Tamaulipas Forces Capture ‘Tormenta Junior,’ Alleged Gulf Cartel Faction Chief

State security forces in Tamaulipas arrested Ezequiel Cárdenas Rivera, known as “Tormenta Junior,” in Matamoros on 17 August, according to multiple official statements. He was taken into custody without reported injuries after officers stopped a black pickup truck on Avenida 12 de Marzo shortly before 01:00 local time. Authorities describe Cárdenas Rivera as a priority target and alleged leader of the Escorpiones—also identified as Ciclones—faction of the Gulf Cartel. The 29-year-old is the son of Antonio Ezequiel “Tony Tormenta” Cárdenas Guillén, the cartel boss killed by Mexican marines in 2010, and nephew of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who is serving a U.S. federal sentence. Police recovered a handgun and ammunition during the arrest. Cárdenas Rivera was transferred to a high-security facility and placed under the jurisdiction of the federal Attorney General’s Office as prosecutors prepare weapons-possession charges and investigate his alleged role in organized crime.