A 7-year-old dual U.S.-Mexican citizen, Aranza Aidelany Pardo, was killed in Matamoros, Mexico, during a security operation targeting an alleged cartel member, with her mother, Claudia Pardo García, alleging that gunfire from a state police helicopter struck her daughter in the head. The incident occurred on October 29th as the family was returning home and encountered cartel roadblocks, prompting them to take a rural route where they were reportedly pursued by the helicopter. Pardo García recounted that after her husband exited their vehicle with his hands raised to signal they were a family, gunfire erupted, fatally wounding Aranza and injuring Pardo herself in the leg. The operation, which also led to the arrest of Axel Alfredo Cárdenas Rodríguez, a relative of Gulf Cartel leadership, resulted in a total of six deaths and subsequent cartel roadblocks. Mexican authorities are currently investigating three officers aboard the helicopter, who remain on active duty, while the mother claims emergency services took over two hours to arrive. Investigators are reviewing evidence to determine the source of the fatal shot, and U.S. consular officials and FBI representatives have reportedly been in contact with the family following the tragedy.
Adapted from: Latest World News on Fox News
