253-695: Gilberto García Mena (born 1954), also known as El June , is a Mexican convicted drug lord and former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel , a criminal group based in Tamaulipas , Mexico. He began his criminal career as a small-time marijuana smuggler in his teens, and later joined the Gulf Cartel under kingpin Juan García Ábrego . García Mena was arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas while possessing marijuana in 1984, but
506-722: A folk Catholic saint, and García Mena also became a devotee. He quickly ascended in the criminal underworld as an assassin and innovative smuggler and was recruited by the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas. García Mena rose to prominence during the 1970s by controlling the drug trade in La Frontera Chica region, which includes the U.S.-border municipalities of Miguel Alemán, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz , Camargo , Mier , and Guerrero . He worked with his brother, Juan Anacleto, and several of his nephews (who were known as Los Aerolitos). The police initially suspected that García Mena
759-488: A PJF officer during the late 1990s, prior to becoming the leader of the Gulf Cartel. As a policeman, Cárdenas Guillén oversaw drug seizures and ran a profitable drug ring with the help of corrupt fellow officers. García Mena heard of Cárdenas Guillén's activities, and approached him for a meeting; they got along well, and became trusted business partners. Cárdenas Guillén helped keep García Mena's turf free from rival drug gangs, and gave him drugs to resell which had been seized by
1012-400: A State of Mexico court charged García Mena with organized-crime involvement, illegal possession of military-exclusive firearms, drug trafficking, providing financial support to drug-trafficking activities, and for having a supervisory and promotional role in drug-trafficking activities. The court acquitted him of marijuana trafficking and transportation, but said that he would remain in prison on
1265-464: A U.S. citizen because he also had an American birth certificate, although Mexican authorities claimed the certificate was "fraudulent." He also had an official birth certificate that claimed García Ábrego was indeed born in Mexico. According to The Brownsville Herald , García Ábrego went into the courtroom grinning and talking animatedly with his lawyers who helped him translate his words from Spanish into
1518-537: A US$ 2 million bounty for his arrest. The former leader of the Gulf Cartel, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, was captured in the city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on 14 March 2003, in a shootout between the Mexican military and Gulf Cartel gunmen. He was one of the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives , which was offering $ 2 million for his capture. According to government archives, this six-month military operation
1771-606: A checkpoint in front of López Falcón's ranch, without raiding it; however, they raided one of García Mena's ranches and seized 345 kg (761 lb) of marijuana at a property in Guardados de Abajo. The PGR confirmed that the drugs were not tied to the trafficker for whom they were searching, and one person was arrested in the operation. The military also raided San Manuel, a ranch owned by García Mena's parents in Miguel Alemán, and confiscated two weapons. The operation lasted less than
2024-427: A complaint against Cerón that the judge was unfair to their client. According to the team, Cerón did not carefully weigh the evidence against García Mena and swiftly convicted him of organized-crime involvement and illegal possession of firearms. García Mena complained that an unnamed member of the court prevented him from speaking with his attorneys during a hearing, violating his constitutional rights. On 3 October 2001,
2277-548: A day, and the federal troops returned to their barracks before midnight. On 26 June 2001, the Mexican government sent 200 troops to Tamaulipas in continued efforts against the Gulf Cartel. They mounted a checkpoint at Guardados de Abajo's only entrance, searching vehicles entering and leaving the town, and patrolled by car and on foot. García Mena's house was not raided. The military left Guardados de Abajo on 28 July. The power vacuum left by García Mena's arrest triggered violence in northeastern Mexico and led to leadership changes in
2530-584: A devastating effect on the native population, due to European diseases and forced labor. In some areas the native population nearly or completely disappeared. It has been estimated that the native population of the region declined from 1.5 million in 1520 to 150,000 in 1650. Eventually, this prompted the Spanish to import African slaves to some regions of the state, mostly in the Costa Chica . This poor treatment of indigenous and African populations continued through
2783-610: A drug cartel based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas , Mexico, was founded in the 1930s by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra . Originally known as the Matamoros Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Matamoros ), the Gulf Cartel initially smuggled alcohol and other illegal goods into the U.S. Once the Prohibition era ended, the criminal group controlled gambling houses, prostitution rings, a car theft network, and other illegal smuggling. It grew significantly in
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#17328844737903036-399: A gap for the wind to pass between mountain ranges, creating the best conditions for wind power in Mexico . Although it is the fifth-largest state in Mexico, it has the most biodiversity. There are more than 8,400 registered plant species, 738 bird species and 1,431 terrestrial vertebrate species, accounting for 50% of all species in Mexico. It is also among the five highest-ranking areas in
3289-591: A hospital where rival drug members were being treated, and was also blamed for the massacre of the Cereso prison in 1991, where 18 prisoners were slain—both in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Following Ábrego's 1996 arrest by Mexican authorities and subsequent deportation to the United States, a power vacuum was left and several top members fought for leadership. Humberto García Ábrego, brother of Juan García Ábrego, tried to take
