Tamaulipas - the state where the Zetas cartel arose and where the Gulf Cartel continues to operate - has seen several of its past governors from the Institutional Revolutionary Party accused of corruption and links to organized crime. An investigation by Human Rights First compiled thousands of attacks against migrants and asylum-seekers, including kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking and rape. FollowNBC LatinoonFacebook,TwitterandInstagram. The cameras, presumably placed by criminal groups, were disguised as payphones, electricity meters and streetlights. . How much safer do you feel in Mexico City now compared to years ago. The Gulf cartel, which. Olga Ruiz, whose 19-year-old brother Fernando was killed by the gunmen, said her sibling was working as a plumber and bricklayer to pay for his studies. Yet the dismantling of the Federal Police also led to a profound reduction in the number of investigators and investigative capacity in Mexico by some 70-75%, Mexican lawyers and security officials estimated in conversations with me. On Saturday, authorities detained a person who was transporting two apparently kidnapped women in the trunk of a car. The Lpez Obrador government blames poor security on state authorities, and state authorities blame it on municipal ones. Your use of this service is subject to our, Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion, Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft, Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery. The attacks may have derived from a dispute between rival groups over territorial control of the area and dominance over illicit operations including drug trafficking and human trafficking, Luis Alberto Rodrguez, the spokesman, told The Washington Post on Sunday. In light of the violence that occurred in Reynosa on June 19, U.S. government personnel in Reynosa are temporarily restricted from field operations and official movements other than home-to-work. 2021 7:46 AM ET. Sixty-two percent of them reported having been kidnapped in Mexico,and almost 19 percent said they had suffered sexual assaults in those Mexican cities. Four armed men presumed to have been among those carrying out the violence died in a shootout with authorities, Elefante Blancoreported. So he asked permission to enter a house but my brother and his companions were only about to enter when the vehicles arrived," Ruiz said. Keep your friends and loved ones up to date on your whereabouts via phone, text, and social media and let them know you are safe, when possible. According to the researchers, the extensive control exercised by the cartels in vast swaths of the territory and the complicity of the Mexican authorities are evidence that U.S. policies that force asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico or require an initial exemption or other processing there country put migrants, lawyers and humanitarian groups at risk. The citys eastern section where the weekends carnage occurred has been dominated by the Gulf Cartel, which experts believe fractured in 2017. They stopped in front of them and started to shoot.. The U.S. Department. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high. Mexico's president vowed to investigate the border shootings that left 19 dead over the weekend, even as the latest homicide figures showed . It was a Saturday, around 12:30 p.m. local time, when a caravan of three vehicles loaded with well-armed men and at least one woman began a violent rampage through Reynosa, a Mexican city of about 700,000 people that borders McAllen, Texas, and serves as an important hub for numerous criminal groups. She has seen the effects of migrant returns closely because she studies the flow of people in regions such as Ciudad Jurez. This is the controversial program that the Trump administration employed between January 2019 and January 2021 to send over 71,000 non-Mexican asylum seekers to await their U.S. hearings inside Mexico, usually in Mexican border cities with some of the world's highest violent crime rates. The borough's Holy Week passion play the oldest, most elaborate and best-known in the country celebrated its 180th edition this year. The government says homicides declined 2.9% in the first five months of 2021 compared to 2020, but that may be because January and February of this year were marked by Mexico's worst coronavirus . Yet, the 2022 outlook for both the rule of law and public safety in Mexico and meaningful U.S.