MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas – A high-ranking city municipal official is facing federal charges for allegedly shipping cocaine for the Gulf Cartel.
Last week, Tamaulipas state police arrested Rodrigo Ivan Sanchez Cantu, the deputy city secretary for social programs. Officers reportedly tried to stop Sanchez Cantu and another man as they drove on a main avenue. Sanchez Cantu tried to speed away, setting off a short chase.
When authorities managed to stop the vehicle, they arrested the two men and found several packages of drugs. Sanchez Cantu was carrying a .45 caliber pistol at the time of the arrest, say police.
Police officers reportedly found 19 pounds of cocaine, 130 pounds of marijuana, and radio communications equipment. The state police officers turned the official over to the Mexican Attorney General’s Office for investigation and prosecution.
The arrest comes as Tamaulipas state police are increasing operations in Matamoros to crack down on the Gulf Cartel. The local faction is largely responsible for most violence in northern Tamaulipas including extortion, ransom kidnappings, and executions. Last month, the Matamoros faction made headlines for a social media campaign featuring hundreds of photographs of gunmen sharing food to poor families amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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