GRAPHIC PHOTOS: Mexican Politicians Ignore Cartel Shootouts in Border State

Politicians in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas continue turning a blind eye to the raging cartel violence plaguing the state. With complete impunity, drug cartels continue waging fierce turf wars where they have deployed armored vehicles for regular large-scale shootouts.

In recent days, the Mexican city of Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, just south of Donna, Texas, experienced numerous shootouts where cartel gunmen used armored vehicles and high-powered weapons. Similar shootouts occurred in cities like Reynosa, San Fernando, and Valle Hermoso in Tamaulipas. The violence comes as two rival factions of the Gulf Cartel continue their war for regional control.

The Gulf Cartel faction known as Escorpiones is based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and has been pushing into the city of Reynosa by using the city of Rio Bravo as a launch pad. Similarly, they have been using the city of Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas, to launch attacks on San Fernando.  The Escorpiones have been fighting against the Metros from Reynosa and the Old School Zetas from San Fernando.

Despite the raging violence, which led to numerous abductions, carjackings, and other high-impact crimes, local and state politicians remained silent. They continued to publicly ignore the cartel’s activities in the region.

On his social media account, the mayor of Reynosa posts about public meetings and events without acknowledging the violence taking place in his city.

‍♂️¡Una obra inaugurada más! Gracias a nuestro ́ , ahora desde la calle 16 de Septiembre, en la colonia Amistad y Burocracia.

Una calle completamente nueva con su pavimentación… pic.twitter.com/ClnUvpSzIY

— Carlos Víctor Peña Ortiz (@carlospenaortiz) November 26, 2023

Similarly, Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal also refuses to acknowledge the violence in his state and directs his social media team to post about public events and not about the violence. As Breitbart Texas reported, Villarreal has been linked to organized crime members who donated funds to his campaign and have benefited since the governor took office.

Feliz cumpleaños a mi amigo Alberto Enríquez, el motor detrás de cada gira y evento que representan la voluntad de nuestro gobierno. Tu pasión y compromiso son de gran valor para seguir llevando la transformación a cada rincón de Tamaulipas. ¡Que este año esté lleno de… pic.twitter.com/5yA4Szq0wi

— Américo Villarreal (@Dr_AVillarreal) November 26, 2023

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.