• ATTACK: Mexican authorities reported at least 20 deaths in the aftermath of gun battles between law enforcement and members of the Cartel del Noreste gang that had attacked the small rural town of Villa Hidalgo, in the state of Coahuila state just 39 miles south of Eagle Pass, TX.
• RESISTANCE: “I want to highlight the courage of the group of 15 elements of the police that initially faced more than 60 criminals for more than an hour and a half”, said Miguel Ángel Riquelme, the Governor of Coahuila, who said that the attack could be a response to his first year in office.
• REMNANT: The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has identified CDN as one of several remnant factions of the Los Zetas drug cartel and said its alleged leader is Juan Gerardo Treviño-Chávez, El Huevo, a nephew of the former Los Zetas leaders (who were arrested in 2013 and 2015).
• ADVISORY: Since January 2018, the US Department of State has had an active “Reconsider Travel” advisory for the state of Coahuila arguing that gang activity is common; US officials are advised not to travel outside Piedras Negras (one hour north of Villa Unión) due to lack of police.
