200 Mexican Convenience Stores Close in Border City After Cartel Threats

One of Mexico’s largest chains of convenience stores closed all of its locations in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, following a series of threats from the terrorist organization Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas. The mass closing of almost 200 stores comes as the Tamaulipas government remains impotent against the various drug cartels that rule over the state.

The closings began last Thursday after FEMSA, a corporation that runs all of the Oxxos convenience stores in Mexico, quietly closed its locations in Nuevo Laredo. In a short statement to news outlets, the company cited violence in the region and claimed it was a short-term measure. Company officials contacted by Breitbart Texas revealed they have been speaking with Mexican authorities to have them help resolve the issue so they can reopen.

Company officials who spoke with Breitbart Texas on the condition of anonymity revealed the pressure comes as the CDN-Los Zetas issued a list of demands that the stores must follow. The demands included allowing cartel lookouts to stay and hide inside their stores to avoid capture while they were keeping an eye out for military forces.

Another issue dealt with forcing the stores to sell smuggled liquor, tobacco, and other products that would create a new revenue stream for the cartel.

The company’s refusal was met with threats of violence from CDN-Los Zetas, which forced the company to close 191 stores and seven gas stations.

As Breitbart Texas reported, Nuevo Laredo is the main bastion of the CDN-Los Zetas cartel, which operates with complete impunity in the region. The criminal organization has more control over the day-to-day operations of the city than government officials. It uses convoys of gunmen in armored trucks to patrol the city without any challenge from the Tamaulipas government.

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.