Tamaulipas' Attorney General, Ernesto Cuitláhuac Vázquez Reyna, met a violent end in Reynosa, having been killed by a grenade.
In a shocking turn of events, Ernesto Cuitláhuac Vázquez Reyna, the Attorney General's delegate in Tamaulipas, was brutally assassinated in a daylight attack in Reynosa, a city located on the U.S.-Mexico border, on August 5, 2025.
The incident occurred around 6:00 p.m. on Boulevard Miguel Hidalgo, near Plaza Engrei. Vázquez was traveling in a black Cadillac Escalade accompanied by his security detail when the vehicle was intercepted by a convoy of armed assailants. A fragmentation grenade was launched into the SUV, causing it to ignite. As Vázquez attempted to flee the burning vehicle, he was shot multiple times by the attackers who arrived in a second vehicle.
A bystander tried to pull his body away from the flames, but Vázquez had already succumbed to his injuries. The attack triggered widespread concern, with simultaneous roadblocks and gunfire reported in other parts of Reynosa.
Authorities suspect the assassination may be linked to recent federal operations targeting organized crime and fuel theft in the region. Vázquez was actively investigating federal crimes including fuel tax fraud tied to the Gulf Cartel, making him a potential target for retaliation by organized crime groups.
The Tamaulipas State Prosecutor's Office has confirmed coordination with the FGR to investigate the attack, but as of now, no suspects have been apprehended, and the motive remains under investigation.
In a statement, Governor Américo Villarreal condemned the killing and pledged full cooperation with federal authorities. The suspect arrested in connection with the assassination is Jaret Roberto Hernández Rojas, an alleged member of "Los Metros," a faction of the Gulf Cartel. Hernández Rojas was apprehended in Reynosa at a rehabilitation center, where authorities also seized firearms, ammunition, drugs, and a cellphone containing evidence linking him to the crime and the criminal group’s involvement.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities using cellphone data and tracing vehicles involved leading to Hernández Rojas’s arrest. More suspects are reportedly being sought, but as of now, Hernández Rojas is the key apprehended individual directly linked to the assassination.
This information is drawn from official Mexican Attorney General’s Office statements and news reports as of August 2025.
[1] Mexican Attorney General’s Office statement - August 2025 [2] Reuters news report - August 2025 [3] Associated Press news report - August 2025
- The assassination of Ernesto Cuitláhuac Vázquez Reyna, a high-ranking official investigating federal crimes, has sparked a wave of concern and raised questions about the current policy-and-legislation aimed at combating war-and-conflicts, particularly organized crime, in Tamaulipas.
- The arrest of Jaret Roberto Hernández Rojas, an alleged member of "Los Metros" and the key suspect in the assassination of Vázquez, brings the general-news spotlight to the politics of the region, highlighting the intersection of crime-and-justice with issues such as fuel theft and organized crime activities.
