Current:Home > InvestFeuding drug cartels block roads near U.S. border as gunmen force children off school bus-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Feuding drug cartels block roads near U.S. border as gunmen force children off school bus
lotradecoin instant crypto swaps View Date:2024-12-25 16:36:11
Feuding Mexican cartels briefly blocked roads Tuesday in the border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas. At one point, gunmen forced middle-school students off a school bus and used the vehicle as a blockade.
Roads were quickly cleared and officials claimed that one death reported early Tuesday morning was not related to the blockades.
At about a dozen points in and around the city, gunmen carjacked vehicles and left them parked across roadways. The military deployed about 700 troops and two helicopters to quell the violence.
Officials in the northern state of Tamaulipas said the blockages were caused by battles between two rival cartels. Matamoros has long been dominated by the Gulf cartel, but it has splintered into warring factions, one of which is reportedly allied with the Jalisco cartel.
State police chief Sergio Hernando Chávez told local media that "there was a confrontation between rival organized crime groups."
He said all the children aboard the hijacked bus were unharmed.
On Monday, in the same area, police said they had arrested a top lieutenant of the violent Metros faction of the Gulf cartel implicated in 23 attacks on police and nine against military personnel. The suspect was identified as Hugo Salinas Cortinas, whose nickname "La Cabra" means "The Goat."
The Gulf cartel has splintered into warring factions following the arrest and extradition of some of its top leaders over the decade.
The arrest of Salinas Cortinas came just weeks after the brother of Miguel Villarreal, aka "Gringo Mike," a former Gulf Cartel plaza boss, was sentenced in Houston to 180 months in prison for his role in distributing cocaine.
One of Mexico's oldest organized crime groups, the Gulf Cartel is based in the city of Matamoros, directly across from the U.S. border in Brownsville, Texas. The cartel has been losing strength in recent years as rivals and internal factions fight for control of drug-trafficking routes into the U.S. along the border.
The Scorpions faction of the Gulf cartel was allegedly responsible for the recent kidnapping of four Americans and the deaths of two of them.
Cara Tabachnick contributed to this report.
- In:
- Mexico
- Cartel
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Bristol Palin Shares 15-Year-Old Son Tripp Has Moved Back to Alaska
- 'Disclaimer' stars break down that 'horrific' and 'shocking' finale twist (spoilers)
- US agency says Tesla’s public statements imply that its vehicles can drive themselves. They can’t
- A Timeline of Brianna Chickenfry LaPaglia and Zach Bryan's Breakup Drama
- Infamous LA officer’s gun found in $1 million watch robbery case
- 'Disclaimer' stars break down that 'horrific' and 'shocking' finale twist (spoilers)
- Winnipeg Jets improve to 14-1, setting record for best NHL start
- Wyoming volleyball coach worried about political pressure to forfeit vs. San Jose State
- Efforts to return remains, artifacts to US tribes get $3 million in funding
- Why Ariana Grande’s Brother Frankie Grande Broke Down in Tears Over Her Wicked Casting
Ranking
- Emily in Paris' Ashley Park Reveals How Lily Collins Predicted Her Relationship With Costar Paul Forman
- Man charged with participating in march with flaming torch has pleaded guilty to lesser charge
- Why Wicked’s Marissa Bode Wants Her Casting to Set A New Precedent in Hollywood
- S&P 500 and Nasdaq extend rally after Fed cuts rates and hints at more ahead. Dow ends flat
- How a small group of nuns in rural Kansas vex big companies with their investment activism
- US Park Police officer won't be charged in shooting death of 17-year-old woken up by police
- NYC man is charged with insurance fraud in staged car crash captured by dashcam
- Nicole Scherzinger Apologizes for Hurt Caused by Controversial Instagram Comment
Recommendation
-
Las Vegas police could boycott working NFL games over new facial ID policy
-
Community grieves 10-year-old student hit and killed by school bus in Missouri
-
Georgia vs Ole Miss live updates: How to watch game, predictions, odds, Top 25 schedule
-
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs seeks bail, citing changed circumstances and new evidence
-
Proposal to allow local police to make arrests near Arizona border with Mexico will appear on ballot
-
'Just a shock': NC State student arrested after string of 12 shootings damaging homes and vehicles
-
Florida’s abortion vote and why some women feel seen: ‘Even when we win, we lose’
-
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia sues NCAA over eligibility limits for former JUCO players