On February 5, a Texas rancher was reportedly killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in an apparent cartel-related attack.
Antonio Céspedes Saldierna, a 74-year-old rancher from Brownsville, Texas, died when his vehicle detonated on his ranch in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, near the U.S. border, according to Texas Border Business.
BREAKING: Texas rancher killed by cartel IED near Southern border, officials say.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 25, 2025
"This shocking act of violence highlights the growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border." pic.twitter.com/0Fyj7EDU3C
The explosion also took the life of Horacio Lopez Peña and left his wife, Ninfa Griselda Ortega, severely injured, per Tamaulipas State Police. Both of them were in the truck with Saldierna when the IED was triggered. Ortega is currently hospitalized and receiving medical care.
Authorities strongly suspect that a drug cartel planted the explosive device, a common weapon of criminal organizations in this region. Cartels often use IEDs to exert control over border towns and keep rival factions off their "turf."
On January 27, the U.S. Consulate in Mexico issued a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas in response to rising cartel crime and an increased risk of kidnappings in the region.
The government of Tamaulipas also recently warned travelers of explosives lining rural roads.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has since issued a statement on Saldierna's death.
"This shocking act of violence highlights the growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border," Miller said.
Miller is urging all Texas farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers who travel to Mexico or operate near the border to "exercise extreme caution."
"The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) is a crucial part of Texas agriculture, and the safety of our agricultural community is of utmost importance," Miller said. "We cannot overlook the rising violence that threatens not only lives but also the security of our farms, ranches, and rural communities."
Everyone in the agricultural industry is encouraged to stay vigilant, be aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement, Miller noted. Accordingly, they're instructed to take safety precautions, including avoiding dirt paths and remote areas, refraining from touching unfamiliar objects that could be explosive devices, limiting travel to daylight hours, remaining on main roads, and staying clear of cartel-controlled territory.
"Our agriculture family is the backbone of Texas, and we must do everything we can to protect it," Miller vowed.
In a separate statement, per NewsNation, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said that these cartels over the last few years were "emboldened by weak leadership in Washington, D.C."
"Rest assured, the newly elected Trump Administration and the State of Texas will use all means necessary to bring an end to the cartel's grip over South Texas," she promised.
Saldierna's son, Ramiro Céspedes, has spoken out as well following his father's killing. "I'm sad, I'm confused, I'm in shock," Ramiro told KRGV-TV, an ABC affiliate for the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Ramiro, a U.S. Army veteran who served several missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, said an IED injured him while he was deployed. However, he could never have imagined that his father would fall victim to one back home.
"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," Ramiro said.
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