Mexico’s Human Rights Commission Blames Cops over Cartel in Murder of Texans

MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — Mexico’s Human Rights Commission has come out in defense of a woman and her two brothers from Progreso, Texas, who were killed by cartel members over a dispute. The entity claimed that local police and the military kidnapped the victims and were directly responsible for their murders.

Through a new recommendation, Mexico’s Human Right’s Commission (CNDH) is calling for the Tamaulipas government and top military officials to look into the October 2014 disappearance and eventual murder of Erica, Jose Angel, and Alex Alvarado from Progreso, Texas. On Thursday, the Tamaulipas government issued a statement accepting the recommendations and argued that improved training and transparency protocols were in place.

As Breitbart Texas reported, the three relatives crossed into the Mexican border town of Control, Tamaulipas. From there, the family along with Erica’s boyfriend Jose Guadalupe “El Negro” Castañeda, went missing. The bodies of the three U.S. citizens and Castañeda were discovered days later near a rural road. They had been shot and set on fire. 

Mexican and U.S. news outlets blamed a police force known as “Grupo Hercules” for the kidnapping and murder of the three Texans. The claims were solely based on statements made by the Alvarado family, however, none of the outlets reported on the Gulf Cartel activities in the area. 

Breitbart Texas exclusively published U.S. intelligence documents that pointed to Erica Alvarado’s ties to the Gulf Cartel and her prior arrests for drug smuggling. Information obtained from Mexican law enforcement sources at the time revealed that Castañeda and the Alvarados’ father stole fuel for the Gulf Cartel. A debt owed to regional commander Ariel “El Tigre” Treviño reportedly led to their kidnapping and murder. 

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon.  You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.