Arrest of Obed Peña Rumored Trigger for Violence in Reynosa, Tamaulipas Area

 “Itzli” for Borderland Beat

Following a wave of attacks against a government run video surveillance system in Reynosa, Tamaulipas and State Police crackdowns in La Ribereña region, the arrest of Obed Peña comes into the spotlight as the possible cause.

An Arrest in the SSP Press Release

As previously reported by Borderland Beat, the Secretary of Public Security of Tamaulipas published a press release on February 26, 2022 covering actions taken in the La Ribereña region against cartel forces. Most of the information within the report covers seizures, roadblocks and a confrontation with an armed group, with the day in which events occurred being specified.

The exception to this came in the second paragraph, where the following was written:

There was one detainee named Obed "P", who is identified as a wanted man by the United States for the crime of homicide. This person was located in the municipality of Diaz Ordaz and handed over to the U.S. authorities.

The Murder in Mission

3:20 PM on Thursday, October 14, 2021, a fight between several men breaks out in the parking lot of a Stripes convenience store in Mission, Texas, a city in Hidalgo County and part of the McAllen metropolitan area, across the border from Reynosa, Tamaulipas. A handgun is drawn, individuals flee in their vehicle as the assailants drive after them, shots are eventually fired, hitting two individuals and the pursuing vehicle speeds off.

The two men who had been shot are taken to the hospital; 22 year old Leonardo Veliz dies from his wounds and his brother, 21 years old Emmanuel Veliz, is listed in stable but critical condition.

By Saturday, October 16, 2021 four suspects are arrested. 21 year old Jose Maria Victoria Jr. is arrested in Peñitas by the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office and is charred with first degree murder and second degree attempted murder, while 21 year old Rolando Tovar Sanchez, 18 year old Angel Mata, and 19 year old Jonathan Mora are charged with tampering physical evidence for their role in hiding firearms used in the shooting.

A second individual, who was a friend of the Veliz brothers, is identified as one of the shooters. On Monday, October 18, 2021 two arrest warrents for first degree murder and second degree attempted murder are issued for 27 year old Obed Peña (Pena), who is considered armed and dangerous and said to drive a gray four door Dodge Ram pickup.

The Arrest of Obed Peña

Friday, February 25, 2022, the United States Customs and Border Protection issued the following press release:

EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents, through international collaboration efforts, coordinated the repatriation of a United States citizen with an arrest warrant for homicide out of Hidalgo County, Texas.

On Feb. 20, RGV agents received information from Mexican authorities on the whereabouts of a U.S. citizen wanted for homicide residing in Mexico. The man identified as Obed Pena, has been a person of interest since 2021 for a murder that occurred in Hidalgo County.

On Feb. 24, Mexican officials advised that Obed Pena was located in Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and was taken into custody. Agents coordinated with the Office of Field Operations at the Hidalgo, Texas, Port of Entry to have the subject repatriated. Pena was later turned over to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.

RGV Border Patrol Chief Brian S. Hastings stated, “RGV will continue to combat illicit activity with a whole of government approach by working with federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies in our mission to assure operational security on both sides of the border.”

 

Unlike the Tamaulipas SSP press release, a date was given for Obed Pena’s arrest: Thursday, February 24, 2022, although a specific time is not mentioned. At first glance it would seem the story is complete: shooting, suspect, location, and arrest. 

But why was the arrest of an American murder suspect mentioned in a Mexican press release announcing “as a continuation of the actions to combat and dissuade the criminal groups, without cessation, in La Ribereña region”?

The Trigger for Los Metros vs. Surveillance Cameras & GOPES

9:00 PM on Thursday, February 24, 2022, a wave of violent acts and messages, aimed primarily at the cameras making up the surveillance system of Tamaulipas and the Special Operations Group of the Tamaulipas state police (GOPES) began, as reported by Borderland Beat and in which the following was written:

One of the online explanations for the camera shootings is that César Morfín Morfín, alias “El Primito”, the leader of the Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, is lashing out due to a member of Los Metros being arrested by the GOPES and their refusal to negotiate his release.

Most sources never followed up with information on who this person was, while a few, such as El Mañana, La Estrella de la Noticia and Mennytimes would, pointed to Obed Peña. 

In fact, these sources claimed him to be head of plaza in Díaz Ordaz and a close associate of César Morfín Morfín, alias “El Primito”, the leader of the Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel and it was specifically said that GOPES had arrested him in an operation and El Primito asked Tamaulipas Governor Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca to have him released.

Assuming the arrest took place sometime during the day, it is quite possible that the sequence of events played out prior to the outbreak of violence at 9:00 PM on Thursday, Thursday, February 24, 2022.

What remains in question is if Obed Peña was truly the head of plaza in Díaz Ordaz and, if so, at what point did he obtain the position. The last readily reported plaza head there was José Alfredo Hernández Campos, alias “El Calamardo” and code name “Metro 27”, who was arrested on July 13, 2021, as reported by Borderland Beat, broken out of prison, also reported by Borderland Beat, and subsequently killed, as reported by Borderland Beat. Despite extensive research, information as to whether Obed Peña became head of plaza immediately or if any other individuals were head of plaza at any point thereafter is lacking.

Sources: Valley Central (1), Valley Central (2), Valley Central (3), Cameron County News, MyRGV News, CBP Media Relations, El Mañana