[147] Moreover, several bystanders also recorded the shootouts. NARCOS: Crtel de los Cabrera presume su poderoso armamento en Durango El crtel de Sinaloa ha creado varias alianzas a lo largo de los meses para compensar la separacin de 'Los chapitos' y todos los brazos armados que apoyan a los hijos del ex lder del grupo, El chapo Guzmn. [55] After Medina Garza's arrest, his cousin Adalberto Garza Dragustinovis was investigated for allegedly forming part of the Gulf Cartel and for money-laundering, but the case is still open. 3:04. The two other vehicles were set off near a . [193] Reports indicated that the Gulf Cartel was using the BlackBerry smartphones to communicate with 'Ndrangheta, since the texts are "normally difficult to intercept". The Mexican criminal organizations like the Gulf Cartel launder money through counterfeiting, since they are free from taxes and more accessible to people who cannot buy original products. [258], On 9 May 2011, the Mexican government, along with Sedena, disarmed all police forces in the state of Tamaulipas, beginning with the cities of Matamoros and Reynosa. Cartel gunmen used at least three car bombs and superior firepower to storm a prison in central Mexico to break out a regional leader and eight of his top associates. [30] Juan Garca brego is currently serving 11 life terms in a maximum security prison in Colorado, U.S.[31] In 1996, it was disclosed that Garca brego's organization paid millions of dollars in bribes to politicians and law enforcement officers for his protection. For example, the drug producers and suppliers,[284] although not considered in the basic structure, are critical operators of any drug cartel, along with the financers and money launderers. After Osiel Crdenas Guilln took full control of the Gulf Cartel in 1999, he found himself in a no-holds-barred fight to keep his notorious organization and leadership untouched, and sought out members of the Mexican Army Special Forces to become the military armed-wing of the Gulf Cartel. [122] Soon after his death, Los Zetas demanded the Gulf Cartel to hand over the killer, but they didn't, and observers believe that triggered the war. [134] Government sources claimed that this operationwhere more than 660 marines, 17 vehicles, and 3 helicopters participatedleft 8 dead: three marines, one soldier, and four gunmen, including Antonio Crdenas. [120] On the other hand, other sources reveal that Los Zetas separated from the Gulf Cartel to ally with Beltrn-Leyva Cartel, which led to conflict between them. [268] After a dispute, however, Crdenas ordered Arellano beaten, and the Gulf-Tijuana alliance ceased to exist at that point. [113], It is unclear which of the two the Gulf Cartel or Los Zetas started the conflict that led to their break up. [208] The bloodbath in Tamaulipas has caused thousands of deaths, but most of shootings and body counts often go unreported. [91] However, it was believed that Crdenas still controlled the Gulf Cartel from prison,[92] and was later extradited to the United States, where he was sentenced to 25 years in a prison in Houston, Texas for money laundering, drug trafficking and death threats to U.S. federal agents. According to El Universal, there are several music videos on YouTube that exalt the power of this armed group through narcocorridos. By Chris Arsenault Aurelio Cano Flores, commonly referred to by his aliases Yankee and/or Yeyo, is an imprisoned Mexican drug trafficker and former high-ranking leader of the Gulf Cartel, a Mexican drug trafficking organization. [24], It also became known that, in addition to the INS bus scam, Garca brego had a "special deal" with members of the Texas National Guard who would truck tons of cocaine and marijuana from South Texas to Houston for the cartel. [302][303][304] Investigators believe that more unreported kidnappings have occurred in nearby locations. [145], The Guardian newspaper mentioned that in a YouTube video, a convoy of SUV's filled with gunmen and pickups packed with marines were seen in a chase through the streets of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. [211], On 10 November 2014, a document from the Mexican government was released to the media and claimed that Los Rojos faction of the Gulf Cartel was planning to ally with Los Zetas. [38] According to The Brownsville Herald, Garca brego went into the courtroom grinning and talking animatedly with his lawyers who helped him translate his words from Spanish into the English language. And in doing so, they inherently become a "competitor" with the state, who also claims sovereignty over its territories. After his imprisonment a short time later, Jorge Madrazo Cullar created the National Public Security System (SNSP), to fight