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67-612: The group was originally formed to counter Los Zetas gang and government security forces. Los Negros used to work with the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel but following Arturo Beltrán Leyva 's death in December 2009 during a shootout with Mexican Marines, infighting broke out for the control of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel. One faction was led by lieutenants Édgar Valdez Villarreal and Gerardo Alvarez-Vazquez , while

134-473: A " failed state " and a haven for drug traffickers and criminals. The massacre of 72 migrants and the discovery of mass graves in San Fernando , the assassination of the gubernatorial candidate Rodolfo Torre Cantú , 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

201-523: A "Los Zetas Commando Medallion" for their service to the organization. It is reported that Los Zetas also uses women within their organizational structure. There is a female unit known as the Panteras , or panthers. These women use seduction to negotiate with military, law enforcement, and political personnel to help Los Zetas' goals. In the event that they are unable to obtain the desired outcome, they may kill their targets. The initial leader of this group

268-459: A "battlefield." The gunshots were heard throughout most of the city, creating "tension" among the population. Some witnesses, who preferred to remain anonymous, claimed that they saw over "18 armed men in black with ski-masks." During the chase, five armed men in another vehicle shot at the police convoy . The triggermen in the two vehicles then engaged in a gunfight with the AFI for minutes, but one of

335-588: A city was codenamed "Z"; thus they were nicknamed as "Zetas", the Spanish word for the letter. After Osiel Cárdenas Guillén took control of the Gulf Cartel in 1997, he found himself in a violent turf war . To keep his organization and leadership from rival drug cartels and from the Mexican Army , Cárdenas sought out Decena, a retired army lieutenant. Decena lured more than thirty deserters from

402-464: A close association of former Los Zetas leader Hernán "El Comandante H" Martínez Zavaleta, who was arrested in 2017. 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. Salcido Cisneros was the leader of the "Tropa del Infierno", a group of hitmen under the direction of

469-702: A disagreement over the drug corridor of Reynosa, whom both protected. Los Zetas demanded that the Cartel hand over the killer, but they refused. 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. Consequently, Los Zetas allied with the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, the Juárez Cartel , and the Tijuana Cartel . In early 2010, Miguel Treviño Morales ,

536-511: A federal prison. 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. A confrontation inside a maximum security prison in Nuevo Laredo on 15 July 2011 left 7 inmates dead and 59 escaped. Five on-duty guards have not been found. The governor of Tamaulipas then acknowledged his inability to secure federal prisoners and prisons. Consequently,

603-526: A group of armed men in the streets of Nuevo Laredo . Members of the AFI were staying at a hotel when Juan Manuel Muñoz Morales, the attorney general of the city, called for help. He was reportedly being chased by several individuals in a dark-colored truck. Consequently, the AFI officers followed the truck with seven of their vehicles, triggering a shootout between the police officers and alleged drug traffickers . The armed confrontation lasted for more than 40 minutes, provoking "panic" and turning Nuevo Laredo into

670-638: A gunshot to the head. Through the recording of a CCTV camera José Jorge Balderas Garza, a.k.a. "JJ", was identified as his attacker. According to his own statements Valdez-Villarreal himself was the person who gave "JJ" shelter to protect him from the police, by placing him in one of his safe houses , this was because of the friendship they had. Los Zetas Rest of North America : United States , Guatemala , El Salvador , Honduras , Costa Rica , Nicaragua South America : Colombia , Peru , Panama , and Venezuela Los Zetas ( pronounced [los ˈsetas] , Spanish for "The Zs")

737-457: A long history of brutal violence, and with the possibility of more if the infighting continues and if they fight on without a central command. 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, and to this day most of them have either been killed or captured by

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804-757: A massive prison break in broad daylight by walking directly from the front gate to several trucks outside the prison. Tamaulipas police forces are the worst paid in Mexico despite being one of the states hardest hit by drug violence; in Aguascalientes , a state where violence levels are much lower, policemen are paid five times more than in Tamaulipas. 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. The National Public Security System (SNSP) has condemned

