Mexican drug cartels are hiring US military personnel to carry out murders. For a time, it seemed that the strategy was working. Note: to turn off these warnings you need to set the 'safe mode' to OFF (on the top right) The scale of the problem remains unclear – not least because the Mexican government has been unwilling to release data, said Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, an associate professor at George Mason University and author of Zetas Inc. “It’s an inconvenient issue for the government, so they deny freedom-of-information requests. Earle Church. And in this unusual battle, the Sinaloa Cartel won. After specializing as a sniper, he was deployed in counterinsurgency operations in the southern state of Chiapas, where the indigenous Zapatista guerrillas had risen up in 1994. Mexican Marines get in firefight with the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico. Vehicles burn in a street of Culiacan, state of Sinaloa, Mexico, on October 17, 2019. Following Thursday’s carnage, various songwriters quickly penned brand new lyrics about Ovidio Guzman and posted their verses online. “We want the world to understand what we’re doing out here: protecting the communities against the enemies that come to rape and pillage.”. All Rights Reserved. Defectors included members of units that received training in counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, interrogation and strategy from French, Israeli and US advisers, according to a 2005 FBI intelligence document. He earlier told Daily Star Online: "The federal Mexican forces have far more military capacity and firepower than the cartels. But off-duty, Delfino and his fellow soldiers came into contact with narco bosses in local nightclubs. He was captured in 1996 and jailed for life in the US. As he led the way up a steep path to a sniper’s nest of volcanic stone and brush, Delfino said he had his own reasons for speaking to a reporter. Nowadays, the only outward sign of his military background is the camouflaged hat on his head, and the Panther .308 sniper rifle slung across his back. Cartel gunmen are seen during clashes with federal forces in Culiacan on Oct. 17. El Chapo's sons vs. "El Mencho": Mexico sees rising cartel bloodshed ... who previously headed up the Mexican Attorney General's Office's now-defunct Special Organized Crime Unit, is … The Mexican border state of Tamaulipas announced the rollout of a special forces police unit equipped with air surveillance and armored vehicles. Last modified on Mon 20 Apr 2020 10.29 EDT. It capitulated. While the crackdown and capture of kingpins has won praise from the media and US, it has done little to reduce the violence. This is also probably why the Colombian army cannot wipe out the FARC too. By Ioan Grillo October 18, 2019 7:39 PM EDT I n Mexico’s big cities, drug cartel gunmen normally act like phantoms. Los Zetas (pronounced [los ˈsetas], Spanish for "The Zs") is a Mexican criminal syndicate, regarded as one of the most dangerous of Mexico's drug cartels. In another example, Delta Force, Army Ranger units and other Special Operations forces led the 1989 hunt for Manuel Noriega, the Panamanian … Between 2007 and 2018, more than 150,000 firearms seized in Mexico were traced to U.S. gun shops and factories.And cartels from the Texas border to Guadalajara have learned to protect their leaders with rings of gunmen who can cause trouble to stop their capture. President Donald Trump says that the United States is willing to help Mexico "wage WAR on the drug cartels" in the country. Some of the main drivers of this abysmal violence are Mexico’s armed forces, which have de facto aided police in fighting the drug war since 2006. In 2017, 1,510 murders were registered in Michoacán, a state of 4.5 million inhabitants. It monopolized crime, but it also penetrated ordinary life, using the threat of lethal violence to arbitrate anything from land disputes to marital conflicts. vs Evgeny Gradovich "Mexican … 8:18 . The use of burning vehicles to block roads was taken from militant protesters; cartels use it to stop the movement of troops and put pressure on the government. “The government acted with great responsibility.”, Others criticized Lopez Obrador for surrendering to criminals. ... one day after street battles with security forces, in Culiacan on Oct. 18. “They knew exactly what they were looking for: our knowledge, our professionalism, our loyalty,” he said. Please attempt to sign up again. “The difference between them and us is that we always take precise shots,” he said. In exchange for cash or drugs, some American servicemen are working as hit men or teaching gangsters their skills. Locusts surrounded his position on three sides and had attempted to overrun the Templars several times in recent months. The