Mexican Border State Governor Skips Fallen Cop’s Funeral After Cartel Shootout

Police in the border state of Tamaulipas gathered to give a hero’s farewell to one of their fallen who was killed on New Year’s Day fighting Gulf Cartel gunmen.

This week, Tamaulipas State Police gathered in one of their compounds to bid farewell to Jonathan Gomez Jaller, an officer who died trying to fight off Gulf Cartel gunmen who were carrying out a kidnapping. Gomez was one of a squad of officers from the State Guard force who responded to the scene.

Officers gathered at the police compound to honor Gomez and his family. There was, however, discontent within the ranks since neither Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal nor Public Security Secretary Sergio Hernando Chavez Garcia were in attendance.

Qué pasa en #Matamoros. Si estuvieran operando los Grupos Especiales ya llevarían unos 10 detenidos. Pero ahora con este nuevo secretario Sergio Chavez ni siquiera se presentó a despedir al oficial caído tras una emboscada iniciando este 2023. OJO aquí Gobernador @Dr_AVillarreal

— ElGuzman (@FuriaNegra77) January 4, 2023

Previously, top security officials and at times the governor paid their respects in person. In Nuevo Leon, Governor Samuel Garcia and the top security officials in the state personally attended a funeral for some of their officers who died in a shootout this week.

Qué pasa en #Matamoros. Si estuvieran operando los Grupos Especiales ya llevarían unos 10 detenidos. Pero ahora con este nuevo secretario Sergio Chavez ni siquiera se presentó a despedir al oficial caído tras una emboscada iniciando este 2023. OJO aquí Gobernador @Dr_AVillarreal

— ElGuzman (@FuriaNegra77) January 4, 2023

Both Villarreal and Chaves have been the targets criticism for trying to keep police forces from pursuing criminal organizations as a way to reduce violence. In previous statements, Chavez claimed that organized crime is a federal problem. Mexico’s federal police and military forces have also taken a soft approach as ordered by Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who famously pushed the motto “hugs not bullets” or “abrazos no balazos.”

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.