Do you think free access to journalism like this is important? She was known for being the crazy white one. Their wanton murders leave most civilians in silence. Prosecutors asked De Leon why it took him so long to point out the defendant. While police arrested 76 suspects, including senior Los Zeta member Martin El Kilo Estrada, there was no victory there. He was recruited to Los Zetas, where he rose to commander. They robbed stores, they broke into an auto repair shop and stole cell phones and several vehicles, all with the goal of spreading terror.". 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. Tomas Yarrington, former governor of Tamaulipas, is currently facing multiple drug trafficking and money laundering charges in the United States. De Leon said that he didn't voluntarily start working with the cartel; he was kidnapped and forced to participate. On July 12, 2012, authorities seized over 50 kilograms of marijuana at the Del Rio port of entry. Marciano Millan-Vasquez, who was a member of the 'Los Zetas' organised crime gang, "brutally murdered anyone and everyone as it suited him and his cartel", the prosecuting lawyer said. The field was linked to the Los Zetas cartel. In August 2010, the gang massacred 72 kidnapped migrants at a remote ranch in What should we expect from a heartless criminal organization put together by ex-military men? If a debtor refused, Escobar deployed his team of lethal "sicarios.". In the same month, heavily armed gunmen fired upon Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico City's public security secretary, injuring him and killing two bodyguards and a passerby (via Insight Crime). 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. Trevino Morales became head of the Los Zetas cartel after the death of long-time leader Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in October 2012. WebLos Zetas have also carried out multiple massacres and attacks on civilians and rival cartels, such as: the 2010 San Fernando massacre (24 August), where 72 migrants were found Not only does Los Zetas control key drug smuggling routes into the United States, but it now controls much of the illicit trade of sneaking migrant workers to the US. He created a company, Tremor Enterprises, to purchase racehorses for American contests, winning millions in prize money through fixing races and doping horses. How could such a tragedy occur in San Fernando not once but repeatedly? Los Zetas was formed in 1997 to serve as enforcers for the Gulf 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 the human smuggling business, migrants pay $100 to $200 upfront, then pay the rest once theyve reached the United States. 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. The Sun Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia, The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Example video title will go here for this video. 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. Torture, beheadings, and narcocultos It is disheartening to hear that the founding fathers of a criminal organization like Los Zetas received training from US military officers. Whats distressing about the criminal organization is the atrocities they have committed in the past and the potential they possess to increase their scale of operations and perpetuate more horrors in the future. Millan-Vasquez was found guilty last July of murder, violence, drug and weapons trafficking, and employing minors in a drug crime a total of 10 counts. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Rather than prioritizing corruption like its competitors, Los Zetas has Start your Independent Premium subscription today. WebMarciano 'Chano' Millan Vasquez, 34, was jailed in San Antonio, Texas, for 29 killings carried out for notorious northern Mexican gang Los Zetas between 2009 and 2015, as well as Only in 2014 was this dynamic officially exposed in a memo from the Mexico Attorney Generals Office on the 2010 San Fernando Massacre, the 2011 San Fernando Massacre, and the recovery of 49 human torsos in 2012. Millan-Vasquez was found guilty last July of murder, violence, drug and weapons trafficking, and employing minors in a drug crime a total of 10 counts. Escobar's luck ran out on December 2, 1993, when he was gunned down as part of a joint U.S.-Colombia effort. Los Zetas 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. He also forced captured Mexican migrants into gladiatorial fights to the death. Mostly Central American immigrants, they were traversing the state of Tamaulipas to cross into Texas. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. There have been several arrests of purported Zeta members in the region but no trials. Moraless most preferred method of killing was to stuff victims in oil barrels and set them ablaze. Some believe the victims were simply killed for refusing to join the cartel but, ultimately, San Fernando had become so violent that few journalists ever entered to investigate. More terrifying is their ease of operations in countries like the US. Alliances were formed on both sides, with the BLO allying with Los Zetas and the Sinaloa cartel working with the Gulf and Familia Michoacana cartels (via Insight Crime). 