video, it has been theorized, is meant as a show of force against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who recently visited Jalisco, the state where the cartel is headquartered. “There was panic, terror, the city was under siege,” says Vladimir Ramirez, a political scientist in Culiacan, who like many has continued curfew into Friday. Dear anonymous interlocutor, I get asked this kind of questions a lot from Quorans regarding special forces, " legionnaire vs marine in a knife fight, who would win ? " “The rest” was La Familia’s trademark brutality: alleged wrongdoers were killed, beheaded and mutilated, their bodies then dumped with messages justifying the murder. “It was a threat of terrorism,” Ramirez says. In the 1980's the city of palermo was a killing field. Despite their small size, they are the go-to force when combating the Mexican criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking—widely trusted and seen as … Vigilantism helped win some local support; it also removed criminal competitors, and by 2009, the group had become one of the most powerful in the country. I’ve covered Mexico’s drug violence for 18 years, written two books about the subject, and seen many extraordinary episodes. Last year, Mexico’s murder rate reached the highest level on record – and years of military defections are fueling the violence, Sat 10 Feb 2018 03.01 EST convicted kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, How the Sinaloa Cartel Bested the Mexican Army. But his biggest victory – and most embarrassing blunder – was the recapture, escape, another recapture and extradition of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, leader of the Sinaloa cartel. Right now the mexican cartels do have more power and are making a lot more noise than the Italians are.. Delfino was handpicked twice. But after hours of cartel chaos, Mexico’s federal government gave soldiers the go ahead to release him. “I don’t even know what his strategy is.”. Calderón declared war eight days after taking power – a move widely seen as an attempt to boost his own legitimacy after a bitterly contested election victory. Delfino’s role in the bloodletting is no secret to his former brothers in arms. At the height of the cartel’s power, nothing in Michoacán moved without the cartel’s permission. Mexico’s decade-long war on drugs would never have been possible without the injection of American cash and military cooperation under the Merida Initiative. How do such situation looks to you? Warning - thread Firefight between Mexican marines and special forces vs gulf cartel members might contain content that is not suitable for all ages. “The strict rules, the way they prepared me psychologically, morally and practically – that stays with you forever,” he said. These former Airmobile Special Forces Group , and Amphibian Group of Special Forces (GANFE) soldiers became known as Los Zetas and began operating as a private army for the Gulf Cartel. Less than three weeks after the massacre, El Mencho’s cartel released a video in which a masked gunman identified as a New Generation special forces … Does fast and furious operation rings any bells? This support for drug traffickers is reflected in songs known as narco corridos or drug ballads that celebrate their exploits. 5 years ago | 15 views. Heavily armed gunmen in trucks fought an intense battle against Mexican security forces … Ironically, that cartel was itself founded by Special Forces deserters from the Mexican Army. Warning - thread Firefight between Mexican marines and special forces vs gulf cartel members might contain content that is not suitable for all ages. It also raises the specter of the cartel appearing more powerful than the army, which could have implications for governability. It capitulated. We don’t want war,” Lopez Obrador said in his morning press conference. According to reports, the soldiers belong to the cartel’s “special forces” unit and boast equipment comparable to or even more advanced than the weaponry used by the Mexican Army. He recruited a number of corrupt special forces soldiers and pushed an even more violent approach. “I just grabbed them and handed them over – that was my job. “People slept wherever they were at. Victory will only come by simultaneously hacking away at the cartels … Votes: 132,634 | Gross: $12.05M “But he still needs people to do his work here on Earth.”. Peña Nieto claimed to have killed or detained 110 of 122 of his government's most wanted narcos. The Mafia's power and ruthlessness is a thing of the past.. Los Zetas Cartel in Mexico are made up of former Mexican Special forces and and a former black ops team that deserted including cops and Kaibiles speacial forces deserters that are even used by the U.N. But then he reached for a biblical justification: “Not a leaf moves without God’s permission.”