[30] However, in recent times Los Zetas has become fragmented and seen its influence diminish. [156] As a result, most police forces in Tamaulipas are believed to be susceptible to corruption due to their low wages, and accept bribes from organized crime groups. [196], In February 2009, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced a program called "Operation Border Star Contingency Plan" to safeguard the border if the Zetas carried out their threats to attack U.S. security officers. [60][61], Following the capture and extradition of Cárdenas, Los Zetas became so powerful that they outnumbered and outclassed the Gulf Cartel in revenue, membership, and influence by 2010. [199], Also in 2012, the United States posted a $5,000,000 reward for information leading to the successful capture of Miguel Treviño Morales. [196], In February 2009, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced a program called "Operation Border Star Contingency Plan" to safeguard the border if the Zetas carried out their threats to attack U.S. security officers. [140][141][142] On 5 April 2010, at a prison in Reynosa, a convoy of ten trucks packed with gunmen entered the prison grounds without resistance, broke into the cells, and liberated thirteen "extremely dangerous" inmates. [119] The massacre of 72 migrants and the discovery of mass graves in San Fernando,[120][121] the assassination of the gubernatorial candidate Rodolfo Torre Cantú,[122] the increasing violence between cartels, and the state's inability to ensure safety have led some analysts to conclude that "neither the regional nor federal government have control over the territory of Tamaulipas. [118], The drug violence and political corruption that has plagued Tamaulipas, the home state of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, has fueled fears of it becoming a "failed state" and a haven for drug traffickers and criminals. [117] Salcido Cisneros was the leader of the “Tropa del Infierno,” a group of hitmen under the direction of the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) fraction of Los Zetas. [70] Los Zetas demanded that the Cartel hand over the killer, but they refused. [177][178] Their conflict also spread to U.S. soil, where Cartel hit men killed two Zeta members in Brownsville, Texas on 5 October 2010. [22][27] In February 2010, Los Zetas broke away and formed their own criminal organization, rivalling the Gulf Cartel. Anonymous acusa a TikTok de ser una herramienta de espionaje ... contará la historia real del enfrentamiento entre la organización Anonymous y el cartel mexicano de narcotraficantes Los Zetas. [125], After the PRI lost power to the National Action Party (PAN) in the 2000 presidential election, all the "agreements" between the previous government and the cartels were lost along with the pax mafiosa. Because the cartel was quite new at the time, it competed with more established cartels by using extreme violence and cruelty as a form of psychological warfare. [111] He was reported to have been the leader of the cartel's Los Zetas la Vieja Escuela (Old School Zetas) faction. [34], Los Zetas was named after its first commander, Arturo Guzmán Decena, whose Federal Judicial Police radio code was "Z1",[35] a code given to high-ranking officers. [174] The clash between these two groups started in Reynosa, and then expanded to Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros. [65] In addition, Los Zetas charged that the Cartel was scapegoating them for the murders of innocent civilians. [25][26] The origins of Los Zetas date back to the late 1990s, when commandos of the Mexican Army deserted their ranks and began working as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel. Acción (21) 00001 | 68 | Ant Blogger | La sangre de los infieles 00002 | 383 | Antonio de Chencha | Reconquista de Iberia 00003 | 417 | Antonio Ramos Zúñiga | Cornatel, el secreto español 00004 | 372 | Arturo del Burgo | El club de los supervivientes y el asalto al castillo de Hindenburg 00005 | 452 | Cristina Rodriguez Trueba et al. [204], The New York Times mentioned that Los Zetas has access to sophisticated tracking software due to the fact that they have infiltrated Mexican law enforcement agencies, and that online anonymity might not be enough protection for Internet users. [30] However, in recent times Los Zetas has become fragmented and seen its influence diminish. [48][168], They are also active in several states in the United States, including Texas. This blog is dedicated to bringing upfront news about the ongoing, brutal