The incident escalated as Crdenas Guilln threatened to kill them if they did not comply and as his gunmen prepared to shoot. [230] In addition, La Jornada mentions that the Gulf Cartel owns "all of Matamoros", where they act as the State itself and conduct all forms of criminal activities. [44] He was also held responsible in 1984 for the massacre of 6 people in La Clnica Raya, a hospital where rival drug members were being treated, and was also blamed for the massacre of the Cereso prison in 1991, where 18 prisoners were slainboth in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Event: Cartel Violence. At first, estimates mentioned that 148 inmates had escaped, but later counts gave the exact figures. [193] Reports indicated that the Gulf Cartel was using the BlackBerry smartphones to communicate with 'Ndrangheta, since the texts are "normally difficult to intercept". [142] When the Mexican authorities reached the spot where Antonio Crdenas (Tony Tormenta) was present, the gunmen received the soldiers and cops with grenades and high-calibre shots. [296] The Mexican military mentioned that in the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, where the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas fight for territory, abductions are carried out very commonly. Gunmen burst into the clinic and shot everyone inside, killing 7 innocent people. But the cartel has lost territory and influence in recent years to its rivals, according to the think tank InSight Crime. "[260] The Joint Operation Nuevo Len-Tamaulipas issued in 2007, along with several other military-led operation by the federal government, have brought thousands of troops to restore order in Tamaulipas. [36] His prosecutors, however, tried Garca brego as a U.S. citizen because he also had an American birth certificate, although Mexican authorities claimed the certificate was "fraudulent. [325] The Gulf Cartel also bribes journalists to persuade them not to mention any violent incidents in the media. Authorities believe that Gonzlez Pizaa reincorporated in organized crime and decided to join with the Gulf Cartel to end the war with Los Zetas, and bring back the "old school" ways when they were together. [268] After a dispute, however, Crdenas ordered Arellano beaten, and the Gulf-Tijuana alliance ceased to exist at that point. [13] The members of the Gulf Cartel are known for intimidating the population and for being particularly violent.[14]. Following the incident, the gunmen responsible for the kidnapping were reportedly handed over to the authorities and the cartel made a public apology.[366]. "[247] In Nuevo Laredo on 17 December 2010, about 141 inmates escaped from a federal prison. [275] Mario Crdenas Guilln, brother of both Osiel and Antonio, became one of the top lieutenants in the organization after his release from prison in 2007. [95], The arrest and extradition of Crdenas, however, caused for several top lieutenants from both the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas to fight over important drug corridors to the United States, especially the cities of Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Tampicoall situated in the state of Tamaulipas. [135] Other sources mention that one news reporter was also killed in the crossfire. While in prison, Crdenas and Arellano formed an alliance to defend themselves from the Sinaloa and Juarez Cartels,[267] who had also allied with each other, and were planning to take over the smuggling routes and territories of the Gulf and Tijuana Cartel. By Ken Dilanian and Minyvonne Burke. The high level of legitimate travel and movement of goods and services between border cities in the U.S. and Mexico facilitates the drug business in the area. Along with Antonio Crdenas, the following members of Los Escorpiones were killed: Sergio Antonio Fuentes, alias El Tyson or Escorpin 1; Ral Marmolejo Gmez, alias Escorpin 18; Hugo Lira, alias Escorpin 26; and Refugio Adalberto Vargas Corts, alias Escorpin 42. [306] FBI investigators said that victims are "kidnapped, threatened, assaulted, drugged and transported into Mexico to meet with Cartel members. [53] He was one of the top officials of the cartel for more than 40 years, trafficking about 20 tons of cocaine to the United States each month. [259] In June 2011, the state government of Tamaulipas requested the federal government to send in troops to combat the drug cartels in the area, to "consolidate actions on public safety" and "strengthen the capacity of their institutions. [344], Counterfeiting "[253] In a prison in the state of Zacatecas, on 16 May 2009, an armed commando liberated 53 Gulf Cartel members using 10 trucks and even a helicopter. [133] However, Antonio died in an eight-hour shooting with the Mexican government forces on 5 November 2010, in the border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. [200] The clash between these two groups first happened in Reynosa, Tamaulipas and then expanded to Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros. Cheryl Orangetold the Associated Pressvia text message that she was with Williams, McGee, Brown and Woodard. 