Gun battles have left at least three people dead on the streets of Reynosa, a Mexican city on the border with the US that has been plagued by drug cartel violence.

Officials said parts of the city had been blocked with vehicles set on fire by gunmen. Authorities issued an urgent notice warning residents not to use various main roads because of shooting and blockades. The violence came after authorities captured a leader of the Gulf Cartel, known as El Gafe. The Gulf Cartel has been dominant in Reynosa and the state of Tamaulipas for years, but has been weakened recently by the arrest of several leaders.