Mexican authorities are working to protect top political operators within the country’s ruling party to keep them from being named or prosecuted in connection with a cartel-connected fuel theft ring that operates in the northern part of the country.
As Breitbart Texas reported, cartel-connected money from various fuel theft operations has been funneled in the past to pay for political campaigns in Mexico to keep the current ruling party in power.
The raid took place recently in the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, where agents from Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) raided a truck railyard, seizing 1.8 million liters of fuel products, nine trucks, 39 trailer tanks, 12 pumps, and various other pieces of industrial equipment.
Mexican authorities issued a press release on the raid, and various public officials spoke about the enforcement action as part of a public relations strategy coordinated by the country’s top security official, Omar Garcia Harfuch. The official has been trying to appease the U.S. government over its complaints that they have not done enough to stop drug cartels. The fuel seizure in Reynosa is believed to be linked to the Cartel Jalisco New Generation and the Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, which operates in Reynosa.
As Breitbart Texas reported, Garcia Harfuch has been manufacturing raids, exaggerating seizures, and announcing large-scale deployments to appease the U.S. government. In reality, drug cartels continue to operate with almost complete impunity throughout the nation.
In the aftermath of the FGR announcement, various local journalists and political opponents to the ruling party, MORENA, revealed that the property where the fuel theft raid took place was owned by a company that is partly owned by Mexican Senator Jose Ramon “JR” Gomez Leal, a top political operator within MORENA.
As Breitbart Texas reported, various MORENA politicians allegedly funneled funds from fuel theft into their campaigns through an organization led by the late Sergio Carmona. Gunmen shot and killed Carmona in 2021 at an upscale barbershop in the state of Nuevo Leon. Since then, more information has been leaked about the intricate connections between Mexico’s political elite and cartel campaign financing.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
