CJNG and Zetas Old School intensify war

Translated by El Profe for Borderland Beat from Notinfomex
                   

In the twilight of Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares' administration in Veracruz, two criminal groups have started a war to control the southern part of the state, bordering Tabasco and Oaxaca.

Zetas Old School, predominant group in that region, and the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, have been in contention of the territory for years; nevertheless, in the last [days] threats and executions between both groups have grown and spread through social media networks.

Videos of dismemberment by hooded men with high-powered weapons are not new in Veracruz, they have happened in other escalations of violence such as at the end of Fidel Herrera Beltrán's term (2010) and the first three years of Javier Duarte de Ochoa's (2010) -2013).

For 15 months, already in the administration of Yunes Linares, the violence has intensified in municipalities such as Las Choapas, Coatzacoalcos, Acayucan, Minatitlán and Cosoleacaque.


At the beginning of the PAN government, in July of 2017, federal security authorities reported the arrest of Hernán Martínez Zavaleta, alias "El Comandante H", arrested with two lieutenants in Villahermosa.

Later, the Veracruz governor himself explained that the capo was the head of the Zetas plaza throughout the Mexican southeast based in the city of Coatzacoalcos.

His capture occurred after he ordered the execution of a taxi driver. The armed commando killed him along with all members of his family, including four minors. The crime outraged the population so much that the federal and state government did not delay even a week in order to announce the arrest of the person responsible.

With the capture of Commander H came a series of executions throughout the south of the state caused by the plaza dispute between the now called Old School Zetas and the Jalisco Cartel (CJNG), made up of some of the former members of the first cell.

Members Threatened

Videos on social media networks have recently appeared of alleged well armed members of the CJNG and a young man under the name Fredy Maldonado

The young man was deprived of his freedom a day earlier in the municipality of Las Choapas, almost on the border with the state of Tabasco.

In the interrogation, facing gun barrels, the victim claims that he works as a kidnapper, extortionist and arms dealer and that he belongs to the Zetas Old School.

The young man says that his direct boss is a man named Pablo Herrera Beltrán, alias "El Manito", and Francisco Magaña Zarate, aka "El Pan." Later, in the same video new images appear, with the body of the young man dismembered.

A few hours later, on Sunday, a new video circulated, the same alleged members of the CJNG now launching threats against Erick Huesca, alleged second in command of the Coatzacoalcos prison.

 *Extremely Graphic Video 
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