. Security analysts and cartel sources agree that a key factor in the transformation of underworld rivalries into a full-throttle war has been the cartels’ recruitment of elite soldiers. Their uprising was in response to soldiers storming a house on Thursday and arresting Ovidio Guzman, the 28-year old son of convicted kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Burnt vehicles used by gunmen smolder on an intersection, one day after street battles with security forces, in Culiacan on Oct. 18. According to reports, the soldiers belong to the cartel’s “special forces” unit and boast equipment comparable to or even more advanced than the weaponry used by the Mexican Army. From them, there’s no hiding.”, Available for everyone, funded by readers. Before long, he was receiving expensive bottles of Scotch – and then job offers. But in all history though the Mafiosi in sicily were more notorious and ruthless. But Delfino still claims he’s following a divine mission. The Mexican border state of Tamaulipas announced the rollout of a special forces police unit equipped with air surveillance and armored vehicles. Moment Mexican military Humvees smash through gates as heavily armed agents nab 11 members of El Chapo's Sinaloa cartel. Library. It wasn’t gangster action; it was a mass insurrection. Originally made up of 34 Mexican special-forces soldiers, the death squad was tasked with protecting a young, up-and-coming leader of the Gulf Cartel, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén. Some factions of the Drug Cartels do have trained Ex- Soldiers and some Paramilitary muscle. When La Familia’s ideological leader, Nazario Moreno González, was killed in 2014, the religious aspect faded. Browse more videos. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. They were founded in the late 1990's by a group of Mexican special forces soldiers who defected to work for the Gulf cartel… Where the population is only 600,000 there were 10,000 bodies found on the streets. Playing next. If other traffickers are arrested, their cohorts could kidnap people to demand their release. Loosely based on Mexico's once most powerful drug cartel leader, this journey into the drug underworld cuts to the bone and through the heart. There has long been an image of traffickers as rebels and some in Sinaloa call them “valientes” or “brave ones.” Now it appears like these rebels are almost in control. Over the past decade, Mexico’s drug violence has undergone a dizzying escalation, claiming more than 230,000 lives and last year pushing the country’s murder rate to the highest level since records began. Delfino specialized in tracking down alleged kidnappers. r/CombatFootage: A look into combat footage from historical to ongoing wars. Share your opinions. Delfino resigned from the army, and in 2006, he joined La Familia Michoacana. This matchup is more relevant than Gafe vs Spetsnatz. But on Thursday in the Sinaloan city of Culiacan, the cartel gunmen were everywhere. Officials say 25 of the 37 drug traffickers on Calderón’s most-wanted list have been jailed, extradited to the US or killed, although not all of these actions have been independently corroborated. You, the USA sold weapons to the carteles and then tried to get troops into Mexico to combat that. By clicking on CONTINUE you confirm that you are 18 years and over. The Army has a Special Forces Corps unified command consisting of three Special Forces Brigades, a High Command GAFE (Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales) group, a GAFE group assigned to the Airborne Brigade and several Amphibious Special Forces Groups.. How the Sinaloa Cartel Bested the Mexican Army. So I know it wouldn't happen, don't take it up the stink purse. All rights reserved. That soft power was fused with strategic sophistication, thanks to the influx of former soldiers, said Correa-Cabrera. Within two months, around 20,000 troops were involved in operations. Its lethal spillage into the contemporary criminal context is one of the legacies of US security policy in Latin America,” she said. After selection for the Gafe, he underwent months of instruction, including courses in jungle survival and amphibious combat. This change has not come overnight. Businesses are closed, nobody wants to go out.”. Mexican marines says top Zetas drug cartel leader Heriberto Lazcano has been killed. I was thinking the whole issue in an over-simplistic manner. What would the outcome be if it was 10 yrs? MEXICAN SPECIAL FORCE VS RUSSIAN SPECIAL FORCE. The cartel was initially led by Juan García Abrego, the first Mexican drug lord to be included in the FBI's 10 most wanted list. On 10 December 2006, Felipe Calderón launched Mexico’s war on drugs by sending 6,500 troops into his home state of Michoacán, where rival cartels were engaged in tit-for-tat massacres. But what set the group apart was its home-brewed ideology, which blended the language of self-help with fire-and-brimstone theology. In many points in the city, the cartel gunmen went unchallenged. