A regional Gulf Cartel commander believed to be the mastermind of a massacre that killed 15 innocent civilians this summer is dead due to presumed infighting. The murder comes days after the organization announced a truce after four years of factional war.
The murder took place this week when state authorities found the body of Edgar “Maestrin” Valladares Hernandez inside a vehicle with an unidentified man on the outskirts of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Both victims were shot several times. According to information released by the Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office, authorities found an ID card belonging to Valladares Hernandez. However, authorities used “forensic studies” to fully identify the victim.
The murder comes days after the Gulf Cartel posted banners throughout the state announcing a truce. Two main factions from Reynosa and Matamoros were waging a fierce turf war for more than four years and killed hundreds.
Valladares Hernandez is considered one of the masterminds behind a violent attack in Reynosa on June 19, where cartel gunmen killed 15 innocent civilians. One of the theories under official consideration supposes the Gulf Cartel killed Valladares as part of the terms of truce–rather than a sign of renewed factional hostilities.
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.
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