Ezequiel “N,” alleged leader of “Los Escorpiones” and son of Tony Tormenta, arrested in Tamaulipas

In Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Ezequiel Cárdenas Rivera, son of Antonio Cárdenas Guillén, known as “Tony Tormenta,” one of the leaders of the Gulf Cartel, was arrested.

According to the arrest record from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the man also known as “Tormenta Junior” was arrested in the early hours of Sunday, August 17, and charged with carrying firearms for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces.

His arrest occurred around 12:55 p.m. between Pedro de Alvarado and Infante Elena streets, on Avenida 12 de Marzo in Matamoros. He was inside a black vehicle in front of a convenience store. Authorities approached him because the vehicle did not have license plates.

Upon inspecting his vehicle, they found a 9×19 mm firearm with a magazine containing five live rounds inside.

Ezequiel N is identified as the alleged leader of Los Escorpiones, a criminal group considered the armed wing of the Gulf Cartel. The National Arrest Registry describes him as 1.85 meters tall, with a robust build, light complexion, black hair, and a beard.
Who was Tony Tormenta, leader of the Gulf Cartel?
His father, Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillen, known as “Marcos Ledezma,” “Licenciado,” or “Tony Tormenta,” was born on March 5, 1962, in Tamaulipas, where he began his criminal activity within the Gulf Cartel, a group known for smuggling whiskey and illicit goods into the United States.

The Gulf Cartel began operating in 1930 under the leadership of Juan García Ábrego, who became one of the FBI’s ten most wanted men. He was finally arrested in 1966, leaving Osiel Cárdenas Guillen in charge of the cartel, who controlled most of the cocaine and marijuana trafficking through the Matamoros corridor.

Along with his brother, Antonio Cárdenas, they oversaw drug trafficking activities in Matamoros and Brownsville. Growing up in this sector, Tony Tormenta was given the position of Matamoros Cartel leader. He is considered one of the leaders. Due to his work within the organization, he was under surveillance. by the authorities.

Cárdenas Guillén died after a shootout with Mexican authorities during an operation in November 2010.