American girl, 7, killed by Mexican police during cartel chase near US border

Seven-year-old US-born Aranza was killed by gunfire from a Mexican police helicopter during an operation linked to a cartel chase in Matamoros, near the Texas border. Her death has prompted an investigation into the police shooting and raised questions about how officers responded to civilians caught in an area affected by armed blockades.

Aranza’s family was travelling with five children when they encountered a helicopter and stopped their vehicle; her father reportedly got out to tell officers they were civilians. Her mother said she tried to shield the children, but Aranza was struck in the head. Tamaulipas Attorney General Jesús Govea said officers had come under fire while responding to an attack from the ground; they have not been detained, though he said the investigation had made “significant progress”. The operation followed the capture of suspected Gulf Cartel figure Alfredo Cárdenas Rodríguez, known as Axel.