war between the Mexican government and the different drug Cartel coalitions, which has been censored in the Mexican as well as the American media to prevent people from realizing the danger both countries are truly in. [152], On 17 September 2012 in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, more than 130 inmates from Los Zetas organized a massive prison break in broad daylight by walking directly from the front gate to several trucks outside the prison. The operation to expose information of people who work with Los Zetas, dubbed "Operation Cartel", was reportedly started as a result of an Anonymous member being kidnapped during Operation Paperstorm in Veracruz,[203] a once peaceful city. To keep his organization and leadership from rival drug cartels and from the Mexican Army, Cárdenas sought out Decena, a retired army lieutenant. [190] In addition, Sureños share connections with Los Zetas, as do the gangs MS-13, Mexican Mafia, and Latin Kings. [104], On 12 October 2013, Mexican authorities captured alleged top Zetas operative Gerardo Jaramillo, alias "El Yanqui". [151] It has been reported that more than 400 prison inmates escaped from several Tamaulipas prisons from January 2010 to March 2011 due to corruption. Does anyone know her name or any of her social medias such as facebook or instagram? [58], Los Zetas was partially responsible for a qualitative increase in the brutality of the violence seen during the Modern Mexican Drug Wars. [175] The war then spread out through eleven municipalities of Tamaulipas, nine of them bordering Texas. [136] In mid-2010, both Flores and the mayor of Reynosa, Óscar Luebbert Gutiérrez – both members of the PRI – were criticized for claiming that there were no armed confrontations in Tamaulipas and that the widespread violence was "only a rumor. [169][170] The cartel also has important areas of operation in Guatemala,[171] where their operations are reported to have begun as early as 2008. [202] The Mérida Initiative that was put in place by the Bush administration in the United States suggested that $1.4 billion in funds was to be sent to Mexico over a three-year period to combat narco trafficking from the U.S.-Mexico border to Panama, but few of these funds have yet to be received in Mexico. [63] In addition, the Cartel, through its narco-banners in Matamoros and Reynosa, accused Los Zetas of expanding their operations to murder, theft, extortion, kidnapping – actions that the Cartel allegedly disagreed with. [167] They are primarily based in the border region of Nuevo Laredo and Coahuila with hundreds more throughout the country. [101], In a May 2013 interview with the International Crisis Group, researcher Daniel Haering stated, "The old networks were disrupted by the Zetas, and now the Zetas have disintegrated into Zetillas. [78] Morales' active leadership gained him the loyalty and respect of many in Los Zetas, leading many to eventually stop paying their tributes to Lazcano. [119] The massacre of 72 migrants and the discovery of mass graves in San Fernando,[120][121] the assassination of the gubernatorial candidate Rodolfo Torre Cantú,[122] the increasing violence between cartels, and the state's inability to ensure safety have led some analysts to conclude that "neither the regional nor federal government have control over the territory of Tamaulipas. [202] In addition, the Obama administration made a very modest effort by way of support for the struggling country although "former drug czar Barry McCaffrey told Congress that Merida, was ‘a drop in the bucket,’" and that the United States "’cannot afford to have a narco-state as [their] neighbour.’"[202] [37] In addition to conducting criminal activities along the border, they operate throughout the Gulf of Mexico, in the southern states of Tabasco, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Chiapas, and in the Pacific Coast states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Michoacán, as well as in Mexico City. Rival cartels struggling against the Zetas began to adopt some of their tactics, further ramping up violence in the country. Los Zetas (pronounced [los ˈsetas], Spanish for "The Zs") is a Mexican criminal syndicate, regarded as one of the most dangerous of Mexico's drug cartels. [134][135], In Tampico, Mayor Óscar Pérez Inguanzo was arrested on 12 November 2011 due to his "improper exercise of public functions and forgery" of certain documents. [146] The federal government condemned the mass prison break and stated that the work by the state and municipal authorities