MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas – The Gulf Cartel temporarily halted its southbound goods smuggling operations since the military is now in control of the notoriously corrupt Mexican customs operations along the border.
The halt was confirmed by several vendors at flea markets in Matamoros who are reliant on the Gulf Cartel’s pallets of used clothing and electronics from the U.S. Used car salesmen are also seeing a drop in unregistered vehicles coming to their lots.
The stoppage comes as the cartel is forced into a wait-and-see mode as to how the new regional heads of Mexico’s Customs will deal with unregulated international trade. The assigning of military officials to oversee operations at all ports of entry is an attempt by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to stop the untaxed smuggling of commercial goods. Intelligence officials consulted by Breitbart Texas say military personnel are harder to intimidate or target than civilian officers and thus have a better chance of effectively enforcing presidential mandates.
According to public statements made by the new head of Mexico’s Customs, Horacio Duarte, the main objective of the military command is to stop the smuggling of stolen fuel. The underground fuel trade is a longstanding cash source for the Gulf Cartel.
Prior to the recent changes, cartel-connected smugglers instituted a fee structure on grey market goods. The Gulf Cartel would bribe customs officers and port directors in Matamoros as part of a longstanding practice.
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 Tamaulipas.
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