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Georgia Election Official Calls Out Trump, Second COVID-19 Vaccine Receives FDA Panel Recommendation. Up on the hill, he eyed the enemy positions through his scope. The move by the state police is aimed at securing key parts of the state as cartel violence continues to be one of the main concerns in the region. Oscar Valdez: I'm Authentic Mexican! Their current enemies are a group of former allies, to whom Delfino refers contemptuously as “locusts”. “His idea of peace and love doesn’t work. When Osiel Cardenas Guillen took over as the leader of the Gulf Cartel, it was in the midst of a violent turf war. A disturbing video surfaced of two Mexican soldiers torturing a female cartel member during questioning, both are now facing military charges. He remains in touch with soldiers on active duty, and even meets up to reminisce when security conditions allow, he said. 7 years ago. There is war and we’re going to fight.”. But what we do know is that special forces helped turn Mexico’s narcos into the paramilitary armed groups we see today.”. The biggest victory – and most embarrassing blunder – under Peña Nieto’s leadership was the recapture, escape and another recapture of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, leader of the Sinaloa cartel. He is making the cartel stronger,” Benitez says. “With justice, we will guarantee peace and tranquility in the country.”, Lopez Obrador won power last year in a landslide election and still enjoys high approval ratings. What would you do if the situation were reverse? Residents know they are there and are scared, but most the time, they can’t see them. They Are The Most Brutal Drug Cartel In History. Allegedly hunting a Leyva Cartel kingpin, a Mexican military helicopter fired directly into the populated city of Tepic, Nayarit (Feb 9 2017). Search. Officials made contradictory and confusing statements about why the soldiers had gone to Guzman’s house without enough back up. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. By clicking on CONTINUE you confirm that you are 18 years and over. The leakage of Mexican special forces into organized crime began in the 1990s when the powerful Gulf cartel recruited a group of ex-Gafe troops to create its own paramilitary enforcement unit, known as Los Zetas. You can unsubscribe at any time. “The Sinaloa Cartel demonstrated a tremendous ability to mobilize rapidly and take effective control of the city,” says Raul Benitez, an expert on Latin America’s armed conflicts. According to Kate Doyle, senior analyst at the National Security Archive in Washington DC, the US focus on military aid to the region has helped drive the militarization of Mexico’s drug conflict. The worry now is that the Mexican government’s decision to release Guzman sets a precedent. In Mexico’s big cities, drug cartel gunmen normally act like phantoms. There was considerable evidence that the assassins had the support of organizations within Serbia. Log in. Note: to turn off these warnings you need to set the 'safe mode' to OFF (on the top right) MEXICAN SPECIAL FORCE VS RUSSIAN SPECIAL FORCE. It was here that the former president Felipe Calderón first deployed the country’s armed forces against the cartels in 2006. Please try again later. Rarely, however, has a soldier-turned-narco gone on the record. “God has his will,” he said. Arrested with Corley in connection with the case was former Army Sgt. The funds have continued to flow despite indisputable evidence of human rights violations. Mexico’s drug cartels trace their origins to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, head of the Guadalajara Cartel, who helped organize the nation’s drug traffickers and is known as their “Godfather”. 5 years ago | 15 views. Mexico: During the reign of Mexico's president "Felipe Calderon" (only 6 years) -- the drug war (fueled by US pressure) has taken at least 120,000 lives intentionally in Mexico (these aren't a majority 'bad guys'). The Zetas are believed to have come into existence in the 1990s, founded by deserters from the Mexican special forces hired as hit men for the powerful Gulf cartel. There were reports that the cartel had held various soldiers hostage and threatened to kill them. MEXICAN SPECIAL FORCE VS RUSSIAN SPECIAL FORCE. “We like each other, and they respect my decision,” he said, “but if they learn that I’m out here doing something which doesn’t square with our values – if I mess with innocent people – they will come for me.