HomeNewsBrief'Gulf Cartel Leader Assassinated in Northern Mexico'
BRIEF

'Gulf Cartel Leader Assassinated in Northern Mexico'

GULF CARTEL / 17 JAN 2013 BY EDWARD FOX EN

A high ranking member of Mexico's Gulf Cartel has reportedly been assassinated near the group's northern stronghold of Reynosa, spelling either an incursion by the rival Zetas gang or pointing to internal fighting, either of which will only serve to weaken the once powerful cartel further.

Hector Salgado, alias "El Metro 4," was shot and killed on January 15 between the border cities of Matamoros and Reynosa, reported KNVO Noticias 48, who cite "extra-official" sources.

The death has yet to be confirmed by Mexico's authorities though intelligence sources in the country confirmed to InSight Crime that the Gulf Cartel leader was indeed killed and may have been betrayed by his own men.

Borderland Beat reports that there are two theories circulating as to who may have carried out the hit: one, it was the Gulf Cartel's former armed wing, the Zetas, who had entered Reynosa -- a Gulf Cartel stronghold -- sparking clashes between the two gangs; or, two, Metro 4's murder was the result of infighting within the Gulf Cartel.

InSight Crime Analysis

The once mighty Gulf Cartel has declined significantly in recent years, losing ground to rival organizations along with a number of key leaders. Most recently, the group's head, Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, alias "El Coss," was captured in Septmeber 2012, raising questions over who was next in line to run the organization.

El Metro 4 is believed to have been among the cartel's main leaders, and was a major figure in the Reynosa area. His death could serve to weaken the group further. 

If the Zetas were indeed behind the attack, it would not be the first time they have moved to take Reynosa from their progenitors. In November, for example, gun battles between rival gangs left 9 dead, in what may have been an attempted incursion by the Zetas into Gulf territory. This incursion may, in part, be related to the Gulf's incursion into Monterrey in recent months, which has left the Zetas reeling in that area.

If, on the other hand, it was Metro 4's own men serving him up to assassins, the question is to whom. Have members of the Gulf Cartel moved over to the Zetas? Or, is this an internal power play? The latter explanation would not be surprising as the Gulf Cartel has a history of internal warring, particularly as its national influence has declined. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

FENTANYL / 14 NOV 2022

Many American users, perhaps the majority, now realize when they’re consuming illicit fentanyl. This has changed the way they look…

CHILE / 25 AUG 2021

A series of seizures and drug raids across Latin America have revealed how previously niche high-strength marijuana products are establishing…

FENTANYL / 10 JAN 2022

The hideous levels of violence plaguing Zacatecas, exemplified by ten bodies abandoned in a van outside the governor’s office, are…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…