-Mexico security cooperation remains bleak. Their ebb and flow largely reflect choices and tit-for-tat responses by criminal groups toward one another. Privacy Policy. The number of immigrants is growing here. Security Alert U.S. Consulate General Matamoros, Mexico (June 25, 2021). All the people tell you that the cartels impose the rules, the narco is the law, Prez Moreno said with dismay. Mexico's Gulf Cartel Doing Damage Control After Kidnapping, Murdering He called a guy over and he checked his pockets and he said no. The main risk here is flooding due to heavy rains. National Guard patrol the Zacatecas-Fresnillo highway after a series of recent attacks and clashes between drug cartels in Zacatecas state, Mexico [Marco Ugarte/AP Photo] Published On 27 Jul 2021 . Source: El Universal (sp), Milenio (sp), ABC Noticias (sp), Vox Populi Noticias (sp), Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC. The well-known participation of security authorities in criminal acts in Tamaulipas indicates that organized crime has always counted on a degree of protection The current political realignment could be creating instability, Correa-Cabrera told InSight Crime. Criminal gangs in Reynosa are also known to destroy cameras placed by the authorities. Do you live in Reynosa? "In my government there will be no truce for the violent.". That will lead to more kidnappings, assaults, torture and other violent attacks, said Kennji Kizuka, associate director of research and analysis at Human Rights First. VFelbabBrown. The other four dead were suspected gunmen from a group that drove into the northern border city of Reynosa and opened fire indiscriminately. An Indigenous man from Honduras reported that he was kidnapped and separated from his 5-year-old son after being expelled to Reynosa, Mexico. Fear Shakes Mexico Border City Of Reynosa After Violence Leaves 18 Dead In Reynosa, . I showed up at 10pm and the border agents did not want me to cross they were in fear for me as were my friends from Mexico. Religion and identity meet in Mexico Citys Iztapalapa, A quick guide to Mexico Citys many Pueblos Mgicos, 6 national banks join forces to offer commission-free ATMs, US brings charges against Sinaloa Cartel, including Los Chapitos, Reform allowing state-owned airline passes in Chamber of Deputies. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Migrants from El Paso are bussed all the nation but these two cities are where they really want to go. Its not fair, said taxi driver Rene Guevara, adding that among the dead were two of his fellow taxi drivers whom he said were not involved in crime. The risk of fraud is high enough in Reynosa. World's most dangerous cities, by murder rate 2022 | Statista At all levels, police reform has mostly stalled. It is within the northern part of Tamaulipas, Mexico. An official website of the United States government. This piece was originally published by Mexico Today. They beat me, chased me and threatened to imprison me,thats why I had to leave, Prez Moreno, 23, said. The police are quite corrupt so approach Reynosa with caution. The overarching bipolar rivalry between the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG spans not just Mexico but violently all the way to Colombia and non-violently into the Asia-Pacific. In a joint operation, the Mexican army and state police fanned out across the city to find the attackers, according to a statement from the agency. The leftwing populist Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador took power in December, promising a dramatic change in tactics. In the last two months, Human Rights First helped 69 migrants in Tijuana, in the Mexican state of Baja California, and Piedras Negras, in the state of Coahuila, to apply for humanitarian visas. Today, we cannot speak of just one Gulf Cartel faction at the border, they dont operate in a cohesive manner there are various groups, Correa-Cabrera told InSight Crime. Mexico is holding hundreds of unaccompanied children detained before Reynosa attackers kill at least 14 in Mexican border city - The Lpez Obrador asked federal prosecutors to take over the case and pledged a thorough investigation. Authorities say they are investigating the attacks and haven't provided a motive. 'I'm Kidnapped': A Father's Nightmare on the Border Breakdown of Gulf Cartel Is Driving Violence in Reynosa Mexico One former governor, Tomas Yarrington, was extradited to the United States from Italy in 2018 on drug trafficking charges. People would be under tarps guarding their area with guns. Due to ongoing conflict between Gulf Cartels, it is one of the most dangerous places in Mexico with thousands killed annually. Now they seek to influence with violence and money who can run and win to begin with. Illegal border crossings in the region jumped 400 percent in the last year, according to the US Border Patrol. In 2014, the Reynosa city government announced the installation of 472 surveillance cameras around the. Lpez Obrador has focused on social programs to deal with the roots of crime. Mexico president to order investigation of border shootings Mexico now suffers an average of about 96 murders per day, with nearly 29,000 people killed since Amlo took office. Violence in Reynosa, a major Mexico border city, has been elevated since late spring. