Mexico sends 600 soldiers to border states amid spike in violence
Splinter groups of old Zetas, Gulf cartel continue fight for control of drugs, extortion in Tamaulipas and Veracruz, expert says
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamoros, Mexico, Monday, March 6, 2023. (AP Photo)
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EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Mexico has sent 600 troops to the border states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon amid a new spike in violence.
Criminals attacked a Mexican army installation last week in the town of Miguel Aleman and armed clashes between rival gangs also were reported there on Monday. A mayor seeking reelection in Ciudad Mante was murdered, and in Nuevo Leon police investigated several mass kidnappings and reported the rescue of 13 individuals.
This is taking place in a region formerly dominated by the Zetas drug cartel and now fiercely contested by splinter groups and the rival Gulf cartel, an international security expert says.
“The Zetas are not a congruent entity anymore, but some offshoots are quite active. We are seeing major factions operating in cities along the border,” said Michael Ballard, vice president of intelligence for Virginia-based Global Guardian. “It’s a small slice of what they used to control, but those two states are still among the primary routes for heroin and cocaine to make its way to the border and the U.S. There’s a reason why border cities and states remain hotly contested and you have a lot of violence.”
The Zetas were known for their extreme violence which included videotaped beheadings and the 2010 San Fernando massacre that claimed the lives of 72 migrants. The Zetas branched out into kidnapping, extortion of merchants, fuel theft and migrant trafficking before their leaders were killed or jailed, Ballard said.
The strongest faction among the remnants of the Zetas is the Northeast cartel, or CDN, with its Tropa del Infierno (Hell’s Troop) group of enforcers. Next in importance is Zetas Old School. CDN has engaged in large-scale firefights with the army in 2022 and Tamaulipas state government in 2021.
“It’s not the same level of control with these groups as under the Zetas; you don’t have the same level of extreme violence. But make no mistake, they are still dangerous, and we broadly recommend against travel to Veracruz or Tamaulipas unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Ballard said.
