(VitalNews.org) – Marking the latest example of escalating cartel violence spilling across the southern border, a deadly improvised explosive device (IED) has killed a Texas border rancher.
74-year-old U.S. citizen Antonio Céspedes Saldierna lost his life in the explosion near Brownsville, Texas.
This attack shows how the Democrats’ border policies have emboldened Mexican cartels to use terrorist tactics against Americans.
The deadly blast occurred in Tamaulipas, Mexico, just across from Brownsville, Texas.
Also killed in the explosion was Horacio Lopez Peña, while his wife Ninfa Griselda Ortega was hospitalized with injuries.
Officials believe cartel members planted the IED as part of their ongoing territorial disputes and criminal operations that increasingly threaten American citizens.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued an urgent safety warning to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley following the attack.
The warning underscores how cartel violence has transformed once-peaceful border communities into dangerous conflict zones.
Miller did not mince words about the severity of the situation facing Texans who live and work near the border.
“This shocking act of violence highlights the growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border,” Miller emphasized in his public statement.
“The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) is a crucial part of Texas agriculture, and the safety of our agricultural community is of utmost importance, “Miller said.
“We cannot overlook the rising violence that threatens not only lives but also the security of our farms, ranches, and rural communities,” he warned.
The U.S. Consulate in Mexico has issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Tamaulipas due to cartel violence and the presence of explosives, acknowledging the extreme danger Americans face.
Specific safety recommendations include avoiding dirt roads, unfamiliar objects, traveling after dark, and staying clear of known cartel-controlled regions.
Ramiro Céspedes, the son of the killed rancher and a U.S. Army veteran, compared his father’s killing to a terrorist attack.
“I’m sad, I’m confused, I’m in shock,” Céspedes told local media, expressing the sentiment felt by many Americans watching their border communities transformed into war zones.
Reports indicate cartels are now using drones to drop explosives along the border, showing their increasing tactical sophistication.
This alarming development coincides with another IED explosion reported in Rio Bravo, Mexico, confirming a pattern of escalating cartel violence that threatens American security.
The Trump administration had previously considered designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and implementing a military-style approach to combat their influence.
Border agents have also been warned about increased cartel threats as violence escalates.
The agricultural roads and fields of Tamaulipas are now littered with explosives from cartel turf wars.
This creates a deadly environment for ranchers and farmers who have worked these lands for generations but now find themselves on the frontlines of what increasingly resembles a foreign conflict on American soil.
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