CDG del Sur: A Territorial Analysis

 by Itzli  for Borderland Beat

Introduction

For quite some time, the divisions within the Gulf Cartel (often abbreviated as CDG) have been quite obvious.  During one of the first internal conflicts that ravaged the organization, reports spread and many became aware of the two main sides: Metros and Rojos.  As things relatively calmed down, the flow of information became scarce, leaving many confused anytime fighting occurred. 

For those that followed more closely, a much more complicated picture emerged as the CDG splintered into various factions and sub-factions.  The website Valor por Tamaulipas and its companion Facebook page offered a glimpse as to what was happening, though it would prove a tangled web.  I, among others, worked to understand what was happening in the shadows, often resorting to analyzing the most minuet pieces of information. It was something as simple as a map would eventually spur the writing of this report.  

Valor por Tamaulipas had color coded the state of Tamaulipas into areas of control a while back ago.  More recently, they posted  a revised version of this map, on which I noticed a brief note about additional areas of control.  Around that same time, while I was looking through old notes, a passing reference to a plaza chief sparked my interest, leading me to research as much as I could. This is what I found... (Click on image to enlarge)

 Tamaulipas

 The state of Tamaulipas is the birthplace of the CDG and many of its factions. Among the factions is the CDG del Sur, which literally means the Gulf Cartel of the South.  Thus, it should be of no surprise that the CDG del Sur is found within the southern part of the state of Tamaulipas.

The bastion of the this faction is the Tampico metropolitan area, which in Tamaulipas is composed of the municipalities of Tampico (#38 in the above map), Ciudad Madero (#9 in the above map), and Altamira (#3 in the above map).  

While Tampico and Ciudad Madero are urban, Altamira is a mixed municipality, urban in the southeast, but stretching out into rural areas.  It appears that part of this rural area is considered a separate plaza, Campos de Ordeña, under which the towns of Cuauhtémoc and Esteros fall.  The Tampico metropolitan area is fertile grounds for the CDG del Sur: its ports allow the importation of cocaine, its urban areas open the door for retail drug sales, kidnappings, and extortions, and its rural areas are rich in gas and oil thefts as well as involvement in migrant smuggling.

Just west of Altamira is the CDG del Sur controlled municipality of González (#12 in the above map). ;A sparsely populated municipality, it appears from a map that the most strategic town is Estacíon Manuel, which is located along highway 80 and is intersected by highways 39 and 180.Based upon the Valor por Tamualipas map, it appears the municipality is divided into two plazas (González and Graciano Sánchez/Magiscatzin) and has a base of vehicle robberies in the south and training camps in the mountains in the northeast.  Further west is the Zeta controlled territory of Mante (#21 in the above map), and it appears that Graciano Sánchez is part of a strategic buffer zone between the CDG del Sur and Los Zetas.

Northeast of González and directly north of Altamira is the CDG del Sur controlled municipality of Aldama (#2 in the above map). Even more sparsely populated than González, the municipality appears to be divided into four plazas: the town of Aldama, along highway 180, the town of La Muralla, located further north along highway 180, Barra del Morrón along the southern coast, and Barra del Tordo in the central coast.

Directly north of Aldama is another sparsely populated municipality, Soto la Marina (#37 in the above map), with the town of the same name located along highway 180.  Soto la Marina appears important in a number of ways.  Highway 180 continues north into the municipality of San Fernando (#35 in the above map), which is partially controlled by the CDG faction of Matamoros, thus it is likely the final staging ground of any drugs being turned over to Matamoros (#22 in the above map).  To the west is the Zeta territory, therefore highways 70 and 75, which connect into the town of Soto la Marina, would likely be strategically controlled by the CDG del Sur.

Northeast of Soto la Marina is the final municipality in Tamaulipas controlled by the CDG del Sur, Abasolo (#1 in the above map).  To reach the city of Abasolo itself, one would turn off of highway 180 onto highway 38.  Based upon the overall location, I believe that Abasolo is strategically controlled in order to form a barrier from Zeta controlled territory to the west (#18 in the above map) and north (#10 and #35 in the above map). Directly south of Tamaulipas is the state of Veracruz.  It is made up of 212 different municipalities, and, due to its vast size, the various municipalities are grouped into 10 different regions.

Veracruz

The northernmost region in Veracruz is called Huasteca Alta and is composed of 15 municipalities. was a point in time that Veracruz was considered solely dominated by Los Zetas.  An article from December 31, 2011 focused on the Huasteca Alta. It mentioned how the Pánuco River, which marks the border of Tamaulipas and Veracruz was a line that both sides attempted to cross, with Los Zetas incurring into Tampico and the CDG incurring into Pueblo Viejo (#3 on the map below) and Tampico Alto (#4 on the map below). 

Times have changed.  According to a note on the map created by Valor por Tamulipas

“Matarredonda and Pueblo Viejo Veracuz form part of the CDG del Sur with their own heads of plaza.  They make incursions into the zones of Z control”.  The municipality of Pueblo Viejo is part of the Tampico metropolitan area.  While I have not specifically located Matarredona, it is not a municipality and appears to be an area within Pueblo Viejo itself.

