https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/north-america/item/10609-don-alejo-garza-tamez-true-grit

From 2010

When a Mexican drug cartel delivered an ultimatum to Don Alejo to give up his ranch or suffer the consequences, it was expected that within 24 hours the place would be vacant, and it would be just another asset captured by the cartel. But they didn’t know they were dealing with someone with true grit.

On Saturday, November 13, a group of toughs arrived at Don Alejo’s ranch about 10 miles outside of Ciudad Victoria, the capital city of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Victoria, as it is now called, is about 100 miles due south of Laredo, Texas, and about 80 miles southwest of Brownsville. The ranch sits on a pretty lake where Don Alejo had lived most of his life. He was informed that he had 24 hours to vacate the premises. He responded simply that he would be waiting for them.

The first thing Don Alejo did was to let his ranch hands leave and take the next day off. Next, he secured his home, spending most of the evening preparing for the coming assault. He placed weapons and ammunition at every door and window, thought through how he would defend the place, and went to bed.

At 4 a.m. Sunday morning, several motor vehicles pulled up in front of Don Alejo’s home, with the thugs announcing their arrival by firing rounds from their weapons into the air. What happened next caught them totally by surprise. The criminals had taken over other properties without resistance, often with the occupants running from the house, screaming for mercy.

Instead, Don Alejo began picking off one after another of the attackers. When they discovered that their return fire was proving ineffective, the thugs began throwing grenades into the house. The firefight, it is estimated, lasted no more than about 5 minutes. In the end, 4 attackers lay dead, two more mortally wounded, and Don Alejo himself lying dead in a pool of blood.

As the Mexican Marines later pieced together the story, Don Alejo, age 77, decided simply that he wasn’t going to be run off his property by outlaws. He had made many hard decisions in his life, taking over his father’s sawmill when he was a young man, travelling regularly to see his suppliers, opening several timber supply stores in the area, and dealing with difficulties that only a small business owner can appreciate. His final decision, however, was an easy one. He had all that was needed: he owned the property, he knew he would defend it even with his life if necessary, and he had the means.

As a hunter Don Alejo was intimately familiar with firearms, both long guns and small arms. He had collected guns from his childhood, and had developed a keen eye and a steady finger. He hunted deer, geese, and pigeons regularly with his friends. He co-founded the Dr. Maria Manuel Silva Hunting, Shooting and Fishing Club in Allende, Nuevo Leon.

When the Marines arrived at the scene shortly after the firefight, the smell of gun powder was still in the air. Weapons, spent brass, and empty magazines littered the house. Walls were peppered with bullet holes, and grenades had blown gaping holes in the front of the building. As Borderlandbeat.com reported,
In the last hunt of his life, Don Alejo surprised the group of assassins who wanted to impose the same law on his ranch that they had [elsewhere] in the State: the law of the jungle.

The marines who were present will never forget the scene: a 77-year old man, who before death, took out four gunmen, fighting them as the best of soldiers: with dignity, courage, and honor. In a microcosm, Don Alejo was fighting the same fight that men of honor throughout the ages and in different lands have fought: freedom from aggression, defense against tyranny, light versus darkness.

In America, the freedom fight, at least on the surface, seems heavily to favor the armed citizen. At last count, more than 90 million Americans are armed with several hundred million weapons. They have lived in a land of freedom unknown in history, and are enjoying the fruits gained by fighters against totalitarianism since the founding of the Republic. But there are some who call the American people “sheeple,” too soft and ignorant of their own freedom and history even to know what it cost others. There are some who doubt that many will stand, in that final moment, if necessary, to defend their own lives, liberties, and property. Others look at the legacy of freedom left behind and wonder how Don Alejo came to decide that it was “this far and no farther.”

If they were to ever make a movie about this guy who do you think could play Don Alejo Garza Tamez? Maybe Antonio Banderas?

You'd have to dig him up to do it,  but it's definitely a Charles Bronsen role.

BMF

In today's Hollywood? It would be a role for Leslie Jones or Amy Schumer.

Brave man who didn’t take shit.  Too bad the Mexican Government didn’t have men like him in charge.

Great story

Too bad he only got 6.

Yes, I have, and his story still comes to mind from time to time. One of the later reports I read indicated that there was evidence on the ground, including blood trails and drag marks, that bodies and wounded men were evacuated before the cartel guys fled. Likely killed and wounded more than what was found on-scene. Either way, pretty heroic.

Good man.  Glad that he wasn't wounded or other-wise incapacitated, but still alive. . those cartel guys would not have gone easy on him. . .

Should have set up some mines in the driveway

If only the Marines had been a tad quicker....

Yes.

Yup, heard about him.

What, they could have taken the place away from him and handed it to the cartels with only him being killed?

Danny Trejo Born: May 16, 1944 (age 75 years) would be perfect...

Exactly. They make it seem like they just missed saving the day for the guy. They knew what was up and showed up when they were told to.

Wouldn’t have been surprised if the Mexican marines were there the whole time with the cartel.

Attached File


vaya con Dios guerrero

Yes, I remember his story from time to time. Reminds us that one must always be willing to fight the darkness, even alone and outnumbered. He's a Mexican legend and his story had it made the masses would've reminded the Mexican people that good can be done when they're allowed to be armed..

We should allow guard units to get some helo target practice in for people like this. 150 miles from the border and residents can call a hotline for assistance. The major failing of Mexico is that the citizens cannot count on the corrupt authorities to maintain law and order.

Not allowed to touch a gun. Oh, I forgot- Hollywood convicted felon exemption.

So did the cartel end up with his property in the end? You know the cartel bosses weren't among the casualties.

There were a few 40mm impact detonations on the walls.

Video of A walk through of the house

If someone could embed, thanks.

I don't think they did, if I remember correctly his family went back there. Might have been too much heat at that time to stay there.

Too bad the people he was supporting all those years didn't stand with him. They might have stood off the first wave.

Its likely that he didnt even tell them why he sent them away, sounds like a man that was determined to do it on his own. He has definitely earned my respect.

irony of ironies:

alejo in spanish means "go away"

or "i go away"

from the verb:  alejarse

And their families would have been murdered in typical cartel horrible fashion.

Mr Majestyk?

This is an awesome story.