the drug cartels along the U.S.Mexico border. His role in Mexican law enforcement and his ties with the Gulf Cartel allowed him to recruit sever [264] El Universal released an article which said that the National Public Security System (SNSP) has condemned the cops' salaries, and demanded the state and municipal authorities to create better paying programs for the policemen so they can have a "just wage" for themselves and their families. [306] FBI investigators said that victims are "kidnapped, threatened, assaulted, drugged and transported into Mexico to meet with Cartel members. [352] Due to its multifaceted transportation networks and proximity to major production areas right across the border in Mexico, Texas is a major hub for drug trafficking. [323], FBI agents have claimed that the Gulf Cartel moves millions of dollars in cash through the Rio Grande Valley each month, a tempting amount for many U.S. [270] Since February 2010, the major cartels have aligned in two factions, one integrated by the Jurez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Los Zetas and the Beltrn-Leyva Cartel;[271] the other faction integrated by the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel, La Familia Cartel (now extinct) and the Knights Templar Cartel.[272][273]. [133] However, Antonio died in an eight-hour shooting with the Mexican government forces on 5 November 2010, in the border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. [230] In addition, La Jornada mentions that the Gulf Cartel owns "all of Matamoros", where they act as the State itself and conduct all forms of criminal activities. [254], According to CNN, more than 400 prison inmates escaped from several prisons in Tamaulipas from January 2010 to March 2011 due to corruption. [61] His goal was to protect himself from rival drug cartels and from the Mexican military, to perform vital functions as the leader of the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico. Some experts believed that the death of Antonio Crdenas would be dreadful for the Gulf Cartel, and that Los Zetas would overthrow them and eventually take control of Tamaulipas. [93][94] Reports from the PGR and El Universal state that while in prison, Crdenas and Benjamn Arellano Flix, from the Tijuana Cartel, formed an alliance. [212], In June 2020, Insight Crime journalist Victoria Dittmar claimed that the Gulf Cartel had undergone "fragmentation" at some point in time. [180] When the Gulf cartel and Los Zetas split in early 2010, some members of the Rojos stayed with the Gulf cartel, while others decided to leave and join the forces of Los Zetas. [104], In 2007, Crdenas was extradited to the United States and charged with the involvement of conspiracies to traffic large amounts of marijuana and cocaine, violating the "continuing-criminal-enterprise statute" (also known as the "drug kingpin statute"), and for threatening two U.S. federal officers. [239] Cabeza de Vaca is accused of not reporting its total wealth and having properties both in Texas, Tamaulipas, and Mexico City. [252] CNN mentioned that the state government of Tamaulipas later recognized "their inability to work with the federal government. [249] A confrontation inside a maximum security prison in Nuevo Laredo on 15 July 2011, left 7 inmates dead and 59 escaped. This renegotiation, however, forced Garcia brego to guarantee the product's arrival from Colombia to its destination. Milenio Cartel (defunct) The Gulf Cartel (Spanish: Crtel del Golfo, Golfos, or CDG) [7] [8] is a criminal syndicate and drug trafficking organization in Mexico, [9] and perhaps one of the oldest organized crime groups in the country. [343] Prostitutes are also used as informants and spies, and provide their sexual favors to extract information from certain targets. [178] The infighting between the Metros and the Rojos of the Gulf cartel began in 2010, when Juan Meja Gonzlez, nicknamed El R-1, was overlooked as the candidate of the regional boss of Reynosa and was sent to the "Frontera Chica," an area that encompasses Miguel Alemn, Camargo and Ciudad Mier directly across the U.S.Mexico border from Starr County, Texas. [345] The products sold can be clothing, TVs, video games, music, computer programs, and movies. L'Oficina del Xrif del Comtat de Tulare ha . This page was last edited on 29 December 2022, at 03:08. In fact, they are paid around $3,618 pesos (about US$260) a month in all of Tamaulipas. He served as head of cartel's operations in Oaxaca. [311] People smuggling is currently controlled by a cell within the Gulf Cartel known as Los Flacos, dedicated to the kidnapping and smuggling of undocumented migrants as far as South America to the United States. [213], The drug violence and political