Mexican troops engaged in a deadly confrontation with alleged members of a drug cartel near the U.S. border in Tamaulipas, resulting in the death of 12 attackers. The shootout occurred in the Miguel Aleman municipality, where soldiers were patrolling and were unexpectedly attacked by armed civilians hiding in the bushes. The Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) confirmed that a dozen assailants were killed during the clash, with soldiers seizing a number of weapons, cartridges, and magazines of various calibers. The military utilized drones and a helicopter during the operation.

Tamaulipas, a state on the U.S. border, has been a hotspot for violence linked to organized crime. Last year, four U.S. citizens were kidnapped in the region, resulting in the death of two individuals and injuring two others. The Gulf drug cartel was involved in the incident, with five men being turned over to the police after the abduction. Recently, Mexican marines detained a top leader of the Gulf cartel, described as "one of the key leaders of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Tamaulipas."

Mexico continues to battle crime waves, with over 420,000 murders and 110,000 disappearances attributed to criminal groups since the initiation of a military anti-drug offensive in 2006. The latest clash in Tamaulipas highlights the ongoing struggles in the region against organized crime.