Is Matamoros Safe Right Now? Brownsville Border Crossing, Advisory and Cartel News (2026)

Is Matamoros–Brownsville border crossing safe to visit? Here is the current U.S. State Department advisory for the state it’s in, official safety guidance, which criminal groups are reported in the area, and our latest coverage. Conditions change; check the full advisory before you travel.

All destinations and border crossings · Mexico travel and border-crossing safety guide

Top photo: Sunset over Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Photo: Melissa Sampogna, CC BY-SA 4.0 (license), via Wikimedia Commons.

U.S. travel advisory for Tamaulipas

Level 4: Do not travel (Mexico advisory issued 2026-05-29).

Do not travel due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.

Read the full advisory at travel.state.gov

Criminal groups reported in Tamaulipas

• Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG): reported presence, contested (as of 2026) [InSight Crime]
• Gulf Cartel: reported presence, contested (as of 2026) [InSight Crime]
• Cártel del Noreste (CDN): reported presence, contested (as of 2026) [InSight Crime]
• Tren de Aragua: reported presence (as of 2025) [Latin Times]
• Sinaloa Cartel: reported presence (as of 2026) [InSight Crime]
• MS-13: reported presence (as of 2022) [Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (via ecoi.net)]
• Beltrán Leyva Organization: historical presence reported (as of 2026) [InSight Crime]

Reported presence is state-wide and as stated by each source; it doesn’t describe any specific neighborhood or tourist zone.

Recent incidents

Notable security incidents reported in or near Matamoros–Brownsville border crossing since 2024, newest first. An incident list is not a measure of risk to visitors.

• 2026-09-15: Reported Matamoros shootouts left four dead, two police wounded and four arrested, circa mid-Sept 2026. Shootouts in Matamoros's colonia 20 de noviembre reportedly left four people dead and two police officers wounded, with four arrested and five vehicles and nine long guns seized. (4 killed, 4 arrested) [NDA News (Mexico), 2026-09-15]
• 2026-04-15: Mexican Navy raid dealt a reported $440,000 blow to Los Escorpiones, circa April 2026. A Mexican Navy raid seized fuel tanks, pumps and trucks in an operation described as a $440,000 blow to the Los Escorpiones faction of the Gulf Cartel. [Cloudfront mirror (news), 2026-04-15]
• 2025-09-03: Afternoon of violence in Matamoros: shootouts, blockades and spike strips, Sept 3, 2025. On the afternoon of September 3, 2025, shootouts, blockades and spike strips (ponchallantas) paralyzed parts of Matamoros; two security personnel were injured. [Frontera Informativa, 2025-09-03]
• 2025-02-15: U.S. citizen killed by an IED near Brownsville, early 2025. A U.S. citizen was killed by an improvised explosive device near Brownsville, Texas, in early 2025, as cartels began placing explosives along roads near the border. (1 killed) [Texas Border Business, 2025-02-15]
• 2025-01-07: Jan 7, 2025 Matamoros shootouts and blockades; pursuit crash killed a bystander. Shootouts and blockades hit Matamoros on January 7, 2025; a police pursuit ended in a crash that killed one bystander and injured her daughter, per La Silla Rota. (1 killed) [La Silla Rota, 2025-01-07]
• 2024-07-15: 'Escorpion 17' arrested in July 2024. An operative known as 'Escorpion 17' was arrested in July 2024 in reporting tied to the Los Escorpiones faction. (1 arrested) [Cloudfront mirror (news), 2024-07-15]
• 2024-02-08: 'Escorpion 70' (Diego Alonso Salas Hernandez) arrested in downtown Matamoros, Feb 8, 2024. National Guard surveillance led to a pursuit, shootout and the arrest of Diego Alonso Salas Hernandez, alias 'Escorpion 70', in downtown Matamoros on February 8, 2024; he was identified as the Los Escorpiones plaza boss in Rio Bravo. (1 arrested) [The World News Today, 2024-02-08]

