Photo:ArchiveThe goal of the “Northern Lynx” operation, launched on July 16, was to strike a major blow to the “leadership, financial, operating and logistics structures of criminal gangs present in the states of San Luis Potosi, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas”
The army arrested nearly 200 suspects, killed 30 others and freed 12 kidnapping victims in a 20-day operation targeting organized crime in northeastern Mexico, the National Defense Secretariat said Thursday.
The goal of the “Northern Lynx” operation, launched on July 16, was to strike a major blow to the “leadership, financial, operating and logistics structures of criminal gangs present in the states of San Luis Potosi, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas,” the secretariat said in a statement.
The Zetas gang and its main rival, the Gulf cartel, are the criminal organizations most active in that region, although the former was hardest hit by the military operation.
More than 4,000 soldiers, 722 vehicles and 23 aircraft under the direct command of the head of the 4th Military Region, Gen. Noe Sandoval Alcazar, were deployed to the region for the operation.
The military carried out “search and information-gathering, intelligence and planning activities and executed precision operations,” the secretariat said.
The troops were the target of 26 armed attacks by organized crime members that resulted in one soldier killed and 21 others wounded. A total of 30 suspected drug-gang members were killed and 11 were wounded.
During the operation, the military personnel also freed 12 kidnapping victims, arrested 196 suspects and seized 1,217 weapons, 3.3 tons of marijuana, more than 260 vehicles, 188 communcations devices and 14 properties.
The secretariat also reported the death in combat Tuesday of Jorge Luis de la Peña Brizuela, "El Pompin", the purported leader of Los Zetas in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, just across the border from Laredo, Texas.
On that same day in Saltillo, Coahuila, the army detained Valdemar Quintanilla Soriana, "El Adal" – the suspected No. 2 Los Zetas financial operator – and another man in possession of more than 6 million pesos ($512,800) in cash.
Also Tuesday, the soldiers confiscated 6.5 million pesos ($555,555) that suspected Zetas members had stashed at a property in the town of Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leon.
In San Luis Potosi city, capital of the likenamed state, the troops involved in Northern Lynx captured two other leading Zetas: Jose Angel Zapata Pantoja and Rafael Salmeron Rodriguez.
Additional links:
Sedena palomea Operación Lince
200 detenidos en 20 días por operativo del Ejército
Operación "Lince Norte" logró debilitar células del narcotráfico
Presumen duro golpe a “Los Zetas”; matan a 30
EFE
I can't help but think that Mexican authorities are making real progress. Looking back over the past month, there have been a lot of arrests, killings and seizures by the Army and the PF.
ReplyDeleteHigher level people arrested. Plus more dirty cops arrested. Marisela Morales is seriously cleaning out the PGR.
Only problem with this is the 196 arrested should have been drained of intel and then killed...
ReplyDeleteTexcoco Mex said
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to see this.
The military must continue using such operations, the beautiful people of Mexico deserve such participation and focus toward the restoration of law and order.
ReplyDeleteEliminate all drug related criminal activity by imprisoning offenders for life.No mercy needed or required; restore confidence in Mexican sovereignty.
11:48am so right!!! lol
ReplyDeleteBlah blah blah now when they do an operation similar to this one targeting the sinaloa cartel then i will say there doing a good job.
ReplyDelete"During the operation, the military personnel also freed 12 kidnapping victims, arrested 196 suspects and seized 1,217 weapons, 3.3 tons of marijuana, more than 260 vehicles, 188 communcations devices and 14 properties."
ReplyDeleteWhat about the money? You can't tell me they didn't confiscate any cash. Do the generals keep the spoils?
IF it is true, then killing 30 arresting 200 and freeing 12 is not bad. GOOD WORK
ReplyDeleteit seems that Sinaloa and Gulf are the only cartels being protected by the Gov. For the past month all we've heard and read were captures to people of Los Zetas, La Familia, Caballeros Templarios, and until most recently La Linea and CIDA... you hear of shootings in areas of CDG, and CDS major influence but never any captures.
ReplyDeleteI'm a pessimist but it does seem that maybe the summer offensive might perhaps be turning the tide. They obviously have a long way to go, but I'm encouraged by what I am seeing.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that ever since El Chango got caught it has been a serious string of captures & seizures. It seems lot of the middle level gangsters are also getting killed or caught.
