Major Blow to the Gulf Cartel: Mexico Seizes 135 Exotic Animals and Hydrocarbons

Mexican federal forces seized 135 exotic animals, including Bengal tigers, jaguars, lions, and spider monkeys, along with approximately 68,000 liters of diesel, during a series of operations against the illegal hydrocarbon market in the northern state of Tamaulipas, the Security Cabinet reported on Thursday. In a statement, the agency specified that the operations, carried out by elements of the Navy Secretariat (Semar) in coordination with the Attorney General's Office (FGR), the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), and state authorities, included five raids in the municipalities of Tampico and Altamira. Authorities registered five properties, including a storage center, an illegal gas station, a residence, a workshop, and a ranch, and arrested one person whose identity was not disclosed. The operation took place between the towns of Tampico and Altamira, where Semar conducted simultaneous raids on five properties allegedly belonging to the criminal group Los Rojos, a faction of the Gulf Cartel, a federal official told The Associated Press on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Gulf Cartel, which the United States classified as a terrorist organization last year, operates as a criminal confederation with several factions, such as Los Metros, Los Escorpiones, Los Ciclones, and Los Rojos, distributed in strategic areas of Tamaulipas, particularly in the cities of Matamoros and Reynosa, which are close to the Texas border. The factions have diversified their activities, ranging from human trafficking, drug and arms smuggling, extortion, to fuel theft, noted security analyst David Saucedo. In the case of Los Rojos, he added, they also engage in methamphetamine production, retail drug sales, and the marketing of stolen fuel.