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CDG Matamoros Part 2: A New Generation

Continued from Part 1: From Cartel to Faction

Information and Uncertainty

Before moving forward, the level of uncertainty in the coming timeframe should be touched upon. An argument can be made that, with regards to the Cártel del Golfo (CDG, Gulf Cartel) as a whole, information being reported by major media and government sources reached a peak during the leadership of Antonio “Tony Tormenta” Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén. 

While it was not overly noticeable at the time, there was a decline in information during the leaderships of Mario “M1” Cárdenas Guillén/Jorge Eduardo “El Coss” Costilla Sánchez and Mario “Pelón” Armando Ramírez Treviño. Additionally, as the cartel landscape became increasingly complicated in Tamaulipas, the absence of reporting, combined with increasingly contradictory information being spread, led to a level of uncertainty around numerous events, to the extent that even a most wanted list created confusion.

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CDG Matamoros Part 8: The Drums of War

"Itzli" for Borderland Beat. 

June 2020 to June 2021: The Matamoros faction appears to be growing in power as it extends its reach into San Luis Potosí, but the path forward looks uncertain amidst an arrest of a key figure, a betrayal, and overstepping in their conflict against Los Metros.

Continued from Part 7: Shadows of El Contador

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CDG Matamoros Part 13: Expanding Horizons

 "Itzli" for Borderland Beat. 

October 2022 to April 2023: Cells of the Matamoros faction appear in new areas and evidence seems to reinforce rumored alliances.

Continued from Part 12: Specter of the CJNG

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CDG Matamoros Part 1: From Cartel to Faction

Author’s Note: What began as a straightforward article about the current state of affairs and future prospects for the Cártel del Golfo Matamoros faction snowballed as writing background information expanded the scope of the article beyond the initial plan. In an effort to better serve the readers a multi-part series of articles has been decided upon.

The Overlooked Plaza 

The easternmost city in Mexico along the United States border, Heroica Matamoros (H. Matamoros or simply Matamoros for short) seems unremarkable; the third largest border city in the state of Tamaulipas, behind Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa, fourth along the Texas border once Ciudad Juárez is thrown in the mix, sixth along the border as a whole, well behind Tijuana and Mexicali. Yet this city of 542,000 people, comparable in size to Sacramento, California, the 34th largest city in the United States, has shaped the course of cartel history in Mexico and is poised to continue to do so, even as it is now often overlooked.

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Dynamics of the Cárdenas Guillén Family

By Itzli. 

We take a look at the Cárdenas Guillén family dynamics that have played an important part in shaping the CDG for over 25 years.

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Zeta Interrogation, Veronica Treviño Molina, Tampico

A woman who goes by the name Veronica Treviño Molina appears in a video where she claims to work for Los Zetas in Nuevo Laredo, taking orders from her direct boss “Comandante 50”. In the video she states she’s been working with the group for 8 or 9 years in Nuevo Laredo.

The women was picked up or “Levantada” in Tampico,where she had been stationed for 3 months. Tampico is currently controlled by the CDG while Nuevo Laredo is Zeta territory. She claims to have protection from several branches of the federal and municipal police in the area. The women claims her main objective in Tampico was to “Calentar la Plaza”, bring attention to the area where the CDG roam by killing taxi drivers, police, and innocent people.

“Calentar la Plaza” is a term that became popular this year, the term itself means “Heat up the Area”, which basically means anything bad that will bring attention to the area, anything like shootouts and murders, which ultimately is meant to cause conflicts between authorities/military and the current cartel in charge of the area.

The women speaks about opening up space by getting rid of the CDG so that a “Comandante Quique” or “El Taliban” can move into the area and change the territory from CDG to Zeta. She states that Comandante Quique is accompanied by Comandante Sinaloa 1, Comandante Sinaloa 2, Comandante Tango, Cholo, Rome, Elder, Topon, Canibal y Baldemonio. The plan was to have Comandante Quique move by this December.

The women also claims that part of the plan is to make the CDG come out in the open and make them clash with police they have fixed up in Tampico. She explains how they have a code in case they get stopped by any sort of police, the code is calling her comandante and stating “las ratas” or the rats.

An event is mentioned where they had been busted by the CDG in a house, apparently to what she explains, the CDG arrived accompanied by the Federal Police who arrested the group. After the CDG left, the police drove them to safety and released them.

She’s also asked about another occasion, no time or date is mentioned, but they do talk about the murdering of a family, they don’t mention if it happened in Tampico or Nuevo Laredo, but my guess is Tampico since she talks about the family being under protection by the CDG, and Nuevo Laredo is controlled by Zetas.

She explains how because of pressure from Com. Quique, to Com. Sinalo, they had to murder the family of a deserter named “Tampico”. She says that Tampico was a “traca” (person who reports and gathers Intel) for Lazcano, but later deserted the Zetas and joined with CDG. They never clearly state that he deserted Zetas for CDG, but it is mentioned that the family was innocent and that the CDG had it under protection, which means the same thing, why else would the CDG be protecting the family.

If anybody can recall this claim or has any information, feel free to contact me.

