Mexico's National Defense Department has dispatched 450 troops to the U.S.-border state of Tamaulipas to reestablish order following a series of blockades attributed to drug trafficking organizations. The deployments come in response to the capture of a high-ranking leader of the Gulf Cartel's "Ciclones" faction and another individual.
The Defense Department stated that the deployment of 450 agents and two helicopters in Matamoros and surrounding municipalities was a precautionary measure to ensure public safety, in response to the recent arrests.
The government has taken steps to enhance its operational capabilities, broaden its surveillance capabilities, and improve the responsiveness of law enforcement agencies.
The deployment is designed to enhance security measures and coordination between federal institutions and local authorities in Tamaulipas, with the goal of preventing criminal activity and maintaining peace and security for the state's residents.
Mexican authorities apprehended Axel Alfredo, also known as "Axel," in Matamoros, who is reportedly the second-in-command of the organized crime group known as "Ciclones.
A suspect has been identified in connection with a range of serious crimes, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, oil theft, and the smuggling of narcotics, firearms, and individuals to the United States.
Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection head, Omar García Harfuch, has implicated the captured individual in multiple crimes, including a May 17 attack on SSPC members that resulted in one agent's death and several injuries.
In addition to the apprehension of the individual, a second person was taken into custody during the operation, whose identity remains undisclosed. The authorities also confiscated a vehicle, along with various items including weapons, chargers, cartridges, and illicit substances. Both individuals were subsequently transported by the Mexican Air Force to Mexico City.
Information from EFE.
