EXCLUSIVE, GRAPHIC: Cartel Gunmen Killed Two Border State Cops in Mexico While Targeting Corrupt Official

The recent killing of two border state police officers is directly linked to an attempt to murder a corrupt law enforcement official who has been working for a rival cartel. Cartel gunmen previously called out that official on cartel banners, Breitbart Texas reported at the time.

A group of gunmen suspected of working for the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas shot and killed Hector Osvaldo Juarez Juarez and Antonio de Jesus García Vargas. The targeted killing took place in the western part of Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas. Both men were 35 years old, and were tactical police officers in Tamaulipas.

The two officers were filling up their vehicle at a gas station when the gunmen surprised them with AK-47s and fled before additional police forces could respond.

The two officers had been assigned as a security detail to the state police coordinator for Ciudad Mante Alfredo Escobedo Marin, who is believed to have been the intended target.

Breitbart Texas first reported on Escobedo Marin in 2021, when several cartel banners surfaced where the CDN-Los Zetas accused him of working with the Gulf Cartel. In the allegations at the time, the cartel claimed that Escobedo Marin had arrested cartel gunmen and turned them over to the Gulf Cartel.

After being exposed as a corrupt lawman, Escobedo Marin got a judge to issue an injunction to keep the Tamaulipas government from firing him. Due to the court order, authorities have since placed the public official under armed security.

The CDN-Los Zetas once controlled Ciudad Mante, but have since lost control of the city. As Breitbart Texas reported, the Gulf Cartel has carried out several extortion operations in Ciudad Mante while government officials benefited.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..