North America Gunman Detective

Chapter 1334 - 724: Operation Begins (Part 2)

The Juárez police arranged two patrol cars to wait at customs. Upon spotting Jimmy and his convoy, they immediately led the way to the Juárez police station.

Javier was driving, with Jimmy in the passenger seat. His right hand constantly rested on the grip of his Glock. Since crossing the customs, his heightened Sixth Sense had already sensed something—quite a few people were watching their convoy as it drove through the temporarily controlled route. Among them were some with malicious gazes, and Jimmy could even feel a tingling sense of danger, prompting him to frequently glance at the houses and side roads.

Many of the people along the road had tattoos on their bodies and faces, appearing rather unlike ordinary citizens, and their presence suggested they had received advance notice. This was not a good sign.

The DEA indeed had contacted the Juárez police, but for the information to have reached the gangs so quickly undermined the credibility of the Juárez police.

The architecture in Juárez City appeared extremely inconsistent in style. Whether it was buildings, bungalows, or some unauthorized temporary structures by the roadside, graffiti covered the lower walls. Some of the graffiti seemed peculiar, likely serving as markers for gang territories or conveying information known only to specific people.

Regrettably, Jimmy estimated he wouldn't have the opportunity to understand these symbols, as their operation here wasn't going to last long. The urgency of rescuing people demanded speed.

When they arrived at the police station, the strange feeling of being watched hadn't disappeared. Entering the police station building, they stepped into a conference room where two fully armed SWAT members were already seated. Their rifles rested against the chairs rather than in their hands. Even within the police station, they were so well-prepared that Jimmy couldn't help but wonder if they also suspected gang members inside, fearing stray bullets.

Carlos Rodriguez took over from Alejandro as the commander of this joint operation, communicating the purpose of their visit to the local officers while also announcing their target—Victoria of the Steel Dragon cartel.

The DEA had previously just informed the police of a targeted investigation into a gang without naming it. Now, after unveiling the name, Jimmy could clearly see numerous exchanged glances among the policemen and SWAT officers. It seemed Victoria wasn't a secret here and many people knew about her.

But this was within Jimmy's expectations. They intended to catch them off guard, preparing the materials in advance, and upon arrival, orchestrating subsequent actions, leaving no room for reaction.

What Jimmy didn't expect was that while in Albuquerque, it was mostly Alejandro who had been leading the investigation. Yet upon arriving in Mexico's Juárez, Carlos took charge. It seemed there were internal issues within the DEA, much like how Javier handed over command to Jimmy upon arriving in Albuquerque without vying for control. Of course, this was likely due to Ruiz's specific instructions, as Jimmy thought.

Carlos Rodriguez hung the map they'd prepared, marking three suspected targets. Time was tight; they hadn't yet ruled out potential decoys among these targets but confirmed that Victoria had appeared in all three locations. Now, they needed detailed information from local police about these suspected targets.

Fortunately, in the straightforward environment of the police station, the officers weren't playing any tricks like claiming they were unaware of these locations or unfamiliar with Victoria, which would have been too suspicious.

Soon, information was delivered, and they finally confirmed that one of the buildings housed an underground casino—a former haven of indulgence for all kinds of people from surrounding underworld and respectable circles. Now, with the DEA confirming it as one of Victoria's domains, it was highly likely she would appear there.

After the briefing concluded, Carlos and Alejandro left with their police liaison. They needed to coordinate with the police to impose traffic control and lock down their target, possibly requiring personnel to assist in combat. After all, they had few people from the United States. While raiding a club wasn't a problem, ensuring no one escaped inside was slightly more challenging.

The operation against Victoria was driven by the DEA's needs, while Jimmy was responsible for the FBI's rescue mission. So now, everything was under Carlos and Alejandro's arrangement, with Jimmy leading the rescue afterward.

The police acted quickly—they had been in contact well beforehand, and relevant personnel were already notified. Two hours later, the team was assembled.

The commanders gathered again as Carlos briefed them on the operation's plan: the DEA's six-member SRT team would lead, followed closely by additional DEA and FBI personnel to control the scene and search for Victoria. The police SWAT would assist in controlling other people at the scene, with ordinary police handling traffic blockades and surrounding the club from front and back to ensure no escape through the rear.

The plan wasn't perfect, especially with the club's interior currently unconfirmed. But to achieve the element of surprise, they had to act swiftly, otherwise leaks from insiders would complicate matters.

Arrangements complete, Carlos announced the start of the operation. Everyone began heading downstairs and left together after assembling in the parking lot.

Those gathered here were the operational personnel. Ordinary police tasked with blockading traffic and nearby roads had already been deployed ahead of time to complete the encirclement before the operational team arrived.

Upon approaching the vicinity of the club, Carlos assessed the convoy, then pressed the radio button, saying: "Operation start."

The SRT team's BearCat armored vehicle separated from the convoy, accelerated past the leading police car, and rammed directly into the front gate of the club building. The hefty bull bar smashed the gate open, and five team members immediately rushed out from the vehicle's back. Once they positioned themselves, the BearCat reversed to clear the gate space.

"Nobody move! Juárez Police!..." A pre-recorded message blared from the BearCat's loudspeakers, and the fully armed SRT team quickly secured the few individuals in the lobby.

The SRT wore Bullet-Proof Vests, originally labeled with DEA tags, now replaced with the Juárez Police force's white lettering, preventing any significant commotion on the scene.

Jimmy and his team followed closely through the gate, with two members aiming at those in the lobby while the others advanced inside. Once SWAT arrived to control the scene, the two remaining SRT members also hurried inside.

Entering the inner hall from the lobby, the situation became completely chaotic. The earlier announcement had alerted those inside that something was happening outside; when SRT breached the hall, chaos erupted as people scrambled everywhere, with many smartly crouching or lying down—though some were not as wise.

A few individuals inside started to draw their guns while running toward the interior passage; unlike Jimmy, the SRT fired warning shots to stop them. The others tried to evade and fired back, triggering a chain reaction. The SRT began shooting at their respective targets.

Jimmy and his team rushed in afterward. Everyone wore Bullet-Proof Vests, making it impossible to hide behind and leave everything to the SRT. The only distinction was that Jimmy held a handgun, while Javier and the others entered with rifles.

Several non-ordinary-looking people managed to escape through the side passage. The SRT began coordinating: "Control the scene, Team A the left passage, Team B monitors the hall."

Even a small team had its assignments; despite no names being called, arrangements were rapidly completed. With Jimmy following behind, they entered the left passageway, where Jimmy noted the environment ahead—a passage did indeed lead to the rear exit. However, police were already stationed there at the rear exit, creating minimal concern.