The video is full of claims, some seem to be real, others of course like in 90% of the videos, seem staged. Now let me make something very clear, when I say stage, I do not mean that the video is a fake, some people jump growling about "how can it be fake if the person was later found dead", I don’t mean it is fake, I just mean it was scripted. The person was captured, yes, but not everything the person says was said with free will, for example the ending part how the woman says “Yes but they killed an innocent family because they where being kept safe by the CDG”. How can somebody in their right mind really believe someone would say that without pressure from the opposing cartel!

Veronica Treviño Molina had already been captured back in 2008 and named the leader of "The Halcones" or lookouts. This was back when the Zetas where still allied with the CDG, so in the article she's tagged as CDG.

"Supposed leader of Halcones for CDG arrested, Aguascalientes"Federal Agents in Aguascalientes arrested Veronica Treviño Molina, leader of the lookout division for the CDG. She was in charge of reporting activities in the area.

SSP also reports that in the same operation they where able to nab second in command of that organization, Ruben Diaz Mendez.
The events took place on the corner of Los Conos and Las Cumbres when the two people named where spotted in a vehicle Nissan Sentra, Silver, model 2002.

This basically coveres all of the information of the video, I didn't think it was necessary to actually translate the video, since I basically covered all that was stated in this article, but just in case you guys do want it translated, i'll get around to it later, for now I provided you with the video, just incase some of you guys want to see it, thanks for reading.

-Maka

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Tamaulipas News and CDG Information

Borderland Beat

The following information was compiled by Borderland Beat forum poster Itzli.  We have many Tamaulipas readers who request Tamps material so I thought this would be appreciated and I am sure corrections and additions will be sent in. 

Unfortunately, there has been a narco news blackout in Tamps since 2010, typically sources on the ground and social media have been used to glean information of situations, events that occurred and SDR’s.  Unfortunately, social media is also a breeding ground for baseless rumors that spread and become “fact”.  It is an extremely difficult situation for reporting, in an explosive region. 

Tamaulipas Most Wanted List 

LOS ZETAS

Omar  Treviño Morales "Z42" (is headquartered in Coahuila)

Sergio Ricardo Basurto Peña " El Grande” (Nuevo Laredo)

Maxiley Nadales Barahona "El Max/Z-19" ( works in Veracruz, Chiapas and Tabasco)

CARTEL DEL GOLFO (CDG)

José Antonio  Romo López" La Hamburguesa" - Ciudad Mier

Juan Carlos  de la Cruz Moctezuma "El Chuma" - Miguel Alemán

José Ismael  Mendoza Falcón"Polimenso" - Frontera Chica

"El Comandante Paquito"- Reynosa

Juan Manuel  Rodríguez García"Juan Perros" - Río Bravo.

Carlos  González Escobar"Carlitos Whiskies"- Nuevo Progreso

Eduardo Ismael  Flores Borrego"El Negro" - Valle Hermoso.

Juan Francisco  Saenz Tamez"El Metro 103" - head of sicarios.

"El Orejón/Ciclón 7"- Matamoros

By Itzli April 7th

I begin by providing a brief recap and summary of information found elsewhere in other threads. The general consensus late last year was that the Gulf Cartel was divided into three major factions. Based out of Reynosa, the Metro faction was headed by X20. Based out of Matamoros, the Ciclones faction was headed by Homero Cardenas. Based out of Tampico, the CDG Sur faction was headed by K14. There was tension and outright conflict between Los Metros and Los Ciclones, while CDG Sur was aligned with Matamoros.

Within Los Metros there were conflicts between competing cells. X20 conducted a purge of those aligned with El Gringo, though X20 himself would later be arrested. Afterwards, conflict was predicted as a number of individuals seemed poised to compete for the leadership, yet things seemed to remain calm. Last week saw the arrest of El Simple, who was a member of Los Metros, though his power within the group is debated.

Within Los Ciclones, it was speculated that Homero was gradually consolidating power within the Gulf Cartel as a whole. Yet recent reports indicate that he suffered a medical setback last November which led to him being hospitalized. Rumors of his death have surfaced, as well as reports that Los Ciclones have been investigating if Los Metros had a hand in it.

Within CDG Sur, reports of extortion and kidnappings increased in Tampico and K14 was directly blamed. He would eventually be arrested as a result of betrayal by his own faction. A number of potential replacements were heard, but it appeared El Wuasa, a native of Matamoros took over, only to be executed by his followers and members of his family were killed and kidnapped at his funeral.

The Emerging Conflict

Over the weekend, a number of shootouts and killings occurred in Tampico. On the surface it would appear that it is the fallout of the death of El Wuasa as members seek revenge or to gain power. Yet there seems to be more going on and it appears that those acting in the conflict are pawns of an increasing conflict between Los Metros and Los Ciclones.

As best I can piece together based upon information on Valor por Tamaulipas, the struggle in Tampico on the surface the axis of power is shifting from the urban zone to the rural zone.

In Tampico there is a group called Los Jimmy, founded by Comandante Jimmy who was executed or killed in Reynosa some time ago. Members of the group have a call sign using the initial J followed by a number. After Comandante Jimmy's death, El Chive, also known as J2, took control of the group along with his brother, El Tony, also known as J3.

