The capture of a suspected criminal leader unleashed a wave of violence in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on the border with Texas, and two other towns where armed men set vehicles on fire, carjacked drivers to block avenues, and destroyed multiple state government surveillance cameras.
The attacks in the municipalities of Reynosa, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, and Miguel Alemán, in the border state of Tamaulipas, began Sunday night and continued into Monday.
Although these cities are far from the three Mexican host cities for the 2026 World Cup—Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey—the events cast a shadow over the government’s efforts to ensure security in the country during the sporting event, which will also be held in the United States and Canada between June 11 and July 19.
Local authorities reported eight road blockades in the three municipalities and gunfire at at least 10 locations monitored by video surveillance.
Early Monday morning, authorities were still working to clear the debris and charred metal scattered across the asphalt.
The Tamaulipas State Security Spokesperson indicated that all the criminal acts were direct retaliation for the arrest of a criminal leader they described as a “priority target.” He was apprehended during a raid on a property in Reynosa, where a rifle, ammunition of various calibers, magazines, tactical gear, four vehicles, and a cell phone were seized.
A security agency identified the detainee as Alexander Benavides Flores, alias “Metro 9,” who allegedly belongs to Los Metros, a splinter group of the Gulf Cartel.
The detainee had publicly challenged law enforcement. Through banners placed at various locations throughout the city, he had warned that he would destroy every one of the surveillance towers installed in Reynosa and the surrounding area.
The Security Spokesperson specified that the arrest was carried out by personnel from the Secretariat of Public Security and Citizen Protection with support from members of the National Guard and the Army.
Early this morning, truck drivers circulated a message on social media urging the public to stay away from the area, as authorities were still removing debris and the remains of the burned-out vehicles.
Simultaneously, some parents decided not to send their children to school in Reynosa and the neighboring towns of Camargo and Miguel Alemán.
Reynosa is considered one of the cities most plagued by violence in Mexico due to the internal power struggle between different factions of the Gulf Cartel. One of these factions maintains an alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which has intensified the fight for control of the border corridor.
On February 22, a wave of violence erupted in at least 20 Mexican states following the killing of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” in the western state of Jalisco.
Source: dallasnews
