The Mexican government continues to suppress information about the escalating cartel violence plaguing one of its major border cities. The lack of information is further exacerbated by a kind of gag order imposed by organized crime on local media outlets in Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
Despite appearing peaceful on the surface, Matamoros has a long history of being controlled by the Gulf Cartel, which may carry out multiple crimes for its own benefit with complete impunity. . Since last weekend, Matamoros has witnessed various gunfights and blockades in different parts of the city. No specific information about the shootout has been released, other than some vague social media posts shared by local authorities. Similarly, several kidnappings have occurred on the main road connecting Matamoros to the central part of the province, but they are similarly ignored by government officials and local news.
On Wednesday afternoon, cartel gunmen and federal authorities clashed in the city’s southwest. The brief clash set off a series of obstacles as the gunmen tried to slow authorities down while they fled.
The clashes came days after an operation by the Mexican National Guard to capture key figures in the cartel, which turned into a confrontation and a series of blockades by armed groups. At the blockade, cartel gunmen stole several trucks at gunpoint and parked them across several major roads as a means of preventing police forces from moving through the area. Since then, government officials have issued only brief statements on social media saying all roads are clear. No information has been made public regarding the details of the operation or whether any arrests were made.
In a similar manner, on April 13, gunmen believed to be members of Los Zetas attacked a restaurant near the town of Abasolo, Tamaulipas, on the main road connecting Matamoros to the central part of the state. During that attack, the gunmen kidnapped two men, who are again unknown. State officials have remained mum about the incident, and local news outlets have largely ignored the issue.
The government’s silence comes in the middle of a heated presidential election in Mexico. Numerous exposés by several national and international news outlets have revealed the involvement of several government officials in organized crime and various corrupt practices.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas is recruiting citizen journalists willing to risk their lives to expose cartels that silence their communities in Mexico City and the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon. visited the state. If pseudonyms were not used, the authors 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 Chronicles Published in both English and original Spanish.This article was written by “JA Espinoza” and “JC Sanchez” from Tamaulipas.