871-423: A news reporter, and he later went on to work as an editor for El Norte daily newspaper and as the director of El Diario de Monterrey (now known as Milenio ). In 2000, Mora García began to work for El Mañana , a Spanish-language newspaper from the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, where he later became the director. He also wrote for Biznews , a distribution magazine based in northern Mexico and in

938-463: A number of media outlets in Mexico, including the El Norte and El Diario de Monterrey , prior to his assassination. While on his way home from work, Mora García was stabbed to death 26 times. Two men were eventually arrested and charged with the killing, but a number of independent organizations have complained on the irregularities and coverups in the investigation. They believe that Mora García

1005-454: A supposed cover up for the assassination of Mora Garcia as a " crime of passion " in order to hide the real motives behind it. Six independent organizations that investigated the crime concluded that there were many irregularities and coverups in the investigation. The former Attorney General of the state of Tamaulipas , Francisco Cayuela Villarreal, then resigned after an accusation of being an accomplice. Mora García wrote extensively on

1072-492: Is a Mexican criminal syndicate , known as one of the most dangerous of Mexico's drug cartels . They are known for engaging in brutally violent " shock and awe " tactics such as beheadings , torture , and indiscriminate murder. While primarily concerned with drug trafficking, the organization also ran profitable sex and gun rackets. Los Zetas also operated through protection rackets , assassinations, extortion , kidnappings and other illegal activities. The organization

1139-524: Is believed the Sinaloa Cartel moved 200 men into the region to battle the Gulf Cartel for control. The Nuevo Laredo region is an important drug trafficking corridor as 40% of all Mexican exports, a total of 9,000 trucks, pass through the region into the United States. Following the 2004 assassination of journalist Roberto Javier Mora García from El Mañana newspaper, much of the local media

1206-667: The Rio Grande Valley , and for the North Mexico Business , a local weekly economics newspaper. His work encompassed a serious coverage of the Mexican authorities relationship with the Gulf Cartel , a drug cartel based in Tamaulipas . Many of the articles he wrote talked about law enforcement involvement in drug trafficking, and the role former policemen had with Los Zetas in the extortion business. He

1273-487: The Sinaloa Cartel , in physical territory. However, since the mid/late 2010s Los Zetas has become fragmented and seen its influence diminish, with most factions absorbed by their regional opposition or eliminated. As of March 2016, Grupo Bravo (Bravo Group), Los Talibanes (The Talibans), and Zetas Vieja Escuela (Old School Zetas) have formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel against Cártel del Noreste (Cartel of

1340-469: The Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) fraction of Los Zetas. Several other Tropa del Infierno gunmen was injured in the clashes as well. In May 2020, Moisés Escamilla, a leader of the "Old School Zetas" died in prison after contracting COVID-19 . 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

1407-399: The Cartel allegedly disagreed with. Los Zetas countered by posting their own banners throughout Tamaulipas, noting that they had carried out executions and kidnappings under orders of the Cartel and they were originally created for that sole purpose. In addition, Los Zetas charged that the Cartel was scapegoating them for the murders of innocent civilians. Reports vary as to who triggered

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1474-463: The Cartel were Guillén and Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez , while Los Zetas wanted to hand the leadership to their own head, Lazcano. 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 . Samuel Flores Borrego , a lieutenant of the Cartel, killed Zetas lieutenant Sergio Peña Mendoza, alias "El Concorde 3", due to

1541-531: The Federal Police and the Mexican Army disarmed all police forces in Tamaulipas, beginning with the cities of Matamoros and Reynosa. 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". However, the troops could only replace half of the policemen in

1608-655: The Gulf-Zeta organization. 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. In 2012, Yarrington was further accused of money laundering for Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel. 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. In mid-2010, both Flores and

1675-408: The Mexican Army and form the core of Los Zetas. The first 14 members became known as the "Group of 14" ( Grupo de los Catorce ) or simply "The 14" ( Los 14 ). In the early 2010s, analysts indicated that Los Zetas were the largest organized crime group in Mexico in terms of geographical presence. They are primarily based in the border region of Nuevo Laredo and Coahuila with hundreds more throughout

1742-533: 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. Los Zetas' training locations have been identified as having a similar setup as military GAFE training facilities. Los Zetas members may also possess

