The authorities reported that at least three suspected drug smugglers were shot dead and wounded early Thursday morning when gunfire broke out between them and U.S state and Federal enforcement officers along the Rio Grande near Penitas, Texas.

The Texas Department of Public safety stated that the officials gave only vague details of the incident, which spotted a suspicious vehicle on the U.S side of the river along with two boats believed to belong to a drug cartel.

It was clearly stated by the authorities that, the three law enforcement patrol boats that arrived at the scene to interdict drug runners and a large load of drugs received a heavy gunfire from the Mexico side and the law enforcement officers returned fire by striking at least three of the smugglers.

The Texas Department of Public safety spokeswoman Tela Mange provided with the same details and stated that the operations were continuing and the law enforcement officers received only minor injuries not related to the gunfire.

She added that the Federal and the state officers were participating in a multi-agency operation when the incident took place.

Mange was not ready to neither disclose whether anyone had been apprehended nor commend on the extent of people’s injuries.

Report by Sharika