To keep his organization and leadership from rival drug cartels and from the Mexican Army, Cárdenas sought out Decena, a retired army lieutenant. [100], On 9 October 2012, the Mexican Navy confirmed that Los Zetas leader Heriberto Lazcano had been killed in a firefight with Mexican marines in a state on the border with Texas. [184] The complexity and territorial advantage of Los Zetas forced the Gulf Cartel to seek an alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Michoacana. [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. [205], Split from the Gulf Cartel and Civil War between Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel. [175] The war then spread out through eleven municipalities of Tamaulipas, nine of them bordering Texas. [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. [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. Los Zetas have also carried out multiple massacres and attacks on civilians and rival cartels, such as: In addition, sources reveal that Los Zetas may also be responsible for: By 2011 only 10 of the original 34 zetas remained fugitives,[94] and to this day most of them have either been killed or captured by the Mexican law enforcement and military forces. US offered $5m reward for his capture, he is responsible for importing thousands of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine to the US every year and murdered an untold number of Guatemalan civilians during the systematic takeover of the Guatemalan border region. [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. 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. "[137] Months later, Flores finally acknowledged that several parts of Tamaulipas were "being overrun by organized crime violence. [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. [72][73] Consequently, Los Zetas allied with the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, the Juárez Cartel, and the Tijuana Cartel. [190] In addition, Sureños share connections with Los Zetas, as do the gangs MS-13, Mexican Mafia, and Latin Kings. [107], On 23 March 2015, Ramiro Pérez Moreno (alias "El Rana"), a potential successor of "Z-42" was captured, along with 4 other men, carrying 6 kilos of cocaine and marijuana, rifles and one hand grenade. [193][194], In October 2008, the FBI warned that a Zetas' cell in Texas would engage law enforcement with a full tactical response, should law enforcement attempt to intervene in their operations. Rival cartels struggling against the Zetas began to adopt some of their tactics, further ramping up violence in the country. [58], Los Zetas was partially responsible for a qualitative increase in the brutality of the violence seen during the Modern Mexican Drug Wars. 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. Something I love to do after watching these is to hit the victims up to see what their friends and family has to say about it. [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. They have placed lookouts at arrival destinations such as airports, bus stations and main roads. [74][75], In early 2010, Miguel Treviño Morales, the former second-in-command of Los Zetas, had reportedly taken the leadership of the Zetas and displaced Lazcano. [188], In a 2010 report, it was noted Sureño street gangs maintain ties with the Los Zetas cartel in California and South Carolina. [67] The Cartel also reportedly began looking to form a truce with the rival Sinaloa Cartel, which Los Zetas did not want to recognize, allegedly preferring an alliance with the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel. [190], On 13 February 2017, Venezuelan vice president Tareck El Aissami was sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, with US officials accusing him of facilitating drug shipments from Venezuela to Mexico and the US, freezing millions of dollars of assets purportedly under El Aissami's control. [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. [66] Other reports mention, however, that the divide occurred due to a disagreement on who would take on the leadership of the cartel after the extradition of Cárdenas. [186][187] Since February 2010, the major cartels have aligned in two factions, one formed by the Juárez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Los Zetas and the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel; the other faction integrated by the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Cartel. [66] Other reports mention, however, that the divide occurred due to a disagreement on who would take on the leadership of the cartel after the extradition of Cárdenas. Within the United States, Los Zetas are using social media as a method of communication between the two countries and are also using the sites as a method of recruiting young aspiring members who in their perception see the actions of the cartel as glorified and are able to ask how they can join. [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. [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. [citation