1809-403: The Mexican law enforcement and military forces. As of 2012, Los Zetas had control over 11 states in Mexico, making it the drug cartel with the largest territory in the country. Their rivals, the Sinaloa Cartel, had lost some territories to Los Zetas, and went down from 23 states in dominion to 16. By the beginning of 2012, Mexico's government escalated its offensive against the Zetas with

1876-663: The Northeast). Another splinter group was formed also named Sangre Nueva Zeta (New Blood Zeta), allying themselves with the Jalisco Cartel as an armed wing. 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 . Former United States President Donald Trump had also expressed interest in designating cartels as terrorist organizations. However such plans were halted at

1943-818: 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 . Tamaulipas was no exception; according to PAN politician Santiago Creel , the PRI in Tamaulipas had been protecting the Gulf-Zeta organization for years. The PAN has claimed that government elections in Tamaulipas are likely to encounter an "organized crime influence". 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

2010-665: The United States, including Texas. The cartel also has important areas of operation in Guatemala, where their operations are reported to have begun as early as 2008. They are active in Europe, specifically in Italy with the 'Ndrangheta . 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 . Together they control

2077-473: The Zetas did not buy alliances so much as terrorize their enemies. 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 . They tortured victims, strung up bodies, and slaughtered indiscriminately. They preferred to take military-style control of territory, holding it through sheer force and exploiting its criminal opportunities. Although their military training

Los Negros - Misplaced Pages Continue

2144-712: The Zetas, and now the Zetas have disintegrated into Zetillas. They are splinter groups ('grupúsculos'), not big operators." 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. The authorities allege that he was succeeded by Omar Treviño Morales (alias Z-42 ), his brother. On 12 October 2013, Mexican authorities captured alleged top Zetas operative Gerardo Jaramillo , alias "El Yanqui". His arrest ultimately resulted in

2211-566: The announcement that five new military bases will be installed in the group's primary areas of operation. 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 . In a May 2013 interview with the International Crisis Group , researcher Daniel Haering stated, "The old networks were disrupted by

2278-418: The attack. In addition, the government agency stated that 198 municipal police officers were to be investigated for possible connections with the Gulf Cartel ; Manuel Muñoz, the attorney general who was being chased, was detained by the Mexican authorities. It is believed that he had liberated five members of Los Zetas who had been detained during the armed confrontation. According to Esmas.com , this shooting

2345-516: The city of Reynosa . On 3 March 2015, Mexican security forces arrested the last known leader of the remaining Zetas structure, Omar Treviño Morales (alias "Z-42") in a suburb in Monterrey, Nuevo León. 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. On 9 February 2018, Mexican authorities arrested

2412-620: The country. They have placed lookouts at arrival destinations such as airports, bus stations and main roads. 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 . They are also active in several states in

2479-402: 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 ". 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

2546-558: The door open and the keys in the ignition. On March 28, the Mexican police arrested two men, and accused them of assassinating Mora García, their neighbor. Both men confessed to having killed the journalist, but later stated that they had been tortured by the police to admit their culpability. Later on inside a prison on May 13, the American citizen Medina Vázquez was stabbed 88 times and killed, prompting questions and raising doubts from several journalists and free press organizations on

2613-620: The drug trafficking routes in the Colombian La Guajira and the Venezuelan state of Zulia , Colombia as the producing country and Venezuela as the main port route toward the U.S. and Europe. Roberto Javier Mora Garc%C3%ADa Roberto Javier Mora García (c. 1962 – 16 March 2004) was a Mexican journalist and editorial director of El Mañana , a newspaper based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas , Mexico. He worked for

2680-473: The elite Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE) to become his personal bodyguards, and later, as his mercenary wing. These deserters were enticed with salaries much higher than what they were paid by the military. Some of these former GAFE members reportedly received training in commando and urban warfare from the Israeli and U.S. Special Forces . Once Guillén consolidated his power, he expanded

2747-554: 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. It has been reported that more than 400 prison inmates escaped from several Tamaulipas prisons from January 2010 to March 2011 due to corruption. On 17 September 2012 in Piedras Negras, Coahuila , more than 130 inmates from Los Zetas organized

