Authorities in Nuevo Laredo anounced on March 1, 2012 that the Mexican military and federal police forces were involved in a shootout with armed sicarios in the Nuevo Laredo highway in three separate events. The toll was reported to be 13 sicarios killed. In this shooting it is believed a boss of the plaza was among those killed,A total of 13 armed suspects were killed in a firefight with a detachment of Mexican Army soldiers in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Thursday afternoon, according to an announcement posted on the Secretaria de Defensa Nacional.
The unit was on patrol on Mexico Highway 2 at the 15 Kilometer marker when soldiers came under small arms fire from an armed group who were travelling en convoy aboard several vehicles. Army return fire killed 13 suspects. Three army fusileros were wounded in the encounter.

Tamaulipas state is one of the most heavily patrolled states in Mexico at the moment with about 8,000 army troops and about 1,500 Policia Federal effectives. The massive deployment began at the first of the year in support of the ongoingOperacion Noreste security operation.