Tagged: Gulf Cartel

November 25th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Mexican border city suffers 60 cartel murders in November

Mexican border city suffers 60 cartel murders in November

(BREITBART) — REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — The raging cartel violence in this border city resulted in 60 murders in November.

Rival factions of the Gulf Cartel continue their fight for control of drug trafficking territories and access to Texas. The 60 victims include military and police officers killed in shootouts as well as innocent civilians killed in the crossfire.

Breitbart Texas has been tracking the murders and executions that have been taking place in Reynosa since early May. At that time, two rival factions of the Gulf Cartel went to war for territorial control. Since May, the violence has left more than 324 victims. The fighting followed the death of former regional leader Juan Manuel “Toro” Loiza Salinas, a ruthless cartel boss who terrorized Reynosa for almost two years until he was gunned down by Mexican Marines.

After El Toro’s death, another Gulf Cartel commander named Petronilo “Panilo” Moreno Flores claimed control of the city. However, a faction claiming to be relatives and followers of the late leader led by Luis Alberto “Pelochas” Blanco Flores and Toro’s nephew Humberto “Betillo” Loza Mendez, who also went by the name of Alberto Salinas, have been fighting against Panilo’s forces.

The fighting resulted in fierce gun battles where convoys of gunmen clash along the city’s main avenues, those firefights have killed not only gunmen but also police officers and military personnel tasked with keeping the peace. The firefights also led to various innocent bystanders being killed or wounded by stray bullets.

The fighting between cartel forces also manifested itself in a dramatic increase in kidnappings and executions. As Breitbart’s Texas has reported, cartel gunmen have resorted to incinerating the bodies of their victims as well as to using shallow pits to dump the bodies of their rivals.

The most recent casualty took place on Friday early morning when a State police officer died in a gun battle. A squad of state cops was responding to a call of help from military forces who had been battling a team of gunmen. Two cartel gunmen also died during that clash in the Jarachinas Sur neighborhood.

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October 5th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Mexican cartel targets SUV drivers for carjackings near Texas border

Mexican cartel targets SUV drivers for carjackings near Texas border

(BREITBART) — REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — Gun battles, carjackings, and kidnappings continue to take place every day in this border city as two rival factions of the Gulf Cartel continue to fight for control.

In recent days, cartel gunmen targeted average citizens for daylight carjackings in their efforts to steal four-door SUVs. The teams of cartel gunmen stole trucks at gunpoint near the Anzalduas International Bridge, near the city’s downtown area.

Mexican law enforcement sources consulted by Breitbart Texas revealed that SUVs are a favored by cartel gunmen due to powerful engines; high clearances for dirt roads; and the four doors allow each gunman the ability to shoot in and out of the vehicle with relative ease. SUVs are used in large-scale gun battles along rural dirt roads or in the main city streets when rival cartel factions clash.

Mexican law enforcement officials have been targeting these convoys, many times finding them and clashing with them before the rival cartel factions meet. This has led to a large number of shootouts between law enforcement and cartel gunmen.

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August 15th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Gulf Cartel training camp discovered near Texas border

Gulf Cartel training camp discovered near Texas border

(BREITBART) — MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — Mexico’s Gulf Cartel managed to build a training camp in this border city with guard towers, walls, drill areas, and a garage for outfitting vehicles with armor plating.

The camp was discovered by the Mexican Army during an enforcement operation in the rural areas southwest of Matamoros. Military personnel received anonymous information about a cartel camp and carried out a series of efforts to locate the training facility, information provided to Breitbart Texas by the Mexican Army revealed. Matamoros is a border city immediately south of Brownsville, Texas.

Cartel forces in Matamoros set up a series of blockades throughout the city to keep soldiers from reaching the camp. By the time that the Mexican army reached the walled facility, cartel gunmen managed to flee leaving behind weapons, tactical gear, armored vehicles, and other items.

The compound was surrounded by a wall and had a concrete guard tower used by lookouts to warn about any approaching rival forces. Inside, authorities found multiple structures including garages, workshops, and target ranges.

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June 25th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on 74 killed in weeks-long cartel war near Texas border

74 killed in weeks-long cartel war near Texas border

(BREITBART) — REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — The raging cartel war for control of this city resulted in at least 74 officially-counted murders. Many more victims have been incinerated just south of the Texas border.

In early May, Breitbart Texas began reporting on rival factions of the Gulf Cartel fighting for control of this border city. The continuing conflicts resulted in convoys of cartel gunmen roaming the streets looking for their rivals.

Overnight, cartel gunmen dumped a bloodied corpse with a posterboard where one cartel factions threatened their rivals. Bodies with warnings had not been seen previously in Reynosa. However, they are commonplace in Ciudad Victoria and in the border state of Nuevo Leon where Breitbart Texas has been reporting Los Zetas and other cartels are also carrying out massacres.

The violence spiked in early May, shortly after Mexican authorities killed former Gulf Cartel boss Juan Manuel “Toro” Loiza Salinas in late April. His death led to a power vacuum where his former allies are trying to fight off the another faction that appears to be favored by other cartel leaders. The ongoing fighting has led to a spike in highway robberies, armed robberies, kidnappings, and extortions as cartel commanders continue to look for ways to fund their ongoing war.

The raging violence by the Gulf Cartel immediately south of the Texas border led to the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) issuing an alert to agents that they represent regarding the cartel war just south of the border, Breitbart Texas reported.

The NBPC warned federal agents about the constant gun battles and the possibility of spillover violence or stray rounds fired in Mexico landing in Texas.

