MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas – A police raid targeting a narco-ranch led to protests and mass blockades this week. 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. Federal authorities did not intervene.
The chaos began Tuesday night when taxi drivers and passenger bus drivers used their vehicles to block three international bridges in Matamoros and some key avenues. The drivers claimed state police were unfairly targeting and extorting them. Dozens of prostitutes began picketing downtown, saying officers were oppressing them. The blockades continued into Wednesday and Thursday, including demonstrations at Matamoros City Hall.
The blockades were ordered by leaders of the Gulf Cartel following police operations targeting their top leader, Evaristo “El Vaquero” Cruz.
On Thursday afternoon, Tamaulipas Secretary of State Cesar Augusto Verastegui claimed the blockades were a direct response to a ranch raid where authorities seized several horses and exotic animals. Law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that the ranch is linked to El Vaquero. According to Verastegui and other Tamaulipas officials, state authorities asked for assistance from federal counterparts to deal with the blockades, but none came.
Officials claimed the chaos in Matamoros was a direct result of the raids. Breitbart Texas has previously reported on similar activities carried out by unregistered taxi drivers aligned with the cartel.
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.
“J.A. Espinoza” from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report
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