2019 Villa Unión shootout


On 30 November 2019, a shootout broke out in Villa Unión, Coahuila between a drug cartel, suspected to be the Cartel del Noreste, and police. Cartel forces attacked with a convoy of armed pickup trucks around noon. Villa Unión's town hall, the intended recipient of the attack, was targeted because it is the headquarters of the town's police force, leaving it badly damaged. Unverified videos showed smoke rising from the city. Vehicles were stolen and several civilians were kidnapped by the cartel during their retreat. In the following days, state forces pursued the cartels responsible for the attack, with 7 gang members killed on 1 December.