Cartel del Golfo Escorpiones Torch PepsiCo Delivery Vehicle Fleet in Matamoros, Tamaulipas

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

On Tuesday morning a serious fire broke out within the parking lot of the PepsiCo/Sabritas facility in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, eventually destroying 57 delivery trucks. The exact cause of the fire has not been publicly confirmed by authorities, but it is most likely related to extortion demands from the Escorpiones faction of the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros. 

The fire broke out at the PepsiCo distribution facility in southern Matamoros around 2:00 a.m. on 27 July. Firefighters and security forces responded to the scene and were able to keep the flames from damaging the Pepsi building, but local emergency officials reported 57 delivery vehicles were damaged. 

 

One month prior, on 25 June, local news reported the kidnapping of a delivery driver working for Pepsico. The driver was forced into a vehicle by gunmen, who took him to a residence in the Palmares neighborhood, where he was beaten and threatened. The gunmen called his supervisor demanding a ransom. Local authorities were able to locate his abandoned vehicle, but it is unknown whether the driver was recovered.

This pressure appears to have been building for a while. Last year, another Sabritas delivery vehicle was found burned on the Reynosa-Matamoros highway. 

Extortion of businesses is a major issue in the Tamaulipas border region, with Matamoros experiencing the highest rates of border cities in the state. This event is significant as it is rare for a criminal group in Mexico to react in such a manner towards a larger, multinational corporation. Most criminal pressure is exerted against local contractors, most often cargo transport drivers. 

Sources: El Manana, Proceso, El Universal, @sethrojasmolina, Nmas+ Noticias, Valor Tamaulipeco