They also acted as lookouts for the cartel and turned a blind eye to their illegal activities. De Leon said that during his captivity, he witnessed Zetas commanders dismember people while they were still alive and throw the body parts into a flaming barrel. Cartel: Los Zetas Los Zetas - Wikipedia Tamaulipas Lieutenant Governor Morelos Jaime Canseco Gmez admitted police were still looking for another bus of passengers. Terrazas said the most corrupt was an elderly police officer and another named scar Jaramillo, who receive money from the organization to collaborate. Most troubling, however, is that The National Security Archive examining this memo stated that all 17 detained police officers had vanished from the public eye. Former Los Zetas worker: I was forced to witness brutal killings Mexican government security spokesman Eduardo Sanchez (C) speaks during a press conference, accompanied by Mexican Navy General Jorge Victor (L) and Mexican Army General Martin Terrones (R) to present details of the military operation in which Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, the alleged drug lord behind the cartel Los Zetas, was arrested. "[The government] told me not to go asking questions about my son. The irony of this scenario is that the training they received was supposed to prepare them for counterinsurgency and counter-narcotics operations. The rest of us agreed.". An 18-year old Ecuadorian migrant who survived the massacre told officials that it was Los Zetas, a brutal drug cartel, that had kidnapped the group of Central and South American migrants. It had only been a year since the 2010 [2] It is a fact that some of the cartels initial members were elite Mexican troops who were trained in the early 1990s by Americas 7th Special Forces Group. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. They picked us up and told us we had to work for someone, for Los Zetas, De Leon said in court. Miguel Angel Trevino Morales (aka Comandante 40) Captured: Sept. 26, 2012 However, despite these smaller groups' threat to the Guerrero and Morelosstates, the Beltrn-Leyva Organization is merely a trace of its former self. The fact that Los Zetas was able to grow and nurture $2 million worth of marijuana in Texas is quite distressing. Since 2011, there have been numerous scandals exposing the collusion between politicians and drug cartels. Top 10 Disturbing Facts About Los Zetas - Listverse WARNING GRAPHIC: The Most Brutal Murders Linked to El Chapo The office's purpose was to collect debts from Escobar's extensive trafficking network. In the past year, gunmen from Los Zetas Cartel performed unique retaliatory killings in response to their allys videotaped sexual assault behind bars. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. It had only been a year since officials in the Mexican city found 72 victims of the Los Zetas drug cartel buried in the dirt. Photo by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images. If their relatives do not pay for their release, they may be killed and dumped into mass graves. They were the victims of a brutal new evolution in Mexican cartel violence. The handful of passengers lucky enough to be rescued confirmed their captors intended to recruit them. Then, in May, SinEmbargo reported that the cartel had destroyed a military helicopter with an RPG, killing 5 soldiers. According to World Atlas, Tijuana had the highest homicide rate in the world in 2020, with 138 murder per 100,000 residents. The writers 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. However, despite their swift and brutal success, Insight Crime reports that Los Zetas has experienced fragmentation since 2012, especially when the Trevino brothers fell out and split the group into rival clans,the Northeast Cartel and the Zetas Old School. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Among the first deaths in the conflict was Edgar Guzman, El Chapo's son. The cartel leaders that subsequently took over after Moraless arrest were unable to stay in power for long, either being arrested or gunned down by a rival gang. Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty ImagesLos Zetas cartel members and San Fernando Massacre suspects being presented to the press on June 30, 2011. Los Zetas operates in 17 states, while Sinaloa operates in 16 states. The CJNG split from the Sinaloa Cartel after the killing of Ignacio Coronel, a capo whose death caused a power vacuum(via Insight Crime). His body was stolen from the funeral home. They ordered the informant be killed along with anyone and everyone associated with him. Jalisco New Generation, often referred to as CJNG, is another Mexican cartel that emerged in 2010. The criminal indictment claims that the former governor took bribes from drug cartels in exchange for official protection. Arson investigation underway after cars catch fire at west Houston apartment complex, Mother of 15-year-old shot at a house party wants someone held accountable, Houston forecast: Grab your jacket as you head to the rodeo, it's a cool and breezy Friday, Damage reported throughout North Texas area during severe weather. The killings could be a warning and a way of depriving the smugglers of their livelihoods. San Fernando woman Alma Miriam Ruiz holding a photo of her daughter Dalia missing since 2010. the Mexican boys forced to eat human flesh as a cartel initiation. Brutal Mexican Zetas cartel leader chopped up girl, 6, with an axe The witness said that the commanders kidnapped him and his two superiors until they paid what they owed for the seized load of marijuana. You cannot underestimate the capabilities of a cartel whose founding fathers were trained by the U.S. military. Its origins are traced toEl Milenio, a group that was allied to the Tijuana cartel. Since the war began, the fighting has resulted in daily kidnappings, shooting, drive by shootouts, beheadings, dismemberments and other gory executions. If