Cartel Threat to ‘Target and Kidnap’ CBP Officers in El Paso and Presidio, Texas: Internal DHS Alert Ties Plot to a Smuggler Bringing Colombian and Venezuelan Migrants
A cartel is threatening to kidnap U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents along the Texas border, and the targets may be in the El Paso and Presidio areas, according to an internal alert obtained from Department of Homeland Security sources, NewsNation reported on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. The alert says a known “alien smuggler” is planning to bring several migrants from Colombia and Venezuela into the United States, and officials believe the operation may be meant to “target and kidnap” CBP personnel. NewsNation’s report does not name the cartel or the smuggler.
What the alert says
According to NewsNation, the alert links the threat to a planned crossing by migrants from Colombia and Venezuela. It says the CBP personnel who could be targeted may be in the Presidio area, across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, Chihuahua, and in El Paso, across from Ciudad Juárez. The outlet did not report a date for the planned crossing or say whether any arrests have been made.
CBP told NewsNation it is actively gathering information on any person, group or organization that poses a threat to the United States, and that it vets each piece of information to “determine validity.” “Methods CBP uses to mitigate these threats and ensure the safety of CBP personnel and equities is robust,” the agency said, adding that it does not comment on those methods. The threat described in the alert has not been publicly confirmed.
Not the first warning
This is at least the third reported warning about cartel threats against U.S. border officers in the past year. On Oct. 15, 2025, DHS said it had “credible intelligence” that Mexican criminals had set up a tiered bounty system against ICE and CBP personnel, including $5,000 to $10,000 for “kidnapping or non-lethal assaults” on officers and up to $50,000 for killing high-ranking officials, ABC7 reported. Those were DHS claims, not findings in a court case.
In February 2026, NewsNation reported on a Border Patrol memo sent to agents in the San Diego Sector. Citing FBI reporting, the memo said leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) had ordered members to shoot at CBP agents from across the border.
What it means for El Paso and Presidio
The alert concerns federal officers, not the public, and it describes no attack. For current conditions at these crossings, see our guides to Juárez and El Paso and Ojinaga and Presidio.
Sources
- NewsNation (Ali Bradley), Cartel threatens to kidnap federal agents at border, according to alert, Oct. 6, 2026
- NewsNation, Mexican cartel members ordered to shoot at Border Patrol agents: Memo, Feb. 6, 2026
- ABC7, Cartels issuing bounties up to $50,000 for hits on ICE, CBP agents: DHS, Oct. 2025
- Photos: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons: El Paso ceremony, Presidio Port of Entry
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Reported Oct. 6, 2026, from the outlets above. NewsNation’s report rests on an internal alert that has not been made public. It does not name the cartel or the smuggler, and CBP has not confirmed the threat.