The gunmen murdered a young girl by the name of Estefania Martinez Diaz, a woman by the name of Mara Campillo Mata and a man by the name of Miguel Angel Mendoza. 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. Velazquez started out stealing cars in his hometown of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and was jailed there. Former Los Zetas worker: I was forced to witness brutal killings The heartless drug lord is claimed to have personally killed 2,000 people, in addition to ordering and supervising thousands of other murders. Somewhere near San Fernando, which lies on the interstate to Matamoros, the buses were hijacked, and convoys of armed men snatched passengers. Rival gang MS-13 may have the most terrifying tattoos (see featured image), but Los Zetas wins the prize for violence. During the late '70s and 1980s, the Sinaloa Cartel worked with the Medellin cartel, establishing lucrative cocaine routes to the United States that spanned land, sea and air. "The first time [I was kidnapped], they took me with a group of about seven people. 2021 The Texas Observer. He claimed that he was blindfolded, handcuffed, driven to random locations around Piedras Negras, stripped of the blindfold, and forced to kneel and watch these brutal murders. The traditional cartels buy off politicians, establish traffic routes for smuggling and make money. 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 Facebook beheading video: Who was Mexico's Jane Doe? That's right the Wight bitch was the bad one and cut off heads with axes with her own hands. The Most Brutal Execution Methods Used by Mexican Cartels Initially, the group was led by Osiel Crdenas Guilln, who recruited around 30 alumni from Mexico's special forces. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless, Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican, A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California, A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho, Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open, Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally, A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. He was arrested by the Mexican Navy in 2012. Among these provincial traders and smugglers wasJoaqun Guzmn Loera, better known as "El Chapo.". These cases have highlighted the growing interest of Mexican cartels in influencing politics.[5]. Instead, they were raped and beaten to death or vanished into a new life as cartel soldiers. If you dont pay them, they will take your merchandise, he says. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The gang often kidnaps and holds poor migrants who try to operate outside the system for ransom. The office's purpose was to collect debts from Escobar's extensive trafficking network. No one charges under $2,000 these days to get into the United States and [the Zetas] get $400 to $500 for each migrant smuggled through their territory, he says. 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. CIUDAD 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 visiting relatives. Cartel: Los Zetas Its origins are traced toEl Milenio, a group that was allied to the Tijuana cartel. He has been in detention since his arrest in Texas in 2015. 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. However, despite these smaller groups' threat to the Guerrero and Morelosstates, the Beltrn-Leyva Organization is merely a trace of its former self. You can contact her at [emailprotected]. GRAPHIC: Los Zetas Cartel Kill U.S. Woman and 2 Daughters This article was written by M.A. 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. Lazcano died in a shootout with the Mexican Navy. SAN ANTONIO -- A father whose son went missing in 2011 took the stand Wednesday in the federal trial of an alleged war commander for Los Zetas drug cartel. Earlier in life, he was trained in a Mexican Special Forces unit to fight drug-trafficking organizations. US attorney Richard L Durbin Jr told the court in San Antonio, Texas, the killer had acted "without mercy or compunction". The two claimed credible fear, telling agents that they feared for their lives if they were to stay in Mexico. GRAPHIC EXCLUSIVE: Mexican Border State Prison Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? This savagery is nothing new. 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. He was recruited to Los Zetas, where he rose to commander. He made a mistake in his greedbelieving he was invincible and untouchable. Eventually, this group broke away to become a drug cartel of their own, which is now the notorious Los Zetas. 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. Photo by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images. I know that police and transit officials in San Fernando help the Zetas organization, because rather than take detainees to the Pentgano, which is to say the municipal jail, they would deliver them to the Zetas, said lvaro Alba Terrazas, one of the 17 detained police officials. Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty ImagesLos Zetas cartel members and San Fernando Massacre suspects being presented to the press on June 30, 2011. Captured: Sept. 26, 2012 Killed: Oct. 7, 2012 The cartels have now moved beyond drug violence to murdering busloads of civilians, and the government seems incapable of stopping it. In August 2017, the cartel kidnapped 17 people and kept them in a stash house in Nuevo Laredo. Melissa is a 2016-17 Lannan Fellow at The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute. The find is indicative of cartel operations in Texas and the United States as a whole. It had only been a year since the 2010 Los Zetas had begun to hijack buses along Federal Highway 101. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Shortly after the brutal execution, the CDN faction of the Los Zetas struck once more. Cartel: Los Zetas 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. WebAlso dumbass the bitch on the far right was white "la cholla" or something she was called and she is was brutal as fuck. On July 12, 2012, authorities seized over 50 kilograms of marijuana at the Del Rio port of entry. In April 2019, CJNG killed 14 people in Minatitlan, a Zetas territory. 