Mexican Politician Claimed Gunmen Stopped Him near Border — They Were Supporters

A top Mexican politician sparked much controversy after he claimed on social media that a group of gunmen with rifles stopped him as he and other politicians drove along a border area highway. A series of videos and photographs that were released soon after appeared to disprove the claim by revealing the gunmen were, in fact, cheering supporters.

Mario Delgado, a national leader with Mexico’s MORENA party, took to social media this week to claim that he along with other politicians traveled from the border city of Matamoros to Reynosa. He claimed a group of gunmen with rifles in an SUV pulled up next to them, forced them to stop, and threatened them. Delgado made the claims on a video where he said he and others with him were not harmed during the encounter. He tried to highlight the border violence in Tamaulipas — a state under the control of a rival National Action Party (PAN). MORENA is the party started by current Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

In response to the claims, the Tamaulipas government sent out a statement claiming the encounter took place in Matamoros – a city led by a MORENA mayor. Officials asked Delgado to file a report with state authorities. The statement also revealed the Tamaulipas governor spoke with the Secretariat of the Interior to reveal that the individuals in the SUV mentioned by Delgado in the video were not armed.

The claims were initially amplified on social media and some news outlets. Just a few hours later, a series of videos from the scene revealed that no guns were present during the alleged encounter. According to numerous versions from Tamaulipas state police officials, who claimed to have had a low profile security detail follow the politicians, claimed that the group that pulled up alongside the politicians SUV were from the same party and had simply shouted at each other. Delgado and his followers continue to claim that the men in the vehicle had weapons.

Since the initial post, Delgado became the subject of jokes and memes on social media. A social media page that routinely reports on violence in Matamoros even posted an unverified statement attributed to the Gulf Cartel claiming that they had not played a part in the incident and that they had avoided the politician.

Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León 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 various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas 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 “J.A. Espinoza” and “J.C. Sanchez” from Tamaulipas.