Mexican Cartel, Cops Maintain Peace in Border City

MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — Despite a raging turf war in Reynosa, Matamoros-based cartel forces have managed to seal their territories from rival factions.

While authorities carry out security efforts, cartel gunmen continue setting up roadblocks and patrols of their operation areas to keep rivals out of the city. Though apparentlty operating at crossed purposes, both local law enforcement and Gulf Cartel killers have struck a sense of calm in the community.

The deaths or capture of key bosses in Reynosa has set off infighting and instability within the various groups that make up the Gulf Cartel. After more than three weeks of nonstop attacks and all out war between gunmen, the battle for control of the lucrative drug territory rages on despite the efforts of the state and the federal governments to restore peace.

Both border cities are less than 60 miles apart and are joined by two main highways. Both cities are also joined by dozens of dirt roads, originally used by ranchers but more recently by cartel gunmen. Dirt roads continue to be patrolled by cartel forces to keep rivals from sneaking into Matamoros and spreading  violence. 

In Matamoros, the conditions of peace are visible where the Mexican security apparatus continues to keep a strong presence in low-income sectors where cartel activity is known to take place. The residents live under an apparent calm where convoys of heavily armed soldiers, marines or state police officers have once again become part of everyday life.

Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities.  The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “J.A. Espinoza” from Matamoros, Tamaulipas.