3542-673: A journalist from Miguel Alemán, was murdered by unknown assailants on 19 January 2002. According to investigators, Fernández had accused mayor Rodríguez Barrera of supporting García Mena and traffickers based in La Frontera Chica. The journalist's bodyguards confirmed to police that Fernández had hired them after receiving death threats from the mayor. The perpetrators were never arrested, but investigators discovered cocaine in Fernández's vehicle (suggesting that he may have been involved in drug trafficking). On 31 October 2012, Rodríguez Barrera
3795-479: A massive law enforcement effort to crackdown on the leadership structure of the Gulf Cartel. Both the Mexican and U.S. government increased their efforts to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén. Before the standoff, he was regarded as a minor player in the international drug trade, but this incident catapulted his reputation and made him one of the most-wanted criminals. The FBI and the DEA mounted numerous charges against him and issued
4048-607: A maximum-security prison (like Altiplano), and the crimes had been committed in that state. The request was denied three months later, after a court ordered García Mena to be tried in Toluca. On 25 April 2001, the Congress of Tamaulipas unanimously agreed to order state attorney general Eduardo Garza Rivas to appear before legislators and speak about corruption allegations in the Tamaulipas State Police. After García Mena's arrest,
4301-475: A new era of drug trafficking in Mexico, and little did Cárdenas know that he was creating the most violent drug cartel in the country. Between 2001 and 2008, the organization of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas was collectively known as La Compañía ( The Company ). One of the first missions of Los Zetas was to eradicate Los Chachos, a group of drug traffickers under the orders of the Milenio Cartel , who disputed
4554-407: A number of firearms were seized from both houses. On 6 April, the military intercepted a phone call in which García Mena asked his associates for clothing so he could leave Guardados de Abajo (where he was suspected of hiding). The army reinforced surveillance in surrounding towns to prevent him from fleeing, and raided three more houses in Guardados de Abajo the following day in search of him. They and
4807-432: A palace, temple, market and residences. There were also some Mesoamerican ball courts . These and larger centers doubled as military fortresses in time of invasion. Important Zapotec and Mixtec sites include Yagul , Zaachila , Inguiteria , Yanhuitlan , Tamazulapan , Tejupan , and Teposcolula . For nearly all this time, these various entities were at war with one another, and faced the threat of Aztec expansion. While
5060-560: A pending extradition request. García Mena was born in 1954 in Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas , Mexico, to Gilberto García Acevedo and Emma Mena. When García Mena was young, he excelled in school and athletics; he was fluent in English, and popular among his peers. At age eighteen García Mena became involved with Los Bravos Locos, a small drug-running gang which smuggled and sold marijuana in the U.S. Some gang members were devotees of Santa Muerte ,
5313-435: A personality test in which he admitted being involved in drug trafficking. García Mena walked investigators through his criminal background and gave them details of his past activities, including his introduction to the drug trade by his brother and his partnership with Cárdenas Guillén. He said that he had been involved in marijuana trafficking, but retired from that activity two years before his arrest. García Mena insisted that
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#17328844737905566-407: A press conference that although García Mena's arrest was a significant blow to the Gulf Cartel, it continued to operate across Mexico. The PGR confirmed that Cárdenas Guillén was the main target of their law-enforcement operations, they were close to arresting him, and were going after other high-ranking Gulf Cartel leaders. They emphasized that García Mena's arrest was significant, but the Gulf Cartel
5819-529: A property adjacent to the Rio Grande River. The PGR regarded him as one of the five most-wanted fugitives in Mexico, and believed he owned a pipe trailer company, though it was unclear if he used strawpeople to manage it. In September 1993, judge Isidro Gutiérrez González issued an arrest warrant for García Mena's capture. The judge considered that the circumstances surrounding his release were suspicious. When García Mena became involved in drug trafficking in
6072-458: A ranch in Monterrey, Nuevo León . He was quickly extradited to the United States where he stood trial eight months after his arrest. García Ábrego was convicted for 22 counts of money laundering , drug possession and drug trafficking. Jurors also ordered the seizure of $ 350 million of García Ábrego's assets — $ 75 million more than what was previously planned. Juan García Ábrego
6325-468: A ranch to grow sorghum and other agricultural plants, a country estate with an event center and two houses, and deposited funds in multiple bank accounts. Investigators said that García Mena used his wife, Laura Nallely Hinojosa Martínez, as a strawperson . According to the indictment, García Mena laundered MXN$ 19.7 million and nearly US$ 50,000. Peña Cuellar was also indicted along with García Mena and his wife. On 2 November 2003, Hinojosa Martínez accused
6578-569: A school and a church, distributed Christmas presents, paid for funerals and Holy Week vacations, and funded road-paving and access to potable water. They described him as a practicing Catholic who attended mass every Sunday and received communion . This perspective was at odds with the Mexican government's view of García Mena. Authorities suspected him of masterminding 15 homicides, including that of Reynosa PJF commander Jaime Rajid Gutiérrez Arreola . According to an anonymous police officer with knowledge of García Mena's homicide cases, García Mena
