MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — One of the top leaders of Mexico’s Gulf Cartel was captured during a top-secret operation carried out by Mexican Marines in this border city. The drug lord had been singled out as being responsible for the recent rescue of more than 480 kidnapped Central American migrants headed to Texas and beyond.
In the early hours, Mexican Marines captured Jose Alfredo “El Contador” Cardenas Martinez, the man running the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros and surrounding areas. As part of the operation, the military personnel quickly took the suspected drug lord to the city’s airport and flew him to Mexico City so he can face multiple charges tied to the cartel’s operation.
Information released by the Mexican Navy revealed that the operation was the result of an anonymous tip and field intelligence. Authorities were able to confirm that Cardenas Martinez was at a house in Matamoros. When the Mexican Marines arrived, several gunmen fled the area but authorities were able to capture Cardenas Martinez while seizing two rifles and unspecified drugs.
Cardenas Martinez is the son of Agustin Cardenas Guillen and is the nephew of Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the last drug lord that ran the entire Gulf Cartel before the criminal organization broke into various factions. Mexican law enforcement intelligence sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that Cardenas Martinez kept a low profile in the city by diminishing violent activity.
Cardenas Martinez recently drew attention to himself after Mexican military forces and Tamaulipas state police officers raided multiple stash houses in Matamoros where Gulf Cartel Gunmen were keeping more than 480 kidnapped Central American migrants. Through his underlings, Cardenas Martinez managed to infiltrate the municipal government in Matamoros with the local mayor allowing him to operate with almost complete impunity.
Cardenas Martinez used the nickname of another Gulf Cartel commander, Sr. Cortez, in order to carry out enforcement operations throughout his city while still keeping a low profile. Under the name of Sr. Cortez, Cardenas Martinez sent teams of hitmen to Reynosa to help one of the Gulf Cartel factions fighting for control there. In Reynosa, two factions of the Gulf Cartel have been at war since early 2017 to take control of the region.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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