Vista Hermosa colonia, Villa Florida, later extending into Campestra, Jarachina Sur, Puerta del Sol, Puerta Sur Bugambilias, San Valentin and Lomas Real.