Texas Rancher Killed By Suspected Cartel IED Amid ‘Growing Threat’ At Border

Those working near the U.S.-Mexico border are on high alert after a Texas rancher was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while driving in Mexico.

Antonio Céspedes Saldierna, 74, a Texas rancher who worked on both sides of the border, was driving near his ranch in Tamaulipas, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas, when he was killed by an IED.

Ninfa Griselda Ortega, Lopez’s wife, was hospitalized with injuries and Horacio Lopez Peña was also killed in the explosion.

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Ramiro Céspedes, Saldierna’s son and a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, told reporters that he was injured by an IED while deployed. 

“I consider this a terrorist attack because if I went to war to fight terrorists, and I’m seeing the same thing here to me – my personal opinion – it is a terrorist attack,” he said. 

In a statement, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the deadly explosion was part of a “growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border.” He encouraged ranchers and those who work near the border to “exercise extreme caution.” 

“I encourage everyone in the agricultural industry to stay vigilant, remain aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. Additionally, you can avoid dirt roads and remote areas, refrain from touching unfamiliar objects that could be explosive devices, limit travel to daylight hours, stay on main roads, and avoid cartel-controlled regions,” said Miller.

“Our agriculture family is the backbone of Texas, and we must do everything we can to protect it,” he added. 

The State Department has issued a travel warning for U.S. citizens in Tamaulipas, citing high crime and kidnappings amid ongoing violence between drug cartels. Government officials in Tamaulipas recently warned of explosive devices on rural roads near the border between Reynosa and Rio Bravo, according to reports.

In an interview with Channel 5 News, a Tamaulipas state police spokesperson said IEDs are placed by organized crime groups to keep rivals off their territory.

The Trump administration has designated multiple cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, including:

• The Sinaloa Cartel

• The Jalisco New Generation Cartel

• Cártel del Norte

• La Nueva Familia Michoacana

• The Gulf Cartel

• Cárteles Unidos

• MS-13

President Trump made illegal immigration and securing the border a cornerstone of his campaign and has signed a number of executive orders in the weeks since entering the Oval Office.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem signed a memo this week deputizing up to 600 State Department officials as immigration officers, as part of a government-wide push to ramp up deportations and secure the border.

The move is the latest effort by the department to expand the number of officials involved in immigration enforcement, amid a push by the Trump administration to aggressively increase the arrests and deportation of illegal immigrants.

DHS has deputized IRS employees, law enforcement components of the Justice Department and law enforcement officials with the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

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