Governor Abbott Declares Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua a Terrorist Organization, Launches Texas Crackdown
Former Reynosa City Council Member Sentenced for Cocaine Smuggling Through Texas Checkpoint * Sinaloa Spiral: Journalist’s Son Kidnapped, Governor Threatened, Military Wounded
Governor Abbott Declares Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua a Terrorist Organization, Launches Texas Crackdown
Juan Salinas II and Pooja Salhotra, The Texas Tribune.- Governor Greg Abbott declared the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, initiating a comprehensive state crackdown. At a Houston press conference, Abbott unveiled a strategy involving the Texas Department of Public Safety forming specialized strike teams to dismantle the gang's operations across the state. This action comes in response to the gang’s escalating criminal activities, particularly in El Paso, where recent arrests spotlighted their presence. Abbott's directive includes utilizing civil asset forfeiture and enhanced criminal penalties to disrupt the gang's activities, reflecting a rigorous approach to counter what he described as a significant threat to Texan communities. The initiative also aligns with new state laws imposing severe penalties for human smuggling, aiming to eliminate Texas as a safe haven for such criminal enterprises.
Former Reynosa City Council Member Sentenced for Cocaine Smuggling Through Texas Checkpoint
McAllen Monitor Staff Report.- Denisse Ahumada-Martinez, a former Reynosa city council member, was sentenced to over three years in federal prison for attempting to smuggle nearly 100 pounds of cocaine through a Texas border checkpoint. The incident occurred on June 10, 2023, at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint, where agents discovered approximately 92 pounds of cocaine hidden within her vehicle. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, after Ahumada-Martinez's guilty plea on October 20, 2023, highlighted the cocaine's estimated street value of $900,000. Since her arrest, she has been held in custody, with the case drawing attention to the ongoing challenges of drug smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sinaloa Spiral: Journalist’s Son Kidnapped, Governor Threatened, Military Wounded
Carlos Álvarez Acevedo, Zeta.- On September 16, 2024, armed men abducted David Eduardo Martínez Meraz, the 20-year-old son of journalist Ernesto Alfredo Martínez, along with two others in Culiacán, Sinaloa. This incident is part of a surge in violence amidst ongoing gang wars that have escalated since September 9, 2024, resulting in at least 39 deaths and numerous kidnappings.
The same day, a military officer was injured, and the Army issued a plea to criminal groups to cease fire, highlighting the dire security situation. Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and military commanders addressed the media, emphasizing efforts to restore order and pleading with gangs to halt their confrontations.
Amidst these tensions, cyber attackers targeted state websites, posting threats against Governor Rocha Moya. This complex web of violence underscores the challenges facing Sinaloa as authorities struggle to manage the escalating conflict between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, significantly impacting local communities and state operations.
Activists Amplify Calls for Missing Persons Searches During Mexico's Independence Day Celebrations in Reynosa
Isbac Martínez.- In Reynosa, the collective "Amor por los Desaparecidos en Tamaulipas" launched the campaign "Vivan los desaparecidos, nos faltan todos" during Mexico's 214th Independence Day celebrations. This campaign aims to press authorities for more active involvement in the search for missing persons in the region. Despite the national festivities, representatives of the collective express there is "nothing to celebrate," with ongoing disappearances, murders, and confrontations being commonplace. Banners across the city highlight the urgency of their cause, as the collective's president, Edith González Treviño, voices a poignant reminder: "Our shout is one of pain and desperation; we shout for our missing in Tamaulipas, we are missing all of them." The group demands that governmental authorities at all levels intensify efforts to locate the missing and identify those already found.