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high. Though the motive for the rampage in the northern border city of Reynosa that left scores of civilians dead remains unexplained, security experts point to three possible scenarios: a war within the Gulf Cartel, a political settling of scores, or a mere desire to sow chaos. One of the Zetas notable splinter groups is the Northeast Cartel, which has steadily gained groundin northeastern Mexico over the last three years and hasaggressively challengedthe control of the Gulf Cartel. [The events in Reynosa] appear to have been improvised; 14 civilians died who were not involved [in organized crime] it was a very disorganized operation. The bill would still shorten the duration of mining concessions granted and be contingent on consults with local communities. One is Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacin the New Generation Jalisco cartel one of the most powerful drug organizations in Mexico. The bloodshed appears to have been sparked by the killing of a Gulf cartel leader. The Bicentennial Framework is unlikely to restore that. Are you on Telegram? On at least two occasions in 2015, authorities removed cameras installed by crime gangs. But Garca Cabeza de Vaca himself is being investigated by the federal prosecutors office for organized crime and money laundering accusations he says are politically motivated. Skirmishes of drug gangs often occur in the city, because of this, shootings are possible. Adams migrant plea: Letters to the Editor April 29, 2023, Border Patrol using cellphones to process migrants in overwhelmed South Texas. A Guatemalan migrant was allegedly raped in Ciudad Jurez, after U.S. authorities returned herto that city with her 5-year-old daughter. Back in 2004, aninvestigationindicated that, while running to be mayor of Reynosa, he had allegedly received bribes from the Gulf Cartel in exchange for protection. As my fieldwork showed, in Baja California Sur, Baja California, and Sinaloa, criminal groups, often the Sinaloa Cartel, are muscling their way into new economies,systematically seeking to dominate both legal and illegal fishing, fish processing, and seafood sales along the entire vertical supply chain. Mexico Travel Advisory - United States Department of State I stayed with him in a concrete buildings, no windows, bullet holes sprayed everywhere..pretty much all the building. Occasionally, though, such as in Oaxaca, or Chihuahua City, local governments have succeeded in improving the effectiveness of municipal police forces. Travel to this region is not recommended. Yet the criminal groups capacities to hold turf often remains flimsy, with groups like CJNG brazenly seeking to conquer entire territories withdrone-mounted bombs, and groups like the Sinaloa Cartel taking over legal and illegal economies and politics in a more buttoned-down and less blatant manner, but no less systematically. Unnamed sources told El Universal that investigations by the Tamaulipas state intelligence alerted authorities to the cameras. Two women who had allegedly been kidnapped by the gunmen were rescued. Reynosa is a major city in Tamaulipas, and one of the most dangerous. See Mexico Travel Advisory for details. CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after gunmen in vehicles killed 14 people, including taxis drivers, workers and a nursing student, and security forces responded with operations that left four suspects dead. And indeed, it doesnt respond. Reductions in fighting, such as in Michoacns Apatzingn or Guerreros Acapulco where I conducted fieldwork, occurs mainlybecause a particular group or criminal alliance manages to establish temporary territorial control, a narcopeace: be it Crteles Unidos in that part of theTierra Caliente,or Caro Quinteros and Los Chapitos branches of the Sinaloa Cartel in high-value extortion and drug trafficking in Acapulco. Seeing them with arms and trucks gives people confidence. Well, it didnt to the local people with whom I had a chance to speak. The individuals, who were aboard several vehicles, may have fired on innocent citizens as part of a dispute between rival cartels, Tamaulipas state officials said. Religion and identity meet in Mexico Citys Iztapalapa. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. AMLO vows to investigate Reynosa Mexico shooting of innocents Experts say there has been an internal struggle within the group since 2017 to control key territories for drug and human trafficking. He asked permission to enter a house but my brother and his companions were only about to enter when the vehicles arrived. The Biden administration terminated the program during . He said that in early August, when he was finally a few miles from the U.S. border, he took a taxi with a friend who accompanied him to request asylum at the border. On Sunday, Reynosa residents "were quiet as if nothing had happened, but with a feeling of anger because now crime has happened to innocent people," said local businessman Misael Chavarria. Eduardo Guerrero, a security analyst based in Mexico City, said the governors swipe was a response to what critics have called a lenient stance