7 Bodies of Gulf Cartel Members Found Dead in Mexico's Famous Tourist Spot

At least seven bodies suspected to be members of the Gulf Cartel were found dead by authorities in one of Mexico's famous tourist spots.

According to New York Post, the seven bodies were dumped in the Huasteca region, a destination popular among tourists for its waterfalls and crystalline rivers.

Independent reported that the group of men was found dead on a roadway late Thursday. The corpses also had an ominous message on them.

"This is what happened to me for working with the Gulf [Cartel]," read the warning scribbled on the dead bodies. The messages were reportedly signed by "Valles Operation O.B.," a reference to a rival gang.

The bodies reportedly had extensive bruising, suggesting they were beaten. Prosecutors in San Luis Potosi state believed that the men did not appear to be from the township of Aquismon, where they were discovered, and may have been killed elsewhere before being dumped in the rural area.

According to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram, the Gulf Cartel has used intimidation and extreme violence to maintain control of its territories in northeast Mexico and smuggle deadly drugs into communities across the U.S. for decades, CBS News reported.

Gulf Cartel Boss 'El Gordo' Extradited From Mexico to the U.S.

Last month, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel, Mario Cardenas Guillen, also known as "El Gordo" or "El M-1," was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. to stand trial in a Texas court.

According to reports, El Gordo is facing drug trafficking charges in Texas. As a cartel leader, he is reportedly responsible for the large-scale importation of cocaine into Houston, Texas.

Cardenas Guillen previously controlled the Gulf Cartel with Eduardo Costilla, also known as "El Cos," who was arrested in 2012 and extradited to the U.S. in 2015.

El Gordo has reportedly run the cartel since his brother, former leader Antonio Cardenas Guillen or "Tony Tormenta," was killed in a gunfight with the Mexican government in 2010.

Cardenas Guillen is also the brother of Osiel Cardenas Guillen, a co-leader of the Gulf Cartel who was arrested in 2003 and extradited to the U.S. in 2007.

According to reports, El Gordo was initially arrested and convicted on organized crime charges in 1995. He was imprisoned in Matamoros city, across the U.S.-Mexico border from Brownsville, Texas, where he was caught organizing large shipments of cocaine and marijuana from behind bars.

El Gordo was then reassigned to a prison in Jalisco state and was released in 2007 after he finished his sentence. He reportedly rejoined the Gulf Cartel after his release. Because of this, the DEA has maintained him on its fugitive list for violations of federal law on conspiracy charges.

Cardenas Guillen was arrested a second time in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas in 2012. He was reportedly caught with weapons, ammunition, and four small envelopes containing cocaine.

El Gordo, who was incarcerated at the Altiplano maximum-security federal prison in Mexico State, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in April last year.

Factions of Gulf Cartel in Mexico Agreed to a Truce

In July last year, three of the warring factions of Mexico's Gulf Cartel announced that they had reached an agreement on a truce, which would postpone the shootings and killings in the state of Tamaulipas.

Tamaulipas state police had confirmed the printed banners with slogans like "Long live Peace!," which were posted by Gulf Cartel factions in the border city of Reynosa and other cities.

The banners were printed with red, white, and green letters like the colors in Mexico's flag and were signed by the Metros, the Scorpions, and the Reds - the three main factions involved in the decade-old turf war.

It was unclear if the Cyclones, a fourth faction, was part of the agreement.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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