Three men wearing tactical vests and carrying guns, believed to be members of a Mexican criminal organization, were seen operating in Fronton, southern Texas reported Fox News citing a law enforcement source.
Still images from what appears to be a trail camera show three men walking in single file on a path through wooded brush. The footage is from Saturday night, August 5.
According to Fox News, Border Patrol agents and the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) were deployed in response, but were not able to locate the men.
According to Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, this region is a “heavy cartel area with significant drug smuggling”.
This is not the first time in recent months that alleged members of a Mexican criminal group were observed or caught operating across the border. In early June, five armed alleged members of the Cartel del Noroeste were captured on US soil by Border Patrol. Texas authorities reported seeing other men on trail cameras.
Further, this region has a history of attacks from criminals on Border Patrol agents. On January 1st, 2022, Border Patrol agents were shot at by gunmen in Mexico while apprehending an illegal migrant by the Rio Grande river. No agents were injured, but a Border Patrol vehicle was damaged. The following month, Border Patrol issued a warning to its agents in the Rio Grande Valley region that criminal groups in Mexico were discussing killing Border Patrol agents in the region.
In August 2019, Border Patrol agents were fired upon by at least fifty rounds from an automatic weapon from four men standing on the riverbank on the Mexican side, reported the Dallas Morning News. No agents were injured.
On the Mexican Side
Fronton, Texas borders the small town of Los Guerra in the Municipality of Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas. Northern Tamaulipas is hotly contested between two criminal groups, the “Metros” faction of the Gulf Cartel, and the Cartel del Noroeste (CDN). The town of Los Guerra, just across from Fronton, is currently controlled by the CDN, although Los Metros are involved in the region as well, according to Borderland Beat writer Itzli, who focuses on the region.
In June 2023, Los Metros launched a counter attack in Los Guerra which killed Jose Martin Cardenas Garcia “El Chilli Willy”, a CDN boss, as reported by Borderland Beat.