Report: Texas fisherman killed, 2 injured on border in suspected cartel shootings

Border Patrol agent Isaac Villegas looks over the Rio Grande River into Mexico Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 in Roma. Keep clicking to see a gallery of other images from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Border Patrol agent Isaac Villegas looks over the Rio Grande River into Mexico Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 in Roma. Keep clicking to see a gallery of other images from the U.S.-Mexico border. Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 63 Caption Close Report: Texas fisherman killed, 2 injured on border in suspected cartel shootings 1 / 63 Back to Gallery

One Texas fisherman has been killed and two others injured in shootings on the Rio Grande River in an area known for suspected drug cartel violence.

The three men were in a boat on the Texas side of the river near the rural community of Fronton and were shot from the Mexican side about 4:25 p.m. Wednesday, the Starr County Sheriff's Office said. Fronton is about 100 miles south of Laredo.

All three victims were in the U.S. legally, Major Carlos Delgado of the Starr County Sheriff's Office said Friday by email. The motive for the shootings is unknown, and the case remains under investigation by Texas, U.S. and Mexican authorities, Delgado said. The two injued men are in stable condition, he said.

"It is unknown if the shooting was done by drug cartel members," Delgado stated in the email.

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The location is near the site where a U.S. Border Protection agent and a Texas State Trooper were injured in shootings Nov. 25. According to Breitbart Texas, the agent and trooper were apparently caught in a shootout between Mexican law enforcement and cartel members.

On Dec. 6, Breitbart said, two fishermen were shot at Falcon Lake in Zapata County, west of the Fronton-area incidents. One of the men died from his injuries.

In October, 2010, David Hartley of Colorado was killed at Lake Zapata. According to chron.com, Hartley and his wife crossed the lake on personal water craft to tour the half-submerged town of Guerrero on the Mexican side. Hartley's wife told police "armed thugs" in boats swarmed the couple and shot her husband in the head.