needed], After Osiel Cárdenas Guillén took control of the Gulf Cartel in 1997, he found himself in a violent turf war. [197][198], In 2012 the Obama administration imposed sanctions on Los Zetas as one of four key transnational organized crime groups, along with the Brothers' Circle from Russia, the Yamaguchi-gumi (Yakuza) from Japan, and the Camorra from Italy. [71], When the hostilities began, the Cartel joined forces with its former rivals, the Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Michoacana, aiming to take out Los Zetas. [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. [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. Pompeo to Designate Cartels Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)", "Trump halts plan to treat cartels as terrorists", Los Zetas: Evolution of a Criminal Organization, "Los Zetas and Mexico's Transnational Drug War", "The Mexican Drug War and the Thirty Years' War", "Army troops capture a Zetas cartel boss in northern Mexico", "Los Zetas: the Ruthless Army Spawned by a Mexican Drug Cartel", "Zeta recalls his life, warns against it", "Mexico's Drug War: Soldiers versus Narco-Soldiers", "FBI — Former U.S. Army Officer Hitman Sentenced in Murder-for-Hire Plot", "La Jornada: Cárteles mexicanos contratan soldados de EU como sicarios y capacitadores", "Guatemala and the Face of the New Sustainable Narco-State", "The Evolution of 'Los Zetas,' a Mexican Crime Organization", Criminal ambushes in Jalisco – a hyper-violent wave of cartel brutality, "Mexico's Cartels Declare War on the Zetas", "Gulf Cartel split with Zetas made public", "Mexican cartels strategize to win hearts and minds", "Otro Cárdenas Guillén hereda la organización", "Authorities: Gulf Cartel, Zetas gang up on each other as arrangement dies", "War between Gulf Cartel, Zetas marks year anniversary", "Ejecución de "El Concorde" detonó guerra en Tamaulipas", "The Gulf-Zeta Split and the Praetorian Revolt", "México: Los Zetas rompen con el Cartel del Golfo", "El cártel de los Zetas tiende acuerdos de "no agresión y colaboración, "Gulf Cartel lieutenant's associates enter plea agreement", "Even more brutal leader takes over Mexico's Zetas", "Miguel Angel Trevino, Mexico Assassin, Rises In Zetas Cartel", "Feared Mexican Zetas leader Z-40 now top target", "Zetas ejecutaron por la espalda a los 72 migrantes; no pudieron pagar rescate", "Localizan 7 nuevas narcofosas en San Fernando, suman 193 víctimas", "Policía encuentra 27 cadáveres en Guatemala; vincula a Los Zetas", "Presentan a los Zetas que incendiaron el Casino Royale en Monterrey NL México", "Confirman 31 muertos en cárcel mexicana", "Del penal de Apodaca se fugaron 37 reos, no 29, corrigen las autoridades", "Thieves blamed in Mexico pipeline blast that kills;28", "Victims of Mexico's drug war: Tracing the missing", "Mexico town fears nightclub shooting means drug war has come", "At least 5 dead, 15 hurt in shooting at Mexico's BPM music festival", "Mexican cartel demanded payment from BPM festival ahead of nightclub killings: source", "El Universal – - Diez ms, prfugos: indagatorias", "Los Zetas son la organización delictiva que controla el mayor territorio", "Los Zetas" dominan más territorios que "El Chapo", "Nueva ofensiva contra Los Zetas; instalarán cuarteles en frontera norte. Los Zetas operated in the coastal area of San Fernando, Nuevo Laredo. [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. [22] While primarily concerned with drug trafficking, the organization also runs profitable sex trafficking and gun running rackets. They tortured victims, strung up bodies, and slaughtered indiscriminately. [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. [116], In March 2020, senior Los Zetas operative Hugo Alejandro Salcido Cisneros, also known as “El Porras” or “Comandante Pinpon,” was killed in a gun battle with police in Nuevo Laredo. [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. [28][29], They were at one point Mexico's largest and most expansive drug cartel in terms of geographical presence, overtaking their rivals, the Sinaloa Cartel in physical territory. [167] They are primarily based in the border region of Nuevo Laredo and Coahuila with hundreds more throughout the country. Nicola Gratteri, zar antimafia de Reggio Calabria", "Pick your poison: Drug gangs now dominate where guerrillas once reigned", "Gulf Cartel vs. Los Zetas... One year later", "La ley del silencio en Reynosa sólo la rompe... Twitter", "La guerra Golfo-zetas, en 11 municipios tamaulipecos; nueve son fronterizos con EU", "Los Zetas y el cártel del Golfo se pelean por Monterrey", "La batalla del cártel del Golfo y "Los Zetas" por la Huasteca", "Two Zetas executed in Brownsville, Texas", "Enfrentamientos entre el cártel del Golfo y Los Zetas paralizaron Nuevo Laredo", "La guerra del cártel del Golfo y Los Zetas, mañana 24 de febrero se cumple un año", "DEA: acuerdan 3 cárteles alianza contra Los Zetas", "Sicarios de los Beltrán Leyva y Zetas atacan a gente del Chapo en Sonora", "Violence