Gulf Cartel’s power struggle holds Mexican city of Reynosa hostage | McClatchy DC

Some use a smartphone app called Zello, a free push-to-talk program that allows users to employ their cellphones like walkie-talkies, asking those online about security conditions around the city. When word goes out of firefights or highway blockades, users flock online and reports flow anonymously. One user, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted, said Zello operated as a modern citizens band radio. “We are not lookouts. We don’t work for the government. We don’t blow the whistle on where soldiers are mobilizing,” he said, adding that the network is one of the few ways to disseminate information amid a general news blackout.