Mexican military forces arrested a top leader within the Gulf Cartel. The collar comes as the organization works to provide financial support to political candidates in the northern border region, U.S. law enforcement sources tell Breitbart Texas.
Known as “El Vaquero,” Evaristo Cruz Sanchez is the current leader of the Matamoros faction of the Gulf Cartel and is linked to violence throughout northeastern Tamaulipas.
The raid took place on Tuesday at noon in Salinas Victoria, a short distance from the Monterrey Metropolitan area in Nuevo Leon, a U.S. law enforcement source tells Breitbart Texas. Mexican intelligence forces were tracking Vaquero after he surfaced in Nuevo Leon. The crime boss was trying to keep a low profile and switched safe houses regularly. El Vaquero sought refuge in Monterrey after military forces and the National Guard started hunting him in Tamaulipas, the law enforcement source revealed.
Mexican military forces arrested El Vaquero as he was meeting with a man known only as “El Chago” Villarreal, a local crime boss and former member of Los Zetas. He now supports Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion. According to the U.S. law enforcement source, the two drug figures met to discuss the financing of political campaigns in northern Mexico.
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 Iortiz@breitbart.com.
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 bdarby@breitbart.com.
Gerald “Tony” Aranda is a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.