Seven-Year-Old Girl Killed by Gunfire During Mexican Police Cartel Operation in Matamoros

Crime · First reported 9 Nov, 22:43 · Updated 23:01

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Rekia1991 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Seven-year-old Aranza Pardo was fatally shot in the head on October 29 during a Tamaulipas state police operation against the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros, Mexico. Her mother reported that police firing from a helicopter struck their vehicle as they attempted to bypass cartel road blockades following the arrest of cartel figure Axel Alfredo Cárdenas Rodríguez. Mexican authorities are investigating the shooting, while confirming that the involved officers remain on active duty.

Seven-year-old Aranza Pardo died from a gunshot wound to the head on October 29 in Matamoros, Mexico, during a security operation targeting the Gulf Cartel.
The victim's mother, Claudia Pardo García, stated that gunfire from a hovering Tamaulipas state police helicopter struck their vehicle and hit her daughter while wounding Pardo in the leg.
The incident occurred after the family took a rural detour to navigate road blockades set up following the arrest of alleged cartel figure Axel Alfredo Cárdenas Rodríguez.
Tamaulipas state prosecutor Jesús Govea confirmed an investigation into the shooting using ballistics, interviews, and video, while reporting that the officers involved have not been detained.
U.S. consular and FBI representatives contacted the family regarding the death of the child, who held American citizenship.