Post: #1

Mexican marines captured Los Zetas top dog Miguel Angel Trevino near the US border in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The marines were lying in wait expecting him to pass along a dirt road where a naval helicopter forced his truck to stop while a team approached from the rear.

He was traveling with his bodyguards, accountant, and $2 million in cash. The US government had a $5 million dollar reward offer for his capture.

This is a big story but given that the leadership of the gang is made up of [Mexican] former special forces commandos, there is likely a hierarchy in place to replace him quickly. These guys were initially recruited to be enforcers by another cartel until they figured out they had the skills to make the big bucks themselves and started their own gang. They are known for beheadings and mass killings. Widely feared.

Quote:MEXICO CITY -- Mexican marines captured the leader of the nation’s most feared drug trafficking group, Los Zetas, along the northern border with Texas, marking a major blow to a crime gang with tentacles deep within the United States, authorities said Monday night.

Miguel Angel Trevino was detained before dawn near Nuevo Laredo, the border city across from Laredo, Texas, that is a stronghold for the drug trafficking syndicate, Eduardo Sanchez, a spokesman for the Interior Secretariat, said in a brief news conference.

Following a lengthy intelligence operation over a period of months, authorities launched an operation in which a naval helicopter forced a pickup truck carrying Trevino and two other men to stop along a remote dirt road at 3:45 a.m., Sanchez said. No shots were fired. The vehicle contained $2 million in cash, and eight firearms, he added.

Sanchez did not answer a question about whether U.S. agencies had played a role in Trevino's capture. The Central Intelligence Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration have worked closely with the Mexican navy on anti-drug trafficking operations in the past.

Sanchez displayed an overhead mug shot of Trevino, in which he bore apparent bruises on his face. The other two detained men were identified as Abdon Federico Rodriguez, 29, and Ernesto Reyes Garcia, 38.

The capture of Trevino, known by the nickname Z-40, marks the first major arrest of a crime gang leader under the seven-month-old government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who came to office promising to lower the levels of violence afflicting Mexico.

The capture may spark greater violence in the near term around the northeast border as other crime groups try to muscle into Los Zetas’ turf. Nuevo Laredo is the busiest inland truck crossing along the U.S.-Mexico border and a key smuggling corridor. Los Zetas lost a previous leader just nine months ago, however, and appear able to survive succession struggles without unraveling.

The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward for Trevino’s capture, and he faces multiple U.S. federal charges for money laundering and drug trafficking. Mexico had offered a 30 million peso (about $2.5 million) reward for his capture.

Trevino’s seizure marked a victory for Mexican marines, who work closely with U.S. counter-narcotics officials, and may alleviate concerns that U.S.-Mexico cooperation would diminish under Pena Nieto, whose Institutional Revolutionary Party was accused in the 1980s and 1990s of accommodating drug traffickers.

Trevino, who is listed as either 40 or 42 years old, joined another notorious drug gang, the Gulf Cartel, in the late 1990s, where he formed an enforcement wing that included dozens of defectors from the Mexican army’s Airborne Special Forces Group. The enforcers took on the name Los Zetas, or “The Zs.”

In February 2010, a dispute between Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel led to open warfare between the two groups.

In subsequent years, Los Zetas brought a new crime model to Mexico, using terror, beheadings, mass killings and brutal tactics to expand their empire, push out rival crime groups and establish control over large swaths of the country. The group engaged in extortion, kidnapping, migrant smuggling as well as trafficking in cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine.

According to a federal indictment against Trevino and other Zetas filed last year in Austin, Texas, Los Zetas now "are the largest drug cartel in Mexico in geographical presence and control 11 states in Mexico." Mexico has 31 states and a federal district.

A stocky man, Trevino has a reputation for grotesque savagery, even stuffing his enemies into drums and burning them alive or disemboweling them.

Over the years, first with the Gulf Cartel then with los Zetas, Trevino is believed to have operated in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico’s busiest trade crossing with the United States, and in Veracruz state along the Gulf Coast. Earlier in his life, he is believed to have lived in the Dallas area in Texas.

Trevino rose to become a co-leader of Los Zetas along with Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano. But after Lazcano’s apparent killing last October (an armed squad took his body from a funeral home and he is officially missing), Trevino became its top boss.

“He reportedly is responsible for smuggling multi-hundred kilogram loads of cocaine each week from Mexico to the United States and also facilitates smuggling of cocaine through Guatemala to the United States,” according to a State Department profile.

