By Zoila Palma: Mexican authorities have arrested Axel Alfredo Cárdenas Rodríguez, known as “El Titán” or “Axel,” a senior figure in Los Ciclones, one of the main factions of the Gulf Cartel.
The arrest last week triggered violent unrest in Tamaulipas, a northern Mexican border state, where suspected cartel members erected roadblocks, armed clashes erupted and civilians were killed, Yahoo reports.
Mexico’s Security and Citizen Protection Secretary, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that Cárdenas Rodríguez was a high-priority target linked to homicides, kidnappings, extortion and the trafficking of drugs, weapons and people into the United States.
According to García Harfuch, Cárdenas Rodríguez is also suspected of ordering a May 17 attack against federal officers guarding the outer perimeter of the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros, in which a Mexican officer was killed.
Mexican Army special forces and National Guard personnel arrested him and another suspect during a military intelligence operation in Matamoros. Authorities seized weapons, ammunition, drugs and a vehicle, and both suspects were transported to Mexico City to face proceedings before the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
Cárdenas Rodríguez belongs to a criminal family based in Matamoros and is the son of José Alfredo Cárdenas Martínez, known as “El Contador,” who faces U.S. charges involving cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking. Investigations indicate that Los Ciclones operated a cross-border network moving weapons and cash from the United States into Mexico while smuggling migrants, fentanyl and other drugs in the opposite direction.
The group and another Gulf Cartel faction, Los Escorpiones, have also been implicated in the March 2023 kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in Matamoros.
Following the arrest, suspected cartel members reportedly blocked major highways connecting Matamoros with Río Bravo and Ciudad Victoria, the state capital, using burning vehicles.
The unrest disrupted commercial activity and prompted precautionary school closures across the border region, while the U.S. Consulate issued a security alert urging American citizens to avoid the affected area.
The post International News: Gulf cartel leader arrest triggers deadly violence in Northern Mexico appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Mexican authorities have arrested Axel Alfredo Cárdenas Rodríguez, known as “El Titán” or “Axel,” a senior figure in Los Ciclones, one of the main factions of the Gulf Cartel. The arrest last week triggered violent unrest in Tamaulipas, a northern Mexican border state, where suspected cartel members erected roadblocks, armed clashes erupted
The post International News: Gulf cartel leader arrest triggers deadly violence in Northern Mexico appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
