Topic: Los Zetas

Mexico: Sharp fall in drug violence inspires new optimism

Along much of the 1,970-mile border between Mexico and the US, levels of violence that peaked in 2011 have fallen, and a national survey found optimism for Mexico's security situation is on the rise.

MS-13 gang: Why US Treasury is after the gang's assets

MS-13 gang: The US has designated the violent MS-13 gang as a international criminal group on Thursday, an unprecedented crackdown targeting the finances of the US and Central America group.

Zetas leader killed by chance, says Mexican navy

The Mexican navy admitted that it had no idea that its marines had killed Heriberto Lazcano, the leader of Mexico's feared Zetas cartel, whose body was subsequently stolen from the funeral home where it had been left. 

Latin America Monitor Heriberto Lazcano, a Zetas leader, was killed in Mexico - but is the cartel done?

Heriberto Lazcano, a Zetas drug cartel leader, was killed in a northern Mexico gunfight on Sunday, according to the Mexican Navy. If true, it could be a major drug war victory for Mexico.

Jailbreaks in Mexico: Wardens and guards often help drug cartel members flee

Los Zetas have regained hundreds of gang members in jailbreaks in recent years. The jailbreaks expose a side of Mexico's broken prison system, where wardens either bend to organized crime or face death.

Focus In Chicago, heat and homicide stoke fear and frustration

Chicago's surging murder rate is now four times that of New York. With drug cartels battling for turf and gang warfare turning chaotic, how can the Windy City get a handle on its homicides?

Mexico prison riot a cover for Zetas escape

Mexican prison guards may have helped 30 Zeta drug cartel members escape during a prison riot. Some 44 inmates were killed at the Apodaca prison in northern Mexico early Sunday.

The Zetas now Mexico's largest drug gang. Who are they?

According to Mexican authorities, the Zetas have become the biggest drug trafficking organization in Mexico. A recent report from Stratfor, based on data from Mexico's attorney general's office, says the group now operates in 17 states, surpassing the geographical sway of the once-dominant Sinaloa Federation.

Former Iran assassin says alleged plot 'makes no sense'

Dawud Salahuddin, an American fugitive in Tehran who carried out 1980 hit near Washington, argues that Iran would not try to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US for fear of provoking war.
10/14/2011 02:52 pm

Latin America Monitor Iran assassination plot: Terrorists join forces with Mexican drug cartels?

It's doubtful, experts say, despite reports that Iranian plotters tried to hire members of a Mexican drug cartel to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the US in Washington.
10/11/2011 07:21 pm

Photos of the Day Photos of the day 10/07

Latin America Monitor Mexico's Zeta Killers kill 32, revive debate about the 'good-guy cartel'

The 'Zeta Killers' have been linked to the deaths of 67 people. While they claim to be fighting the Zetas drug cartel, experts say they are likely just a criminal group adopting the guise of a 'good-guy cartel.'
10/07/2011 03:25 pm

Latin America Monitor Mexico nabs Zetas gang's No. 3 leader, but will it stop the cartel?

The arrest of Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar follows a series of recent drug-war gains by Mexico's government.
07/05/2011 05:31 pm

Mexico's most powerful drug cartels

Mexico declared a major victory Tuesday when it arrested the leader of the La Familia drug gang and 50 of its members, calling the group finished after the arrests. But the deadly drug war in Mexico is far from over. Many experts expect the remaining La Familia members to join allied groups and for its territory to be absorbed by other traffickers. Here’s a look at Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels:
06/22/2011 04:36 pm

Photos of the Day Photos of the day 06/09

Latin America Monitor Mexico peace tour: In Calderón's Michoacán, drug groups still in control

Javier Sicilia's caravan stops in Morelia, capital of the state of Michoacán, where Mexican President Felipe Calderón launched his 'war on drugs.' Our correspondent is in the caravan, talking to residents along the way.
06/06/2011 04:59 pm

Decapitated bodies in Acapulco spotlight drug war's toll on tourism

Mexican tourists who still flock to Acapulco after foreigners have shunned the tourist destination due to drug-war violence may think twice after 15 decapitated bodies were found outside a shopping center Saturday.
01/09/2011 01:45 pm

Mexican drug traffickers set up new cells in Central America

Los Zetas, one of the most violent drug gangs in Mexico, has recruited local former military agents, terrorized migrants, and lured poor farmers and youths to work as hired hands.
12/30/2010 01:58 pm

Killing of top Mexico drug lord 'Tony Tormenta' may boost rival Zetas cartel

Antonio Ezequiel Cardenas Guillen, also known as 'Tony Tormenta,' the highest-profile leader of the powerful Gulf Cartel, was gunned down by Mexican government forces this weekend.
11/07/2010 03:49 pm

Mexico says still investigating reported Falcon Lake pirate attack

Mexican authorities today rebuffed news reports that they have stopped searching Falcon Lake for an American tourist who was allegedly ambushed by Mexican pirates.
10/05/2010 06:31 pm

La Barbie: from football star to feared drug lord

La Barbie, whose real name is Edgar Valdez Villarreal, was a Texas football star before he moved to Mexico City and joined the Sinaloa Cartel.
09/01/2010 12:30 pm

Arturo Beltran Leyva: Mexico's top drug boss killed

In a raid Wednesday, Mexico police shot Arturo Beltran Leyva, the "boss of bosses," the top drug lord in the country. Beltran is the highest ranking figure taken down since President Felipe Calderon took office in 2006.
12/17/2009 09:22 am

Briefing: How Mexico is waging war on drug cartels

Who are the most powerful cartels, what are the risks of using the military to confront them, and how much progress has Mexico made so far?
08/19/2009 01:00 am