the result of fractured arrangement between Zetas and Gulf Cartel, authorities say", "FBI — 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment", "US labels Venezuelan vice-president a drug kingpin", "U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Venezuela's Vice President, Calling Him a Drug 'Kingpin, "El Ejército decomisa el mayor arsenal hallado en la historia de México", "In Drug War, Mexico Fights Cartel and Itself", "Top Gulf Cartel leader arrested in Reynosa", "Mexico: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt over Anonymous' #OpCartel", "Combating Transnational Organized Crime", "Narcotics Rewards Program – Target Information", "Anonymous vs. Zetas Amid Mexico's Cartel Violence", "Drug Violence Swamps A Once Peaceful Mexican City", "After a Kidnapping, Hackers Take On a Ruthless Mexican Crime Syndicate", The Evolution of 'Los Zetas,' a Mexican Crime Organization, Equine Crime – A Horse Farm of a Different Color, Cartel: The Coming Invasion of Mexico's Drug Wars, El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency, Manhunt of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán (2001–2014), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Los_Zetas&oldid=1008670442, Paramilitary organizations based in Mexico, Organized crime groups in the United States, Articles with dead external links from May 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox criminal organization with ethnicity or ethnic makeup parameters, Pages using infobox criminal organization with rivals parameter, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2013, Articles with deprecated sources from November 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 February 2021, at 13:19. [117], In May 2020, Moisés Escamilla, a leader of the "Old School Zetas" died in prison after contracting COVID-19. [182][183], For many years, there were long-fought battles between the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels, that eventually led the two to reevaluate the situation and decide whether or not this combat was in either organization's best interests. [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. "[102], On 14 July 2013, it was reported that the Mexican Marine Corps captured the Zetas leader Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, also known as "Z-40" in Anáhuac, Nuevo León, near the border of Tamaulipas state. [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. [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. [182][183], For many years, there were long-fought battles between the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels, that eventually led the two to reevaluate the situation and decide whether or not this combat was in either organization's best interests. [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. [22] While primarily concerned with drug trafficking, the organization also runs profitable sex trafficking and gun running rackets. [104], On 12 October 2013, Mexican authorities captured alleged top Zetas operative Gerardo Jaramillo, alias "El Yanqui". Alejandro Gutierrez, "Narcotráfico: El gran desafío de Calderón." [199], Also in 2012, the United States posted a $5,000,000 reward for information leading to the successful capture of Miguel Treviño Morales. "[138] Gutiérrez later recognized the work of the federal troops and acknowledged that his city was experiencing "an escalation in violence. [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. Los Zetas members may also possess a "Los Zetas Commando Medallion" for their service to the organization. [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". [205], Split from the Gulf Cartel and Civil War between Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel. [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. Trevino-Morales is known in Los Zetas as "Z-40"[200] On 12 June 2012, "Z-40" and two of his brothers were arrested and indicted on charges in the State of Texas after raids and dozens of arrests in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.[201]. [65] In addition, Los Zetas charged that the Cartel was scapegoating them for the murders of innocent civilians. [153][154], Tamaulipas police forces are the worst paid in Mexico despite being one of the states hardest hit by drug violence;[155] in Aguascalientes, a state where violence levels are much lower, policemen are paid five times more than in Tamaulipas. 