Just before dawn yesterday morning, Mexican Marines captured
and detained the monster known as Miguel Angel Trevino Morales – the leader of
Los Zetas, arguably the largest drug cartel in Mexico today. Trevino Morales
has been accused of ordering the executions of hundreds of immigrant workers
from Central America, and as head of Los Zetas, is responsible for hundreds of
pounds of drugs moving north into the U.S. every single week. In recent years, Los
Zetas have even expanded their operations further than this, to include human
trafficking, distribution of pirated DVDs and CDs, and kidnapping and
extortion. To say Los Zetas and their infamous leader are a detriment to
society is like saying Osama Bin Laden was a criminal – it is a significant
understatement. However, is this arrest worthy of the celebrating that is
undoubtedly taking place throughout Mexico and many of the border towns on the
U.S. side in Texas? What has really been accomplished? For anyone who knows the
history of the drug cartels in Mexico, the answer is not much.
Trevino Morales
There are two main reasons why Trevino Morales being in
power was a key stabilizer in the never-ending cartel wars and why his arrest
could result in an increase in violence throughout Mexico. First, Trevino
Morales was feared by virtually everyone. His penchant for torturing and
beheading people who did not cooperate with him was enough to keep his
inferiors loyal and for the first time in years, keep the Los Zetas a stable,
cohesive organization. Prior to his ascension last year following the death of Zetas
leader Heriberto Lazcano, the organization was fractured. It had evolved out of
the Gulf Cartel, which is considered to be the oldest drug cartel in the
country, and had dealt with myriad internal rivalries as well as the constant
struggle to break away from the Gulf Cartel and establish independent
territory. Since Trevino Morales claimed the leadership position last year, the
cartel has appeared substantially more stable. However, without Trevino Morales
at the helm, Los Zetas is susceptible to a return of fractures and rifts that
would do little more than create rivaling factions to do battle on the streets
of towns all over Mexico.
The Cartel is known for their mass executions -
leaving the signature "Z" on their victims
The second reason why the arrest of Trevino Morales could
backfire on Mexico is that Los Zetas’ main rival, the Sinaloa Cartel, is
undoubtedly going to expand their campaign against Los Zetas and attempt to
take over more of their territory. Nuevo Laredo, situated on the border between
Northeast Mexico and Texas, has long been the epicenter of Los Zetas
operations. It has been coveted by the Sinaloa Cartel for years, and has been
the subject of unprecedented violence between the two. And while things have
been simmering lately, that violence is certain to resume now that Sinaloa and
their leader, the equally infamous Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, see a power
vacuum emerging within Los Zetas. After all, there is a multi-billion dollar
industry that will continue with or without Trevino Morales, and without him,
other drug lords from all over Mexico will seek to fill that void.
Still, the arrest must be seen as a victory for the nascent
government of Pena Nieto, who has struggled in his first months as President of
Mexico to keep his promise of ameliorating the pervasive violence the country
experiences thanks in large part to the cartels. Trevino Morales is widely
known for his trademark method of murdering his enemies, known as “the stew” – putting
bound enemies in 55-gallon oil drums and burning them alive. There is no sound
argument against his arrest and (presumably) life-long detainment. However,
that is not to say there is no possibility of unpleasant repercussions. The
drug war will continue, as will the violence and executions. However, for now
the arrest must be taken as a step towards ending all of that for good – with an
eye towards taking every last cartel member off the streets in the future.
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