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.. 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. His body was stolen from the funeral home. The defendant in this case is Mariano Millan-Vasquez, known to everyone as "Chano." These are the top ten distressing facts about Los Zetas you dont want to know. Cartel: Los Zetas Authorities expect more violence to ensue in the coming days. In the end, the legacy of the 2011 San Fernando Massacre is one of blood money, corruption, and wanton murder. As La Familia Michoacana expelled Los Zetas, they took territory across Guerrero, Morelos, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Jalisco and Mexico City. Los Zetas is a Mexican drug cartel known for its sophisticated crime machine and brutality. To make matters worse, the gang is also into migrant smuggling. Insight Crime catalogued the numerous violent acts of this period, including the cartel's failed assassination of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in 1993, which went awry when the gunmen erroneously targeted the car of a Catholic cardinal, shooting him to death. The women have been identified as Lourdes Gregorio Garcia Amaya from Texas, Raymunda Amaya Contreras, Maria Del Rosario Carrizales Amaya. They were forcibly recruited and haven't been paid or fed by their bosses. [CDATA[ (Watch our piece Mexican Marines Kill Drug Lord Known as The Executioner.). Former Los Zetas worker: I was forced to witness brutal killings This wasnt the first time such a tragedy had visited San Fernando. 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. At one of the gory murders the horrific slaughter of a young girl he reportedly told her father the crime was "so you can remember me", before ordering the murder of both parents. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. 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. However, despite its success in cocaine and methamphetamine, La Familia Michoacana's power was curtailed by yet another splinter group, The Knights Templar. The handful of passengers lucky enough to be rescued confirmed their captors intended to recruit them. First it was people with money, then it was anyone. In 2009, the Mexican government identified the countrys 37 most wanted criminals. It would occur to many as an unacceptable surprise that Los Zetas recruits members in the United States. Originally a security detail for the Sinaloa cartel, BLO seceded in 2008 and a fierce conflict ensued. The load belonged to De Leon. "The first time [I was kidnapped], they took me with a group of about seven people. Not only are groups like Los Zetas interested in influencing politics, but Mexican politicians are equally interested in the dividends of the drug trade. According to World Atlas, Tijuana had the highest homicide rate in the world in 2020, with 138 murder per 100,000 residents. Then, in December 2015, Insider reported that La Familia founderCarlos Rosales Mendoza was found dead baring torture wounds. 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. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. Top 10 Disturbing Facts About Los Zetas - Listverse Groups like Los Zetas have also been known to operate abroad, buying raw materials from Argentina and operating in Asian countries like Malaysia. The winners got to become Zetas recruits, while the losers got death. SAN ANTONIO, Texas - In San Antonio today, a federal judge sentenced 34-year-old Marciano Millan Vasquez, a high ranking member and a former sicario for the Los Zetas drug cartel, to seven consecutive life imprisonment sentences for committing and aiding and abetting the commission of numerous murders and other acts of violence, WebLos Zetas is a powerful Mexican drug cartel that has made special use of fear to achieve its business goals. The Juarez cartel's expansionist ambitions have been quelled in recent years, but they retain a strong grasp on their part of the US-Mexico border, which should maintain their threat to the region for some time. When Reyna didn't hear from his son for several days, he started making calls. It had only been a year since the 2010 Who knows what is going on in American Samoa. GRAPHIC EXCLUSIVE: Mexican Border State Prison Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. And these lives are often innocent civilians caught up in the dreadful violence and corruption, such as the shootout in Tulum, which killed two tourists and injured three more, according toThe Guardian. Then come the Zetas, with no background in narcotics, and they start chopping peoples heads off, Grayson said. Los Zetass status as the largest drug cartel in Mexico carries additional implications. The cartels have now moved beyond drug violence to murdering busloads of civilians, and the government seems incapable of stopping it. Navarro from Ciudad Victoria. Los Zetas operates in 17 states, while Sinaloa operates in 16 states. "[The government] told me not to go asking questions about my son. 