McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A South Texas sheriff is warning visitors who cross the border into the Mexican state of Tamaulipas about potential violence after two high-ranking cartel members from Los Zetas were recently extradited to the United States.
Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar said his office “is urging the public to exercise caution when visiting Nuevo Laredo and other parts of Tamaulipas. Previous incidents have shown that the cartel tends to respond with extreme violence against Mexican government, which increases the risk for citizens in Nuevo Laredo.”
He “advises travelers to be mindful of safety issues and strongly suggests that local residents take heightened precautions,” according to the statement obtained Monday by Border Report.
Cuellar issued the statement after the extradition last week of brothers Miguel Angel Treviño-Morales, aka “Z-40,” and Oscar Omar Treviño-Morales, aka “Z-42.”
American authorities have accused the brothers of running the Northeast Cartel from prison.
They were among 29 cartel leader drug suspects who were extradited to the United States on Thursday.
“The Webb County Sheriff’s Office is working to inform the public about the potential for violence in the region,” Cuellar said.
Nuevo Laredo is in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas and is located across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas. It has had a long history of fighting among cartels for territory and power, as well as confrontations with Mexican officials.
Cuellar says Nuevo Laredo “saw a dramatic rise in violence, with gun battles erupting throughout the area,” on Feb. 3.
Cuellar says his deputies are using “cutting-edge technology to safeguard the border against any potential violence entering the United States.”
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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