A Mexican politician from the border state of Nuevo Leon is demanding action from authorities regarding a cartel-controlled area that has become known as the “Highway of Death.” Gunmen have been able to operate with almost complete impunity robbing motorists, setting up checkpoints, kidnapping, and even killing.
In recent days, Waldo Fernandez, a state congressman in Nuevo Leon, filed a motion requesting that authorities from Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas, as well as the federal government, take action against threats between Nuevo Laredo and the Monterrey metropolitan area.
“Unfortunately, that highway has become known as the ‘highway of death’,” Fernandez said during an exclusive interview with Breitbart Texas. “In the last few years, there have been dozens if not more than a hundred cases of forced disappearances, as well as kidnappings, highway robberies, torture, and worse … We are asking the governments of those states to work together to do something about it. They can coordinate for political reasons, but when it comes to public safety they can’t. Are we to believe that (nothing is going on) ‘No Pasa Nada’?”
As Breitbart Texas has reported, that highway is controlled by the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas (CDN-Los Zetas) and has been linked to hundreds of disappearances and violent crimes.
In addition to the forced disappearances and kidnappings, Fernandez also pointed to the non-stop cases of highway robberies. The politician said that on a weekly basis, he receives several complaints from motorists who have been forced to pay a “protection fee” or are victims of a highway robbery.
“Families who travel from Monterrey to Nuevo Laredo claim to have had their vehicles and belongings taken at gunpoint, leaving them on the side of the road alone and scared,” he said.
The highway that is under cartel control is one of the most important in Mexico since it connects with one of the country’s busiest land ports of entry, Fernandez said.
“We are in a problem of un-governability due to insecurity,” he said.
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.