The Gulf Cartel continues to dispatch armed teams into Texas, where they steal four-door vehicles and smuggle them back to Mexico to support their paramilitary operations. This ongoing wave of crime includes high-speed chases and carjackings, often occurring at gunpoint. The Gulf Cartel is among six organizations classified as foreign terrorist groups by the Trump administration.
The latest incident took place Thursday afternoon in Brownsville, Texas. Authorities were pursuing a Jeep Gladiator that had been reported stolen. According to information from Brownsville police, attempts were made to stop the vehicle, but the suspects fled, leading officers on a high-speed chase that concluded just a few blocks away when they managed to box the vehicle in. The driver attempted to escape but was quickly apprehended along with another individual.
The event follows a recent case in which Texas police stole a vehicle and arrested a 19-year-old alleged gunman sent from Mexico to transport something to Matamoros, Tamaulipas. An affidavit filed by FBI agents in a federal case against Angel’s David Salas Herrera indicated he was part of the Gulf Cartel and used advanced key fobs and tools to bypass security measures in vehicles like Jeep Gladiators and GMC pickups. Salas, who stated he was an illegal immigrant and had a Glock handgun during his arrest, claimed he acquired the firearm while stealing another car. Authorities later recovered two more stolen vehicles as part of the investigation.
As noted previously, car theft gangs associated with the Gulf Cartel have plagued Brownsville and other areas in South Texas. The demand for these stolen vehicles ties closely to ongoing turf wars involving rival factions and other cartels along the Tamaulipas border. The Gulf Cartel has a preference for four-door vehicles with powerful engines, suitable for transporting firearms and navigating through rough terrain.
In recent months, car theft operations linked to the cartel have increasingly targeted Jeep Gladiators, Chevrolet, and GMC pickups. This trend has become significant enough that law enforcement agencies are now advising the public to implement additional anti-theft measures.
Reports indicate that the ongoing crime wave extends beyond just small gangs. The heightened demand for stolen vehicles has led to charges against Mexican National Guard members in the U.S. for aiding in the vehicle smuggling operations. In March, a member of the Mexican National Guard, Luis Enriqueguzman Pablo, pled guilty in a U.S. federal court for taking bribes to assist a Gulf Cartel faction in smuggling stolen trucks into Mexico. Using his position at a port of entry, he facilitated the passage of vehicles while evading inspections.
