Jerez, Zacatecas; Zeta Territory

Through informal information about drug violence received from the general public one can only conclude that in Jerez, Zacatecas Los Zetas operate freely with total support of the local authorities. This is the relevant information, a collaboration of statements from different people about the situation.

One citizen wrote about the open activities of these thugs:

"In my town of Jerez Zacatecas to file a report to the local police or PGJE is like throwing the rope around your neck because these police agencies have been completely corrupted by the criminal organization of 'Los Zetas,' This is especially true with the municipal police.

In the town of Jerez it's nothing new to see cars and trucks with tinted windows bearing expired license plates from the United States or in many cases vehicles that have been reported stolen, yet the police or traffic officers do nothing. Inside these vehicles it's also common to see the occupants talking suspiciously on radios, or consuming drugs in public and in many cases they are armed with weapons. These men that we all know belong to Los Zetas do whatever they want; they stop traffic when they park in the middle of the street, they walk real slow like they own the street, they cut in front of the lines in banks, supermarkets, etc.

 .... They think they own the streets and when they see young people riding in their cars with the music a little too high, they detain them, beat them and threaten them. Sometimes they take away their cars, or in some cases they tell the municipal police to handle it, who pick them up and beat them with boards."

As proof of the corruption in Jerez the following was told by a resident of this city that exposes the huge complicity between the police and the Zetas:

"Last Sunday I was taking a drive through the streets of downtown on Main Street when I saw a cop stopping and diverting traffic to another street, of course I obeyed, maybe there was some emergency or construction. I decided to take another street two blocks up ahead and to turn back to the street that was closed, and I noted that there were several trucks parked in front of a bar that I recognized as belonging to people that have connections to Los Zetas. I thought 'shit.' ... a complete command of municipal police blocking traffic just because criminal thugs are drinking in a bar ... that is nothing more than stupidity."

Another local resident added the following:
"I know several police officers and even a police commander who work for Los Zetas, they routinely conduct illegal checkpoints to steal cars and money from people. One of them, the commander, is known as Comandante Felipe, and other have stupid little names like el chikis, el negro, el guapo, etc, and so on.

If that wasn't enough the Mayor Eduardo Lopez Mireles, not long ago threw out the army from the city, the only incorruptible agency, who use to enforce the law as it should be. The military were the only ones that made Jeres feel safe, but now we can't even go out and enjoy our town because if you run into one of these thugs, is like running in to a child with a gun, they don't know how to use it and why even use it? The damage they are causing to the town or the damage they are causing to each other."

Source: Narcoviolencia