corruption that has plagued Tamaulipas, the home state of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, has fueled thoughts of Tamaulipas becoming a "failed state" and a haven for drug traffickers and criminals of all kinds. [25][26], Garca brego's business had grown to such length that the FBI placed him on the Top Ten Most Wanted in 1995. Observations indicate that the Gulf Cartel controls territories and imposes its own rulesoften violent and bloodyover the population. [221][222] Moreover, the state of Tamaulipas was no exception; according to Santiago Creel, a PAN politician and pre-candidate for the 2012 presidency, the PRI in Tamaulipas has protected the Gulf Cartel for years. [277] The modus operandi ("mode of operation") of the Gulf Cartel changes whenever the United States attempts to strengthen their domestic policy in reinforcing the borders. That's why I asked because it would seem . Los Zetas'n kkenleri, Meksika Ordusu komandolarnn saflarn terk edip Krfez Karteli'nin icra kolu olarak almaya . [316] The newspaper La Vanguardia mentioned that the Gulf Cartel receives "large sums of money by extorting businesses" all around Tamaulipas. The majority of the commerce between the United States and Mexico passes through the state of Texas. An intelligence agency mentioned that the Gulf Cartel kidnaps for three reasons: In April 2011 in the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, 68 kidnapped victims from different parts of Mexico and Central America were found in a safe house of the Gulf Cartel. He was arrested by the Mexican federal police in June 2009 and extradited to the United States while pending drug trafficking charges on 19 August 2011. [180], Originally, the Gulf cartel was running smoothly, but the infighting between the two factions in the Gulf cartel triggered when Flores Borrego was killed on 2 September 2011. The incident escalated as Crdenas Guilln threatened to kill them if they did not comply and as his gunmen prepared to shoot. "[226], The Exclsior newspaper reported that the former governors of Tamaulipas, Manuel Cavazos Lerma (19931999), Toms Yarrington (19992004), and Eugenio Hernndez Flores (20052010) have had close ties with the Gulf Cartel. [214] The massacre of the 72 migrants and the clandestine mass graves with more than 250 bodies in San Fernando, Tamaulipas,[215][216] mounted with the assassination of the governor candidate Rodolfo Torre Cant (2010),[217] the increasing violence generated between drug groups, and the state's inability to ensure tranquility, has led specialists to conclude that "neither the regional nor federal government have control over the territory of Tamaulipas. [331], Money laundering Het Golfkartel bestaat sinds 1930, toen Juan Nepomuceno Guerra ( 18 juli 1915 - 12 juli 2001) alcohol begon te smokkelen tijdens de drooglegging. [196], The Gulf Cartel and other Mexican drug trafficking groups are active in the northern and western parts of Africa. [220] After the PRI lost the presidency in 2000 to the National Action Party (PAN), the arrangement between the government and the cartels was lost, as well the pax mafiosa. [60], In 1997 the Gulf Cartel began to recruit military personnel whom Jess Gutirrez Rebollo, an Army General of that time, had assigned as representatives from the PGR offices in certain states across Mexico. "[308] In one reported incident, Isaac Sanchez Gutierrez, a man from Palmview, Texas, said he faced an ultimatum: pay $10 million to the Gulf Cartel, or transport 50 drug loads from Mexico into the U.S. in order to free his kidnapped brother. [82][83], On 9 November 1999, two U.S. agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI were threatened at gunpoint by Crdenas Guilln and approximately fifteen of his henchmen in Matamoros. In August 2007, La Maa gang, an alleged sub-group of the criminal group Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, was reported to have controlled the extortion business in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The Mexican Mafia, also known as La eMe, is a Mexican American criminal organization in the United States. [333] Top leaders of the Gulf organization, like Juan Garca brego, Osiel Crdenas Guilln, Jorge Eduardo Costilla Snchez and Antonio Crdenas Guilln, among others, have been charged by the U.S. government for laundering millions of dollars. A l'heure actuelle, le cartel est divis par des luttes internes incessantes, ce qui a intensifi la violence dans des villes comme Matamoros, Tampico et Reynosa. [332] Bars and casinos are often the hubs for money laundering of the drug cartels. The 2017 National Drug Threat Assessment lists leaders of the following Mexican cartels: Los Zetas, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, the