Organized Crime’s Deadly Message: The Assassination of a Federal Official in Tamaulipas

In a stark reminder of the violent grip organized crime exerts along the U.S.-Mexico border, Ernesto Vásquez Reyna, a top federal official tasked with enforcing justice in Tamaulipas, was executed in broad daylight on one of Reynosa's busiest avenues. This brazen attack by cartel gunmen came as retaliation for recent government efforts to disrupt their lucrative stolen fuel operations. The assassination is more than just an isolated act of violence; it exposes how deeply entrenched criminal networks are in Mexican border states and how vulnerable law enforcement officials remain despite their efforts to uphold national sovereignty. The Gulf cartel’s "Metros"...