The Lion has Taken Over the Circus: The Rise of Los Zetas

Murders in Mexico are on the rise in 2009, and the violence has left many people questioning whether or not Mexico might become a failed state. Much of the violence is perpetrated by the new Mega-Cartel, “Los Zetas.”

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In March of 2002, U.S. Customs agents were involved in a shootout south of Phoenix with an enemy they had not seen before. Equipped with automatic weapons, body armor, and state-of-the-art communications, in a word - it looked “military.”

Kyle Barnette says, “I’d be lying if I didn’t say it concerns us.”

This quote refers to one of the first battles believed to have involved Los Zetas, a group which was born when 30 or so members of a special Mexican military unit deserted. Mentioning their supposed origins is a pre-requisite of any article or conversation regarding Los Zetas.

Formed as a Green Beret style militia, trained by U.S, French, and Israeli Special Forces , this unit was originally called the Gafes.Ironically, special training was for the purpose of combating Drug Cartels. Lack of education kept them from advancing any further in the military. Lack of education kept the heavy decision making out of their hands and instead gave them the heavy lifting.

Drug Cartel Enforcer Unit is a few pay grades higher than Glorified Grunt of the Mexican Military.

Because they are ex-military they are able to use sophisticated weaponry and carry out intricate operations. This made them a favored hire of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas have also trained other paramilitary groups. One in particular is Los Negroes, which if the name is any indication is just like Los Zetas, but with black guys.

In 2006, Felipe Calderon was elected as Mexico’s new president, and he promised to clean out Mexico’s drug cartels.

(Calderon) decided to launch a proper war on the drug barons, deploying more than 36,000 troops and police around the country… The initiative has nabbed some top cartel bosses and drug shipments, but the drug gangs are as defiant as ever

The arrest of cartel bosses led to vacuums of power. Vacuums of power have allowed Los Zetas to take over many of the operations historically run by cartels.

“The Gulf cartel created the lion, but now the lion has wised up and controls the handler,” said the U.S. law enforcement official, on condition of anonymity. “This has resulted in the lion roaming free and leaving a bloody trail of chaos. The Zetas don’t ask the Gulf cartel permission for anything anymore.

No longer a group of egalitarian enforcers, they are now an organization of leaders, middle-management and soldiers; suppliers, smugglers and kidnappers. Hired street gangs carry out some of the day to day work.

Like any good company they have aggressively expanded their boundaries. At first limited to the northern states where they could help control shipping routes, they have now moved farther south where production occurs.

The recent fighting in Torreon stems largely from Los Zetas fighting with rival cartels as they move farther south. Torreon is open territory. This sort of thing would never occur in Mazatlan, located on the west coast and securely in the territory of the Chapo Guzman led Sinaloa Cartel.

Their grab for power has also led to the recent upswing in violence in key border cities, such as Juarez.

The Zetas have clearly become the biggest, most serious threat to the nation’s security,” said Raul Benitez, a Mexico security expert at American University in Washington, D.C.

People in charge of knowing such things remain unsure how many members Los Zetas actually boasts. Estimates are anywhere from 50ish to 2,000ish. Most seem to think the number closer to 200ish and it probably varies depending on the day, season, or operation.

Their ability to control a large area with few members stems from their aforementioned hiring of local gangs. Bullying and purchasing local law enforcement adds to their unofficial ranks.

The rise of Pseudo-Zetas can also explain why their numbers seem larger than they are. Pseudo-Zetas are criminals who are not Zetas, but cash in on the name. In the midst of their illegal activity they may yell out something like “I am a Zeta.” This works because people don’t squeal on Zetas. If they do they will kill you.

Pseudo-Zetas have also been known to frequent establishments that real Zetas “protect.” Pretending to be real Zetas, the Pseudos demand “protection” money and make a nice little profit off the clout of a feared gang. This seems clever until the real Zetas find out and kill them.

Zetas are believed to be active in 31 Mexico states. There are 31 Mexican states in total and the federal district of Mexico City.

If you see a Zeta, I am told not to stare at them as they are very secretive. They might kill you…which at this point seems wholly unimaginative.