A new faction within the Gulf Cartel is sparking a wave of violence in the northern border state of Tamaulipas. Law enforcement at the federal and state level in Mexico expect the number of clashes to escalate dramatically in the coming days.

The concerns come amid the Gulf Cartel’s recent firing upon U.S. Border Patrol agents and a top health official traveling in a marked Mexican government vehicle.

Federal and state law enforcement officials revealed to Breitbart Texas that the current spike in violence and the expected escalation are attributable to a rift within the Matamoros faction of the Gulf Cartel known as “Los Escorpiones.” Despite their turf war with the neighboring Reynosa sect aka “Los Metros,” the Escorpiones managed to keep most of the violence to the west and south of Matamoros, allowing the city to enjoy some sense of tranquility. In contrast, Reynosa and Rio Bravo report numerous large-scale gun battles between criminal rivals and government forces.

A new faction, calling themselves “CDG Nueva Era,” is trying to take Matamoros from Evaristo “El Vaquero” Cruz Sanchez. Nueva Era is believed to be led by Mario Alberto “Beto” Cardenas, who is currently in a Mexican jail but remains active. His second-in-command is Raul “Scorpion 2” Garcia.

The group is supposedly recruiting gunmen from the Escorpiones and others to overpower the larger Vaquero faction. The CDG Nueva Era offered a cash reward for Vaquero’s head via numerous banners posted throughout Matamoros.

In recent days, the warring factions from Matamoros have engaged in various shootouts in and around San Fernando, Rio Bravo, and others. Law enforcement sources consulted by Breitbart Texas indicate the violence will reach Matamoros in the coming days.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.

Tony Aranda and “J.A. Espinoza” from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report.