the lawmakers are puppets to drug cartels, then there is very little hope that the war against the cartels will be won. WebTubutama Gun Battle On July 1, 2010, Sinaloa Cartel gunmen clashed with their rivals from the Beltran Leyva and Los Zetas Cartel leaving more than 20 dead near the rural town of WebSoon after the murder, Guzman became known as Z-1, and would become the founder of Los Zetas, literally The Zs: an organization that began as an elite security detail and would evolve across 12 years to become one of Mexicos most powerful criminal organizations. CJNG have also committed several assassinations, including the June 2020 murder of Jalisco judge Uriel Villegas Ortiz and his wifeVernica, who were shot some 20 times, according to a El Pais report. Do you think free access to journalism like this is important? This savagery is nothing new. Moreover, the extremely violent gang has made connections and collaborated with U.S. gangs all over the country since 2010. One official said, "The valley is the most dangerous region in Colombia in terms of drug violence. Morales liked to betand bet bigon the horses. In 2009, the Mexican government identified the countrys 37 most wanted criminals. Britannicawriter Richard J. Samuels defines cartels as, "An illicit consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition and control the production and distribution of illegal drugs," adding that cartels are, "extremely well-organized, well-financed, efficient, and ruthless." We rely on the generosity of our readers who believe that this work is important. Abstract. US attorney Richard L Durbin Jr told the court in San Antonio, Texas, the killer had acted "without mercy or compunction". However, Insight Crime suggests that the large traditional cartels may be over as Mexico's criminal underworld becomes increasingly fragmented and scattershot. "The first time [I was kidnapped], they took me with a group of about seven people. Sadist Los Zetas Cartel Set Brutal Standard in Drug War Their wanton murders leave most civilians in silence. To protect himself from harm, Guillen hired a retired Mexican soldier as his bodyguard, who in turn solicited 30 Mexican Army deserters to form the cartels well-paid mercenary wing. Not only are groups like Los Zetas interested in influencing politics, but Mexican politicians are equally interested in the dividends of the drug trade. WebLos Zetas are blamed for last week's brutal killings of the police chief in the southern Mexican city of Veracruz, his wife and four children. Los Zetas are blamed for last week's brutal killings of the police chief in the southern Mexican city of Veracruz, his wife and four children. Please notify us by email that the article will be republished at, Abbott Wants to Deny Undocumented Kids a Public Education, Border Security Is a Financial Black Hole that Will Consume Us All, Two Executions, Many Questions about Mental Health, Innocence, Remembering a Social Justice Lawyer Extraordinaire. The Zetas have set a price for allowing smugglers to transport migrants into the United States, and the cartel expects its cut, Islas says. Exposed by a Zetas member under a pseudonym, the details of the bus vanishings remain disputed. However, in the late 1990s/early 2000s, a set of El Milenio lieutenants rebelled and created their own cartel. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo, A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota, Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. When prosecutors asked if De Leon feared police while en route to deliver firearms to "Chano," he said that he wasn't worried because the majority of police were bought out. The cartels brutal murders came to a head under the leadership of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales. WebIn 2010, the Zetas killed 72 undocumented immigrant workers in the San Fernando massacre. Los Zetas During a particularly emotional testimony on Wednesday, a former worker for Los Zetas said that he was kidnapped twice by the cartel and was forced to witness several violent acts. Much of the cartel's drugs trade depended on theLazaro Cardenas port, an asset that La Familia killed some 1,500 people to protect. Millan-Vasquez faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics, enticing minors to sell drugs, giving a false identification to authorities, and charges for at least nine murders in South Texas and Northern Mexico. The rest of the video is a gruesome 40 seconds of cold-blooded murder, which caused international controversy recently when it was posted on Facebook. Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano (aka The Executioner) Mainly, Grayson notes a Zetalisation starting to occur among the other cartels. This gang violence occurs in their stronghold of Ciudad Jurez, where 1,200 people were murdered in 2018. [10] The authorities havent succeeded in shutting down the cartels sophisticated radio communication due to two reasons: The first is that the radio equipment is easy to replace; the second is that the gang relies on free forced labor to build and maintain its radio equipment. She was known for being the crazy white one. The Most Dangerous Cartels To Ever Exist - Grunge.com The Gulf cartel is among the oldest cartels in Mexico and has held varying degrees of power since its origins in 1984, according toInsightCrime. If a debtor refused, Escobar deployed his team of lethal "sicarios.". Inside Mexicos brutal drug cartels - The Sun By 2020, the once leading cartel was wounded and facing competition from old rivals and new cartels, such as the Jalisco New General Cartel, often referred to as CJNG. Cartel: Los Zetas Initially, the group was led by Osiel Crdenas Guilln, who recruited around 30 alumni from Mexico's special forces. WebMultiple witnesses have testified that Millan-Vasquez controlled the region of Piedras Negras for Los Zetas and is responsible for hundreds of killings and