In another striking example of the Mexican government’s inability to protect its citizens, a family from the border town of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, was forced to pay the Gulf Cartel approximately $40,000 for the release of their loved one. Government authorities were unable to assist in the case, forcing relatives and activists to turn to the region’s most powerful criminal organisations for help.
The incident occurred in Reynosa earlier this week, when gunmen kidnapped local schoolteacher Juan Manuel Lopez Salinas as he parked his car at his home. Family members and activists say Lopez Salinas is an innocent victim and has no ties to organized crime. The incident also comes at a time when the U.S. State Department has issued warnings about a series of kidnappings targeting U.S. citizens and residents traveling in and out of Reynosa by bus, Breitbart Texas reported.
Surveillance footage showed Lopez’s daughter chasing after the gunmen as they forcibly took her father away, Breitbart Texas reported.
Following the incident, activist Delia Quiroa launched an open petition to the two main criminal organisations operating in the region, asking them to cooperate in the case and protect innocent victims.
Gracias infinitas principalmente los médios de communication.
EL MAESTRO JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ YA FUE LIBERADO en matamoros, ya se encuentra con su familia. translator translation: @Bertrand del Rio translation: Follow Sergio Lupita @mariellarigby Hechos AM @nmas translator pic.twitter.com/TEtlOh8jxw
— Delia Quiroa (@DeliaQuiroa) July 25, 2024
Gunmen took Lopez Salinas to Matamoros and initially demanded 3 million pesos (US$150,000) for his release, but his family could only come up with US$40,000. After multiple pleas from family members and activists, the Gulf Cartel released the victim to his family.
Activists’ involvement appears to have played a key role, as the Tamaulipas state government never mounted any attempt to rescue Lopez Salinas. The kidnapping occurred at a time when Mexican government officials continue to falsely claim that crime has dropped dramatically in Tamaulipas, when in reality they are simply not recording or investigating the incidents.
The two main factions of the Gulf Cartel are locked in a fierce turf war for control of lucrative drug and human trafficking routes into Texas.
Editor’s note: Breitbart Texas traveled to Mexico City, Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives to expose the cartels that are silencing their communities. If they did not use pseudonyms, the reporters would surely face death at the hands of the various cartels operating in these regions, including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas. Breitbart Texas Cartel Record Published in both English and the original SpanishThis article was written by “JA Espinoza” and “JC Sanchez” from Tamaulipas.
