WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The Texas Department of Agriculture has issued a warning to ranchers who operate near the Mexico border after a 74-year-old rancher from Brownsville, Texas, with land across the border in Mexico has been killed from an improvised explosive device (IED).

Antonio Cespedes Saldierna, who operated land on both sides of the border, along with Horacio Lopez Pena, were killed in the blast earlier in February in Tamaulipas, Mexico, about 80 miles south of Brownsville. Lopez's wife, Ninfa Griselda Ortega, was hospitalized with injuries.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller talked about the death on Tuesday at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) winter policy conference in Washington. He called the death "tragic and alarming" and warned farmers, ranchers and others who travel to Mexico or operate near the border to exercise extreme caution. He noted the Lower Rio Grande Valley is a crucial part of Texas agriculture but urged people to focus on safety in the region.

"A farmer and a couple of others were traveling the farm with this Texas resident, but he has ranch on both sides of the river," Miller said. "So, he's actually in the state of Tamaulipas, just across the river from Texas. And he ran over an IED in Mexico. It was placed there by the cartel. So, the cartels funding has now dried up because they don't get any coyote money anymore because they're not crossing anybody anymore. They're becoming very, very protective of their drug routes. And this is, you know, a message by them to tell everyone, you know, this is our country stay out, even if you own the land, you're not welcome here."

As border enforcement strengthens under the Trump administration, Miller said cartels that rely on moving people and drugs across the border will become more desperate.

"So, it's probably going to escalate and get worse. But so that's why I want to put out the announcement and make sure that farmers and ranchers along our southern border are aware of what's going on down there."

Miller added in a statement, "I encourage everyone in the agricultural industry to stay vigilant, remain aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. Additionally, you can avoid dirt roads and remote areas, refrain from touching unfamiliar objects that could be explosive devices, limit travel to daylight hours, stay on main roads, and avoid cartel-controlled regions. Our agriculture family is the backbone of Texas, and we must do everything we can to protect it."

The government of Tamaulipas had recently warned residents to be cautious of anything near or on roadsides.

Antonio's son, Ramiro Cespedes, told KRGV-TV, that he was a U.S. Army veteran who had served in both Afghanistan and Iraq and had been injured by an IED. According to Ramiro, his father was driving on his ranch in the Santa Rita area of San Fernando, Tamaulipas, when he set off the explosive device, the television station reported.

"I consider this a terrorist attack because if I went to war to fight terrorists, and I'm seeing the same thing here to me -- my personal opinion -- it is a terrorist attack," Cespedes said.

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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