For years, a jail in South Texas held the man responsible for leading the Gulf Cartel at a time when it was one of the most powerful organized crime groups in Mexico. Breitbart Texas was recently granted inside access to the facility and procedures employed to prevent rescue attempts.
Since his extradition in 2015 to face federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges, Eduardo “El Coss” Costilla Sanchez spent his time in a secret cell inside the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center in Cameron County, Texas.
A federal judge in Brownsville sentenced Costilla to a life term this week for importing large quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. Costilla previously pleaded guilty to multiple drug conspiracy and trafficking charges in 2017 and 2020. Costilla was the last leader of the Gulf Cartel before the criminal organization fractured into warring factions.
Even though Costilla was a federal prisoner, the U.S. Marshals Service housed him and others facing federal charges at the local jail as part of an agreement with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Costilla’s inmate’s location was kept under maximum secrecy due to his high profile.
Federal law enforcement sources who worked closely with the Cameron County Sheriff during Costilla’s time provided Breitbart Texas with exclusive photographs detailing some of the high-security measures.
Breitbart Texas spoke with Javier Reyna, a retired Captain with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, who personally oversaw the issues dealing with high-profile inmates over almost 30 years on the job.
“When we found out he was coming to our facility, we knew his background, we knew the kind of person that he was and we took the necessary measures,” Reyna said. “Whenever he was going to be moved or transported for court, we had highly trained individuals from our SWAT team assigned to ensure not only the safety of the prisoner but also the safety of the public and the officers involved.”
One of the main concerns that law enforcement had at the time was the close proximity to Mexico, given the risks of a cartel rescue.
“We were extremely aware of that and always concerned about that possibility,” Reyna said adding that “extreme” security protocols were put in place not only in the jail but also whenever Costilla needed to be moved. “We took all the necessary measures for safety and security to ensure that he was going to be safe in our jail and that our community would be safe.”
During moves between the jail and federal courthouse, authorities would have him ride in an armored vehicle supported by SWAT and federal counterparts.
Despite the precautions, authorities never had issues with Costilla, Reyna said.
“He was a model inmate,” the retired sheriff’s captain said. “I don’t recall ever having any incident with him acting up or having to do with disciplinary issues.”
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.