Sangre Zeta and Other New Groups Complicate Drug War

Borderland Beat

SANGRE ZETA  has charged  into the Coahuila and Nuevo Leon area looking to overtake routes from Z40’s zetas. Taliban and followers are the Sangre group. And they are super aggressive.

 

A societal tragedy is impacted every time that a criminal organization group divides. And now, from the division of the Zetas, emerges this new group that is seeking to take over the routes of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila.

The new organization that separated from the leadership of Miguel Angel Treviño aka “Zeta 40”, under the leadership of former Zeta Ivan Velazquez Caballero aka “Z-50” is attacking the west area of Monterrey.

This group recently created is named Sangre Zeta and even though it was created before the death of Heriberto Lazcano “El Lazca”, it was  not until this year that it was really structured.

According to federal sources, Sangre Zetas is seeking to take over the west area of Monterrey to begin working as operators of the route.

Which translates to other cartels paying them to use the routes to the north, in this case to the border with Texas.

At the same time as Sangre Zeta, the authorities informed that also in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, operates an organization that wants to take power over another cartel, Gulf Cartel, and they call themselves Gulf Cartel New Generation.

It was also informed that the group La Corona would become a sub group of the Sinaloa Cartel, which worked directly for Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel, killed 2010 in Zapopan,Jalisco.

"Nacho" Coronel at top-Lazca bottom

Since August 2012, a cell of Sangre Zeta had manifested rebellion against “Z-40” in San Luis Potosi.Then, in October and November they started working in Coahuila and Nuevo Leon to pressure the Zetas.

They even dared to enter Tamaulipas and in October hanged banners in Nuevo Laredo where they called themselves Los Legionarios. [A group of former  Los Zetas announced their separation and the formation of a new group: "The Legionarios", in difiance of  Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, The Z-40 , leader of the Zetas organization.

"The Legionaries are a group of Zetas renegades who were betrayed by 40 ", announced the manta proclamation of the new group.

The members of the new organization highlights that were under the orders of the commanders Ivan Velazquez Caballero, The Taliban or Z-50 ; Rejon Enrique Aguilar, one of the founders of Los Zetas, and The Pegui , regional leaders betrayed by Treviño Morales and handed over to the Federal Police.

"The Legionaries have  the order to exterminate the people of the Zetas and their families .. EYE for an EYE, "the proclamation read]

Their power consisted in trying to convert the Zetas with the argument that Treviño Morales “Z-40” had betrayed several leaders to clean his way and ascend in the hierarchy of the organization.
 

Hostility that grew with the detention of their leader in September,  Ivan Velazquez Caballero aka “Z-50”.

And just a month after, in October, Marines killed Heriberto Lazcano “El Lazca” in Progreso, Coahuila. This aggravated even more the reaction of the enemies of “Z-40”.

So, the version that Treviño Morales had turned in his leaders to keep the absolute leadership of the organization grew more.

 

At first, when the Legionarios were created, their banners hanged in Nuevo Laredo said: “Los Legionarios is a group of renegade Zetas that were betrayed by “Z-40”.

“Los Legionarios have very clear the order of exterminating only the people of the Zetas and their families.. The banner (manta), also claimed to have killed eight members of the letra.

Stories spread how Velazquez Caballero “El Taliban” accused “Z-40” of being a traitor through banners and a video that was uploaded to You Tube by a cell.

He even blamed Treviño Morales of the detentions of several of his companions.He considered that the person that was second in leadership of the Zetas at that time had betrayed Efrain Teodoro Torres “Z-14”, (below left) murdered in 2007 in Veracruz.

“Z-14” was emblematic to the organization because he was one of the 14 original members of the Zetas when Osiel Cardenas Guillen created that armed branch of the Gulf Cartel.    

But also, Velazquez Caballero accused Treviño Morales of betraying other leaders of the Zetas, as Jaime Gonzalez Duran, “El Hummer”, in November of 2008, and Enrique Rejon Aguilar, “El Mamito”, in August 2011.

And that betrayal version  grew stronger with the death of “El Lazca” at the  hands of the Marines, last September 7th, because  in one month the leadership was cleared for Treviño Morales “Z-40”.

 

The marines have detained the two leaders of the Gulf that were “Z-40’s” enemies, but also other two Zetas that shadowed the chain of command of that group.

 

The first arrest of that chain from the Marines was September 4th, when Semar arrested Mario Cardenas Guillen aka “El Gordo”, brother of Osiel.

 

After eight days of that arrest, on September 12th, the same Marine arrested Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez “El Coss”, leader of operations of the Gulf Cartel and who was always right hand of Osiel in the past.

But then, the Marines arrested two and killed one more, three of them Zetas.

These characters were the only barrier between Treviño Morales and the top leadership inside the criminal group.

 

September 26 was when the Marines arrested Velazquez Caballero “El Taliban”, leader in San Luis Potosi and in Zacatecas.

He (Taliban) was the main opponent of “Z-40”.

Then, On October 6, the Marines arrested Salvador Alfonso Martinez Escobedo aka “La Ardilla” La Ardilla was a trustworthy man of “El Lazca” to the point that Heriberto Lazcano appears in photographs taken during the wedding of “La Ardilla”.

 

The next day, October 7th, Marines killed “El Lazca” very close to the baseball field of Progreso Coahuila.

 

It took one month and three days to be exact, for Semar to clear the way to leadership of “Z-40”.

These doubts, this inside division, caused the formation of the group that is now called Sangre Zeta and that has already become a threat west of Monterrey and the roads that connect to Coahuila.
 

The Aftereffect of the Jose Manuel Garibay Felix Murder

The analysis and intelligence group Stratfor warned privately that the murder of Jose Manuel Garibay Felix, El Manuelon, leader of the criminal organization known as Los Garibay, could trigger a clash between the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG) and the group known as the Sinaloa Federation.

In analyzing the passage after the murder of El Manuelon Garibay, whose group operates mainly in the municipalities of Mexicali, Baja California, and Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, the death of El Manuelon  could stage a confrontation between CJNG and Federation Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico, "where the union based in Jalisco try to keep their trafficking routes through the territory of Sinaloa."

If the recent death of the leader of a criminal group allied operations hinders Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación in the region, "the violence will probably increase as the cartel seeks altenative ways to ensure the flow of product to the U.S.".

On February 23, authorities found the body of El Manuelon Garibay Felix-naked, with signs of torture and gunshot wound to the head beside a road near Guadalajara, Jalisco.

The group Los Garibay enabled the CJNG operate in territory controlled by the Sinaloa Federation, which groups several drug trafficking organizations, including Joaquin Guzman, El Chapo.

The group of Los Garibay recently teamed with CJNG  (who exited from  Sinaloa Federation in 2012) expanding  its operations in Jalisco, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Veracruz and Quintana Roo, among other states.

The Jalisco group is now seen as a rival of the Sinaloa Federation.

CJNG is based on operational relationships with smaller groups located in northwestern Mexico to transport their goods through the territory of Sinaloa. In alliance with the cartel Garibay highlighted a path through the states of Sonora and Baja California.

The Sinaloa Federation is also active in the Mexicali region, with support of smaller groups in both BC and the border state of Sonora. 

Since mid 2012 violence brought by split alliances has caused an increase in violence as CJNG defends its territory from Sinaloa and groups aligned with the cartel.  This includes CDG and Knights Templar.
 

Source: Indigo, Proceso, Stratfor and BB