(NewsNation) — There has long been an understanding among officials that drug cartels operating on the southern border won’t shoot or attack law enforcement on the United States side as it might shut down the criminal organizations’ operations.
However, after infighting among rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel, which erupted after U.S. authorities apprehended two of its leaders in late July, members are now permitted to shoot at Border Patrol agents, according to an internal alert sent out to the El Paso, Texas, sector. The alert reminds agents to remain mindful of their surroundings and to approach any cartel operatives with extreme caution.
Just two days ago, the memo said, contractors working on a ranch in the Eagle Pass area of Texas’ Del Rio Sector reported taking fire from the Mexican side of the border. The workers saw several individuals in Mexico where the shots came from, per the memo, but could not determine how many people were out there. No injuries were reported from this incident.
Victor Avila, a former special agent within Homeland Security Investigation, says law enforcement should be concerned about this recent escalation, especially as one cartel has now basically split into two.
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“The No. 1 reason they fight for these plazas is because these plazas are the corridors to enter the United States, whether California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and that’s the major fight because the Sinaloa cartel has controlled that whole area,” Avila said. “
NewsNation has reached out to Customs and Border Protection, as well as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, for comment.
Cartel threat escalating
Cartel violence on the border has been a concern that is only increasing. Last month, a different alert went out to the Border Patrol warning of military-grade weapons being found on the Mexico side of the border near Ajo, Arizona.
NewsNation asked former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump about this during a recent interview. Trump said the troops needed to be brought in to fix the problem.
“We need a military operation. These people have become military,” Trump said. “They’re very rich, have a lot of money. They’re among the richest people, probably in the world.”
This all comes as former Mexican security chief Genaro García Luna was sentenced to over 38 years in U.S. prison for taking bribes from the Sinaloa cartel. The judge compared him to cartel boss El Chapo, saying he enabled violence and drug deaths.
