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For the thousands of travelers who cross into Matamoros, Mexico, from Brownsville every day, the commute across the border requires a practiced vigilance. Since the days of Mexican bootleggers tunneling whiskey into Prohibition-era Texas, gangs in Matamoros have vied for control of cross-border contraband routes. Their battles are unpredictable and brutal, and, for those who travel to the city, the trick to stay safe has come down to a simple maxim: don’t be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mexicans who live there summarize this same guidance in a different way: no seas estupido. (Don’t be stupid.) The most important rule is to cross the border during the day: northern neighborhoods, right along the wall, can get rough at night, but are typically safe…

The post Matamoros Was Once Relatively Safe for Texans. That Seems to Be Changing. appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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