Dispute between factions of the Cartel del Golfo is causing the violence in Reynosa

Translated by Otis B Fly-Wheel for Borderland Beat from a Proceso article

Subject Matter: Fight for Reynosa plaza after death of El Toro
Recommendation: No prior subject matter knowledge required

After events of this past Wednesday, Reynosa has transformed into a ghost town. Businesses are closing earlier than usual, the central avenues are desolated and there are very few vehicles circulating in the streets at night.

Reporter: Juan Alberto Cedillo
The social networks have shared dozens of advice notices about the arrival in Matamoros of Los Ciclones, and other groups arriving like Los Antrax and Los Mazatlecos from Sinaloa, because they are disputing the plaza ownership.

Also circulating on social networks are communications of the Cartel del Golfo in audio format urging the population that during the night they should stay in their homes, because there will be more confrontations.

The hysteria generated by the social networks terminated by the collapse of whatsap, the system of messages most used in actuality by these groups to advertise situations of risk.




The Attorney General of Tamaulipas, Irving Barrios Mojica, confirmed that the violence of Tuesday night that followed was provoked by two factions of CDG who are contesting the plaza after the death of Commandante Torro by the Marines on 22nd of April past.

The information that we have is that which is in public domain and social networks, that there are criminal groups in the City of Reynosa and it because of them we have these violent events. In two violent days, there has been reports of no less than five deaths.

In social networks there is a video circulating where one can see alleged gunmen of one faction of the Cartel del Golfo assaulting a house belonging to a rival group.

The dispute for the plaza

Information from the portal Briebart Texas, specializing in the frontier security, said there are two factions of the CdG disputing the frontier plaza.

"The battles indicate a fight for control of Reynosa composed by the rest of the forces that were led by Commandante Toro or Metro 42, against the rest of the cartel.

Briebart, who have good contacts with Mexican police sources and United States intelligence agencies, have described the two factions of the CdG that are disputing Reynosa.

"One faction is formed by the nephew of Toro, Alberto Betillo Salinas, who has requested the support of other commanders in the cartel  like Luis Alberto Blanco Flores, Pelochas or M-28, Petronilo Moreno Flores, Commandante Panilo or M-70, and gunmen known as Metro 19, Metro 105 and Manuelito.

During the night battles of Tuesday and the morning of Wednesday, the gunmen of this faction were deployed in caravans of vans with the signs M-42 painted on the windows.

"The letters M-42 are identifying the gunmen of one faction, but all refer to their fallen leader Commandante Toro.

The other faction that is disputing the plaza, which is worth more than 3 million dollars per month, is headed by Commandantes Jesus Guero Jessi Garcia, who was a collaborator of Commandante Toro previously.

As well as Commandantes Armando Leon Garcia, Choco or M-90, Eduardo Ismael Flores Borrego, El Negro or Gamma 3, Miguel Angel Miguelito Alvarez Campos, as well as gunmen Visco, Surdo, and Beto Bavas, detailed the public notification by Breibart.

The dispute between these factions for the throne commenced from 22:00 on Tuesday, when one of the factions decided to visit houses and kidnap family members of a rival group.

With guerrilla war strategies, the group commenced with narco blockades in zones that they control, as well as engaging the military in diverse points of the city.

The sound of AK47 gunfire was reported all over the city, so that the Army and Marines had no idea where to concentrate their forces.

While the military were confused, one of the rival groups assaulted various houses, and kidnapped families inside them while some were assassinated. In one case, grenade launchers set the house ablaze.

These events carried on into Wednesday morning, when the attacked group, regrouped and went on the offensives starting chases and confrontations in diverse avenues of Reynosa.

The Group for Coordination in Tamaulipas informed that between the hours of 23:00 of Tuesday and until 02:00 Wednesday there had been reports of 10 narco blockades that were removed by armed forces, as well as vehicle robberies and confrontations with the military on the part of various individuals that were aboard various vehicles.

As well as the decommission of nine vehicles, rifles and a large quantity of ammunition, in the course of their labours or reconnaissance and patrolling by elements of the various corporations.

The authorities informed that two alleged criminals were killed by shots from the military, when they were carrying out vehicle robberies from citizens to use them in narco blockades.

Following on from the violence of Wednesday, private schools and the majority of public schools were closed for classes on Thursday.

The confrontations have no subsided and the city has returned to its normal activities.

Original article in Spanish at Proceso