@3:08pm
ReplyDelete"and another man in possession of more than 6 million pesos ($512,800) in cash."
Re-read the article.
THE REAL REASON FOR ALL THE " RECENT PROGRESS" IS THAT OPERATION " FAST AND FURIOUS" HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR WHAT IT IS, AN UNDER THE RADAR ATTACK ON LAW ABIDING GUN OWNERS, AND NOW THAT WE KNOW ABOUT IT THEY SEE NO USE IN LETTING THEM KILL ANYMORE BECAUSE THEIR ILLEGAL MURDEROUD SCHEME DOES NO GOOD ANYMORE.
ReplyDeleteRight, Law Abiding gun Owners and their Grenade Launchers, we cant have Uncle Samuel keeping track of those.
ReplyDeleteCome on guys the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels will have their turn to be pummeled some by the government but the government gotta do things one at a time. When the other cartels are weakened then they'll go for the biggies which are the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels but it won't be for a while yet I don't think.
ReplyDeleteI think a main reason they are not messin with those cartels right now is because of credibility with the people as some people seem to be against the government when it comes to pummeling the Sinaloa or Gulf cartels who are the only ones fighting strong against the Z's and giving some innocent people a small amount of protection. Ok the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels are far from being saints but if your going to have a place controlled by a Cartel I am sure the people would rather be controlled by the Sinaloa or Gulf cartels than the pure evil Zeta's. I think if the government was to pound the Sinaloa of Gulf cartels then many innocents would be more in danger at the hands of the Zeta's as they move in. And that would suck!
Of course they should take out the zetas first, its what everyone wants
ReplyDeleteWhat would you think the unemployment rate in Mexico is? Is it 25%, 40%, i don't know. What is the percentage of under employed and under paid? Who knows. But realizing this, I know where the Zetas recruit. It is never ending until there is a philosophical and economic change. Many of them are just looking for a way to eat. To kill this cartel, they will have to cut off the two heads of the monster. Street fighting will not do it. In a way, it feeds into their underdog mentality.
ReplyDeleteIt really makes me wonder though, if the heat were turned off and everyone went back to trafficking, would the crime rate go down? If the military were pulled back, what would happen? We will not know until 2012. And don't get me wrong, I can't wait for the fall of the Zetas. But unlike most of you, I do not think Sinaloa is upstanding. I have seen how bad they treat citizens living in a plaza they try to occupy such as Juarez. They are very ruthless.
I wonder if there even is such a leader to turn this ship around. I really think the us is not far behind as we are losing jobs and our middle class about as fast as it can happen. And the stock market is propped up by 2x4s and tooth picks. May God have mercy on the Americas!!!!
@7:54 p.m How was it your mom had any kids that lived? Are you really as stupid as your post suggests? LAQ ABIDING GUN OWNERS DONT POSESS GRENADE LAUNCHERS YOU MORON. They are not legal to own so we don' t have any, And when have you ever seen one for sale ANYWHERE in the U.S? You haven't you clown, quit watching so much t.v and get a life.
ReplyDeleteTHE U.S HAS BEEN PROTECTING THE SINALOA CARTEL..PERIOD!
ReplyDeleteFor all of you crying about the sinaloa cartel, what makes you believe that the government can take a down an organization of this size that's been around since the late 1980's in such a short amount of time? Like I have said it before, it's going to be a cold day in hell when Mexico is free of drug cartels and at the same time the U.S is free of drug users. For some of you it may be hard to comprehend what its like to live in fear of zetas charging you a quota and not having enough money to pay them. ANY cartel killing those maggots and not charging quotas are welcomed in the eyes of those people.
ReplyDeleteIm rooting for mexico BIG TIME! Do what you have to do to get rid of these scum. Keep spraying Raid on these filthy cockroaches and when you run out of Raid, just step on them. Less scum on the streets. Hopefully young men will see that it's much cooler to join the army than it is to join a filthy cartel.
ReplyDeleteDeath Penalty for drug dealers, crooked cops and politcians....that is a big part of the answer....or why are the army taking prisoners, we all know Mexico jails and tough but prisoners with money can have good food and women. Where is the deterrent?
ReplyDeletethey captured more than 200 men but none of them important. where's el lazcano and z40 those are the zetas they should be looking for.
ReplyDelete