(TheIndependentStar.com) – The deadly consequences of America’s border crisis have been put on blast once again after a Texas rancher was killed by a cartel-planted improvised explosive device (IED) near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Antonio Céspedes Saldierna, a 74-year-old American citizen, died near Brownsville, Texas, when an improvised explosive device detonated.
The incident occurred when Céspedes was visiting his ranch in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
He seemingly drove his truck over an IED, which exploded. The blast killed him and Horacio Lopez Peña. Lopez’s wife Ninfa Griselda Ortega was also injured.
This terrorist-style attack confirms what border state residents have warned about for years: Mexican cartels are bringing warfare to Americans’ doorstep.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued an urgent safety warning following the deadly explosion.
“This shocking act of violence highlights the growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border,” Miller warned.
The blast occurred on the Mexican side of the border in an area where cartels have increasingly deployed dangerous tactics.
Officials report that cartels are now using drones to drop explosives and are planting IEDs along dirt roads and in fields, creating deadly hazards for ranchers, farmers, and border residents.
These terrorist tactics have prompted the U.S. Consulate to issue a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Tamaulipas due to cartel violence and explosives.
Ramiro Céspedes, a U.S. Army veteran and the son of the killed Texas rancher, compared the attack to terrorist tactics seen in war zones.
“I’m sad, I’m confused, I’m in shock,” Céspedes said, underscoring the psychological impact these cartel operations are having on American families.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley is critical to Texas agriculture. It now faces what amounts to a terrorist threat from across the border.
Miller has urged extreme caution for those traveling near the border, recommending avoiding dirt roads, unfamiliar objects, traveling after dark, and staying away from cartel-controlled areas.
Border Patrol agents have also been warned about increased threats as cartels grow more bold and aggressive.
Another IED explosion was recently reported in Rio Bravo, Mexico, confirming this was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of escalating cartel violence.
Officials note the cartels are reportedly frustrated with U.S. immigration policies, though critics point out the Biden administration’s open border policies have only emboldened these criminal organizations.
Trump administration officials have designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and are taking a military-style approach to combat their operations.
With cartels now using IEDs and drone attacks – methods associated with terrorist groups in the Middle East – such designation seems increasingly appropriate.
American border communities now face unprecedented threats that go far beyond illegal immigration.
The state of Tamaulipas has reported numerous explosives left from cartel turf wars, creating a virtual minefield in agricultural areas where Americans work and live.
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