A feared top enforcer with the Gulf Cartel who broke out of police custody with the help of gunmen several weeks ago was killed due to an internal rift.
The government of Tamaulipas confirmed the discovery of the body of Jose Alfredo “El Calamardo or Metro 27” Hernandez Campos. Authorities recovered the body on the side of a road near the town of Dias Ordaz, his old turf. The murder comes as the Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel is working through an internal rift for control.
The fighting between rival commanders took place last week on the western part of the state, near Miguel Aleman and Camargo. Residents in those areas reported convoys of armored vehicles clashing in the streets. The rebellious faction is led by a man known as “Comandante Pezon or Commander Nipple.” One of the current theories under official consideration suggests Pezon formed an alliance with the leaders of the Matamoros faction of the Gulf Cartel.
The rebellion by Pezon appears to have led to the murder of other leaders, however, it remains unclear if a new wave of violence is to be expected in the areas just south of the Texas border. The cartel bosses are fighting for control of lucrative human and drug smuggling corridors into the U.S. Currently, the Gulf Cartel is believed to be making more money from the smuggling of migrants than drugs.
The late Hernandez was based in Dias Ordaz, just south of Sullivan City, Texas. In July, Tamaulipas police forces arrested him at a bar in Reynosa. However, a group of former and current Mexican military broke him out days after the arrest. During the rescue, authorities managed to arrest Juan Francisco “Flaco or Juanito” Vázquez Vicente, an active member of Mexico’s military who was also the head of security for Hernandez. The Gulf Cartel also tried to rescue Vasquez in another operation days later, but failed.
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.
Francisco Morales from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report.
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