Fragmented Cartel Unleashes Violence

The Gulf Cartel (CDG), an organization lead by Osiel Cardenas Guillen had two episodes in the last year that led to its division.

In May of 2009, members of the CDG told the PGR (federal police) that Miguel Treviño Morales "El L-40," the actual commander of "Los Zetas", ordered the substitution of Ezequiel Cardenas "Tony Tormenta" as head of the plaza of Cancun, decision that caused the resentment of the brother of Osiel.

A protected witness testified that Ezekiel was replaced because he failed to obtain the illegal profits from the corresponding place of such economic importance that provides this tourist port, this was a prelude of a war that was signed in January.

Information that the United States provided to the PGR said that the ultimate discord between them was final with the execution of Victor Peña "El Cóncord 3" on January 18, 2010 and was attributed to Samuel Flores Borrego "El Metro 3."

The victim was a man of "El L 40" and the perpetrator was Jorge Eduardo Costilla "El Coss."

The federal government estimates that after the incident, the so-called Gulf Cartel was divided into two bands: "Los Zetas" lead by Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, "El Verdugo" and "El L-40,", and the civilian wing (CDG) headed by Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez "El Coss" and Ezequiel Cardenas "Tony Tormenta."

These last two kept the name of the cartel intact, this was seen when every time they left narco-banners or written messages at the foot of their executed victims, it was signed with the initials CDG.

None of the criminal groups had achieved what Los Zetas had so far because according to preliminary information from the PGR that fight led to the union of nearly all drug cartels against them.

Between 2008 and 2009 they built a circumstantial alliance with the Beltran Leyva brothers, but after the death of Arturo Beltran "El Barbas" and the internal struggles of this group, now apparently a weakness, the cartel's future is not certain.

It was also spoken of the Zeta association with the Carrillo Fuentes in Ciudad Juarez because José Rodolfo Escajeda "The Rikin", arrested on June 9, 2008 in Guadalupe, Chihuahua, was someone sent by Lazcano to support the Juarez Cartel in the war against "El Mayo" Zambada and "El Chapo."

But so far the Carrillo cartel has failed or refused to lift a finger in support "Los Zetas" in Tamaulipas.

The organization with the "last letter" of Lazcano started something that has not been seen for more than five years: to take the war to your own soil, Tamaulipas, a war that had been carried in southern, western and central states against other cartels like "La Familia."

"Los Zetas" who had always managed to export their industrial crimes to other States, they now have in their home turf far more of their enemies, enemies who send messages in the narco-banners that they are there to "exterminate" the "Z's" for being kidnappers and extortionists and, above all, for terrorizing the population.

PGR reports suggest that hundreds of sicarios that are paid by "La Familia Michoacana" and the cartel of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, arrived in Tamaulipas to reinforce the ranks of "El Coss" and "Tony Tormenta" against "Los Zetas."

Tamaulipas, a state that until a few months ago was controlled and reinforced with networks of corruption and lookouts by the original "Gulf Cartel” has turned into a scene of violent criminal disputes, precisely at the time the electoral races began.

In their fight, both sides have used Internet and social networks to terrorize entire cities like Reynosa and they also chose to disturbed the peace and quiet in places that had previously been free of violence such as Ciudad Victoria, where just recently in June 4th organized crime detonated grenades at the central office of Telmex and another on the institution of SEDESOL.

It is precisely the same city where they eliminated who? According to exit polls, it was just the next governor of the state.