Spillover/Narcobloqueos in Texas
John P. Sullivan
Spillover/Narcobloqueos in Texas Report: Cartels ‘most significant organized crime threat to Texas.’
A new Texas Department of Public Safety Threat Assessment report states that criminal cartels are operating in Texas and are the No. 1 threat to the Lone Star State. Narcobloqueos (narco-blockades) are now being seen north of the border.
- On the social media platforms of Twitter and Facebook, Rio Grande Valley residents who follow profiles in Reynosa, Matamoros and Mexico learn that narco-blockades can be a part of life as those users tweet and post to inform each other about the blockades’ location.
- “One dangerous cartel tactic that has recently emerged in Texas is the narco-blockade, a tactic that had previously only been used in Mexico,” the report states.
- The blockades are used to prevent access by first responders and isolate areas used during their operations.
- “Multiple blockades can be conducted simultaneously, and, in Mexico, the vehicles are typically disabled or ignited, making their removal even more difficult.”
- Authorities now say narco-blockades are used in Texas, for example in early November 2012: “Law enforcement agents from McAllen encountered several vehicles strategically placed in this manner while attempting to apprehend two subjects carrying bundles in the same area. The tactic impeded agents from apprehending the subjects, however one bundle containing 22 lbs. of cocaine was seized. The two subjects, with one bundle, were able to abscond back to Mexico.”
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El Centro