Cartels Allegedly Offering $10,000 Bounty for Attacks on Border Patrol Agents, Memo Reveals

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Federal authorities have issued a stark warning about a dangerous new strategy by criminal cartels at the U.S.-Mexico border. According to an internal alert, cartels are allegedly offering $10,000 to individuals willing to shoot at U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed along the southern border.

This alarming development was revealed after correspondent Ali Bradley obtained the alert last Friday. The document, originating from the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector, highlights intelligence on a potential “coordinated attack.” The cartels are reportedly incentivizing individuals with substantial monetary rewards to target U.S. agents.

Further details in the alert suggest that these attackers might disguise themselves in Mexican military uniforms to blend in while carrying long arms or machine guns, thereby avoiding suspicion. Although the immediate focus of this threat is the RGV Sector, it underscores a broader frustration among cartels that could impact the entire southwest border region.

The origin of this threat is traced back to northern Sonora, Mexico, as per the communication. This situation signifies an escalation in the tactics employed by cartels, potentially increasing the risks faced by border enforcement officers.

“Agents should remain aware of the potential threat and maintain heightened vigilance of their surroundings while conducting operations,” it said.

Sources said Border Patrol stations in Brownsville and Kingsville were the initial targets. The Rio Grande Valley Sector includes nine stations across more than 34,000 square miles of southeast Texas.

It’s not the first time that criminal cartels have allegedly offered financial incentives to do harm to U.S. federal authorities.

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security said Mexican cartels had offered a tiered bounty system for doxxing, assaulting and kidnapping Border Patrol agents and ICE officers. Reportedly, criminals also were offering $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking federal officials.