Practical safety tips

• The U.S. State Department rates Tamaulipas at Level 4 (Do Not Travel) due to crime and kidnapping, which covers Matamoros. [U.S. Department of State]
• The September 2025 afternoon of violence showed how shootouts, blockades and ponchallantas can paralyze Matamoros with little warning; travelers should have exit plans. [Frontera Informativa]
• The Tamaulipas advisory restricts U.S. government employee movement around Matamoros; private travelers should treat the area with equivalent caution. [U.S. Department of State]
• After the early-2025 IED killing near Brownsville, travelers in the Matamoros area should not touch unknown objects on or near roadways. [Texas Border Business]
• U.S. guidance for Tamaulipas stresses avoiding travel at night; plan all movement, including bridge crossings, for daylight hours. [U.S. Department of State]
• The Angeles Verdes' free 078 line and mobile app provide roadside and tourist assistance on Tamaulipas highways, 8:00am–8:00pm daily. [CCO Noticias]
• U.S. citizens should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and watch U.S. consulate security alerts for fast-changing Tamaulipas conditions. [U.S. Embassy Mexico]
• During and after violent episodes, stay on main avenues and near the bridges; the September 2025 violence spanned Avenida Washington, colonia Modelo, Rigo Tovar, Lauro Villar and Centro. [Frontera Informativa]
• Mexico's national emergency number is 911; save it and the U.S. consulate's contact before any Matamoros travel. [U.S. Embassy Mexico]
• Leave crossing times, destinations, and expected return with someone you trust, and check in on schedule. [U.S. Department of State]
• Matamoros blockades have used vehicles and spike strips; if you see one ahead, turn around or reroute immediately — never attempt to drive through. [Frontera Informativa]
• IEDs have killed travelers near the border; never touch unknown objects on or near roadways in the Matamoros area. [Texas Border Business]
• U.S. consulate guidance for Tamaulipas urges avoiding dirt roads and staying on paved routes. [KSAT (AP)]
• Carry only needed cash and avoid displaying jewelry, watches, or expensive electronics in Matamoros. [U.S. Department of State]

Crossing the border here

• CBP lists the Veterans International Bridge at Brownsville with hours of 6:00am–12:00am. [U.S. Customs and Border Protection]
• CBP lists the Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge as operating 24 hours a day. [U.S. Customs and Border Protection]
• CBP lists the Gateway International Bridge at Brownsville–Matamoros as operating 24 hours a day. [U.S. Customs and Border Protection]
• CBP lists the Los Indios International Bridge with hours of 6:00am–10:00pm. [U.S. Customs and Border Protection]
• A 2006 joint U.S.–Mexico announcement opened a SENTRI trusted-traveler lane at the Veterans International Bridge, operating seven days a week. [GovTech]
• A congressional letter to CBP regarding the Brownsville crossings references Ready Lanes operating at the Gateway International Bridge. [Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (house.gov)]
• Texas launched a $300 million expansion of Brownsville's Gateway International Bridge, expected to run through 2029; the crossing handled 5.6 million crossings and $20 billion in trade in 2024. [Roads & Bridges]
• The State Department's Tamaulipas advisory (Level 4: Do Not Travel) places restrictions on U.S. government employee movement around Matamoros. [U.S. Department of State]
• The early-2025 killing of a U.S. citizen by an IED near Brownsville shows explosive-device risk extends to the Matamoros crossing area, not just Reynosa–Rio Bravo. [Texas Border Business]
• CBP publishes live border wait times travelers should check before driving to the Brownsville-area bridges. [U.S. Customs and Border Protection]

Check CBP border wait times before you go.

Groups reported around Matamoros–Brownsville border crossing

• Insight Crime's Gulf Cartel profile states the group still controls strategic areas of Tamaulipas, particularly the border cities of Matamoros and Reynosa. [Insight Crime]
• Faction-geography reporting places Rio Bravo under Los Escorpiones, 'which also holds sway in Matamoros'. [The World News Today]
• Reporting on the 'Escorpion 70' arrest described him as the son-in-law of Luis Alberto Blanco Flores, alias 'El Pelochas' or 'M-28', a former high-ranking Gulf Cartel figure. [The World News Today]
• Salas, alias 'Escorpion 70', assumed the position of plaza boss in Rio Bravo for Los Escorpiones after Jaime Humberto Escalante Soto ('Escorpion 45'/'El Casco') was reassigned to San Fernando. [The World News Today]
• The ODNI Counterterrorism Guide (April 2026) lists Los Escorpiones alongside Los Metros and Los Ciclones as the Gulf Cartel's three rival factions as of 2025. [Office of the Director of National Intelligence]
• The State Department's Tamaulipas advisory warns that heavily armed organized-crime groups patrol areas of the state including the Matamoros region. [U.S. Department of State]

Latest coverage

No stories yet. New coverage appears here automatically.

Read our latest stories about Matamoros →

Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Territory, leadership and advisories change; tell us about errors via our corrections page.