of Tamaulipas lack effective control measures, and urged them to strengthen their institutions. [115] He was believed to be in charge of the gang's operations in 12 municipalities in Veracruz, including Acayucan, Minatitlán and Coatzacoalcos, known as the state's most violent towns. [117], In May 2020, Moisés Escamilla, a leader of the "Old School Zetas" died in prison after contracting COVID-19. [160] The following month, the federal government was asked to send in troops to combat the drug cartels in the area, to "consolidate actions on public safety" and "strengthen the capacity of their institutions. [78] Morales' active leadership gained him the loyalty and respect of many in Los Zetas, leading many to eventually stop paying their tributes to Lazcano. [102], On 9 May 2014, one of the founding members, Galindo Mellado Cruz, and four other armed men were killed in a shootout after Mexican security forces raided Cruz's hideout in the city of Reynosa. Triggered a Massacre in Mexico The inside story of a cartel’s deadly assault on a Mexican town near the Texas border — and the U.S. drug operation that sparked it. Former United States President Donald Trump had also expressed interest in designating cartels as terrorist organizations. Former United States President Donald Trump had also expressed interest in designating cartels as terrorist organizations. Mexico City: Lilaneta, 2007, Chapters 1 and 5. ... would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. [118], The drug violence and political corruption that has plagued Tamaulipas, the home state of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, has fueled fears of it becoming a "failed state" and a haven for drug traffickers and criminals. [43] Some of these former GAFE members reportedly received training in commando and urban warfare from the Israeli and U.S. Special Forces. 14 Comments +4 votes. Tamaulipas state Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said all 12 officers were in custody and face charges of homicide, abuse of … [36][37][38] The radio code for commanding Federal Judicial Police officers in Mexico was "Y" and those officers are nicknamed "Yankees", while Federal Judicial Police in charge of a city was codenamed "Z"; thus they were nicknamed as "Zetas", the Spanish word for the letter. "[130], In addition, there are formal charges that three former governors of Tamaulipas – Manuel Cavazos Lerma (1993–1999), Tomás Yarrington (1999–2005), and Eugenio Hernández Flores (2005–2010) – have had close ties with the Gulf-Zeta organization. [165] In September 2005 testimony to the Mexican Congress from the then-Defense Secretary Clemente Vega, indicated that the Zetas had also hired at least 30 former Kaibiles from Guatemala to train new recruits because the number of former Mexican special forces men in their ranks had shrunk. This project included the use of tanks, airplanes and the National Guard "as a preventive measure upon the possible collapse of the Mexican State" to protect the border from a Zetas attack and receive an eventual exodus of Mexicans fleeing from the violence. [205], Split from the Gulf Cartel and Civil War between Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel. MEXICO — A dozen state police officers have been arrested for killing 19 people, including Guatemalan migrants, whose bodies were found shot and burned near the U.S. border late in January, Mexican authorities announced Tuesday. [163] On 7 November 2011, 650 policemen were released from their duties because they had either failed or refused "corruption control tests."[164]. [32] In March 2019, Texas Republican congressman Chip Roy introduced a bill that would list the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas, Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Gulf Cartel as foreign terrorist organizations. [59] As other organized crime groups subsequently copied the Zetas' brutal and superfluous methods to ensure they could survive, this resulted in the violence in Mexico escalating to much higher levels and to new forms. [162] Consequently, the government is currently building military bases in Ciudad Mier, San Fernando and Ciudad Mante. [42] These deserters were enticed with salaries much higher than what they were paid by the military. [176] Soon, the war reached Tamaulipas' neighboring states of Nuevo León and Veracruz. [205], Split from the Gulf Cartel and Civil War between Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel. [105] His arrest ultimately resulted in the discovery and seizure of a large