Cartel gunmen in the border state of Tamaulipas continue to attack tractor-trailers carrying diesel and other fuel products with complete impunity. At the same time, government officials deny the raging cartel violence in the region.
Earlier this week, a group of gunmen from the Gulf Cartel attacked various truckers who were traveling south with tractor-trailers filled with fuel products. One of the attacks took place early Monday morning when a group of gunmen in SUVs tried to intercept three truckers along one of the main avenues in the city of San Fernando, Tamaulipas.
When two of the truckers refused to stop, the gunmen began shooting at the vehicles. Bullets struck the tankers causing the fuel to leak.
The truckers tried to escape while calling 911 for help. By the time state police responded to the scene the gunmen had already left the area.
In the vehicle that stopped, the gunmen unhooked the two trailers it was towing and stole the load of fuel.
Local firefighters responded to the scene with a police escort due to the possibility of violence. Once the firefighters arrived, they worked on the trailers to prevent a fire or possible explosion. Authorities ultimately moved the vehicles to a police parking lot.
Two factions, Escorpiones and Metros, have been fighting for regional control since late April. This turf war has manifested itself in several large-scale shootouts, abductions, and several other high-impact crimes that government officials have been trying to deny or minimize. It remains unclear which faction of the Gulf Cartel was behind the attack.
The attack in San Fernando comes just days after the Escorpiones faction of the Gulf Cartel carried out a similar attack in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, where they carjacked several trailers and forced the drivers to dump their loads of fuel at gunpoint, Breitbart Texas reported. While state authorities recovered the stolen trailers in that first case, authorities did not take any real actions against the Gulf Cartel.
Due to the inaction of the Tamaulipas government and Mexico’s federal government, the Gulf Cartel has torched homes and gas stations. They also carried out terror-style attacks and abducted dozens of people in communities throughout the state, such as in Abasolo and Jimenez, with complete impunity, Breitbart Texas has reported.
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.
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