As one of Mexico’s most violent cartels continues its expansion efforts, a new territorial war has reached the border of the state of Tamaulipas. The Jalisco Next Generation Cartel (CJNG) is currently seeking territory traditionally held by the Gulf Cartel.
Breitbart Texas traveled to Tula, Tamaulipas, near the San Luis Potosi state line, to talk to the locals. Tula is a short drive south of Ciudad Victoria, making it a prime destination.
Tula is controlled by the Gulf Cartel faction, and the district leader is a former Tamaulipas state police officer known simply as “El Tigre”. Law enforcement told Breitbart Texas that El Tigre is part of the Special Operations Group (GOPES) but defected to the Gulf Cartel a few months ago.
Since the beginning of August, CJNG fighters have been carrying out attacks in southern Tamaulipas. CNG has a strong presence in San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas, where it wages territorial wars with the Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas groups.
One of the hardest-hit areas is the rural community of El Coronel, where locals suffer from gunfire. State officials also confirmed that a human head was found in Breitbart Texas. According to unofficial information, the head belongs to Sergio “Canelo” Lopez, head of the Gulf Cartel.
Video: Comando del CJNG arrives in Tula; Past Sergio Lopez Pelayo Chief of “El Canelo” plaza del grupo escorpión del CDG y lo decapito, junto a la cabeza dejaron un Narcomensaje https://t.co/rUiOV4Tvbt pic.twitter.com/DjYgiRGDYt
— Blog del Narco Mexico (@blogdelnarcomx) 21 August 2022
Violence continued in the days that followed, with shootings occurring in the town of Lázaro Cárdenas and a farm near Guadalcázar, in San Luis Potosi.
On August 16, a new wave of raids took place, which led to hostilities. Local residents had to lock themselves in their homes, and some recorded the gunshots.
During one of these clashes, CJNG agents injured one of the Gulf Cartel’s top agents named Adan “El Gallito” Garcia, forcing their agents to retreat.
In the remote region of these conflicts, there are hundreds of dirt roads connecting the states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi and Nuevo Leon. In the past, there was very little law enforcement presence in the area. State and federal forces have stepped up patrols in recent weeks.
Editor’s note: Breitbart Texas traveled to Mexico City and the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon to gather citizen journalists willing to risk their lives to expose the cartels that silence their communities. If the pseudonym is not used, the authors face certain death at the hands of the various cartels operating in these areas, including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas. Breitbart Texas Cartel Diaries Released both in English and originally Spanish. This article was written by Francisco Morales and JC Sanchez of Tamaulipas.
Source: Breitbart
