Three Mexican Cartel Leaders Caught in Texas Since October

MCALLEN, Texas — Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration have arrested another high ranking Gulf Cartel member in the U.S. near the Texas Border, making this the third cartel leader caught since October.

Deputy U.S. Marshals, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and members of the Law Enforcement Emergency Regional Response Team arrested Juan Francisco “Comandante Paquito” Martinez at a house in the Mission-Palmview area, said law enforcement officials that spoke with Breitbart Texas on conditions of anonymity.

At around 7 p.m. the agents raided the home near the intersection of Scott Lane and Del Oro Streets where Martinez tried to escape, but was quickly arrested by the according to law enforcement officials.

Martinez is the third high ranking Gulf Cartel member to be arrested in Texas in recent weeks. As previously reported by Breitbart Texas, Martinez’s boss Juan Tamez Saenz better known as Comandante Panochitas was arrested in the border city of Edinburg in early October. During that raid, Martinez was able to elude capture and remained on the run since.

Just last week, the Starr County District Attorney’s office along with federal agents arrested Orlando Roberto “Comandante Boris” Rodriguez near Rio Grande City when he presumably turned himself in to authorities.

A Tamaulipas law enforcement official who spoke with Breitbart Texas said the Gulf Cartel is undergoing a hostile takeover of sorts where a faction of old timer’s that include Gulf Cartel members and original Zetas is moving in trying to run out the younger inexperienced crowd.

“The younger ones are the ones doing all sort of crazy stunts kidnappings, extortion and such,” the official said. “The old timers claim to want to bring peace or at least that’s what they claim.”

The claims were made through a communiqué published by Breitbart Texas where the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel claim to make peace and plan on restoring peace so they can focus on their business without disturbing the public.

Follow Ildefonso Ortiz on Twitter @ildefonsoortiz