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. [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. [74][75], In early 2010, Miguel Treviño Morales, the former second-in-command of Los Zetas, had reportedly taken the leadership of the Zetas and displaced Lazcano. Excélsior", "Zetas cartel leader Heriberto Lazcano's corpse stolen by gunmen after dying in firefight | World", Corridor of Violence: The Guatemala-Honduras Border, "Mexican army captures Zetas drug lord Miguel Angel Trevino Morales", "Omar Treviño, el Z 42, se perfila como cabecilla Zeta", Zetas' Top Guatemala Operative Captured in Mexico, "Mexican troops 'kill Zetas cartel founder Mellado, "Officials: Leader of Mexico's Zetas drug cartel captured", "Declara 'El Rama', sucesor de Treviño Morales | Azteca Noticias", "Mexico: Zetas drugs cartel leader caught", "Federal forces capture two cartel chieftains in Jalisco", "Los Zetas cartel operator arrested in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz", "Presumed Veracruz Zetas chief captured in Oaxaca", "Veracruz attorney general confirms cousin is Los Zetas chief", "Cartel leader dies following Nuevo Laredo gun battle", "Feared gang leader dies with Covid-19 in prison", "Tamaulipas, ¿en camino de convertirse en un estado fallido? [57] Over time, many of the Zetas' original thirty-one members have been killed or arrested; a number of younger men have filled the vacuum, but the group as currently extant remains far from the efficiency of their paramilitary origins. Police found the bodies wrapped in black trash bags. "[137] Months later, Flores finally acknowledged that several parts of Tamaulipas were "being overrun by organized crime violence. [30] However, in recent times Los Zetas has become fragmented and seen its influence diminish. [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]. Mexico City: Lilaneta, 2007, Chapters 1 and 5. "[123], Although drug-related violence had existed long before the Mexican Drug War, it often happened in low-profile levels, with the government "looking the other way" in exchange for bribes while drug traffickers went about their business – as long as there was no violence. [50] In response to the rising power of the Gulf Cartel, the rival Sinaloa Cartel[51] established Los Negros, an enforcer group similar to Los Zetas but not as complex or successful. [162] Consequently, the government is currently building military bases in Ciudad Mier, San Fernando and Ciudad Mante. [68][69] Samuel Flores Borrego, a lieutenant of the Cartel, killed Zetas lieutenant Sergio Peña Mendoza, alias "El Concorde 3", due to a disagreement over the drug corridor of Reynosa, whom both protected. [153][154], Tamaulipas police forces are the worst paid in Mexico despite being one of the states hardest hit by drug violence;[155] in Aguascalientes, a state where violence levels are much lower, policemen are paid five times more than in Tamaulipas. [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. 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. [24] The organization is based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, directly across the border from Laredo, Texas. [23] (See: Sex trafficking in Mexico) Los Zetas also operate through protection rackets, assassinations, extortion, kidnappings and other activities. [100], On 9 October 2012, the Mexican Navy confirmed that Los Zetas leader Heriberto Lazcano had been killed in a firefight with Mexican marines in a state on the border with Texas. [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. [143] Eighty-five inmates escaped from the same Reynosa prison six months later. [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. [131] On 30 January 2012, the Attorney General of Mexico issued a communiqué ordering the governors and their families to remain in the country as they are being investigated for possible collaboration with cartels. [176] Soon, the war reached Tamaulipas' neighboring states of Nuevo León and Veracruz. [39][40][41] Decena lured more than thirty deserters from the elite Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE) to become his personal bodyguards, and later, as his mercenary wing. "[102], On 14 July 2013, it was reported that the Mexican Marine Corps captured the Zetas leader Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, also known as "Z-40" in Anáhuac, Nuevo León, near the border of Tamaulipas state. [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. [173], Indications of the broken alliance between the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas began in September 2009. i am spanked once a day as a matter of course.This is a ritual but i may receive another or so depending on my behaviour.Although not really qualifying as a spanking per se i do receive a warm up & warm down spanking as part of my weekly "parliament" when i am punished for accumulated faults during the week.This mainly consists of a tawsing. [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. [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. Trevino-Morales is known in Los Zetas as "Z-40"[200] On 12 June 2012, "Z-40" and two of his brothers were arrested and indicted on charges in the State of Texas after raids and dozens of arrests in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.[201]. [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. [33] However such plans were halted at the request of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. [95][96][97], As of 2012, Los Zetas had control over 11 states in Mexico, making it the drug cartel with the largest territory in the country.