By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat
Mary Virginia Hantsch, Principal Officer for the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros, released a video expressing condolences following the killing of a Mexican federal police officer assigned to Consulate security.
Marcelo Vázquez Vázquez, 40, an officer with Mexico’s Servicio de Protección Federal, was killed Sunday in an ambush in the La Encantada neighborhood of Matamoros after completing his shift guarding the U.S. Consulate.
Vázquez and other officers were traveling home when a pickup truck intentionally collided with their vehicle. The suspects then attempted to flee, prompting the officers to pursue them. During the chase, gunmen opened fire on the officers, and a second vehicle carrying additional assailants joined the attack.
Vázquez was fatally wounded in the ambush. Another officer was reportedly injured. It is unclear if the officers were targeted for their role guarding to U.S. Consulate or not.
The attack occurred around 3 miles from the U.S. Consulate, geolocated by open source intelligence account Pernicious Propaganda.
In a public statement released after the attack, Hantsch extended condolences to the officer’s family, friends, and colleagues, describing his death as a tragedy and recognizing his service protecting Consulate personnel and facilities.
Later, federal authorities arrested two people allegedly connected to the attack. The Security Cabinet reported that they also seized four firearms and a vehicle.
Following the attack, the Secretary General of the Government of Tamaulipas, Héctor Joel Villegas González, announced the reinforcement of security in Matamoros with the deployment of more than 100 federal and state police officers.