EXCLUSIVE: This Is the Mexican Border City Cartel Boss Behind Killing, Kidnapping of U.S. Citizens

Soon after the rescue and return of two of four U.S. citizens kidnapped by the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros, Breitbart Texas learned the identity of the crime boss ultimately responsible for the crimes.

Known in the criminal underworld as “La Kena or Ciclon 19,” Jose Alberto Garcia Vilano is the current Gulf Cartel operational leader in Matamoros.

Mexican federal law enforcement sources revealed that La Kena has gunmen running security throughout the city and they would be the ones that shot at the four U.S. citizens. The security teams known as “La Guardia” carry out enforcement operations for the Gulf Cartel and chase rivals when entering the city.

Ultimately, the order to take them would have to be given by La Kena or someone in his inner circle with his approval, law enforcement source said.

On Tuesday morning, Mexican authorities were able to find four U.S. citizens who had been kidnapped on Friday. The rescue took place at a stash house in a rural area known as Tecolote on the outskirts of the city. The rescue came after hours of raids by Mexican authorities working with their U.S. counterparts. In addition to the FBI, Breitbart Texas was able to learn that agents from Homeland Security Investigations in Harlingen and HSI Brownsville were working closely in the case.

Authorities were able to find one injured man, a woman, and two deceased males. In a large security operation, authorities moved the two victims to Veteran’s International Bridge where they crossed them in an ambulance to Brownsville and turned them over to federal authorities. It remains unclear when the bodies of the two other victims will be repatriated.

The case began on Friday afternoon when Latavia “Tay” McGee, Shaeed Woodard, Zindell Brown, and Eric James Williams crossed from Brownsville into Matamoros reportedly to get cosmetic surgery.

Details of what prompted the attack by the Gulf Cartel are unclear, however, federal authorities confirmed that gunmen chased the white minivan with the four U.S. citizens. During the chase, the minivan crashed into a vehicle and the gunmen began firing. One of those stray bullets hit an innocent bystander.

With complete impunity, the gunmen were able to throw the four Americans into a white pickup and leave before Mexican authorities arrived.

El Tecolote sits east of Matamoros, a short distance from La Bartolina, a rural area used by the Gulf Cartel to incinerate hundreds of victims. For years, the Gulf Cartel has used La Bartolina as a clandestine site where they use 55-gallon drums to burn bodies and scatter ashes.

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.