Cartel gunmen kidnapped a senator from a Mexican border state and held him for several hours, underscoring the gang's continued grip on Tamaulipas. Details of the incident are unclear, but relatives confirmed that the politician had returned home by Saturday morning. Unofficial sources said the gunmen released the politician, who then went to a nearby house and called for help.
The incident occurred Friday afternoon at a ranch in Xicotencatl, Tamaulipas, when more than 10 gunmen pulled up and kidnapped Vicente Verastegui during a public off-road event. The thieves entered on a moped and a Volkswagen Jetta. Verastegui is a current state senator from the National Action Party (PAN) and the younger brother of former gubernatorial candidate Cesar “Turco” Verastegui.
After the kidnapping, PAN party leaders sounded the alarm on social media and called for a thorough investigation into the matter. Some politicians have criticized Mexico's ruling party officials over their nonviolent approach in dealing with controversial drug cartels.
In the aftermath of the kidnapping, authorities in Tamaulipas sent a convoy of police to comb the area to locate Verastegui. By Saturday morning, the gunmen had freed him and he headed to a nearby house, where he called for help. Authorities immediately responded to the scene.
Hours later, the Tamaulipas Attorney General's Office confirmed that Verastegui had been released and is safe at home. They claim they are investigating the incident as a kidnapping.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, Xicotencatl is now controlled by the Gulf Cartel after losing control from the Los Zetas faction.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist at Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Breitbart, Texas Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Breitbart's senior management team. you can follow him Twitter And even more facebook. He can be contacted at: iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Breitbart, Texas Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Breitbart's senior management team. please follow him Twitter and facebook. He can be contacted at: bdarby@breitbart.com.
