The murder of a businessman related to the top leadership of the Gulf Cartel is expected to trigger a new wave of violence. The criminal organization is expected to attempt to settle the score.
The victim was not an active member of the cartel but had several enemies within the criminal organization that his family helped rule.
The murder of Enrique Homero “El Kike” took place on Saturday shortly after 3 a.m. outside of a house on Valle De Los Lirios Street in the San Miguel neighborhood. The attack occurred as he moved to enter his home. A group of gunmen riding in a black Honda shot him at least six times. According to statements made by relatives, the gunmen shouted that the murder was a revenge of sorts.
The Tamaulipas government disclosed no official information about the murder. Law enforcement sources revealed that authorities are looking at several suspects. One of the main suspects is reported to be Evaristo “El Vaquero” Cruz — a top lieutenant within the Gulf Cartel who has a history of tensions with the late Cardenas and had previously threatened him.
The murdered Cardenas is the nephew of Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the former supreme leader for the Gulf Cartel. Osiel Cardenas, the victim’s uncle, was the last drug boss to rule over the entire criminal organization before the Gulf Cartel broke up into several factions. He is also credited with starting Los Zetas as his personal guard.
Enrique Cardenas’ father, Homero “El Orejon or Majadero” Cardenas Guillen was a top regional leader for the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros. He died in 2015 in Monterrey during a surgical procedure.
In 2009, Homero Cardenas coordinated the smuggling of cocaine shipments for the Gulf Cartel from Matamoros into Brownsville. Four years later, he was promoted for a brief time to the top leadership position within the criminal organization. He stepped down after much opposition from the Gulf Cartel faction in Reynosa.
Despite his criminal past, law enforcement sources in Mexico claimed that Enrique Cardenas was not under investigation and was not considered an active member of the Gulf Cartel. According to statements from relatives and family friends, Cardenas left his criminal life behind after getting married and starting a family. The man known as Kike was a longtime owner of a junkyard where he bought and sold car parts and lived off the rents of various properties inherited from his father.
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.