This entry was posted on 6/8/2008 1:22 PM and is filed under Zetas.
Zetas Forming Independent Cartel KRGV TV : May 20th 2008
Summary: Mexican media and Stratfor intelligence agency are reporting
the Zetas are becoming an independent drug cartel. The new cartel is an alliance
between Heriberto Lazcano, believed to be leader of the Zetas, and Arturo
Beltran-Levya, a former commander of the Sinaloa drug cartel. The U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency says the Zetas can "beat any cartel currently known and
become a real national security problem for Mexico and the United
States."
Analysis: As you may know, for the past
several years the Zetas, former Mexican Special Forces turned Gulf Cartel
mercenaries, have been wreaking havoc along the US Mexican border. As
Msthirteen.com predicted, the
Zetas have finally realized that they need not subordinate themselves to a less
competent organization like the Gulf Cartel. This is definitely bad news for the
US, specifically the border communities of Laredo and Brownsville Texas. As reported
by Msthirteen.com in the past, members of MS-13 are sometimes hired as low level
operatives within the Zetas. The increasing scope of operations the Zetas will
now be undertaking may necessitate an increase in the recruitment of Central
American street gang members. Military prowess doesn’t necessarily always
transfer into business success, so I would expect the Zetas to have the same
types of purely business issues as other cartels. However, there sophisticated
special operations background will certainly help. It remains to be seen whether
this sophistication will trickle down into their newly developing distribution
networks.
