CIUDAD VICTORIA, Tamaulipas — A turf war between rival cartels led to multiple executions with seven dead in a day. Authorities are working to identify the gunmen in the border state capital.
The escalating violence forced residents to alter their lifestyle and avoid going out late over the fears of becoming accidental targets in shootouts. The bloodshed averages at least one homicide a day, causing further panic among residents who often turn to social media to keep each other alerted.
According to authorities, one of the shootings occurred at a car wash in the downtown area in an apparent case of mistaken identity. A team of gunmen rode up to the business on motorcycles and began firing, killing customer Jose Abraham Castillo Rocha, 30, business manager Maria Guadalupe Rocha Lara, 48, and two employees. A 20-year-old man was also shot but survived.
According to information provided to Breitbart News by law enforcement sources, the individuals running the car wash were renting the business, however, a previous owner was tied to organized criminal activity.
The second execution took place at a home in the Santander neighborhood, where a team of gunmen murdered three and injured two others. The victims were identified as Cinthia Marlen Castillo Zuñiga, Jose Guadalupe Castillo Loera, and Carlos Luna, while the injured were identified as 33-year-old Lazaro Abelardo Castillo Loera and 20-year-old Gadiel Flores Eguia.
Ciudad Victoria is one of the main territories fought over by rival factions of Los Zetas. One faction is known as the Northeast Cartel (CDN), while the other calls itself the Old School Zetas. The fighting has led to hundreds of casualties.
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 “Francisco Morales” from Tamaulipas.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.