U.S. officials have lifted a shelter-in-place order for government employees in Matamoros, Mexico, a city bordering Brownsville, Texas. The order was enacted due to law enforcement activity in the area but has since subsided, according to the U.S. Mission to Mexico. Despite the lifting of the order, Americans are still being urged not to travel to Matamoros.
The U.S. State Department maintains its highest-level travel advisory, Level 4, for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, where Matamoros is located, citing risks of terrorism, crime, and kidnapping. This advisory advises Americans to "Do Not Travel" to the region.
The shelter-in-place directive was issued following two arrests in Matamoros that led to roadblocks across Tamaulipas. Mexican authorities identified one suspect as Axel Alfredo "N," allegedly the second-in-command of the Gulf Cartel's Los Ciclones faction. He has been linked to homicides, kidnappings, extortion, fuel theft, and cross-border trafficking, as well as a May 2024 attack on federal security officers that resulted in one death and several injuries.
In response to the heightened security concerns, Mexico's Ministry of National Defense deployed 450 personnel and two helicopters to Matamoros and surrounding municipalities to strengthen the security forces' operational presence, expand surveillance, and improve response capabilities.
Following the rescission of the shelter-in-place order, U.S. officials advised Americans in Matamoros to monitor local media, remain aware of their surroundings, and notify friends and family of their safety. This advisory echoes a similar security alert issued in August, when U.S. officials temporarily suspended government activities and travel to Mexicali, another Mexican border city, due to information about a potential armed attack on law enforcement facilities.