Los Negros - Misplaced Pages Continue

2814-429: The formal split and why. Some sources claim that Guillén, brother of Cárdenas and one of the successors of the Gulf Cartel, was addicted to gambling, sex, and drugs, leading Los Zetas to perceive his leadership as a threat to the organization. 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. The candidates from

2881-531: The former second-in-command of Los Zetas, had reportedly taken the leadership of the Zetas and displaced Lazcano. Lazcano was initially content to have Morales in his ranks, but reportedly gave Morales too much power and underestimated his violent nature. Morales' active leadership gained him the loyalty and respect of many in Los Zetas, leading many to eventually stop paying their tributes to Lazcano. Los Zetas are inherently an unstable organized crime group with

2948-579: The group. In response to the rising power of the Gulf Cartel, the rival Sinaloa Cartel established Los Negros , an enforcer group similar to Los Zetas but not as complex or successful. Upon the arrest of Guillén 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. The Zetas' membership ranges from corrupt federal, state, and local police officers, and former U.S. Army personnel, to ex- Kaibiles ,

3015-501: The low police salaries, and demanded that state and municipal authorities create better payment programs for policemen so they can have a fair wage for themselves and their families. Although the Joint Operation Nuevo León-Tamaulipas issued in 2007, along with several other military-led operations by the federal government, brought thousands of troops to restore order in Tamaulipas, on 9 May 2011,

3082-426: 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". Months later, Flores finally acknowledged that several parts of Tamaulipas were "being overrun by organized crime violence". Gutiérrez later recognized the work of the federal troops and acknowledged that his city

3149-653: The new leader José María Guízar Valencia alias "Z-43" in Mexico City in Roma neighbourhood. 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. On 9 April 2019, José Roberto Stolberg Becerra, also known as "La Barbie",

3216-399: The other is led by the current cartel leader Héctor Beltrán Leyva and his 'enforcer' lieutenant, Sergio Villarreal Barragán . Los Negros then worked with Edgar Valdez Villarreal's organization until his arrest on August 30, 2010, then the gang collapsed. Los Negros had been known to employ gangs such as Mexican Mafia and MS-13 to carry out murders and other illegal activities. The group

3283-405: The request of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador . Los Zetas was named after its first commander, Arturo Guzmán Decena , whose Federal Judicial Police radio code was "Z1", a code given to high-ranking officers. 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

3350-519: The responsibilities of Los Zetas, which began to organize kidnappings , protection rackets , extortion , securing cocaine supply and trafficking routes known as plazas (zones) and executing its foes, often with extreme violence. However, in November 2002, Decena was killed in a military action at a restaurant in Matamoros, Tamaulipas , allowing Heriberto Lazcano ("Z3") to take control of

3417-581: The special forces of the Guatemalan military . 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. Los Zetas was partially responsible for a qualitative increase in the brutality of the violence seen during the Modern Mexican Drug Wars . Unlike other cartels,

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3484-470: The state. Consequently, the government is currently building military bases in Ciudad Mier , San Fernando and Ciudad Mante . On 7 November 2011, 650 policemen were released from their duties because they had either failed or refused "corruption control tests". Los Zetas have set up camps to train recruits as well as corrupt ex-federal, state, and local police officers. In September 2005 testimony to

3551-637: The territory of Tamaulipas." 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. During the 71-year rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the Mexican government would conduct customary arrests and allow cartel business to continue. After

3618-465: The vehicles collided with a police truck. The vehicle the drug traffickers were in then caught on fire, and two of the gunmen burned to death. The third one died on the sidewalk. According to PGR , the three gunmen that were killed were members of Los Negros, a group of hitmen under the tutelage of Joaquín Guzmán Loera (a.k.a. El Chapo ) and of the Sinaloa Cartel . Rocket-launchers, along with an "inexact number of assault rifles," were reportedly used in

3685-569: The victims. 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. As a result of this imbalance, the Cartel tried to curtail their own enforcers' influence and ended up instigating a civil war. 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

