A former U.S. soldier has been arrested by Mexican authorities on allegations of manufacturing explosives for the Gulf Cartel, just south of the Texas border. The arrest, kept largely under wraps as federal authorities built the case against him, accused him of producing land mines and other explosives.
The arrest comes after a reported increase in the use of land mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in northern Tamaulipas, attributed to the Escorpiones faction of the Gulf Cartel. The group is engaged in a bitter turf war with a rival faction from Reynosa, known as Metros.
Initially, government officials attempted to downplay or conceal the information about the landmines, but eventually acknowledged that organized crime members had deployed them in the region. The use of explosives has led to numerous shootouts, kidnappings, and murders in the area.
The arrest of the former U.S. soldier marks a significant development in the investigation, which has been ongoing since reports emerged of the Gulf Cartel’s use of explosives in northern Tamaulipas. Despite claims of reduced crime rates in the region, the ongoing turf war between the rival factions has continued to escalate, resulting in widespread violence and insecurity.