Beltran Leyva-Organization. [1] Het kartel heeft zijn hoofdbasis in de grensstad Matamoros. It is believed the Mexican government knew all Garca brego's whereabouts all along and had refused to arrest him due to information he possessed about the extent of corruption within the government. Het kartel dankt zijn naam aan de Golf van Mexico en is een van de grootste kartels van het land, en het oudste kartel van het land. [248] The federal government "strongly condemned" the prison breaks and said that the work by the state and municipal authorities of Tamaulipas "lack effective control measures" and urged them to strengthen their institutions. [81] Los Zetas began to grow independently from the Gulf Cartel, and eventually a rupture occurred between them in early 2010. Critics say that the strategy of capturing drug kingpins often resulted in the increase in extortion, as the cartels look for other sources of money. [10] It is currently based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, directly across the U.S. border from Brownsville, Texas. [33], Further theories put forward to allege the arrest of Garca brego was to satisfy U.S. demands and meet certification, from the Department of Justice (DOJ), as a trade partner, the vote set to take place on 1 March. [178] Each of these groups were identified by their radio codes: the Rojos (The Red ones) were based in Reynosa; the Metros were headquartered in Matamoros; and the Lobos (The wolves) were established in Laredo. This video released by the Mexican government shows the moment security forces captured Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa cartel and the son of Jo. "[218], Although drug-related violence has existed since the early beginnings of the Gulf Cartel, it often happened in low-profile levels, while the government agreed to "look the other way" while the drug traffickers went about their businessas long as they behaved. [9], Cano Flores was arrested by the Mexican federal police on 10 June 2009 while in possession of a firearm, a magazine device, and 30 rounds of ammunition. Kidnappings Los Zetas, Meksikal bir su rgtdr, uyuturucu kartellerinin en tehlikeli olanlarndan biri olarak kabul edilir. [12] On 13 May 2013, U.S. District Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein sentenced Cano Flores to 35 years in prison and ordered him to forfeit US$15 billion. [151][152][153][154][155] Although not confirmed, KVEO-TV, several online sources and witnesses, along with one law enforcement officer who preferred to keep his name anonymous, mentioned that more than 100 people died that day in Matamoros. Cano Flores was later sentenced to 35 years in prison and ordered to forfeit US$15 billion on 13 May 2013, making him "highest ranking Gulf Cartel member to be convicted by a U.S. jury in the past 15 years. [197] Although cocaine is not grown in Africa, Mexican organizations, such as the Gulf Cartel, are currently exploiting West Africa's struggling rule-of-law caused by war, crime and poverty, to stage and expand supply routes to the increasingly lucrative European illegal drug market. [141] The street confrontations generated a wave of panic among the population and caused the publication and broadcast of messages through social networks like Twitter and Facebook, reporting the clashes between authorities and the cartel members. [340] Arms trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico, however, is often carried out individually, and there is no criminal group in Mexico or an international organization that is solely dedicated to this activity. [312] It operates primarily on the TabascoVeracruzTamaulipas corridor. [64] They were enticed with salaries much higher than those of the Mexican Army. [314], A U.S. agent mentioned that the drug cartels that operate on the MexicoUnited States border, and principally across from Texas, are "in control of not only the narcotrafficking, but also the human smuggling. Prior to his arrest on 10 June 2009, he was operating as the Gulf Cartel leader in Camargo, Tamaulipas and coordinated heroin, cocaine, and marijuana shipments to the United States. There is a circle of experts who believe that the start of the Mexican Drug War did not begin in 2006 (when Felipe Caldern sent troops to Michoacn to stop the increasing violence), but in 2004 in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, when the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas fought off the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Negros. [355] Another avenue that they have implemented is to construct tunnels to get their product across the border. [313] Human trafficking in the Rio Grande Valley has become "ground zero" and was