3752-407: Was Ashly "La Comandante Bombón" Narro López; she was captured in 2009 in connection to the murder of General Tello Quiñones. Women also work within the cartel as plaza bosses, administrators, mediators, and shooters. Arturo Guzman was initially tasked by Cardenas to recruit 20 men to murder his rival Rolando Lopez Salinas. Guzman and Lazcano were eventually able to convince 34 GAFE operators to leave

3819-508: Was also a harsh critic of the former governor Tomás Yarrington and of the Tamaulipas attorney general Francisco Cayuela Villarreal . In El Mañana , Mora García criticized the local government for reportedly altering the homicide rate statistics in Nuevo Laredo; he argued that the authorities claimed some homicide victims had either committed suicide or died of a disease. When writing on the local drug trade, Mora García referred to drug traffickers by their real names. As Mora García (aged 42)

3886-832: Was arrested in Jalisco. He was reported to have been the leader of the cartel's Los Zetas la Vieja Escuela (Old School Zetas) faction. 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. In early July 2019, Los Zetas leaders Jorge Antonio "El Yorch" Gloria Palacios, the second-in-command of the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) faction of Los Zetas, and Hugo "El Ganso" Sanchez Garcia, who served as head of Los Zetas in San Fernando, were detained by Mexican authorities. In January 2020, Los Zetas regional leader José Carmen N., also known as "El Comandante Reyes",

3953-579: Was arrested in Oaxaca. 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. 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

4020-514: Was based in Nuevo Laredo , Tamaulipas, directly across the border from Laredo , Texas. 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 . In February 2010, Los Zetas broke away and formed their own criminal organization, rivalling the Gulf Cartel. They were at one point Mexico's largest and most expansive drug cartel in terms of geographical presence, overtaking their rivals,

4087-539: Was coming back from work before dawn on 19 March 2004, an assassin stabbed him 26 times until he died outside his home at the Colonia Jardín neighborhood in the Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas . He was stabbed 13 times in the back and 13 times in the chest with a double-edge knife (which struck his lungs and heart). His corpse was found by the police officers Bernardino Cruz Catarina and Guadalupe Herver 15 meters (49 feet) away from his vehicle, which had

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4154-538: Was diluted over time, their brutality was not. Rival cartels struggling against the Zetas began to adopt some of their tactics, further ramping up violence in the country. 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. Some of these newer tortures and hyper-violent execution styles included practices such as flaying and castration as well as public displays of

4221-543: Was experiencing "an escalation in violence". On 25 March 2010, forty inmates escaped from a federal prison in the city of Matamoros. 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. Eighty-five inmates escaped from the same Reynosa prison six months later. In Nuevo Laredo , on 17 December 2010, 141 inmates escaped from

4288-583: Was involved in fighting other cartels in the Nuevo Laredo region for control of the drug trafficking corridor. Its operational area was originally Tamaulipas , and later extended its influence to Nuevo León and Coahuila states. They also had operations in San Luis Potosí , Veracruz , Michoacán , Guerrero , Zacatecas and Sonora . At around 3 a.m. on 1 August 2003, the Federal Investigations Agency (AFI) confronted

4355-498: Was killed for his extensive coverage on the Mexican drug cartels, political corruption, and organized crime, but the motive of his assassination is still unsolved. Mora García was born in the Mexican city of Saltillo, Coahuila . He studied at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) under a scholarship for academic excellence until he graduated in 1983. At the age of 22, he began his career as

4422-402: Was silenced over the fighting. The cartels intimidated the media and sometimes use it to send messages to the general population. In 2008, Édgar Valdéz placed an ad in the local paper accusing Los Zetas of being "narco-kidnappers" and purchasing protection from state officials and the attorney general's office. The morning of January 25, 2010, the football player Salvador Cabañas was wounded by

4489-427: Was the first major gunfire in Nuevo Laredo between the Mexican authorities and cartel members in over thirty years. Between 1 January and 1 August 2003, 45 homicides were reported in Nuevo Laredo, along with 40 kidnappings. Nuevo Laredo , Tamaulipas , was at the center of a war between the Gulf Cartel's Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel's Los Negros. Following the 2003 arrest of Gulf Cartel leader Osiel Cárdenas , it

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