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. Then, in December 2009, Arturo Beltrn Leyva was killed by Mexican marines. Miguel Angel Trevino Morales (aka Comandante 40) Cartel: Los Zetas De Leon said that Millan-Vasquez would smile and laugh as he performed these killings. 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. Inside The Brutal 1955 Murder Of 14-Year-Old Emmett Till That Galvanized The Civil Rights Movement, 101-Year-Old Woman Who Began Trapping Lobster Before The Great Depression Has No Plans To Retire, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Following the 2011 San Fernando Massacre, Federal Highway 101 was colloquially dubbed the highway of death or the devils road.. The FBI and the IRS eventually built a case against Morales and others, leading to his arrest. Photos, illustrations and other art may be available for syndication but must be confirmed. Curiously, no bus line reported their buses or passengers missing. A red Blackberry phone belonging to De Leon was examined by computer forensics experts with Homeland Security Investigations. The largest two graves were 10 feet deep and each held around 45 corpses. After learning about the 2011 San Fernando Massacre, take a look at 33 photos of the Mexican drug war. Busloads of people were declared missing in 2011 when their luggage went unclaimed in Reynosa and Matamoros. Mail Online Videos: Top News & Viral Videos, Clips & Footage Get our latest in-depth reporting straight to your inbox. The cartel member he spoke with was Jose Luis Rodriguez. Los Zetas Somewhere near San Fernando, which lies on the interstate to Matamoros, the buses were hijacked, and convoys of armed men snatched passengers. 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. Former governor Humberto Moreira was also singled out by former Mexican President Felipe Calderon has having protected Los Zetas in his state. An armored police vehicle carrying Los Zetas member dgar Huerta Montiel in June 2011. Tamaulipas Lieutenant Governor Morelos Jaime Canseco Gmez admitted police were still looking for another bus of passengers. The group was originally made up of 34 Mexican Special Forces soldiers. Most are extorted and let go or sold into prostitution. In 2018, analystParker Asmann dubbed the Sinaloa Cartel "Mexico's top crime group," despite El Chapo's arrest, trial and eventual detention in the United States. WebIn August 2011, armed men affiliated with the Zetas cartel set fire to a casino in the Mexican city of Monterrey, killing 52 people. The two men who were also gunned down have been identified as Cruz Felipe Pizana Saldivar and Angel Carrizales Amaya. WebAlso dumbass the bitch on the far right was white "la cholla" or something she was called and she is was brutal as fuck. De Leon is now cooperating with authorities. But Los Zetas stands out. Graphic from a 2011 NDIC national drug threat assessment. Los Zetas cartel members and San Fernando Massacre suspects being presented to the press on June 30, 2011. Besides drug smuggling, the cartel is involved in every facet of trade in its territory including human trafficking. WebCartel: Los Zetas Killed: Oct. 7, 2012 Lazcano was the leader of the Los Zetas cartel. 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. The chief and 16 of his 25 men were questioned under suspicion of helping the Zetas abduct, kill, and bury the passengers. In the 1990s, the aforementioned Cali cartel took the mantle from their Medellin rivals, becoming the most powerful cartel in the world. Specific forms of torture are discussed as well as the most likely victims and perpetrators. Breitbart Texas Cartel Chroniclesare published in both English and in their originalSpanish. Today, the cartel retains a small presence in southern Mexico. Inside bloody world of Cancuns cartel wars as gangsters behead The gang often kidnaps and holds poor migrants who try to operate outside the system for ransom. Site made in collaboration with CMYK. The fact that Los Zetas was able to grow and nurture $2 million worth of marijuana in Texas is quite distressing. [8] Los Zetas has been linked to several other mass murders in Mexico. He has been in detention since his arrest in Texas in 2015. One former member of the cartel told the court Millan-Vasquez had taken part in a 2011 massacre in which up to 300 people were allegedly kidnapped, with many never seen again. Cartels have dominated the international drugs trade since the 1980s, earning many billions of dollars and killing tens of thousands of people in Mexico and Colombia alone (via Al Jazeera and Britannica). Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty ImagesLos Zetas cartel members and San Fernando Massacre suspects being presented to the press on June 30, 2011. The irony of this scenario is that the training they received was supposed to prepare them for counterinsurgency and counter-narcotics operations. [9] Local police rounded up migrants traveling by bus and handed them over to the gang. 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. 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). Initially, the group was led by Osiel Crdenas Guilln, who recruited around 30 alumni from Mexico's special forces. This was back when Lazcano and Z-40 were still running the Los Zetas cartel. Cartel: Los Zetas There are a handful of drug cartels in Mexico, most of which run almost like corporations. Rather than prioritizing corruption like its competitors, Los Zetas has preferred to use paramilitary violence to seize territory and intimidate rivals, according toInsight Crime. Former Zetas members testified Tuesday, claiming the cartel is responsible for a bloody massacre in Piedras Negras in 2011. Human smugglers often use buses to transport migrants north to the Texas-Mexico border. While the Gulf cartel remains a danger to society, their influence has been diminished by Los Zetas, their wayward spawn. You can contact her at [emailprotected]. It was one of the deadliest attacks ever on Mexican In the early 1990s, El Chapo steered the Sinaloa Cartel to dominance through his use of tunnel smuggling and widespread bribes. The two claimed credible fear, telling agents that they feared for their lives if they were to stay in Mexico. The CJNG split from the Sinaloa Cartel after the killing of Ignacio Coronel, a capo whose death caused a power vacuum(via Insight Crime). Mexico's largest and most powerful drug gangs are the Zetas and the Sinaloa cartel. By that point, however, more bodies had surfaced. We rely on the generosity of our readers who believe that this work is important. This article was written by M.A. In August 2010, Zetas executed 72 migrants in Tamaulipas, which was followed by 2011 attacks in San Fernando and a Monterrey casino, killing a combined 245 people. In fact, CNNreported that Cali mobsters even invested in four 500-pound bombs, which they intended to somehow drop on Pablo Escobar. Mexico's CJNG Following With population of 60,000, San Fernando is near the Texas border and epitomizes cartel carnage. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month, Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. In 2015, Los Zetas leader Morales was arrested in Mexico City. With countless reports emerging of mayors and cops across Mexico collaborating with the cartels, it appears tragically unsurprising that many who knew the truth were either put into hiding or killed to keep them quiet. When Osiel Cardenas Guillen took over as the leader of the Gulf Cartel, it was in the midst of a violent turf war. Officials are still counting the dead, but, as of this writing, the bodies numbered nearly 200. Countries militaries are dedicated to defense from external aggression and the protection of peoples lives and properties. Facebook beheading video: Who was Mexico's Jane Doe? - BBC At this juncture, it is safe and reasonable to conclude that Los Zetas is one of the biggest headaches of the American people. Extortion, smuggling, torture, possible harvesting of human body parts. 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." 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. With that grim context in mind, here are the most dangerous cartels to ever exist. Since 2011, there have been numerous scandals exposing the collusion between politicians and drug cartels. Insight Crime and the BBC reported that these splinter groups are suspected to have abducted 43 Ayotzinapa students, which hit international headlines in 2014. Lazcano died in a shootout with the Mexican Navy. 4 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. You name it, the Zetas did it.. The memo indicated that local police acted as lookouts and helped in the interceptions of persons across all cases. Elizabeth Shell 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 All rights reserved. When prosecutors asked De Leon if "Chano" was in the courtroom, the witness stood up and scanned the courtroom for close to three minutes, before pointing at Millan-Vasquez. Brutality and inhumanity are the most noticeable traits of drug cartels all over the world, but Los Zetas has taken them to a new high. Rogue policemen are believed to have played a role in the deaths of 193 people, whose bodies were found in hidden graves in San Fernando in 2011, and 49 in Cadereyta in the state of Nuevo Leon in 2012.

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