Multiple Gunman Raid Texas Border Home (Follow Up)
In a follow-up to Cartel Corner #8, the incident that caused several area border town schools to lock down is now better understood. A Drug “Rip-Off” Crew, which are groups of men that rob cartel stash houses and individuals for money and drugs, stormed a local home near La Feria, Texas and hogtied and then held at gunpoint several individuals while they tore the house apart looking for drugs and money.
A woman in the house, who went undiscovered by the crew, managed to escape the residence and call 911. Soon after, Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio with multiple deputies and a SWAT Team swarmed on the location. By the time Law Enforcement had arrived, the crew had fled the scene, but Sheriffs deputies were able to detain and arrest two of the members who were hiding in a nearby orchard. Deputies also seized vehicles, weapons and body armor that the crew had left behind.
Along with DPS, Texas Rangers and U.S. Border Patrol Agents, Sheriff Lucio and his deputies conducted a massive area wide manhunt for the remaining suspects that had fled. As reported, several local area schools were locked down for safety. Two more suspects were soon discovered hiding in the brush, as well as weapons, face-mask and more tactical gear including body armor vest.
After a preliminary investigation, it was discovered the house where the invasion took place also doubled as what is known as a “transmigrantes” office. These are places that prepare import/export documents for immigrants who are travelling back to their home countries and taking multiple vehicles with them. These types of businesses, much like the used car business, is used to launder and move large amounts of cartel cash back across the border.
These types of home invasions are more typical in Hidalgo County than Cameroon County, according to Sheriff Lucio. This past May, a similar home invasion occurred in the nearby Border city of Harlingen. A 33-year old woman and small child were shot during he robbery, they were gravely injured but the wounds were not fatal. It was later discovered the bandits had hit the wrong house. Such is the life of the average civilian along the Mexican Border.
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El Chapo Update
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is something of a media darling as of late, ever since his now infamous “escape” from Altiplano Maximum Security Prison in July with the help of several very complicit prison employees and high-ranking government officials.
Since his escape, a majority of U.S. news reports of so-called “sightings” and police operations concerning his capture have been misleading or just plain wrong.
The following article by Borderland Beat is the most accurate re-cap and update available regarding the search for Guzman.
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