INTRODUCTION.
Recognized as one of the most fearless and violent cartels in all of Mexico, Los Zetas was brought forth by a need for personal security in the Gulf Cartel. This former hit man/security style operation, active since 1997, has since grown into its own ruthless and violent organization becoming the second most powerful cartel and easily the most feared in all of Mexico. Heavily trained and armed, members of Los Zetas are set apart from other cartels because of the level of brutality they are willing to administer to those who cross them, though they had initially hoped that by being more intimidating they would have to fight less. It is their command of the drug market, their lack of fear in using violent tactics, and the sheer level of brutality used by their members that sets this cartel apart from all others. It is their disregard for human life and their ties to the United States drug markets that cause Los Zetas to pose a significant danger to border communities across the southern border of the U.S.
ORIGINS.
The organization of Los Zetas, brought forth by a significant need the Gulf Cartel had for its own personal security team, was created in 1997. To create such a specialized team, Gulf Cartel, based in Mexico, enlisted the aid of thirty-one Special Forces deserters from the Mexican Army. These members called themselves Los Zetas, the Z’s (S. Logan 2009). Specially trained in surveillance methods, hostage rescues, prison escapes, and experts in weaponry these highly skilled Los Zetas quickly became an integral part of the Gulf Cartel’s operations (Longmire 2012). Their primary mission, while serving within the ranks of the Gulf Cartel, was the protection of future leader Orsiel Cardenas Guillen. Additio...
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... Zetas an organization the United States should continue to be wary of. This organization will stop at nothing to continue to try and grow their enterprise and are not afraid to engage in gun battle with authorities nor harm civilians. Los Zetas present a serious danger to the United States.
Works Cited
Logan, Sam. "The Evolution of "Los Zetas," a Mexican Crime Organization." ISN Security Watch, March 16, 2009.
Logan, Samuel. "A Profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel." Combating Terrorims Center At West Point, February 16, 2012.
Longmire, Sylvia. "Mexico's Drug War: TCO 101: Los Zetas." April 2012.
McLaughlin, Eliott C. "Trevino's Los Zetas known for 'complete absence of scruples,' expert says." CNN, July 17, 2013.
NarcoGuerra Times. "Zetas/La Compania, Ndrangheta and the Nuclear Options." NarcoGuerra Times, September 19, 2009.
Recent arrests and the diminished opportunity to forward cocaine to U.S had left them with the necessity to embark in kidnappings, auto thefts, extortion, murders for hire, human smuggling, and other felonies not to mention that local demand for narcotics had increased recently. The Tijuana Cartel operations extents from the U.S Mexico border across Central America through the Pacific Route and receives support of one of most violent criminal organizations: Los
Transition: Now that we know a little bit about the organization, let’s discuss the man who leads it, Joaquin Guzman.
The Los Zetas cartel consists of some of the most deadly men in Mexico. Comprised and founded by rogue Mexican Special Ops soldiers they branched off from their former employers (The Gulf cartel) and are now fighting for their territory. Based in Matamoros the Gulf Cartel was the original heavy hitter of Mexico's cartels. Currently the Gulf Cartel is in an ongoing war with the Los Zetas. Lead by El Chapo the Sinaloa Cartel is the current leader of the drug trade in all of Mexico. The cartels are fighting the Mexican government for power over the country. Federal agents target cartels and are able to weaken them but just before the agents can take over a rival cartel comes in and takes the territory starting the whole process over again. The cartels act like a Hydra Kill one Head and two will take its
Franco, C., (2007, May). The MS-13 and 18th street gangs:Emerging transnational gang threats, Retrieved from http://opencrs.com/document/RL34233/2007-11-02/download/1006/.
Our team presentation focused on three Latino gangs, MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), the Mexican Mafia and the Los Surenos gang. My part of the presentation was to provide information on the type of crime these three gangs are known to commit. The crimes committed by the MS-13 gang are varied, violent, and take place all over the country. The FBI even put together a task force called the MS-13 National Gang Task Force in December of 2004 to try to put a stop to this gang’s activities. (www.fbi.gov). Los Surenos or Sur-13, originally based in Los Angeles, has also branched out from turf wars with rival gangs to “for profit”, violent crimes across the country. The Mexican Mafia has a similar story to tell as well in regards to gang crimes, which again range from respect crimes, and retaliatory violence to crimes for profit.
...such as this and the capture of the Zeta leader Miguel Treviño Morales in 2013 are surely some bright moments for the battle against the cartel. Although despite all the captures and the seizures the Zetas still maintain control over eleven Mexican states and continue their daily actions of violence and drug trafficking. The Zetas have become a formidable enemy, having grown from relatively humble origins to in 2012 being sanctioned by the States government as, along with the Russian Brothers Circle, the Japanese Yakuza, and the Italian Camorra as one of the most important transnational crime groups. Perhaps it will be impossible for the Mexican government to control the Zetas, and if the past fourteen years of the drug war have shown that may very well be the case, therefore the only option that may remain is to simply coexist with Los Zetas. in a new Pax Mafiosa.
