Activists Discover Cartel Incinerators in Reynosa
A group of activists focused on locating mass graves and missing individuals has found two incinerators linked to a cartel in Reynosa, a border city in Tamaulipas, right across from McAllen, Texas. This marks the 19th set of human remains identified by activists in the city this year alone.
The discovery occurred over the weekend. The group, known as Amor por los desaparecidos, began their search on the southwest side of the city, close to the Reynosa-Monterrey highway. Upon arrival, they came upon human remains alongside materials utilized by the cartel for disposing of bodies. It appears the gunmen employed tire shavings, wood, bricks, and drums in their efforts to incinerate victims. Additionally, many items of clothing believed to belong to those who had been burned by the armed group were found nearby. So far this year, the group has conducted 52 searches, including 19 that focused on mass graves, isolated graves, and crematoriums in the region.
Reynosa remains under the dominance of the Gulf Cartel, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Yet, despite this, the Mexican federal government has made minimal progress toward dismantling the group, with actions limited primarily to sporadic seizures and arrests of lower-ranking members. On a political level, President Claudia Sheinbaum maintains that crime is on a downward trend under her leadership, recently claiming a more than 40 percent decrease in murders. However, this assertion seems to starkly contrast with the realities facing local residents.
Recently reported incidents include a brazen daylight shooting by Gulf Cartel gunmen, which resulted in the murder of an innocent man on Hidalgo Boulevard, a major street in the city. Tragically, during the same incident, a young woman, who was simply on her way to school, was also killed.
In a further troubling development, just days later, Gulf Cartel gunmen ambushed state police officers, resulting in the deaths of two officers during the attack. Law enforcement sources noted that the cartel had leaked critical information, which may have led to the ambush, particularly at a time when officers were unarmed due to an internal investigation. No arrests have occurred since the attack took place.