23 Sep 2020 0 2:18 Police and transit officers in the border city of Matamoros were removed from their posts by Tamaulipas authorities days after the Gulf Cartel ordered blockades and protests. [310] La Jornada mentioned that before the rupture with Los Zetas in 2007, the corridor of Reynosa, Tamaulipas was often used for human smuggling. Mexican authorities found the Americans in a wooden shack guarded by a man who was arrested in the rural Ejido Tecolote area east of Matamoros on the way to the Gulf area called "Bagdad Beach," according to the state's chief prosecutor, Irving Barrios. "[23], Garca brego's ties extended beyond the Mexican government corruption and into the United States. [336], Arms trafficking The Washington Post asegur que un empleado de la Embajada de Mxico en Washington se neg a comentar respecto a esta situacin y los documentos tampoco precisan si la informacin fue tomada por intercepciones telefnicas o de las autoridades mexicanas.. EU espi al Crtel del Golfo [10] It is currently based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, directly across the U.S. border from Brownsville, Texas . The drug organizations usually use the Interstates 10, 20, 25, 30, and 35, as well as U.S. [60], In 1997 the Gulf Cartel began to recruit military personnel whom Jess Gutirrez Rebollo, an Army General of that time, had assigned as representatives from the PGR offices in certain states across Mexico. El Cacho survived by throwing himself from the bed. [114] Some sources reveal that as a result of the supremacy of Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel felt threatened by the growing force of their enforcer group and decided to curtail their influence, but eventually failed in their attempt, instigating a war. [169], Los Escorpiones, also called Grupo Escorpios,[170] (The Scorpions), was believed to be the mercenary group that protected Antonio Crdenas Guilln, the former leader of the organization. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, drug traffickers commonly use private vehicles and commercial trucks to traffic narcotics throughout the state. In the video, one woman is forced by men armed with guns to climb into the bed of a white pickup truck. / CBS/AP. The protests were ordered by the local leader of the Gulf Cartel, who sent out hundreds of taxi drivers and prostitutes to block international ports of entry and major city streets. [258], On 9 May 2011, the Mexican government, along with Sedena, disarmed all police forces in the state of Tamaulipas, beginning with the cities of Matamoros and Reynosa. To increase the ranks of their cartel after the deaths or arrests of their members; To exterminate members of their rival gangs; To kidnap people for money and other ransom. "[315], Extortion Highways 59, 77, 83, and 281. [145], The Guardian newspaper mentioned that in a YouTube video, a convoy of SUV's filled with gunmen and pickups packed with marines were seen in a chase through the streets of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. [39] Hours after the judge told Garca brego that he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison, the death penalty was out of the question for the prosecutors. According to the police report filed by Orange and reviewed by CBS News, the group was reported missing by Orange on Saturday. Earlier, CBS News learned the two Americans killed were identified as Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard. The candidates of the Gulf Cartel were Antonio Crdenas and Jorge Eduardo Costilla Snchez, while Los Zetas wanted the leadership of their current head, Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano. ", "Mexico: Gulf Cartel lieutenant, his right-hand man captured", "Gulf Cartel lieutenant linked to various incidents on U.S side of border", "U.S. Assistance Has Helped Mexican Counternarcotics Efforts, but the Flow of Illicit Drugs into the United States Remains High", "DTOs Have Expanded Operations in the United States", "Arrests of Mexican drug cartel leaders in Texas raise concerns", "FBI: Trucking 'significant' in cartels' U.S. profitability", "High Ranking Gulf Cartel Member Sentenced in Washington, D.C., to 35 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking", "Former Gulf Cartel Leader Convicted of International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy", "Narco-mafia se comunican por Blackberry", "Undermining Mexico's Dangerous Drug Cartels", "Mexican Cartels Exploit North Africa Turmoil", "Latin American drug cartels find home in West Africa", "Gulf Cartel vs. Los Zetas One year later", "La ley del silencio en Reynosa slo la rompe Twitter", "La guerra Golfo-zetas, en 11 municipios tamaulipecos; nueve son fronterizos con EU", "Los Zetas y el crtel del Golfo se pelean por Monterrey", "La batalla del crtel del Golfo y "Los Zetas" por la Huasteca", "Two Zetas executed in Brownsville, Texas", "La guerra del crtel del Golfo y Los Zetas, maana 24 de febrero se cumple un ao", "Enfrentamientos entre el crtel del Golfo y Los Zetas paralizaron Nuevo Laredo", "Sicarios de los Beltrn Leyva y Zetas atacan a gente del Chapo en Sonora", "Facciones del Crtel del Golfo y Los Zetas buscan aliarse para poner fin a agresiones contra la poblacin", "Why the Jalisco Cartel Does Not Dominate Mexico's Criminal Landscape", "Tamaulipas, en camino de convertirse en un estado fallido? [186] The U.S. National Drug Threat Assessment mentioned that the drug trafficking organizations like the Gulf Cartel tend to be less structured in U.S. than in Mexico, and often rely on street gangs to operate inside the United States. Monterrey who was arrested in January 2012 for working in a kidnapping ring within the Gulf Cartel. Balatazar Hinojosa Ochoa is also accused of coopting with DTOs of the Gulf Cartel while being mayor of Matamoros in 2006. [335] The Economist mentioned in 1997 that the drug money from the Gulf Cartel in the Rio Grande Valley was perhaps moving about $20billion, and that around 15% of the retailers' gains were from drug money. Federal authorities did not intervene. [70] Between 2001 and 2008, the organization of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas was collectively known as La Compaa (The Company). Although its founder Juan Nepomuceno Guerra smuggled alcohol in large quantities to the United States during the Prohibition era, and heroin for over 40 years,[15] it was not until the 1980s that the cartel was shifted to trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana under the command of Juan Nepomuceno Guerra and Juan Garca brego. Victims of violence in Matamoros and other large border cities of Tamaulipas often go uncounted, because the cartels have a history of disappearing the bodies of their victims. [209] The complexity and territorial advantage of Los Zetas forced the Gulf Cartel to seek for an alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Michoacana; in addition, Stratfor mentioned that these three organizations also united because they hold a "profound hate" for Los Zetas. [326] In addition, due to the low-paying salaries of many policemen, the Gulf Cartel often "buys" many law enforcement officers in Mexico. This page was last edited on 13 March 2023, at 17:56. For the most part, the arms trafficking circles of the Gulf Cartel operate directly across the border in the United States, just like most of the criminal groups in Mexico. El reportaje revel presuntos conflictos entre las Fuerzas Armadas. The consulate in Matamoros has posted at least four security alerts since February 2020, warning of drug cartel violence, crime, kidnappings and clashes involving armed groups. [249] A confrontation inside a maximum security prison in Nuevo Laredo on 15 July 2011, left 7 inmates dead and 59 escaped. A un mes de que se registrara el secuestro de cuatro ciudadanos estadounidenses en la ciudad de Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mxico, dos sobrevivientes del secuestro revelaron que sus captores del crtel mexicano trataron de obligarlos a que tuvieran relaciones sexuales entre ellos. They also fought for coastal cities Acapulco, Guerrero and Cancn, Quintana Roo; the state capital of Monterrey, Nuevo Len, and the states of Veracruz and San Luis Potos. [176] The arrests of Marco Antonio Cortez Rodrguez alias Escorpin 37 and of Josu Gonzlez Rodrguez alias Escorpin 43the two who were hospitalized after the shootout of 5 November 2010allowed for the Mexican forces to understand the structure of Los Escorpiones. "The investigation is in its earliest days," Price said. [111] In exchange for another life-sentence, Crdenas agreed to collaborate with U.S. agents in intelligence information. Three members of the Gulf Cartel including one of its leaders were killed during a shootout with the army and state police in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on Friday night, authorities said. In fact, they are paid around $3,618 pesos (about US$260) a month in all of Tamaulipas. What does Matamoros mean? [121] Other sources mention that what initiated the conflict between them was when Samuel Flores Borrego, alias El Metro 3, lieutenant of the Gulf Cartel, killed Sergio Pea Mendoza, alias El Concorde 3, lieutenant of Los Zetas, due to a disagreement for the drug corridor of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, whom both protected. [178] When the Rojos turned on the Metros, the largest faction in the Gulf cartel, firefights broke throughout Tamaulipas and drug loads were stolen among each other, but the Metros managed to retain control of the major cities that stretched from Matamoros to Miguel Alemn, Tamaulipas. "I understand we may have more to share from the FBI at the appropriate time.". [327], Theft [117] Also, Los Zetas mentioned that the Gulf Cartel also kills innocent civilians, and then blames them for their atrocities. [184], The Gulf Cartel has important cells operating inside the United Statesin Mission, Roma, and Rio Grande Cityfor example, and their presence is expanding. [292] The Gulf Cartel operates in a similar way, and often extorts businesses for protection money in the areas where it operates, pledging to kill those who do not agree to pay the fee. A videoposted on Twitteron Friday appears to show the moment the Americans were kidnapped, CBS News correspondent Christina Ruffini reports. 2:29. [93][94] Reports from the PGR and El Universal state that while in prison, Crdenas and Benjamn Arellano Flix, from the Tijuana Cartel, formed an alliance. Their network is international, and is believed to have dealings with crime groups in Europe, West Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and the United States. [22] During the 1990s, the PGR(Procuradura General de la Repblica), the Mexican attorney general's office, estimated that the Gulf Cartel was "worth over US$10 billion. [82][83], On 9 November 1999, two U.S. agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI were threatened at gunpoint by Crdenas Guilln and approximately fifteen of his henchmen in Matamoros. [84], The standoff triggered a massive law enforcement effort to crackdown on the leadership structure of the Gulf Cartel. [345] The products sold can be clothing, TVs, video games, music, computer programs, and movies. [205] In the midsts of violence and panic, local authorities and the media tried to minimize the situation and claim that "nothing was occurring", but the facts were impossible to cover up. [113], It is unclear which of the two the Gulf Cartel or Los Zetas started the conflict that led to their break up. [347], Police impersonation However, being a border city, U.S. citizens who live in Brownsville or elsewhere in Texas frequently cross to visit family, get medical care or shop. 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