Gulf Cartel Border Turf War Persists Despite Mexican Government’s Safety Claims.

War between Gulf Cartel factions leaves Mexican border cities in fear

Residents of Reynosa and Matamoros, two Mexican border cities, are living in fear as a war between rival factions of the Gulf Cartel rages on. The violence has escalated over the past ten days, with the Metros (Reynosa) faction and the Escorpiones (Matamoros) faction going to war. The Old School Zetas from San Fernando, who were allied with the Escorpiones, switched sides and joined the Reynosa faction, further increasing the violence.

Despite efforts by state and federal authorities to deny the violence and minimize what they can’t hide, the fighting has continued. Military forces and law enforcement have played a minimal role in stopping the violence as gunmen continue to operate along highways in large convoys of armored vehicles.

CJNG involvement

During the fighting, several armored vehicles with the letters CJNG were abandoned in places where cartel forces had clashed. In August 2022, Breitbart Texas reported exclusively on a series of attacks by Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) in the town of Jimenez. The criminal organization made its way into Tamaulipas from the state of San Luis Potosi where they currently operate.

Despite social media posts showing convoys of gunmen operating with impunity throughout the state, Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal and his staff claimed there was no proof that cartels from other states had entered the state and were helping one side or the other. They claimed that one of the factions was trying to make others believe that they had the support of CJNG and had used white paint to put the letters on some vehicles, while the real CJNG used professional decals.

Government denial

Government officials claimed that Tamaulipas is safe and that reports of cartel violence are simply an attempt by a previous administration to attack the current governor. However, locals are locking themselves in their homes as soon as the sun goes down, and social media posts continue to show the violence and fear that grips the region.

About the authors

• Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
• Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].