They have been in charge of stealing from pipelines in the area and have gained power since the fall of K14 and the death of La Wuasa. They have put in place another member of their group; some say El Guason, also known as J16, has been put in charge of Tampico, while others say it is El Chema. Regardless, it seems that  Los Jimmy's are receiving support from Comandante Cortez, reportedly a high ranking member of Los Metros. Other CDG Sur groups are aligned with Los Jimmy: Grupo Escorpion of Lazaro and Grupo Michelin of "Gordo May".

Los Jimmy are fighting to wipe out Arturo "El Sheyla/Sheila" Garza Treviño, provoking conflicts in Tampico and Ciudad Madero. "El Sheyla" was trained in Sinaloa by former soldiers and had previously worked under "El Coss" and "El Sierra" before working under "K14". He has been in charge of the war, alongside Los K, against Los Zetas in Tampico since 2010 and was the creator of Grupo Dragon. He currently is backed by Los Ciclones of Matamoros.

It appears that Tampico is now a proxy fight between Los Metros and Los Ciclones.

Most wanted list is from 24 Horas

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Interview With a Former CDG Includes Organization Information

Borderland Beat-Submitted by BB reader  "Jose" and translated by  BB reader "Perla"

Interview ex member of CDG:

First of all, how much time have you been working for this organization (CDG)?

-More than 6 years

What was the cause of the internal war of CDG?

-The primary cause was the death of M3 

Was it ordered to killed M3 or what happened? Why all of a sudden rojos  vs metros?

-The situation is as follows: CDG had a pact with CDS, Costilla was who managed to pact with el Chapo, they had in mind join CDG & CDS; however a fraction of CDG did not agreed which was the group of the metros commanded by M3 at that time, denying to cooperate, his death is ordered (M3’s death), the metros and Mario Pelon (X20) take the situation personal and it is when the internal war begins in CDG.

The reds are conformed by : Kalimanes (people of Commander Sierra), the Alacranes (People of Costilla), Group XW (commanded by Commander Wicho until his capture, now they are under orders if XW-2), R’s commanded by R1, the X’s commanded by Coss, the ciclones (cyclones) loyal to the Cardenas until the capture of the nephews of Osiel, now they are part of the XW; this group operates with CDS, they joined them so that CDS control all Tamaulipas leaving out CDG, now the metros.

The metros: Commanded by X20 (Mario Pelon) and Metro 4 (Negro, suspect to be brother of M3). The group is formed by Metros and Deltas. Deltas are located in Baladezes and the Metros from Diaz Ordaz to Rio Bravo.

What will be the fate of CDG and CDS?

-Very simple, CDS will domain Tamaulipas and CDG will disappear from the map of the traffic of drug. [Chivis: many of us stated this from the beginning-why doesn't CDG see this?]

What was the strength in CDG?

-The union and the line of Commanders

The Commander, How does that work?

-Very simple, you have a leader and he assigns the commanders in charge of each region or plaza (high rank), these commanders are in charge of recruiting people and create their group and in that group, there is another line of commanders in charge of the following.

Commander of body guards: Its task is to organize all the people that is used for war and for protection to the chief.

Commander of Sector: He is in charge of watch over the assigned colonies

Commander of guards: its task is to distribute the haws or guards around the city to give location of elements of the army, marine, federal police and also is in charge of watching that rivals don’t enter the city. Generally, at the entrances of every city, there are two watching over.

Bookkeeper: Is in charge of handling the numbers, meaning that he handles the account statement of the expenses in matters of finance and drug

With these elements, you could handle a cartel very well and in Mexico just 1 cartel uses this very good method and that is the Sinaloa Cartel, the Guld Cartel used it until a few months ago, 6 months to be exact.

Why is it said that Reynosa and Matamoros is the cradle of CDG?

-Very simple, there is where the drug is crossed (to US)

Why in those sectors, why not in Rio Bravo or any other part?

-Very good question, the reason is the following; in other cities it is very difficult to cross the drug since many towns are very simple which allow the army to identify us.

To finish this interview, what should we await for in the next months regarding insecurity?

-Well, a lot, I would say, since CDS is fighting strong here in Tamaulipas and the violence is going to increase when CDS and CDG confront each other.

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CDN Leaves Human Head with Message Signed By El Romeo, in Victoria, Tamaulipas

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

The Northeast Cartel (Cártel del Noreste, CDN) allegedly left black trash bags containing human remains in the city of Victoria, in Tamaulipas. 

Warning: Graphic images below this point.

The Bags

At approximately 9:40 pm, on Sunday, August 21, 2022, a resident of the López Portillo neighborhood, of the city of Victoria, reported to the emergency phone line the discovery of a bright green narco sign next to a number of suspicious looking garbage bags on Bertha del Avellano Street. 

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Interview of Former CDG

Posted in Borderland Beat Forum by Nini_Consentido

Special Contribution:

First of all, how long were you working for this organization (CDG)?

-More than 6 years 

What was the cause of the internal war within the CDG?

-The primary cause was the death of M3

Was there an order to execute M3 or what happened? Why suddenly Rojos Vs Metros?

-The situation is the following, the CDG had a pact with the CDS, Costilla was the one that was able to join with El Chapo, they intended to unite CDG & CDS but a faction of the CDG was not in agreement, this faction was the group Metros led by M3, at that time when he refused to cooperate, they ordered the execution of M3, Los Metros and Mario Pelon (X20) took matters personal and that is when the internal conflict started within the CDG.