on drug crime. Fear Shakes A Mexico Border City After Violence Leaves 18 Dead - NPR Lpez Obrador has cut budgets and personnel to many Mexican institutions and left them with minimal regulatory, oversight, and minimal capacities. When El Chapo was arrested in early 2016, Mexicos president bragged: Mission accomplished. Add data for Reynosa Crime 0 120 67.78 Crime rates in Reynosa, Mexico Safety in Reynosa, Mexico Contributors: 37 Last update: March 2023 These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years. President Joe Biden suspended the Migrant Protection Protocols (the formal name of the program) during his first day in office, and the Department of Homeland Security assured that it would finalize it in June, according to court documents. Unlike the Federal Police which the Lpez Obrador administration dismantled, the National Guard is nominally supposed to be stationed in a locality permanently. Something that moved us a lot was thatshe told us that she never imagined that the violence and discrimination from which she had been fleeing would accompany her to the border, Ortega said. He has assured Mexicans that he is fighting the root causes of the violence and since the beginning of his administration in December 2018, he has advocated "hugs, not bullets" in dealing with criminals. There has been a major increase in bad behaviour within the city, where violence has long been prevalent. Taxis are only safe if you order a licensed car. Reynosa is located 38 meters above sea level. Speaking at a press conference on June 21, President Lpez Obrador blamedarmed commandos for the violence and ordered that an investigation be openedinto the string of shootings in Reynosa that has left at least 19 dead. But the area's criminal activity has long been dominated by the Gulf Cartel and there have been fractures within that group. By . Olga Ruiz, whose 19-year-old brother Fernando Ruiz was killed by the gunmen, said he worked as plumber and bricklayer for his stepfather to pay for school, and was fixing an outdoor drain when he was attacked. June 23 2021 Jun 23, 2021 . The city is controlled by cartels, the police are corrupt. Federal police continue crackdown with drug dealers. Cabeza de Vaca is under an investigation for alleged links to organized crime groups, money laundering and tax evasion, according to the Mexican attorney generals office, which announced in May that the U.S. Justice Department has shared a case file on Cabeza de Vaca. High probability of scamming in ATM. Copyright 2009-2023 Numbeo. Remain vigilant during the daylight hours and avoid travel at night. Senate approves Plan B electoral reform weakening the INE, Ovidio Guzmns extradition process halted by another judge, Cantona: an impressive but underrated archaeological site. June 21, 2021 3:15 AM PT. Cartels go head to head here and clash with extreme repercussions for residents who aren't part of any gangs. "Since most people do not make complaints to the authorities, webelieve that this is a minimal figure of what is happening at the border, Ana Ortega Villegas, a lawyer and researcher at Human Rights First, said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. Law enforcement officials say gunmen aboard a number of vehicles have staged attacks in several neighborhoods in the Mexican border city of Reynosa. But a year later, the gangs had destroyed 100 of them, of which the government was only able to reinstall 40%. Information about the situation with this risk must be checked before visiting the city. He said that despite explaining what he suffered, he was returned to Mexico by U.S. immigration authorities. Zihuas full of great cuisine, so where to start? But you must carefully monitor your belongings, do not leave valuables unattended and keep especially important documents and things in the hotel safe. Reynosa is a city, located directly across the Rio Grande from the US border. The governor was scrutinized after authorities arrested several members of an elite special operations group during an investigation into the January massacre of 19 people, including 13 Guatemalan migrants, near the U.S.-Mexico border. First published on Mon 21 Jun 2021 11.49 EDT Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after a weekend of violence in which 19 people were killed, including taxis drivers, workers and. Mexico; Local News; Immigration/Border Wall . Reprinted fromInSight Crime. Just about any border town just across from the US is trouble. "They stopped in front of them and started to shoot.". Yorje Prez Moreno traveled thousands of miles from Venezuela to reach Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, leaving his family, friends and studies, as he fled the violence of state security forces who allegedly persecuted him for participating in anti-government protests. Those choosing to travel to Reynosa, Ro Bravo, and surrounding areas should remain vigilant and maintain a heightened state of awareness due to the heightened possibility of violence between rival cartel factions. I told him the guys that searched my car didnt give me passport back. Your use of this service is subject to our In a new report, the Washington-based organization Human Rights Firsthas registered 6,356 violent attacks against migrants in Mexico since January. shares Though the motive for the rampage in the northern border city of Reynosa that left scores of civilians dead remains. Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Migrants stuck in Mexico faced 6,356 violent attacks since January Some victims in deadly Reynosa shootings identified - KRGV These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years. In any case, the city is quite strongly controlled by cartels and the presence of tourists in it can be quite unsafe. Cabeza de Vaca has denied the accusations, which he called baseless and politically motivated. In late April, the Northeast Cartel allegedlykilled and burnedthe bodies of eight people linked to the Gulf Cartel in the town of Camargo, 75 kilometers west of Reynosa. Those killed included nurses, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, students and construction workers. Asocio-economic component to enablelocal populations access to legal income is important, thoughnot a replacement for good policing. But the federal government has dramatically cut budgets to both and thus gutted the already often-inadequate local capacities, even though its own 2019 security strategy centered on relying on municipal police for security. 2023 Copyright by Travel Safe - Abroad. June 23, 2021 Victims of Saturday's shootings in Reynosa. Checking out some reviews and articles to help me make the best-informed decision for an upcoming vacation to Mexico and came across this well written article. but with a feeling of anger because now crime has happened to innocent people." The areas criminal activity has long been dominated by the Gulf cartel which since 2017 has been riven by internal conflicts over territories for drug and human trafficking. The 2022 outlook for both the rule of law and public safety in Mexico and meaningful U.S.-Mexico security cooperation remains bleak, writes Vanda Felbab-Brown as she discusses her findings from recently spending several weeks in various parts of Mexico researching the evolution of crime and security policies. With fighting between the Gulf Cartel and the Northeast Cartel has beenreportedin Reynosa since 2017, it is likely the recent shootings are connected to this dispute or another of the Gulf Cartels feuds. Drug-related violence in Tamaulipas has decreased in the past few years because of better-trained and better-coordinated police, Guerrero added, but these efforts have not stopped blood from flowing in Reynosa. Violent criminal groups are eroding Mexico's authority and claiming more territory. Law enforcement officials say gunmen aboard a number of vehicles have staged attacks in several neighborhoods in the Mexican border city of Reynosa. Reynosa awakes to narco-blockades as cartel reacts to leader's arrest This major criminal group hasenjoyeda period of stability in northeastern Mexico after theweakeningof the Zetas, its main rival. I was there and my friends family lives there. And in December, the newU.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communitieswent into effect, replacing the Mrida Initiative that Lpez Obrador intensely disliked while his administrationseverely minimizedU.S.-Mexico security cooperation. Local businessman Misael Chavarria Garza said many businesses closed early Saturday after the attacks and people were very scared as helicopters flew overhead. Security is one of the great challenges facing the government of President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador. In October and November, I spent several . Mayorkas tells migrants: Dont break the law! I express my solidarity to the families of the innocent victims that died as consequences of these actions of organized crime in Reynosa, the statement said. While this city across the border from McAllen, Texas is used to cartel violence as a key trafficking point, the 14 victims in Saturday's attacks appeared to be what Tamaulipas Gov. The attacks in Reynosa, which sits on the US-Mexico border in the state of Tamaulipas, took place in under two hours on June 19, with people seemingly targeted at random by gunmen traveling in vans, according to local media outlet Elefante Blanco. Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after a weekend of violence in which 19 people were killed, including taxis drivers, workers and a nursing student, and security forces responded with operations that left four suspects dead. There is also the presence of various groups previously associated to the Zetas many of them are not just dedicated to drug trafficking but also kidnapping, extortion, oil theft and piracy, she explained. Criminal gangs in Reynosa are also known to destroy cameras placed by the authorities.