Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the Gulf Cartel if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “JA Espinoza” from Matamoros

MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — Individuals who in years past had been considered untouchables due to their political clout have begun to also be victims of organized crime in this border city. Tamaulipas authorities continue to look into the violent deaths of a man and a woman who appear to have been tortured, tied up, and shot in the head inside their home in the downtown area of Matamoros.

Last week, authorities found the bodies of 58-year-old Elipdio Gamundi Cruz and his common law wife 39-year-old Raquel Almanza Gaona. According to official information released by the Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office, the couple had been tied up and shot and authorities found other signs of violence .

While the way the couple was murdered is significant, what is most significant is the fact that one of the victims had very strong political connections.

Elpidio Gamundi had worked for the City of Matamoros in a capacity as a financial figure under former mayor Erick Silva Santos from 2008 to 2010. Santos is currently a fugitive wanted by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations in connection with federal money laundering charges in a Texas federal court.

Gamundi is also the cousin of Ricardo Gamundi Rosas, the former president at the state level of Mexico’s ruling party the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). Gamundi Rosas was also described as the right hand man of former Tamaulipas governor Eugenio Hernandez Flores during his term. Hernandez is currently a fugitive in the United States after federal agents charged him with money laundering.

Breitbart Texas previously reported about other cases where prominent individuals with strong political ties have become victims of organized crime. One of those cases took place in August when a group of gunmen attempted to kidnap former Matamoros mayor Alfonso Sanchez Garza as he drove home.

The attempted kidnapping came just days after another group of gunmen successfully kidnapped a businessman named Marte Rodriguez De La Garza. Relatives of the businessman ended up paying a large ransom for his release.

Rodriguez was in the construction material business and was linked to former Tamaulipas governor Tomas Yarrington who is now considered a fugitive by U.S. law enforcement. Yarrington has been charged in U.S. federal court of money laundering and drug trafficking, however he remains a fugitive hiding in Mexico. Rodriguez, while an associate of Yarrington is not wanted by U.S. law enforcement.