disappearances. While older cartels were more interested in smuggling drugs than anything else, Los Zetas apparently has its sights set on any type of crime that translates into quick and steady cash. On Aug. 24, 2010, however, Mexican Armed Forces unearthed the bodies of 72 undocumented immigrants who were simply executed. His evil career was so incredibly successful that he made Forbes' billionaire list from 1987 to 1993. Los Zetas is a Mexican drug cartel known for its sophisticated crime machine and brutality. Multiple witnesses have testified that Millan-Vasquez controlled the region of Piedras Negras for Los Zetas and is responsible for hundreds of killings and disappearances. The gang often kidnaps and holds poor migrants who try to operate outside the system for ransom. You have to keep up with the Joneses. Facebook beheading video: Who was Mexico's Jane Doe? The Mexican military has been trying unsuccessfully for years to dismantle an extensive network of radio antennas built and operated by the Los Zetas drug cartel. The Los Zetas cartel gunmen even executed the family dog. 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She specializes in reporting on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border. Consequently, several Mexican cities such as Los Cabos, Tijuana, and Acapulco have recorded some of the highest murder rates in the world, according toStatista. De Leon is now cooperating with authorities. The rescue was made possible by an anonymous tip about gunmen bringing victims into a house in the Villas de la Fe neighborhood. De Leon said that he helped Los Zetas stash drugs, transport firearms and deliver marijuana to drug mules along the river to be smuggled to the U.S. Then, learn about the Mexican boys forced to eat human flesh as a cartel initiation. WebCIUDAD VICTORIA, Tamaulipas -- Gunmen with the Los Zetas cartel butchered close to 20 victims over the weekend, three of those victims were Texas residents who had been Example video title will go here for this video. Information obtained from authorities points to the victims being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sadism was their brand. As Breitbart Texas has been reporting for more than eight months, the Cartel Del Noreste has been at war with the rival faction known as Vieja Escuela Z or Grupo Bravo. Groups like Los Zetas have also been known to operate abroad, buying raw materials from Argentina and operating in Asian countries like Malaysia. [7] As usual, theyve also brought an unprecedented level of violence to the trade. In 2006, severalLa Familia hit men, who said they had a "divine right" to kill, dumped five severed heads on a dance floor, yet this didn't alienate them in the public eye (via Insider/Insight Crime). After learning about the 2011 San Fernando Massacre, take a look at 33 photos of the Mexican drug war. Yet the Cali cartel was still a powerful drug cartel that used violence if it had to, especially during its conflict with the Medellin cartel, which took many lives on both sides. Los Zetass status as the largest drug cartel in Mexico carries additional implications. Their vicious feud affects ordinary people, too, such as Juan Manuel Delgado Crdenas, a 23-year-old student who was murdered for refusing to cook synthetic drugs (via Mexico News Daily). It was around this time that the group established the aforementioned Los Zetas, a paramilitary force that brought a new organized violence to the international drug trade. They kidnapped a local farmers son and demanded $10,000, and when he gave them $5,000 everything he had they sent him half of his son.. Yarrington is reported to have allowed the Gulf and Los Zetas cartels to operate in his state without hindrance in return for bribes. Media speculation on the motives for the kidnappings range from the cartels need for new recruits to fight its turf battles to the notion that passengers are being extorted for money. The winners got to become Zetas recruits, while the losers got death. In fact, CNNreported that Cali mobsters even invested in four 500-pound bombs, which they intended to somehow drop on Pablo Escobar. The fact that Los Zetas and other Mexican gangs sponsor politicians in Mexico is a huge problem. Perhaps the most heinous La Linea crime occurred in Bavispe, where the group attacked a Mormon family inNovember 2019, killing nine people including several children, according to ABC. If you support this mission, we need your help. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. 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Between January 2009 and July 2015, Millan-Vasquez was responsible for the murders of at least 29 people, according to testimony from the trial reported by local broadcaster KSAT. You name it, the Zetas did it.. Imagine how tragic it would be for such a respected and honored organization to become an evil one like Los Zetas. Led by the infamous Pablo Escobar, the Medellin cartel is said to have killed thousands of people, including three Colombian presidential candidates, many judges and over 1,000 police officers (via Biography). In the 1990s, the aforementioned Cali cartel took the mantle from their Medellin rivals, becoming the most powerful cartel in the world. De Leon said that he didn't voluntarily start working with the cartel; he was kidnapped and forced to participate. Violence committed by the Juarez cartel is rife, especially from its La Linea faction, which has fighting the Sinaloa in Chihuahua City, contributing many deaths to the city's high 2020 murder rate (via FOX59). The traditional cartels buy off politicians, establish traffic routes for smuggling and make money. The Texas Observer is known for its fiercely independent, uncompromising work which we are pleased to provide to the public at no charge in this space. Inside bloody world of Cancuns cartel wars as gangsters behead The Most Brutal Execution Methods Used by Mexican Cartels