Initially, members of the Mara Salvatrucha were a group of Salvadorans that “banned together for support and protection from other gangs already present in Los Angles...” (Kindt, Post, and Schneider, 248). Common gang initiation for a prospective member is being beaten by several gang members, also called “jumped in” described in Gangs and Law Enforcement. (Schmidt, 39). Immediately, these new gang members have been introd...
Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is a well-known transnational criminal organization (TCO) originating from El Salvador. They are specifically targeted for its involvement in transnational criminal activities including drug trafficking, kidnapping, human trafficking, sex trafficking, and many more. It is certain that there are more transnational gangs other than MS-13, but the reality of these gangs impact society, and their neighborhoods, more than one can imagine. There are underlying realities “that make it difficult to generalize [the gangs].” The one of many underlying realities is that each neighborhood level gang group of transnational gangs, particularly MS-13, has a “great deal of autonomy in the relationship it maintains with other organizations.” The second reality factor is that gangs, especially MS-13 in El Salvador are in a state of turmoil. The third reality factor is that the gangs in Central America differ from each other in significant ways. Although most gangs are involved in human smuggling and drug retail, MS-13 has a solidified relationship with “transportista networks and are reaching out to Mexican TCOs.” These realities can be analyzed with Taussig’s notions and theoretical framework of space of death.
A gang is an organized group with a recognized leader whose activities are either criminal or, at the very least, threatening to the community. (Walker, 2011) Throughout history there have been some infamous gangs that have gotten media attention and others that have gone under the radar. One of the more underground gang structures are prison gangs. The Nuestra Familia may not be in the news as much anymore compared to other gangs, but they are nothing to be taken lightly. Prison gangs have been around since the late 20th century and only seem to be getting stronger if nothing is going to be done to prevent them. Gangs in prison have members in and out of prison. One of the more popular gangs that has been gaining steam recently is the mainly Hispanic gang La Nuestra Familia. The purpose of this paper is to write about the history of the NF, the structure in which it operates, and some good preventative tactics that could prevent prison gangs from becoming stronger.
Mexican cartels are the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations and the largest supplier of illegal narcotics into the United States. The Mexican drug-trafficking organizations are a collection of criminal enterprises. (Evelyn Morris). Mexican Cartels are able to invade an area and control it for Cartel operations. The Mexican cartels are capable of controlling territory, but they do not have a political agenda. (Steven Dudley) Because of Mexico’s location neighboring the United States, it has been used as a staging and pre-distribution point for illegal-drugs destined for U.S. markets. About h...
reach of Pablo Escobar, and considered him the godfather of the drug lord. In 2013, the Chicago crime commision named Guzman Public enemy number one. Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel transports multi-ton cocaine shipments from Colombia through Mexico to the United States, the world’s top consumer, and has distribution cells throughout the U.S. Each year from 2009 to 2011, Forbes magazine ranked Guzman as one of the most powerful people in the world.
The Mexican drug cartel is made up of many different cartels, but the main one is the Sinaloa cartel. The Sinaloa cartel is one of the most dangerous cartels in mexico, it is also the most optimistic cartel in mexico, they will go to high extents into their projects. The leader of the Sinaloa cartel is Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, he is believed to be one of the most powerful drug lords in the whole world. There aren’t many organizations trying to stop the cartels besides the DEA which stands for Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug cartel is all about smuggling drugs to many parts of the world but mostly the U.S. since they share borders and is the closest place to take drugs to.
The Mexican Cartels are currently taking control over mexico slowly and powerfully. Most news is not heard since these cartels are really hard to find and manage where they change from direction to direction. This is a new war ready to take place that is reaching everywhere the cartels go. They are leaving nothing but misery and madness behind on their path of being the world’s most ferocious group of people. Mexican Drug Cartels need to be stopped because the Mexican Government is struggling to keep the power away from the Cartels, they have no regrets in what they do, they are spreading throughout the U.S. as well, and Mexican Cartels are known as the most dangerous groups in the
Logan, Samuel. (2012, February 16). A profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's second most powerful drug cartel.
The major players involved in the conflict are the main drug cartel groups that occupy different regions of Mexico (some of which are: La Familia Michoacán, the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, the Beltrán-Leyva Organization, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel, and the Juárez Cartel) that cause most of the criminal violence in Mexico. Other key players include the institutions of the Mexican and U.S. government that oppose