Los Rojos are made up of: Kalimanes (People of Commander Sierra), Scorpions (People of Costilla) Group XW (Commanded of Commander Wicho at least until his capture, now they are under the command of XW-2) Los R's under the command of R1, Los X's commanded by Coss, Los Ciclones loyal to Los Cardenas until the capture of Osiel's nephews who now form part of the member XW, this group operates together with CDS, they joined so that CDS can control all of Tamaulipas leaving CDG out who are now Los Metros.

Los Metros: They are Led by X20 (Mario Pelon) and by the Metro 4 (El Negro who is alleged to be brother of M3) they are made up of Metros and Deltas, the Deltas are from Baladezes and Los Metros are from Diaz Ordaz all the way to Rio Bravo.

What do you think will be the fate of the CDG & CDS?

Very simple, CDS will dominate Tamaulipas and CDG will disappear from the map of drug trafficking.

What was the strength of the CDG?

-The unity and the rank of Commanders.

The rank of commanders? How does that work?

Very simple, you have a leader that puts the commanders in charge of each region or plaza (high command), these commanders are responsible for recruiting people and create their group and within that group is another rank of commanders in charge of the following:

*Commander of escorts: their job is to organize all the people who are used for battle and to give protection to the boss.

*Sector Commander: This person is responsible for monitoring the communities assigned.

*Commander of the Guards: is responsible to distribute los halcones or guards around the city to give information about the location of elements of the army, navy, federal police and also to monitor rival organization so that they don't enter the plazas, in general at the entrances of every town there are more than 2 halcones that are constantly monitoring.

*The Accountant: Is responsible for managing the numbers, what I mean is that he keeps tract of the cost of economic; materials and drugs.

With this system you could run a cartel real well and in Mexico there is only one cartel that uses this system very well, that is that Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel used it a few months ago or 6 to be exact.

Why do you say that Reynosa and Matamoros are the cradle of CDG?

Very simple, there is where they cross the drugs.

Why in these sectors, why not Rio Grande or elsewhere?

Very good question, the reason is this, in other towns we find it very hard to traffic the drugs because many of the towns are very small which allows the army to easily identify us.

To close this interview, what lies ahead for the next months on the issue of insecurity?

 'Well, a lot I would say, because the CDS is fighting very hard here in Tamaulipas and violence will increased when CDS and CDG confront each other <--- (Metros).

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Failed Cartel Ambush and Shootouts in Tamaulipas Leave Several Gunmen Dead as Turf War Intensifies

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat (formerly "MX"); TY to "Negro Torro"

Armored SUV used by the CDG in failed ambush; the door has the insignia of "Metro 37"

The rural community of Los Guerra in Tamaulipas is the epicenter of an intense narco-war between the Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel (CDG), the rival Northeast Cartel (CDN), a faction of the old Zetas group, and Mexican security forces. Last weekend, CDG members travelling in a convoy of 15 to 17 vehicles ambushed Mexican Army patrol units in Los Guerra. The military neutralized the attack and killed 2 gang members.

At the scene, authorities seized six vehicles owned by the CDG. Pictures show that some of the SUVs were bullet-proof and had armored sunroofs. One of the vehicles had the insignia of "Metro 37", a suspected member of the Metros faction that has not been fully identified. It was reported that the CDG cell involved in this attack worked for this cartel member.

EXTREMELY GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW

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Los Metros vs CDN Battle Leaves At Least 4 Dead in General Bravo, Nuevo León

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat

There was reportedly a battle between members of the Northeast Cartel (Cártel de Noroeste, CDN) and the Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo, CDG) in General Bravo municipality in Nuevo León.

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Tales of Los Zetas: Los 7

"Itzli" for Borderland Beat.

A look at the formation of the original seven core members of Los Zetas amidst the shifting power within the CDG.

Introduction

In the history of Mexican drug cartels it can be argued that Los Zetas reached a level of infamy and widespread recognition that eclipsed any other cartel group. While much has been written over the years about its origins and activities of what began as a subgroup of the Cártel del Golfo (CDG, Gulf Cartel), the history of Los Zetas in its early years has been plagued by the spread of multiple contradictory versions of events.

Because of this, it appears that a definitive history of the early days of Los Zetas is unachievable. Nevertheless, we will take a look at the formation of Los Zetas with a strong focus on chronology in an effort to shed light on the original members.

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Zeta Betrayal

I had seen this article around on a  few Narco blogs and thought little of it. But due to recent videos released by the Gulf cartel that give credibility to the rumors of a split within the leadership of los Zetas, I thought this article was worth translating. It is difficult to say where the article originated from, or who the author is. Narco blogs are notorious for ripping off legitimate work from journalists and photographers without giving any credit for their sources, so if I can’t verify the source, I don’t give credit. Either way, it seems to have good information about the current situation among the Z.
-Smurf
 
1/3/11 - A memo sent from the state department of the U.S. to  the government of Mexico indicate concerns over  an alliance between los Zetas, and the Secretary of Public Security (SSP), Genaro Garcia Luna, and the top brass of the Federal Preventive Police (PFP). It is alleged that the head of the SSP took several million dollars from the Zetas in exchange for which they received protect and the SSP began major operations against the Gulf cartel.