considered the "new Arizona" in December 2011 by the Homeland Security Today. The buses made great transportation, as Antonio Ortiz noted since they were never stopped at the border. [44] He was also held responsible in 1984 for the massacre of 6 people in La Clnica Raya, a hospital where rival drug members were being treated, and was also blamed for the massacre of the Cereso prison in 1991, where 18 prisoners were slainboth in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. [263], Although there have been efforts by the federal government to wipe out police corruption, Terra Networks published an article of a witness who said that the police forces in Matamoros work as "informants for the Gulf Cartel" and report on the activity of the Mexican military, and even "wave at [the cartel members]" when they see them in the streets. "[295] And, there are several kidnapping rings of the Gulf Cartel throughout several parts of Tamaulipas. The main areas of demand and drug consumption are in Eastern Europe, the successor states of the Soviet Union. Government officials state that there are currently 400-500 official members of the Mexican Mafia with thousands of hitmen and . [192], The Gulf Cartel is believed to have ties with the 'Ndrangheta, an organized crime group in Italy that also has ties with Los Zetas. [39] Hours after the judge told Garca brego that he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison, the death penalty was out of the question for the prosecutors. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia did not originate in Mexico, and is entirely a U.S. criminal prison organization. [29] Jurors also ordered the seizure of $350million of Garca brego's assets $75million more than what was previously planned. [285][286][287] In addition, the arms suppliers operate in a completely different circle,[288] and are technically not considered part of the cartel's logistics. Narcotics are also smuggled through the railroads that connect the U.S. and Mexico. The United States Department of the Treasury had named Cano Flores in 2009 as a close associate of the Zeta bosses Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano and Miguel Trevio Morales, considered by the government as "significant foreign narcotics traffickers. [136] This military-led operation was a result of more than six months of intelligence work. Malherbe tried to bribe officials $2million for his release, but it was denied. [322] A retired FBI agent and expert in drug trafficking explained that the Gulf Cartel "relied on bribery" to build its drug empire and consolidate its prominence. [350] Among these gangs, that range from street gangs to prison gangs, are the Texas Syndicate, the Latin Kings, the Mexican Mafia, Puro Tango Blast (Vallucos), the Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos, and the Tri-City Bombersall based in the Rio Grande Valley and Webb County, Texas. [334] Bank accounts inside the United States also launder millions of dollars for the drug lords of the Gulf Cartel. [9] Cano Flores also has two aliases: Yeyo and Yankee. [209] The complexity and territorial advantage of Los Zetas forced the Gulf Cartel to seek for an alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Michoacana; in addition, Stratfor mentioned that these three organizations also united because they hold a "profound hate" for Los Zetas. [228][229] The municipal president of Tampico, Tamaulipas, scar Prez Inguanzo, was arrested 12 November 2011, due to his "improper exercise of public functions and forgery" of certain documents. [63] In response to the rising power of the Gulf Cartel, the rival Sinaloa Cartel[77] established a heavily armed, well-trained enforcer group known as Los Negros. Unbelievable! [357][358][359], On 21 July 2009, the United States DEA announced coordinated actions against the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas drug trafficking organizations. To use the seas, the cartel also implemented the use of narco submarines. [45][46][47], Following brego's 1996 arrest by Mexican authorities and subsequent deportation to the United States, a power vacuum was left and several top members fought for leadership. [56] The next in line was Sergio Gmez alias El Checo, however, his leadership was short-lived when he was assassinated in April 1996 in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas. The high level of legitimate travel and movement of goods and services between border cities in the U.S. and Mexico facilitates the drug business in the area. Los Zetas, (Spanish: "the Zs") Mexican crime syndicate formed in 1997 as the enforcement arm of the drug-trafficking Gulf Cartel; it broke away as an independent organized criminal enterprise in 2010.