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/06/24/graphic-74-killed-weeks-long-cartel-war-near-texas-border/

June 1st, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on 36 killed in month-long cartel war near Texas

36 killed in month-long cartel war near Texas

(BREITBART) — REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — Raging violence continues to take hold of this border city as rival factions of the Gulf Cartel fight for control claimed 36 deaths–including a bystander and one police officer.

As Breitbart Texas reported, the violence began in late April, shortly after Mexican authorities hunted down and killed regional Gulf boss Juan Manuel “Toro” Loiza Salinas. The death of the ruthless cartel kingpin led to an immediate power vacuum as various factions fight for control of the city and surrounding smuggling routes.

The fight has led to convoys of gunmen driving around Reynosa hunting for rivals. Some of the shooters ride in vehicles with “M-42” spray-painted on the side, indicating former allegiance to Toro. As Breitbart Texas reported, the violence has also led to a spike in crime as cartel gunmen carry out daytime robberies at various establishments and against unsuspecting motorists.

Over the weekend, rival gunmen clashed three separate times, spreading fear among local residents. In one of the clashes, forces exchanged gunfire in the Lopez Portillo neighborhood where neighbors reported that four gunmen died in the clash.

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May 6th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Mexican cartel offers rewards for rivals’ heads

Mexican cartel offers rewards for rivals’ heads

(BREITBART) — Mexico’s Gulf Cartel took to social media to announce a $500,000 reward for the heads of their rivals. The cartel made the offer on various social media platforms as cartel gunmen unleashed another wave of violence in this city.

On Friday afternoon, rival factions of the Gulf Cartel clashed in the streets of this city unleashing a barrage of machine gun fire and grenade explosions that spread terror.

The intensity of the fighting led to the city government issuing a red alert notice on social media. Officials pushed out the social media notification as a way to warn citizens to stay indoors because of battles spreading throughout the city.

Rival factions of the Gulf Cartel began a bloody war for control of this border city on Tuesday, Breitbart Texas reported. The fighting follows the demise of former regional cartel boss Juan Manuel “Comandante Toro M-42” Loiza Salinas.

Since then, various commanders loyal to him have been fighting the rest of the cartel in an effort to stop them from taking over the city.

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April 18th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Cartel violence kills 10 near Texas border

Cartel violence kills 10 near Texas border

(BREITBART) — MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — A series of recent gun battles and executions in this border city and in Rio Bravo led to nearly a dozen deaths as clashes with military forces and internal turmoil within the Gulf Cartel is reaching a boiling point.

The violence began last week in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Matamoros when cartel gunmen clashed with military and police forces. As usual, the fighting led to blockades, where cartel gunmen hijacked various vehicles to choke chances of police pursuit down main avenues. In Rio Bravo, troops killed several gunmen throughout the city.

The fighting and a series of apparent executions in both Matamoros and Rio Bravo led to the death of several men who are all believed to be part of one of the various factions that make up the Gulf Cartel.

In the downtown area of Matamoros, authorities responded to a local business where they found four men killed. The four cartel members had all been shot in the head execution-style.

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February 25th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Non-stop gun battles spark fear, uncertainty in Mexican border city

Non-stop gun battles spark fear, uncertainty in Mexican border city

(BREITBART) — REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — The ongoing hunt for the leader of the Gulf Cartel in this border city has led to more than nine days of continuous gun battles. The clashes resulted in the deaths of at least 14 individuals –including most of the gunmen. Anecdotal accounts by residents place the death toll much higher.

As Breitbart Texas reported, Mexican authorities have been targeting the leadership of the Gulf Cartel in this city. Officials focused their efforts on capturing or killing Gulf Cartel leader Julian “Comandante Toro” Loisa Salinas, also known as Juan Manuel Loisa Salinas.

Law enforcement’s efforts to apprehend Loisa met heavy resistance from Gulf Cartel troops who continue to fight against military forces. Breitbart Texas reported that the intensity of the clashes escalated to the point where Mexican military forces deployed helicopters with mini-guns and other artillery weapons to fight off the cartel forces. During the gun battles, cartel gunmen continue to use hundreds of makeshift road spikes in an attempt to slow down authorities.

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November 30th, 2016 Breaking News Comments Off on GRAPHIC VIDEO: Mexican cartel at border preps to incinerate victims’ hacked bodies, plays soccer with head

GRAPHIC VIDEO: Mexican cartel at border preps to incinerate victims’ hacked bodies, plays soccer with head

(BREITBART) — MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — A leaked video obtained by the Breitbart Texas shows a crew of Gulf Cartel gunmen preparing to incinerate dozens of murdered victims. They are also seen playing soccer with a human head.

The incineration of victims is a long standing practice that allows the criminal organization to avoid scrutiny as well as help Mexican government officials continue to claim low crime statistics.

In the leaked video, a man holding a cell phone claims to be part of the Gulf Cartel and that the group is cooking “rats” or rivals members. The man appears to be holding a beer on the other hand as he narrates in Spanish the fate of their rivals.

In the background of the video, various other cartel members can be seen punching holes in 55-gallon drums and placing rocks and body parts inside. One of the men then asks for a “spark” referring to a lighter. The man with the cell phone then begins to kick the head of one of a murder victim as if it were a soccer ball. Another is heard stating that in a village, Los Zetas members had played soccer with the severed heads of children.

The date and the location of the video remains unknown, however the method of incinerating the victims remains the same throughout Mexico. “Cooking” is a term used to describe the incineration of bodies by cartel members. The murdered victims are hacked into pieces and placed either in clandestine crematoriums or in 55-gallon drums where they are set on fire. The practice of cooking victims not only helps cartels minimize scrutiny but also helps Mexican officials claim that crime continues to decrease since incinerated victims are not counted as murders. According to Mexican officials, without a body, it remains a missing persons case.

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