MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas – Hundreds of unregistered taxi cabs tied to the Gulf Cartel blocked three international bridges to Texas and shut down the downtown area to protest state government oversight efforts.

Over the weekend, hundreds to unregistered drivers parked their vehicles around the Matamoros City Hall, main avenues, and the three international bridges that connect Matamoros and Brownsville – Gateway, B&M, and Veterans. The move virtually shut down traffic throughout the city for several hours until the group agreed to remove their vehicles from the bridges. The blockades come as a result of increased enforcement operations on the part of the Tamaulipas government to crack down and seize unlicensed cabs.

Law enforcement sources consulted by Breitbart News revealed that taxi drivers must pay $5,000 pesos ($250 USD) monthly to the Gulf Cartel to operate in the city. That fee is separate from any government registration fee or tax — creating approximately 5,000 drivers working in an irregular fashion. The lack of official control over taxis in Matamoros has also led to the criminal organization using the drivers as lookouts, deliverymen, and chauffeurs for operatives.

While state officials carry out the crackdowns on the cartel taxi cabs, city officials have chosen to overlook the matter.

Editor’s Note: Breitbart News traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “J.A. Espinoza” from Tamaulipas.