SAA event in Mexico on Thu 16th April 2026

A fierce shootout in the Villa El Cielo neighborhood sparked panic on the outskirts of Villahermosa. Gunmen holed up atop a building opened fire on officers from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, who returned fire at midday on the highway to Teapa. The sound of more than 30 gunshots forced families to throw themselves to the ground as officers used their patrol cars as shields against the hail of bullets. An officer was seen lying next to a vehicle after the exchange of gunfire, while state forces and the National Guard surrounded the area to hunt down the attackers. Villa El Cielo is now confirmed as a war zone; the shadow of previous attacks against authorities continues to haunt the residents who live caught in the crossfire of the perpetrators of violence. Seizure: - 2 firearms. After the ceasefire, the capture of three criminals who attempted to turn the residential area into a bunker was confirmed. The deployment of armored vehicles and federal agents remains in the area to sweep away any trace of the criminal cells that are besieging the south of the Tabasco capital.