The confidential report signals the alliance was between Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, (a) el Z 40, and a close confidante who worked withing the highest levels of the Federal Government. This federal contact would set up operations that targeted Miguel Treviño’s enemies for arrest and sometimes death by elements of the police.

It goes on to state that the Federal Police have lost the confidence of the people and within the Calderon led government, because of evidence of narco-infiltrators working amongst their file and rank. The level of corruption within the Federal Police has gotten so out of hand that the fight against organized crime in Mexico has been taken up by The Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA) and the Mexican Marines. The Federal Police are complicit with los Zetas  in their fight against the Gulf cartel (CDG) in the frontier cities of Reynosa, Matamoros, Miguel Alemán, Camargo, Mier, Nueva Ciudad Guerrero and Díaz Ordaz. This information was obtained from the declaration of a member of Z-40′s inner circle, who was recently captured.

The PFP took the unusual step of securing accommodations for their base of operations in the town of  Miguel Alemán in a hotel called Tío Luz. In the city of Camargo they were located in Hotel Arturo’s. This was part of a new offensive that was authorized by  Genaro García Luna himself, in collusion with several high ranking members of the PFP.

Two municipal police officers were kidnapped and murdered in the municipality of China, (which is located in the Northeastern state of Nuevo León).  This was in part due to a request for federal backup by Z-40 for help against the Gulf cartel. It was an attempt to create a smokescreen and a reason for the PFP to come down hard on the CDG. But the truth was that the municipal police were taken from the Cadereyta zone, which is a well known Zeta stronghold, led by one of their most valued lieutenants, El Flaco, who rules that plaza at the request of Z-40. The municipality of China is only one KM away from the   busy Monterrey-Reynosa highway.


After the theory of CDG involvement in the murders went nowhere, an independent investigation by SEDENA led tot the arrest of a garrison of Zetas in the community of Vallecillos, Nuevo León. At the safe house were the suspects were detained, SEDENA officials found a large stash of automatic weapons and several ammunition clips. In addition to the aresenal, investigators also found the license plates of the vehicles that belonged missing police officers.What is important to note from this incident is that this is how Treviño Morales exerts control against certain elements within his own power structure of the Zetas organization, even against his own ally and supposed leader of the Z cartel, Heriberto Lazacano Lazacano (a) El Lazca.

The U.S. State Department has offered a $5 million dollar bounty for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Treviño Morales.

The memo from the State Department also reveals details of how Treviño Morales deals vengeance and plans executions against members of his own cartel.

First example is an incident in which Z-40 hired a sicario to kill Efraín Teodoro Torres (a) Z 14 (also called) La Chispa, who was the Zeta leader of the plaza of the gulf state of Veracruz. (plaza’s are  area’s of cartel influence, sometimes referring to state, or sometimes an important city, such as Juarez).

In another incident, Z-40 used his contacts within the PFP to give them information that was passed on to the Sub-Prosecutor Specialized against Organized Crime (SIEDO) and the office of the Attorney General (PGR). This information led to the arrest and conviction of Luis Reyes Enríquez (a) “El Rex” (also called) “Z-12”, in the town of Atonilco El Grande, en which is located in the central state of Hidalgo.

The reason for all this betrayal was that Morales Treviño was upset about being displaced as the #2 zeta, next to Heriberto Lazcano. Daniel Pérez Rojas (a) El Cachetes had taken Z-40′s position in the pecking order and was now in charge of the transit route for drugs being imported from Central America by way of Guatemala. Z-40 began filtering information to the Federal Police about the location of Daniel Pérez Rojas, in a effort to have him caught.

Daniel Pérez Rojas is one of the original 31, U.S. trained, military deserters of the former team called Airmobile Special Forces Group (GAFE), which is was considered an elite division of the Mexican military. These deserters became the founders of Los Zetas, the armed wing of the Gulf cartel (which later splintered off and became their own organization after the arrest and conviction of CDG leader Osiel Cárdenas Guillen).  Pérez Rojas was finally detained by the National Civil Police in Guatemala in April of 2008.

El Cachetes received his training from the Mexican Army, including a course in psychological warfare at the U.S. military base of Fort Bragg. He quickly became one of Heriberto Lazcano’s most trusted confidantes. El Lazca is considered to be the actual leader of  los Zetas, and he initiated the cartel’s plans to expand into the southern Mexican states. Authorities believe this strategy has includes the recent Zeta activity in Guatemala, and what “El Cachetes” was doing there in the first place.The memo indicates that “El Cachetes” was found with information that was filtered to Guatemalan police which originated from Z-40 himself.

Another zeta that was betrayed by Treviño Morales near the end of 2008 was Jaime González Durán (a) El Hummer. His telephone numbers and radio communication frequency was given to the PFP who used the coordinates to track him down in the border town of Reynosa, located in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas (near Brownsville, TX).

