Border Patrol agents in West Texas have been warned they could be targets of cartel fire as leaders of the Sinaloa cartel allow its members to shoot at U.S. officers after its co-founder’s arrest in July, according to an internal memo.

Cartels have historically avoided violent clashes with U.S.-based law enforcement for fear of insurmountable backlash. But the July 25 arrest of co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, loosened these beliefs, especially among younger people.

An internal memo obtained by NewsNation warning of the new shooting threat was sent to federal agents along the El Paso area of ​​Texas. This occurred after contractors working on a ranch in Eagle Pass, Texas, reported being shot at across the border fence on October 15.

“They no longer fear anyone, especially American law enforcement,” Victor Avila, a former Homeland Security Investigations agent, told the media outlet.

“They have the resources and the capabilities, and they will use them against us.”

Last year, under El Chapo’s rule, the Sinaloa Cartel banned its production of fentanyl under penalty of death. The order came from his sons, including the one who was arrested in July after allegedly betraying Zambada and forcing him onto a plane to the United States.

As the cartel’s leadership continues to fracture, infighting between the factions has only intensified. In Mexico’s Sinaloa province, more than 190 people have been killed as violence continues to escalate.

The cartels have reportedly set up blockades in Culiacán, the largest city in Sinaloa where they are based. At checkpoints, drivers are approached at gunpoint while cartel members search through their phones.

Those who have contact with rival cartels are often injured or killed. Anyone who texted the wrong phrase or sent a photo of someone they shouldn’t have received can be punished in the same way.

In September, cartel fighters kidnapped a Culiacán police journalist and his two friends after stopping their vehicle and searching their cell phones.

David Martínez, the 20-year-old journalist, was released a few hours later, but his two friends were beaten to death and their bodies dumped under a bridge.

“Far from predicting a rapid conclusion to this conflict, we see as the days go by that public security, respect for human rights, productive activities, the economy and socio-emotional health are increasingly decomposing ” the State Council for Public Safety said. general coordinator, Miguel Calderón told the Mazatlan Post.

“Little by little, day by day, people live in fear, schools are empty, young people disappear, the streets are empty at night,” he added.