Zetas weapons cache and supply stash, including "assault rifles, several grenade launchers, magazines, 2,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, bullet-proof vests and balaclavas". [166], In the early 2010s, analysts indicated that Los Zetas were the largest organized crime group in Mexico in terms of geographical presence. Alejandro Gutierrez, "Narcotráfico: El gran desafío de Calderón." [25][26] The origins of Los Zetas date back to the late 1990s, when commandos of the Mexican Army deserted their ranks and began working as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel. On 24 February 2010, gunmen onboard hundreds of trucks marked C.D.G, XXX, and M3 – the insignias of the Cartel – clashed with Zetas gunmen in the northern cities of Tamaulipas. [79] Los Zetas are inherently an unstable organized crime group with a long history of brutal violence, and with the possibility of more if the infighting continues and if they fight off without a central command.[80]. [162] Consequently, the government is currently building military bases in Ciudad Mier, San Fernando and Ciudad Mante. [140][141][142] On 5 April 2010, at a prison in Reynosa, a convoy of ten trucks packed with gunmen entered the prison grounds without resistance, broke into the cells, and liberated thirteen "extremely dangerous" inmates. el víctima era narco enemigo pertenecia otro cártel, es enemigo de los Zetas, fueron los Zetas que hicieron eso sucedió en Tamaulipas, fue torturado en un baño cerca de Discoteca, cuanti terminaron de la tortura y decapitado dejaron una pancarta en la escena fueron descritas como rivales, oficialmente pertenecen cártel de los Zetas. [181] In the midst of violence and panic, local authorities and media tried to minimize the situation and claimed that "nothing was occurring," but the facts were impossible to cover up. [166], In the early 2010s, analysts indicated that Los Zetas were the largest organized crime group in Mexico in terms of geographical presence. Los Zetas have set up camps to train recruits as well as corrupt ex-federal, state, and local police officers. [150] Consequently, the federal government assigned the Mexican Army and the Federal Police to guard some prisons until further notice; they were also left in charge of searching for the fugitives. [52] Upon the arrest of Guillen in March 2003 and his extradition in 2007, the Zetas took a more active leadership role within the Gulf Cartel and their influence grew within the organization. [65] In addition, Los Zetas charged that the Cartel was scapegoating them for the murders of innocent civilians. [190] In addition, Sureños share connections with Los Zetas, as do the gangs MS-13, Mexican Mafia, and Latin Kings. "[137] Months later, Flores finally acknowledged that several parts of Tamaulipas were "being overrun by organized crime violence. ... Los Zetas Decapitan Cabezas. [110][111], On 26 May 2019, an operative for Los Zetas in the Veracruz municipalities of Las Choapas and Agua Dulce was arrested by the Mexican Navy. [117], In May 2020, Moisés Escamilla, a leader of the "Old School Zetas" died in prison after contracting COVID-19. [36][53], The Zetas' membership ranges from corrupt federal, state, and local police officers, and former U.S. Army personnel,[54][55][56] to ex-Kaibiles, the special forces of the Guatemalan military. [32] In March 2019, Texas Republican congressman Chip Roy introduced a bill that would list the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas, Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Gulf Cartel as foreign terrorist organizations. [172], Early in 2012 it was reported that 'Los Zetas' are operating in the northern Venezuela–Colombia border, and have teamed up with the Colombian outfit called Los Rastrojos. How the U.S. [202] The Mérida Initiative that was put in place by the Bush administration in the United States suggested that $1.4 billion in funds was to be sent to Mexico over a three-year period to combat narco trafficking from the U.S.-Mexico border to Panama, but few of these funds have yet to be received in Mexico. [199], Also in 2012, the United States posted a $5,000,000 reward for information leading to the successful capture of Miguel Treviño Morales. [115] The same month, Verónica Hernández Giadáns, the Attorney General of Veracruz, admitted that her cousin Guadalupe “La Jefa” Hernández Hervis was in fact chief of operations for Los Zetas and also a close association of former Los Zetas leader Hernán “El Comandante H” Martínez Zavaleta, who was arrested in 2017.