Mexican authorities are continue to cover up widespread deadly extortion operations run by the Gulf Cartel in the border state of Tamaulipas. In a matter of days, cartel gunmen killed two innocent businessmen who were unable to pay the terrorist organization.
Despite the widespread extortion and the killings, Tamaulipas government officials continue their silence and provide little to no information on the murders. The situation comes as Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal, has been closely linked by numerous articles from Breitbart Texas to various criminal organizations while the U.S. government revoked his tourist visa.
The first murder took place in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, when 55-year-old Fernando Salas Gomez was driving home with his wife and children. A group of gunmen cut him off and blinded him with the high beams. When Salas got down from the vehicle, the gunmen shot him several times and then stole his belongings and cash before fleeing the scene.
Credit: Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
Information provided to Breitbart News Foundation by Tamaulipas law enforcement sources revealed that Salas was a used car dealer who would purchase vehicles in the United States and import them into Mexico for sale. The victim had previously been the target of extortion by organized crime who demanded a weekly payment to let him work.
A second murder took place midweek at the Alamitos bar in the Nacozari neighborhood of Ciudad Victoria,. A second local businessman died at the hands of cartel gunmen. The gunman shot the businessman in a targeted manner and fled with complete impunity. Information provided to Breitbart News Foundation by Tamaulipas authorities revealed that the shooting is also believed to have been the result of the businessman not being able to pay the cartel extortion fees.
Credit: Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
In recent weeks, cartel gunmen kidnapped a cleaning lady who failed to pay an extortion fee over her having two stands at an open-air market in the city. After the woman’s family was able to make a payment on the debt, the gunmen released her.
The wave of extortion violence comes as the Tamaulipas government continues to hide the information on these cases and refuses to address the growing issue. As Breitbart News Foundation reported, similar Gulf Cartel extortion schemes have manifested themselves in other cities like Matamoros and Reynosa.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart News Foundation traveled to Mexico City and the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas, including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and their original Spanish. This article was written by “Francisco Morales” from Tamaulipas.
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