Mexican Border State Silent About Forced Cartel Recruitment, Kidnappings

Authorities in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas remain tight-lipped about the recent rescue of 21 victims who had been abducted by cartel gunmen and were apparently in the process of being conscripted into the criminal organization. Government officials have been actively trying to cover up the mass kidnapping and rescue while claiming that the region is safe.

The rescue took place over the weekend in the Balcones de Alcala neighborhood in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, after a brief shootout between state police forces and suspected Gulf Cartel gunmen.

Following the shootout, groups of activists who search for mass graves and abduction victims began trying to locate the relatives of the rescued victims. Some of the victims required medical care. Information provided to Breitbart Texas by the group Love For The Disappeared (Amor Por Los Desaparecidos) revealed that the victims included 17 men, two women, a 13-year-old female, and a 15-year-old male.

The victims were mainly from the state of Tamaulipas, but some were also from states such as Guerrero, Veracruz, Chiapas, and Jalisco.

Activists revealed to Breitbart Texas that the victims had been taken over time, with some having been in captivity for several months. Criminal organizations were drafting the victims. However, the activists would not say which cartel was responsible.

The city of Reynosa is currently controlled by the Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, a group designated by the U.S. Department of State as a foreign terrorist organization. In recent months, Reynosa has seen a dramatic spike in forced disappearances and the constant discovery of new clandestine gravesites. At the same time, spokespeople for the Tamaulipas government claim that crime is continuously decreasing.

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..