Cartel gunmen carjacked and threatened a pastor in the Mexican border city of Miguel Aleman. The violent encounter comes at a time when the Gulf Cartel has engaged in gun battles for turf with a rival organization.
Breitbart Texas spoke with a local pastor who recalled the attack but asked to not have his name published. Miguel Aleman is just south of Roma, Texas, and is considered a prime smuggling hub since the region lacks any physical barriers save for the shallow waters of the Rio Grande.
The preacher had borrowed a truck to deliver some supplies to a church when gunmen commanded him to stop and dragged him from the vehicle.
According to the pastor, the gunmen beat him as they asked questions about who he was, where he was going, and if he was tied to organized crime.
After holding him for some time, the gunmen dropped off the pastor in the same location as the abduction. Despite threats received, the pastor told Breitbart Texas he plans on continuing his ministry.
The attack against the preacher comes at a time when the Gulf Cartel has increased its violent presence in Miguel Aleman against the rival Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas. In recent weeks, Gulf Cartel gunmen have set up roadblocks on the outskirts of the city and are intercepting motorists for questioning.
Earlier this month, gunmen carried out attacks in Miguel Aleman where they kidnapped individuals, robbed businesses, and carjacked vehicles. In one clash, the Mexican military managed to kill three.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to Mexico City and the 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 “C.P. Mireles” from Tamaulipas.