Power and Control

April 1, 2019 Crime , OTHER

Reuters photo

By

Ricardo Swire

After Mexican Marines’ July 2013 capture of two prominent Los Zetas Cartel bosses-of-bosses who are brothers with aliases Z40 and Z42 in Anahuac, Nuevo León near the Tamaulipas state border, their nephew “El Comandante Huevo” took control of daily operations. Under his leadership and rebranded “Cartel del Noreste” (CDN) the criminal syndicate captured Nuevo Laredo, a profitable domestic smuggling plaza.

Previously in August 2018 El Comandante Huevo, escorted by fifty vehicles transporting CDN gunmen, coordinated four attacks against the Mexican Army in different part of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. The city is located on the Rio Grande banks across from the US city Laredo, Texas. A Second Lieutenant assigned to Nuevo Laredo’s 16th Cavalry Regiment was killed in one gun battle. Three CDN aggressors shot dead in another shootout.

New data indicated a CDN offensive that expands across Monterrey, capital of northeastern state Nuevo Leon, Mexico’s third largest business hub. Evidence was the “Narcomanta” or “Banner,” displayed between Saturday March 16th and Sunday March 17th 2019, in San Pedro Garza Garcia city. The Banner’s visual audience anyone within the Monterrey environs. Its message was a threat to kill rival Gulf Cartel members and “the people of El Gato” who refuse to leave.

In one internal security offensive a senior Nuevo Leon or “iron state” SWAT officer was detained for playing the role of double-agent. As a key part of Gulf Cartel’s expansion the SWAT officer recruited law enforcers, from the southwestern part of Coahuila state, to join secretive ranks. El Gato is rival Beltram Leyva Cartel leader who oversees San Pedro Garza Garcia. His organization linked to fifteen high profile murders. Domestic businesses are extorted to remit fees to the forty year old crime boss’ organization. The contesting CDN has communicated a message promoting punishment if its representatives are not paid.

In December 2018 media executives of a Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas state company found a written message attached to the front door, accompanied by a cooler containing a human head. On Wednesday March 13th 2019 another media house reported twelve journalists received CDN extortion threats. Anonymous callers revealed targeted journalists’ personal data, such as addresses and family activities. Cash payments demanded for provision of safe work environments.