Three international bridges linking Brownsville, Texas, to Matamoros, Mexico, were shut down for several hours on Thursday afternoon after Gulf Cartel gunmen launched a wave of attacks across the Mexican border city.
The unrest began after Mexican authorities arrested Axel “Titan” Cardenas, son of Alfredo “El Contador” Cardenas Martinez, the Gulf Cartel’s leader in Matamoros. El Contador is currently in Mexican custody and is fighting extradition to the United States through legal injunctions.
In an apparent effort to free Titan before he could be transferred, Gulf Cartel gunmen set vehicles ablaze, established roadblocks, and scattered road spikes across Matamoros streets. The tactics were intended to slow Mexican military forces moving Cardenas toward the airport and to pressure officials into releasing him.
The disorder prompted the U.S. government to close the ports of entry connecting Matamoros and Brownsville in Cameron County while the situation played out.
Despite the cartel’s efforts, Mexican authorities succeeded in transporting Cardenas to the airport and flying him to Mexico City, where he faces outstanding warrants tied to extortion and cartel violence.
The bridge closures underscore how cartel violence just across the border can disrupt daily commerce and travel for Americans living in Cameron County, where thousands cross between Brownsville and Matamoros each day.