The U.S. government called Los Zetas “the most technologically advanced, sophisticated, and dangerous cartel operating in Mexico.” In recent years, it has pushed its operations into Central America and the Andean region.

Despite his fierce image, Trevino has weaknesses, and one of them is American quarter horses. Trevino’s older brother, Jose Trevino, was among 15 people charged in June 2012 after U.S. agents swooped down on a ranch in Oklahoma, saying the cartel had spent $1 million a month on the horses. A jury convicted the elder Trevino and three others in May, and they face up to 20-year jail terms.

Who will succeed Trevino was not immediately clear. The Stratfor private intelligence company said in a brief note about the arrest that “Trevino’s brother, Omar "Z-42" Trevino, will likely continue to maintain his role in criminal operations but it remains to be seen whether he has the capability or respect within the organization to replace his brother.”

Last week, the Interior Secretariat said 869 people were killed in June, bringing the year-to-date toll to 7,110, which a bulletin described as an 18 percent reduction over the same period a year earlier.

Some analysts dispute the assertions of a fall in killings, saying the government may be using different benchmarks to measure crime-related murders.

Just late last week, authorities said Mexican soldiers killed 13 gunmen linked to organized crime in northern Zacatecas state.

Still, the pace of mass killings appears to have diminished in the past year, along with news coverage of organized criminal activities.

Trevino’s reported arrest marked another triumph for Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, head of the rival Sinaloa Cartel and a bitter rival who has long sought to cripple Los Zetas. Guzman, whose crime group prefers to bribe high-level officials, has lashed out at Los Zetas for using tactics that bring government action against drug trafficking groups.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/15/v-...rylink=cpy

Post: #2

All of this is super interesting to me. I would love to see HBO create a show based on the drug cartels, Southern California street gangs, Mexican Mafia, and how it all intertwines. May be difficult for them to do without a bunch of their actors and writers getting killed though.

Post: #3

There is a forum member heading down to Zacatecas state this week. I wonder how this will effect the stability of the area?

These Zeta's are so badass they even get slammed by other cartels for their evil tactics.

Post: #4

Like a Latino version of "The Wire"?

I wonder who would watch?

WIA

Post: #5

(07-16-2013 06:33 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  All of this is super interesting to me. I would love to see HBO create a show based on the drug cartels, Southern California street gangs, Mexican Mafia, and how it all intertwines. May be difficult for them to do without a bunch of their actors and writers getting killed though.

There actually is a show called El Cartel De Los Sapos based on a book.

It is kind of low budget, but super good. Good for those wanting to practice their Spanish as well.

It is mostly focused on Colombia, but deals with Mexico, Miami etc.

Looks like a ton of episodes are on youtube.

Peep it:

Post: #6

I read a book on Chapo Guzman that also talks about Los Zetas. These guys are crazy. The mexican cartells could only get so much power because the US were weakening the Colombian cartells in the 80ies and the mexcians took over. The US government is also supplying them with weapons. Stupid war on drugs.

Post: #7

Of all the cartels in Mexico, "Los Zetas" is by far the most sanguinary, they are heavily involved in kidnapping and extortion; they were the ones that murdered 72 illegal immigrants and kidnapped people traveling in buses a couple of years ago. Most of the gory videos about the drug war that you find in the internet involve the Zetas. Lots of towns in the state of Tamaulipas were depopulated because of the violence.

Post: #8

"El cartel de la maruchan" is going down...this is whats gonna happen whatever is left of the letras theyre going to fight each other they dont know better..

Post: #9

The Zetas are done, they don't have anymore leadership in place.

From the most sanguinary and violent cartel to a bunch of street gangs.

Post: #10

That guy was violent and responsible for much of the violence that has been taken place in Mexico. So much so that even other cartel members including "El Chapo" have blamed the Zetas for starting the Mexican drug war and all the violence which involved military action from the government.

Post: #11

Fuckin great to hear.

Post: #12

Legalize It.

'War on Drugs' can't be won.

Guess that's another thread.

Post: #13

Why are we letting these assholes down south make all the money. They're so rich, the Mexican government can barely touch them. Legalize it all and lets make the profits here at home. I can't think of a reason not to. What, do you think a crack head won't be able to find crack if he really wants it now that it's illegal? Give me a break. If someone wants to smoke crack their gonna smoke crack. It's not like many successful businessmen would get done with a long day of work one day and come home and say, "honey, you know what, I think I'm gonna start smoking crack."

Post: #14

(07-16-2013 11:30 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  Why are we letting these assholes down south make all the money. They're so rich, the Mexican government can barely touch them. Legalize it all and lets make the profits here at home. I can't think of a reason not to.

