Hitmen of Gulf Cartel's Primito Caught Red-Handed Kidnapping in Díaz Ordaz, Tamps

"HEARST" and "Redlogarythm" for Borderland Beat

Hitmen who work for Cartel del Golfo boss "El Primito" were killed by soldiers soon after kidnapping civilians on Highway 40 in Diaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas. 

The Shootout with the Kidnappers

During the morning of April 25, 2023, soldiers from the Army (SEDENA) were shot by cartel hitmen while the soldiers were “carrying out reconnaissance work” in Diaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas, according to a government press release. The hitmen were sitting inside a red pickup truck nearby.

The soldiers returned fire and a shootout began. Ultimately, the two hitmen in the pickup were killed.

As soldiers approached the vehicle, they noticed there were two more men lying in the bed of the truck, alive but chained up like prisoners. 

The men told the soldiers that they had been kidnapped by the hitmen while traveling on the Monterrey-Reynosa highway, near the town of Las Piedras. Medical transport was called for the kidnapping victims. 

After the incident, members of the SEDENA unit involved, from the IV Region, 8th Military Zone, displayed the items seized from inside the vehicle which included:

• Three AK47 type assault rifles (one of them with a Romanian style grip and a folding stock)

• One AR15 type assault rifle

• 25 AK47 type mags

• 2 AR15 type mags

• Three tactical vests

Interestingly enough, two of the seized vests had velcro patches with lettering. In one of them the name of Cártel del Golfo (CDG) was visible. 

On the second vest was a patch for “Primito”, which refers to the criminal alias of César Morfín Morfín, the current leader of the Gulf Cartel faction Los Metros. 

It's worth noting that the municipality Diaz Ordaz, where the kidnapping occurred, is known to be controlled by Los Metros forces. 

Based on the location of the kidnapping and patch found on the vest, it seems clear that the kidnappers were hitmen who work under El Primito.

Highway Kidnapping Schemes

The kidnapping incidents on the Monterrey-Reynosa highway, or Highway 40, are often overshadowed by the ones on its more violent neighbor: the Laredo-Monterrey highway, or Highway 85, which runs perpendicular to it. Nevertheless, both routes share a key characteristic - their connection to important border crossing points from the major city of Monterrey. 

The highway connects to the border city of Reynosa, which is controlled by los Metros, and therefore El Primito. Likewise, Highway 85 connects to Nuevo Laredo, which is controlled by the Cartel de Noreste (CDN). 

Monterrey is Mexico´s second largest (and its richest) city. It has long acted as a hub for dirty money and weapons heading south and drugs and human beings heading north. 

The city is used for storing goods, such as drug shipments, as well as migrants who are hoping to be crossed into the US. 

The roads which connect Monterrey to port of entry locations are highly prized by cartel groups and are viciously disputed. The group controlling these roads controls the flow of goods and people heading to the US. 

Historically, the Gulf Cartel has been known to control Highway 40. Nowadays, some of the highway in the southwest is controlled by CDN and some of the highway in the northeast is controlled by the Gulf Cartel faction Los Metros. 

Sometimes cartel roadblocks charging a "cartel tax", or cuota, have appeared on Highway 40 although they are much more common on Highway 85. These roadblocks are also used to scope out potential kidnapping victims and potential vehicle thefts, with pickup trucks and SUVs often targeted. 

Sources: NMAs, Día a Día Tamaulipas, Hoy Tamaulipas, El Guzman, La Tarde