𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗘𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗙𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗬𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗔 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗘𝗫𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗥

        by Jim Barton 

Ernesto Vasquez Reyna, his firebombed vehicle, the Tamaulipas Attorney General's office in Reynosa

Mexican authorities have dismantled a massive fuel theft operation in the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, just days before the city's top federal prosecutor was brutally murdered in what many are calling a chilling escalation in cartel violence.

As reported by the Brownsville Observer, which has covered the rising problem of oil theft in Mexico extensively, including the case of the Utah-based Jensen family tied to Arroyo Terminals in Rio Hondo, the recent bust marks one of the largest seizures of stolen crude oil in the country’s recent history. The operation, conducted between July 25 and 27 under "Operation Northern Border," resulted in the seizure of nearly 1.9 million liters of hydrocarbons and the arrest of multiple individuals linked to organized crime.

Mexican federal authorities released images showing dozens of tankers, mobile storage containers, and other industrial equipment confiscated during a coordinated raid in Reynosa’s La Escondida neighborhood. In total, nine tractor-trailers, 39 tank trucks, and a significant amount of fuel-handling equipment were taken into custody, along with the property where the operation was based.

This enforcement action follows growing concern from U.S. authorities, including the DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, about cartel-controlled fuel theft on both sides of the border. According to the U.S. Treasury’s FinCEN, crude oil theft, known locally as huachicoleo, has become the second-largest source of cartel income, just behind drug trafficking. Criminal networks have been exploiting corrupt brokers and small U.S.-based firms to move and launder stolen petroleum, costing both countries millions in revenue.

The Reynosa raid was part of a broader crackdown across northern Mexico, involving agencies such as Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense, National Guard, Pemex, and the Criminal Investigation Agency. Additional seizures occurred in Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Sinaloa, where cartels were also stockpiling drugs, weapons, and armored vehicles. In total, the operations delivered what U.S. and Mexican authorities described as a significant financial blow to transnational criminal organizations.

But the momentum from the bust was violently overshadowed just days later by the murder of Ernesto Cuitláhuac Vázquez Reyna, the Tamaulipas state delegate for Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR), who had played a key role in prosecuting organized crime, including fuel theft.

Vázquez Reyna was attacked Monday evening while driving alone through Reynosa’s Miguel Hidalgo Boulevard. His black Cadillac SUV was firebombed reportedly with a grenade, forcing him to exit the burning vehicle, where he was then executed on the street. Video footage showed a man dragging his body away from the wreckage moments before more gunshots were heard. The attack occurred near the FGR’s Reynosa office and caused chaos in the city, with reports of gunmen simultaneously blocking streets and hijacking civilian vehicles.

No suspects have yet been identified, but Tamaulipas is a known battleground for the Gulf Cartel and the Northeast Cartel. Authorities have not confirmed whether Vázquez’s murder is directly linked to the recent fuel theft bust, though the timing and nature of the attack have raised serious concerns.

Governor Américo Villareal and President Claudia Sheinbaum both condemned the killing, promising full cooperation between state and federal agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice. The FGR and Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office have launched a joint investigation.

Vázquez Reyna had served as the FGR's delegate in Tamaulipas since 2019, overseeing investigations into federal crimes, including drug trafficking, electoral fraud, and organized crime. While not widely known outside government and law enforcement circles, he played a central role in federal prosecutions in one of Mexico’s most dangerous states. Just days before his death, he had participated in a ceremony with the governor after the FGR donated a helicopter to help bolster local security efforts.

As the federal government intensifies efforts to combat organized fuel theft and cartel activity, the assassination of one of its leading prosecutors underscores the enormous risks faced by those working to dismantle the criminal infrastructure thriving along the U.S.-Mexico border.