In November of 2009, utilizing the same method of filtering information to the PFP, Z-40 orchestrated the capture of fellow zeta  Sergio Enrique Ruiz Tlapanco, (a) “El Tlapa”, one of the principal operators (wholesale drug dealer) for los Zetas in the states of Veracruz, Tabasco and Puebla.
With this strategy, Treviño Morales, is attempting to gain absolute control over the Zeta organization, and with it, he plans the demise of the current leader, Heriberto Lazcano (a) Z-3 or El Lazca Or El Verdugo (the executioner).

In exchange for a payment of millions of dollars to the federal authorities, Z-40 planned the capture of his own boss,  Heriberto Lazcano. This was to take place during a reunion party for the top power structure of los Zetas loacted on a ranch called El Atorón, in the state of San Luís Potosí.
The PFP launched an all-out strike to capture or kill the Zeta leader, but El Lazca managed to escape unharmed.

In the ensuing chaos of the PFP crashing the Zeta party, a man of great confidence to EL Lazca, and the person in charge of the plaza of  San Luis Potosí, who was simply identified by the name Pedro, was found murdered in the street three days later, an apparent consequence of allowing the situation to occur on his territory in the first place.

During this particular operation, the PFP managed to capture El Chiricuas, lieutenant and right-hand man to Heriberto Lazcano, along with another man nicknamed Paguas Grande, who was also a high ranking Zeta.
Before this power struggle occurred, Morales Treviño was considered a confidante to Z-3, who gave him the nickname “El Cachorro”, and he held a large amount of sway within the organization.

Because of his high-profile status and the risk of attack or arrest,  El Lazca lives in a state of constant paranoia. This has generated problem with other members of his organization, especially with Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales and his group. He is particualrly wary of Z-40, whom he beleives is the one responsible for recent Zeta captures in important plazas, according to the memo from the U.S. State Department.

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The Emerging War for Reynosa

"Itzli" for Borderland Beat, Images & Graphics by "Hearst"

The city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas is in the crosshairs; threats of war are emerging from the east and west and internal infighting is increasing the possibility of changes that have not been seen in quite some time.

The Plaza of Reynosa

Within the state of Tamaulipas there are a number of cities, towns, and rural points on the border which provide lucrative access for drug smuggling, as well as migrant smuggling, into the United States. Of these, the city of Reynosa is arguably the second or third most valuable, closely matched with Matamoros and falling behind to Nuevo Laredo.

In the 1990s the Cartel del Golfo (CDG, Gulf Cartel), based out of Matamoros, began its domination of this plaza up until early 2010 when Los Zetas, formally the armed wing of the CDG, fully broke away from its parent organization following three years of independence in association with the CDG. Although heavily entrenched in the plaza of Reynosa, Los Zetas were driven out of the city by a subgroup of the CDG known as Los Metros.

Thereafter, a stalemate emerged to the west of Reynosa as Los Zetas controlled the area from Nuevo Laredo southeast to Nueva Ciudad Guerrero and the CDG dominated from the Gulf of Mexico through Ciudad Mier, leaving the 10 mile stretch between the two cities as a frequent warzone as both sides attempted to incur into each other's territory.

Meanwhile, the CDG itself began to fracture into various factions, the most prominent of which were the original core, based out of Matamoros, and Los Metros, based out of Reynosa, which continued to control the border region west of Reynosa known as La Frontera Chica through Ciudad Mier. Within the scope of the conflict between the factions of Matamoros and Los Metros, the plaza of Río Bravo became a frequent warzone and, in fact, has often dictated the course of CDG history.

The Continued CDN Threat

The Cartel del Noreste (CDN, Northeast Cartel) emerged in Nuevo Laredo as a rebranding of sorts of Los Zetas. Under the leadership of Juan Gerardo Treviño Chavez, alias “El Huevo”, the CDN managed to push further east than the pervious stalemate and, in time, took control of Ciudad Mier, pushing the conflict zone between the CDN and Los Metros to the area between Ciudad Mier and Ciudad Miguel Alemán.

Meanwhile, the CDN opened up a second front against Los Metros from the south, ultimately targeting the plaza of Camargo, as previously reported by Borderland Beat. Amidst this two pronged offensive against Los Metros, rumors briefly emerged regarding a split within the CDN as members on the war front wanted to become an independent organization due to a lack of support from CDN leadership in Nuevo Laredo. However, these rumors faded quickly and may have been misinformation.

In recent weeks, a line of rumors indicated that the CDN was supporting the Morena candidate for governor of Tamaulipas, Américo Villarreal Anaya, in the June 5, 2022 election. It was to be expected that, regardless of the winner, shifts in the cartel landscape in Tamaulipas would likely emerge in the coming weeks and months. With Américo Villarreal winning the election, the CDN could potentially take an even more aggressive stance as they ultimately seek to take over the Reynosa plaza should the rumors prove true.

Allies Become Enemies

The power of Los Metros has always stemmed from their control of Reynosa and the wealth that it provided along with a number of smaller border plazas in the Frontera Chica. However, Los Metros have long suffered from a lack of stable centralized leadership and, more often than not, the leader of Los Metros faces well positioned subordinates looking to expand their power with the ultimate goal of taking control of the cartel faction for themselves.

In this context, the leadership of César Morfín Morfín, alias “El Primito”/code name “M300”, has been notable in the simple fact that he has managed to lead Los Metros without being arrested, killed, or overthrown since he emerged as leader in 2018 despite not being well known before this time.