Conservative Republicans will never let it happen.

Post: #15

(07-16-2013 11:30 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  Why are we letting these assholes down south make all the money. They're so rich, the Mexican government can barely touch them. Legalize it all and lets make the profits here at home. I can't think of a reason not to. What, do you think a crack head won't be able to find crack if he really wants it now that it's illegal? Give me a break. If someone wants to smoke crack their gonna smoke crack. It's not like many successful businessmen would get done with a long day of work one day and come home and say, "honey, you know what, I think I'm gonna start smoking crack."

Portugal decriminalized all drugs a few years ago and now treats drug abuse similar to other chronic medical problems.

The problem is the USA cannot just decriminalize drugs (i.e., not arrest people for drug possession) since this doesn't cure the problem of the illegal drug market providing drugs (i.e., the cartels). The USA would have to do something unprecedented: a complete legalization, legalizing not only the use but also the growing and/or manufacture of drugs that are currently illegal.

Thus, I agree with Gman that this is not going to happen anytime soon.

Post: #16

(07-16-2013 03:03 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 06:33 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  All of this is super interesting to me. I would love to see HBO create a show based on the drug cartels, Southern California street gangs, Mexican Mafia, and how it all intertwines. May be difficult for them to do without a bunch of their actors and writers getting killed though.

There actually is a show called El Cartel De Los Sapos based on a book.

It is kind of low budget, but super good. Good for those wanting to practice their Spanish as well.

It is mostly focused on Colombia, but deals with Mexico, Miami etc.

Looks like a ton of episodes are on youtube.

Peep it:

Also, I forgot to mention there are a ton of fly girls on that show too.

Post: #17

Yep Texas prophet, I agree. We would need to go all out and do the manufacturing and production, the whole nine. But yes, this is probably not going to happen any time soon, if ever. It just makes sense though. Instead we fight "the war on drugs." We waste billions instead of make billions. It just doesn't make sense, but I guess a lot of things in this world don't.

Post: #18

(07-16-2013 11:30 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  Why are we letting these assholes down south make all the money.

Do you really think that?

Letting "them assholes down south" make the money, means that very same money will never get to southern government hands, keeping them dependant of american arms, technology, and military equipment.

Plus, with no money to pay for them, they have to trade them for the only resource left of any value: oil.

Plus, who is getting the real value? All that the drug lords are getting is printed paper, and the illusion of riches. Who has the real money? who takes the real decisions?

Post: #19

So what this news really means is that there's a job opening at the top of one of the cartels. Even if one cartel falls apart, the others will take its place. Drugs are still a high risk, high profit venture. Someone else will happily fill the void.

Post: #20

(07-17-2013 03:00 PM)germanico Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 11:30 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  Why are we letting these assholes down south make all the money.

Do you really think that?

Letting "them assholes down south" make the money, means that very same money will never get to southern government hands, keeping them dependant of american arms, technology, and military equipment.

Plus, with no money to pay for them, they have to trade them for the only resource left of any value: oil.

Plus, who is getting the real value? All that the drug lords are getting is printed paper, and the illusion of riches. Who has the real money? who takes the real decisions?

What the hell are you talking about? How can you say these cartels have no money? That's a pretty dense statement. News flash... These guys have so much money and power, they control governments. Not to mention those arms going to Mexico are being sold in the black market, more people making untaxed money. And do you really think they are paying for their guns with oil? Please.

Post: #21

All they have is printed paper.

Who owns the printing press?

Post: #22

Yeah, that printed paper is money. They have a whole lot of it. Enough money can buy you power. These guys clearly run Mexico. You'll likely find more cops that would work for them than the government. Just because we print the money doesn't mean they don't have a shit load of it, and they spend it too. The own resorts, soldiers, officials, women, hell, they could buy just about anything they want. Come on man, your argument is weak. Everyone knows the power these guys have.

Post: #23

Post: #24

(07-16-2013 10:26 PM)bigxxx Wrote:  Legalize It.

'War on Drugs' can't be won.

Guess that's another thread.

A lot of guys working for 3 letter agencies pulling 6 figures would be out of work.

Post: #25

Not to mention that those 3 letter agencies are actively involved in the drug trade themselves.

If all drugs would be legalized over night a of people would lose money. Drug prices would crash, no more bribes for government officials, less money for weapon manufacturers, no more huge budgets for government agencies. Illegal drugs are a huge market and everyones in on it.