Officials from the U.S. consulate are alerting travelers about the heightened risk of carjackings by cartel gunmen on roads leading north to the Texas border. This warning came just hours before a tragic incident where cartel gunmen killed two men from Mexico who were on their way to Texas for Black Friday deals.
This week, the U.S. Consulate General in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, issued a caution regarding a spike in robberies along the highway linking Monterrey to Colombia’s port of entry near Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. According to the alert, robbery victims have been lured to stop by a vehicle with flashing lights that mimics law enforcement but is actually operated by cartel members.
“Local authorities have noted that these armed groups seem to specifically target vehicles displaying out-of-state and foreign license plates,” the alert mentioned.
While the consulate’s announcement does not name any particular criminal organization, Nuevo Laredo has been known as a stronghold for the Cartel del Norest faction of Los Zetas, which the U.S. government has previously labeled as a foreign terrorist organization. Despite this classification, both Mexico’s federal and Tamaulipas state governments have taken limited actions against CDN-Los Zetas, which continues to act with near-total immunity.
In a disturbing incident on Friday morning, gunmen attempted to carjack a vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two tourists from Monterrey who were heading to the Texas border city of McAllen. The attack took place near General Bravo, along the toll road connecting Monterrey to Reynosa, Tamaulipas state.
Initial reports indicate that gunmen set up barricades and attacked the vehicle carrying the two tourists as they tried to escape. The assailants fired multiple shots at the car, injuring both individuals, who managed to drive away and call for assistance.
