Cartel Linked Kidnapping in Texas Ended in Police Shootout

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

A police shootout following a kidnapping occurred last week in the border town of Mission, Texas. Initially believed to have been a possible attempted bank robbery, court documents revealed that the kidnapping victim was a businessman who the suspects threatened that he had a '$150,000 hit on him in Mexico.'

The gunmen, claiming to be members of Los Treviños, the main force in the CDN or Cartel de Noreste, tried to force the victim to withdraw $100,000 and when the attempts were reported to police, the responding officers found themselves in a shootout outside of the bank.

At approximately 2:04 p.m., on January 21, 2026 police received a call about a kidnapping in progress at the IBC Bank located at 121 South Shary Road in Mission, Texas.

Chief Torres said when officers arrived, they came across two suspects in a white BMW. One of the suspects shot at a police officer and struck several units.

The officers then returned fire and struck one of the suspects, Torres said.

The victim in the Mission kidnapping-turned-bank shooting was held hostage a day prior as part of a targeted cartel-related attack, according to court documents obtained by ValleyCentral.

Jose Garcia

Mission police have identified Jose Israel Garcia II, 35, as one of the two men involved in the alleged hit turned kidnapping.

The unnamed businessman told police that he voluntarily met with a man named Christopher Jaime Cardenas for dinner on the day before the shooting.

After dinner, the two went to Bannworth Park in Mission, where he pulled a gun out and told the businessman, “there was a hit on him for $150,000,” according to the documents.

The following day, Garcia admitted to driving from San Antonio to Mission to pick up Cardenas “who was portraying to be watching the man’s family in case payment wasn’t received.”

The man ordered the businessman at gunpoint to drive through several cities, including McAllen and Pharr.

The following day, the two met Garcia at a Whataburger in Mission, where Garcia entered the rear passenger side of the vehicle and asked the businessman “if he remembered him from when they were juveniles.”

Garcia said “he checked with his people in Nuevo Laredo, and there was not a hit on his head, and further stated he was with ‘Los Trevinos’, referring to a criminal organization within the cartel,” the documents state.

The businessman told police that, during this time, he was repeatedly struck in the head with an object he could not identify because “he was forced to look down and keep his hands held out where they could be seen.”

Garcia added that they attempted to transfer money and purchase cryptocurrency from the victim’s phone but those efforts weren’t successful.

Cardenas then intervened, stating the hit “was coming from this side of the border,” and suggested they go to the bank for the money.

The first attempt to withdraw the money was made through the bank’s drive-thru.

After an unsuccessful first attempt, a second attempt was made inside the bank.

The man told police that his alleged kidnappers allowed him to attempt a withdrawal from inside the bank, where he immediately called his family, then asked the bank teller to call the police and lock the doors.

When Garcia was detained, the second suspect later identified as Christopher Jaime Cardenas began to shoot from the driver’s seat striking one officer, several police units and surrounding buildings, according to the affidavit.

Officers shot back and struck Cardenas who was then placed under arrest and transported to South Texas Health System McAllen.

A responding officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital for observation.

Garcia was charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery. He was issued a $1 million bail for both charges.

2007 Kidnapping

Cardenas appears to have been released from federal prison in 2024 after serving time on a kidnapping which occurred during the evening hours of Feb. 17, 2007, when Adriano and five Laredoans—Mario Jesus Obregon, 43; Christopher Cardenas, 27; Ruben Cabrera, 26; Santos Ramiro Martinez, 24; and Rogelio Garcia, 28—confronted the victim, an employee of Obregon, believing the victim had spread rumors or had been stealing from them. The initial kidnapping and confrontation of the victim was at a Laredo residence in the Country Club subdivision.

During this confrontation instigated by Adriano, the victim was beaten and threatened at gunpoint with an AK-47 rifle, a mini 14 rifle, an AR-15 rifle and a 9mm handgun. After hours of torture, the victim was taken into Mexico where he was shot twice and left for dead. Adriano, who was the shooter, returned to the Laredo residence where he and others ‘partied.’

The victim miraculously survived the shootings to his head and torso and was able to contact a friend who notified U.S. law enforcement officers. The victim received medical treatment in Mexico and the U.S. but has still suffered permanent disfigurement and psychological harm as a result of defendants’ actions.

Sources Valley Central News, MyRGV, FBI Archives