Gulf Cartel Commander Arrested in Texas near Border

Federal authorities arrested a reputed Gulf Cartel commander who was hiding out in the border city of Brownsville, Texas. The cartel commander illegally entered the country and was operating in the region before his arrest.

Known authorities identified the man as Commander Pony, Fabian Silva Aguirre, a Gulf Cartel member tied to drug and human smuggling operations in Mexico, information provided to Breitbart Texas by the U.S. Border Patrol revealed.

The arrest occurred Wednesday evening in Brownsville during a traffic stop by Cameron County Constables from Precinct 2. The deputy teamed up with federal authorities, who took the Mexican national into custody.

Silva Aguirre is facing illegal re-entry after removal charges since he had previously been deported, U.S. Border Patrol revealed. It remains unclear if he will be facing additional charges.

The city of Brownsville, Texas, is a busy drug and human smuggling corridor that the Gulf Cartel has used for decades.

In December, drug smugglers kidnapped and tortured two men in Brownsville over stolen drugs. The men eventually were able to escape and seek help, Breitbart Texas reported at the time.

Late last year, the city experienced a wave of car thefts where vehicles were being smuggled into Mexico at the request of the Gulf Cartel, Breitbart Texas reported. In some cases, the car thefts became violent, turning into armed robberies where gunmen were taking vehicles at gunpoint outside of restaurants in the city’s busy north shopping district.

In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating the Gulf Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s 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 News Foundation’s 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..