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. He claimed that the drugs came from the Zetas "comandantes" or commanders, which included Millan-Vasquez. It would occur to many as an unacceptable surprise that Los Zetas recruits members in the United States. Drug cartels influencing politics paints a picture of total disaster. They ordered the informant be killed along with anyone and everyone associated with him. Los Zetas - Wikipedia Originally a security detail for the Sinaloa cartel, BLO seceded in 2008 and a fierce conflict ensued. Partners must notify. "They did this so I would tell my family if they didn't obtain the money, this would happen to them," he said in court. Los Zetas Jair Cabrera/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesTributes to the 2011 San Fernando Massacre. Moraless most preferred method of killing was to stuff victims in oil barrels and set them ablaze. Example video title will go here for this video. In1997, PBS described the Tijuana drug cartel as "one of the most powerful and aggressive drug trafficking organizations operating from Mexico," adding that it is "undeniably the most violent." Following the murder of 72 kidnapped migrants in August 2010, a subsequent investigation revealed that some Mexican policemen assisted the Zetas in committing the slaughter. ", The Gulf cartel's control in the northeast state of Tamaulipas has seen many violent incidents, both against rivals and each other. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. When Reyna didn't hear from his son for several days, he started making calls. [1] The deadly organization started out as the enforcement branch of the Mexican Gulf Cartel. However, recently, theyve taken their drug manufacturing activities to highly advanced countries like the United States. Miguel Angel Trevino Morales (aka Comandante 40) They recovered deleted material, which included death threats from the defendant and information regarding Zetas operations. They were forcibly recruited and haven't been paid or fed by their bosses. 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 irony of this scenario is that the training they received was supposed to prepare them for counterinsurgency and counter-narcotics operations. In 2015, U.S. law enforcement discovered a marijuana field in Texas with a market value of $2 million. When Osiel Cardenas Guillen took over as the leader of the Gulf Cartel, it was in the midst of a violent turf war. However, despite the logistical sophistication and the massive financial success, the history of cartels is fraught with betrayal, splinter groups, and brutally shortened lives. [9] Local police rounded up migrants traveling by bus and handed them over to the gang. As La Familia Michoacana expelled Los Zetas, they took territory across Guerrero, Morelos, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Jalisco and Mexico City. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. In fact, CNNreported that Cali mobsters even invested in four 500-pound bombs, which they intended to somehow drop on Pablo Escobar. Navarro from Ciudad Victoria. People began to disappear, said San Fernando priest Ramon Ruiz. [6] Mexican drug cartels are currently operating in 47 countries around the world, including Colombia, Guatemala, and others. WARNING GRAPHIC: The Most Brutal Murders Linked to El Chapo Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy, Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq, A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France, A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st, The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. Los Zetas is a criminal gang that manufactures and smuggles illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana, among others. The video shows four women on their knees in a field, their hands tied behind their backs. Alberto Islas, a Mexico City security analyst whos advised corporations in Tamaulipas, offers a more plausible and chilling motive for the massacres: Its just business. The fact that Los Zetas was able to grow and nurture $2 million worth of marijuana in Texas is quite distressing. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Then, in December 2009, Arturo Beltrn Leyva was killed by Mexican marines. Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano (aka The Executioner) Los Zetas called Mexico's most dangerous drug cartel 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. In early April, Mexican military officials made another grisly discovery in the once sleepy farming community of San Fernando: a series of mass graves among the mesquite brush. Based in the western state of Jalisco, CJNG was founded by Nemesio Oseguera Ramos, whose ongoing leadership has placed him on Mexican and American most wanted lists, both of which offer millions of dollars for information. Follow @NewsHourWorld Authorities had been notified of missing passengers from Highway 101 on May 24 and May 29, with soldiers following a tip that led them to the La Joya ranch a few miles off the road. WebCartel: Los Zetas Killed: Oct. 7, 2012 Lazcano was the leader of the Los Zetas cartel. Since 2011, there have been numerous scandals exposing the collusion between politicians and drug cartels. The fledgling cartel were trained by members of Los Zetas, yet they would turn on their mentors because of local resentment to Zetas' methamphetamine business. The handful of passengers lucky enough to be rescued confirmed their captors intended to recruit them. 10 Atrocities Committed By Mexican Drug Cartels - Listverse Based in the western state ofMichoacn, La Familia Michoacana is known for its history of violence as well as its quasi-religious trappings (via Insight Crime). Thank you. However, according to Insight Crime's profile, the cartel's influence has been compromised by arrests and infighting, limiting their territory to Tijuana, a vital smuggling city on the US-Mexico border. There have been several criminal organizations in the world that have perpetrated destructive acts against humanity without any form of military training, either formal or informal. However, despite its success in cocaine and methamphetamine, La Familia Michoacana's power was curtailed by yet another splinter group, The Knights Templar. It was found in Webb County, near the border city of Laredo. On Wednesday morning, prosecutors called Jaime Abascal Reyna to the stand. You cannot underestimate the capabilities of a cartel whose founding fathers were trained by the U.S. military. Los Zetas was described by the US government in 2009 as "the most technologically advanced, sophisticated and dangerous cartel operating in Mexico". By that point, however, more bodies had surfaced. In 2017, the Mexican government extradited Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, a However, Insight Crime suggests that the large traditional cartels may be over as Mexico's criminal underworld becomes increasingly fragmented and scattershot. Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican, A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. While the Gulf cartel remains a danger to society, their influence has been diminished by Los Zetas, their wayward spawn. This is a unique and distressing fact about the deadly gang. Outlets must also tag the Observer in all social media posts. With the Medellin leader gone, Insider noted how the rival Cali cartel took the reins of Colombia's booming cocaine industry. 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."