"Morogris" for Borderland Beat
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| Zeferino Pena Cuellar, alias Don Zefe or El Zefe, key figure in the creation of Los Zetas, was killed this week in Nuevo Leon |
Nuevo León state authorities confirmed that Zeferino Peña Cuéllar, commonly known by his alias "Don Zefe," was killed in a shootout with police officers at his estate in Santiago, Nuevo León. Don Zefe was affiliated with the Gulf Cartel during the 1990s and early 2000s and is often cited as one of the founding members of the core group that later evolved into Los Zetas under the leadership of kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén. However, Don Zefe largely avoided law enforcement scrutiny and media coverage over the years up until his death and was believed to have retired for several years.
The incident occurred early in the afternoon on Tuesday, December 23, when the State Investigative Agency (AEI) reported the presence of armed men near an estate in Santiago. Upon arriving at the scene, authorities came under gunfire, resulting in a shootout.
Two men were killed during the exchange, and local media quickly reported that one of them was Don Zefe. The other victim was David Calderón, a former military officer. Investigators later confirmed that Don Zefe was suspected of managing drug trafficking operations in Nuevo Leon, reportedly under a new criminal organization he was attempting to establish in the area.
Sources consulted by Borderland Beat indicated that Don Zefe had been spending a considerable amount of time in Nuevo León since the pandemic. His activities remained largely unknown for years because he had retired for an extended period. Upon emerging from retirement, he maintained a low profile while attempting to form a new criminal organization, possibly operating as an independent drug trafficker.
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