That is not to say that there has not been infighting within Los Metros during his leadership, as a number of members have been killed, the most notable of which occurring this year being that of Rafael Joaquin Salinas Aparicio, code name “Metro 32”, which was reported by Borderland Beat at the end of January.

Immediately thereafter, rumors frequently popped up stating that the next two members of Los Metros that would be taken out by order of “El Primito” would be the brothers Héctor Sánchez Rivera, alias “La Mimi”/code name “M-1” and Ernesto Sánchez Rivera, alias “La Mierda”/code name “M-22”.

On Saturday, June 11, 2022 a relatively minor incident took place in the Aquiles Serdán neighborhood of Reynosa, an area of the city under the control of “La Mimi” and “La Mierda”, when a State Police vehicle was attacked by armed men around 9:00 AM. While it seems insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it was the visible signaled of major events occurring in the shadows.

By noon of that same day, rumors emerged that Carlos Humberto Acuña de los Santos, alias “El Mono”/code name “M36”, the head of the Reynosa plaza, had turned on “La Mimi” and “La Mierda”, and that the brothers had fled the city. Brietbart would go so far as to later claim that they crossed into the United States and were with family members living in Hildago, TX.

The following day, Sunday, June 12, Twitter reports indicated that a convoy of trucks marked "M-58" was seen in Aquiles Serdán. It can be tentatively assumed that these individuals were acting under Roque Barriga Cruz Fuentes, alias "El Roke"/"El Roque" and code names "M58" and "M107", who is the operations chief in Reynosa under "El Mono".

It can be readily assumed that the move by “El Mono” came on orders of “El Primito”, who had made yet another move to ensure continued control of the Los Metros Faction of the CDG but, in doing so, has likely turned the brothers into full enemies rather than the potential rivals they had been up to this point.

The Fading Peace Agreement

When Los Metros first split from the core of the CDG based out of Matamoros, the plaza of Río Bravo was controlled by a group within the cartel known as Los Panteras, which apparently joined with the breakaway faction, thus ensuring initial control of Río Bravo under the leadership of Los Metros in Reynosa.

However, Río Bravo’s traditional ties to the Matamoros plaza, as well as it being a staging ground for trafficking through the Donna Bridge and, more significantly, through Nuevo Progreso into Progreso, led Río Bravo to become a center of conflict between the two factions of the CDG, with Matamoros eventually taking full control of the plaza despite being less than five miles from the eastern edge of the city of Reynosa.

Under the leadership of the Matamoros Faction of the CDG, the Río Bravo evolved into a refuge for some former members of Los Metros who had conflicted with the Los Metros Faction proper, most notably Petronilo Moreno Flores, alias “El Panilo”/code name “Metro 100”, prior to his arrest, Juan Francisco Martínez Ramírez, alias “El Paquito”/code name “Metro 77”, following his release from prison, and Juan Miguel Lizardi Castro, alias “El Miguelito”/code name “Metro 56”.

The Matamoros Faction of the CDG did not stop there campaign against Los Metros at Río Bravo; instead they used the city as a launching point for incursions into the city of Reynosa. One particularly notable offensive took place on June 19, 2021, covered immediately by Borderland Beat, which was reportedly ordered by “El Paquito”, “El Miguelito”, and members of the Matamoros Faction of the CDG.

A month later banners appeared in Tamaulipas announcing that a truce had been reached between three CDG factions: Los Metros under “El Primito”, Matamoros under the name of SC XIX Grupo Scorpion, which was interpreted to reference the Matamoros subgroup Los Escorpiones and their leader José Alberto García Vilano, alias “La Kena”/code name “Ciclón 19”, and Los Rojos of Tampico, a CDG faction which has traditionally been aligned with the Matamoros Faction. 

It is worth noting that, according to numerous rumors, the government of Tamaulipas helped broker and enforce the truce and, nearly a year later, it had managed to stay in effect, with all parties holding to it until recently.

Around the same time on Saturday, June 11, 2022 that the rumors emerged regarding “La Mimi” and “La Mierda” fleeing Reynosa, information began to spread openly that sources had been saying for days that the truce had fallen apart. It was specifically stated that “El Miguelito” had given the greenlight to the Matamoros Faction to enter Reynosa with his support. Furthermore, it was stated that “La Kena” had been in Nuevo Progreso recently to speak with “El Joker”/“Comandante Casco” and other high ranking members of the cartel to prepare for the coming war. 

The following day, June 12, Loba Indomable, a Twitter account that reports heavily on Tamaulipas cartel activity around the Reynosa area, posted that they had been notified about a caravan of armed men that was spotted around Valle Hermoso heading to Río Bravo.

That evening, Reynosa Codigo Rojo, a Twitter account dedicated to "red alert" situations in Reynosa, reported that “La Kena” had ordered “El Miguelito” to give support to “La Mimi” and “La Mierda” in order to gain control of Reynosa. 

The prevailing question to be confirmed: have Los Escorpiones of the Matamoros Faction of the CDG already entered Reynosa?

Sources: El Mañana, Carmen E, Tamaulipas R-T-C, Loba Indomable, Reynosa Codigo Rojo

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