6831-631: A shift in how the Mexican government confronted drug cartels. President Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN), who ousted the dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 2000, abandoned a passive approach to the cartels and led aggressive crackdowns on them. Fox relied heavily on the Mexican Armed Forces in counter-narcotics efforts, increasing the military's role in enforcing civilian law and conducting intelligence. His efforts in apprehending García Mena were recognized by
7084-412: A suspected money-laundering front. Federal authorities announced on 13 January 2005 that they were going to question García Mena for the murder of Sinaloa Cartel member Arturo Guzmán Loera ("El Pollo"), who was executed by an Altiplano inmate. According to investigators, they would also question Cárdenas Guillén and Tijuana Cartel leader Benjamín Arellano Félix . Although it was initially suspected that
7337-735: A temperate climate. A few of the highest peaks, such as those in Tehuantepec and Putla have a cold climate. Precipitation varies from between 430 to 2,700 mm (16.9 to 106.3 in) per year. The Sierra Mazteca, Textepec and other areas near the Veracruz border have rains year round. The rest of the state receives the majority of its rain during the summer and early fall. The higher elevations can experience freezing temperatures in December and January. The Chivela mountain pass in Isthmus of Tehuantepec provides
7590-456: A turf war with Los Zetas in the city of Ciudad Mier, Tamaulipas , resulting in the exodus of more than 95% of its population. Banners written by Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel's former armed wing, appeared all across Mexico, celebrating the death of Cárdenas Guillén. United States President, Barack Obama , called the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, congratulating him and the Mexican forces for
7843-470: A village called Zapotalito . It can be reached via Federal Highway 200 or by boat from Puerto Escondido. The park encompasses 132.73 square kilometres (51.25 square miles), about 30 km (12 sq mi) of which is taken by various lagoons such as the Laguna de Chacahua, Laguna de La Pastoria, and Laguna Las Salinas . There are various smaller lagoons that are connected by narrow channels. The rest of
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8096-660: Is Oaxaca de Juárez . Oaxaca is in southern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Guerrero to the west, Puebla to the northwest, Veracruz to the north, and Chiapas to the east. To the south, Oaxaca has a significant coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The state is best known for its indigenous peoples and cultures. The most numerous and best known are the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs , but 16 are officially recognized. These cultures have survived better than most others in Mexico due to
8349-534: Is 2,500 m (8,202 ft) asl with peaks over 3,000 m (9,843 ft) asl and width averages at about 75 km (47 mi). The Sierra Atravesada is a prolongation of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas . This range is not as high as the other two with an average elevation of just over 600 meters (1,969 ft). Most of it is located in the Juchitán district running east–west. The only valleys of any real size are
8602-606: Is 71.7 for men and 77.4 for women, just under the national average. Births far outpace deaths. In 2007, there were 122,579 births and 19,439 deaths. Approximately 85% profess the Catholic faith. Demographically, Oaxaca stands out due to the high percentage of indigenous peoples. It is estimated that at least a third are speakers of indigenous languages (with 50% not able to speak Spanish), accounting for 53% of Mexico's total indigenous language speaking population. The state straddles two Mesoamerican cultural areas. The first extends into
8855-480: Is Coastal sub-humid and Temperate sub-humid. The main rivers that flow through the park are the Huayapan and San Felipe rivers. Most of their flows used to be utilized to meet drinking water needs of Oaxaca through an aqueduct in the early part of the 18th century, during the colonial period. However, it is now tapped for water supply through piped system to the city. The park covers 2,737 hectares (6,760 acres), including
9108-713: Is a circle of experts who believe that the start of the Mexican Drug War did not begin in 2006 (when Felipe Calderón sent troops to Michoacán to stop the increasing violence), but in 2004 in the border city of Nuevo Laredo , when the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas fought off the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Negros. In 2002, there were three main divisions of the Cartel, all ruled over by Cárdenas and led by: Jorge Eduardo "El Coss" Costilla Sanchez , Antonio "Tony Tormenta" Cárdenas Guillen , and Heriberto "El Lazca" Lazcano Lazcano . Upon
9361-485: Is a prolific place for reptiles such as turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles. Of the 808 registered reptile species nationwide, 245 are found in the state. The state has the most amphibian species at 133, with one-third of all Mexican species of frogs and salamanders. It is home to 120 species of freshwater fish, 738 species of birds (70% of Mexico's total) and 190 species of mammals. Some insect forms such as grasshoppers, larvae and cochineal have economic importance for
9614-487: Is also considered a legend and a symbol for the indigenous population of the state. Porfirio Díaz was Juárez's ally through the French Intervention . French imperial forces took Oaxaca city, which was defended by Díaz, landing him in prison. The capital was later recaptured by the liberals under Carlos Oronoz, but soon after Juárez took back the presidency, Díaz declared rebellion against him from Oaxaca in 1872 under
9867-462: Is also one of Mexico's most biologically diverse states, ranking in the top three, along with Chiapas and Veracruz , for numbers of reptiles, amphibians, mammals and plants. The name of the state comes from the name of its capital city, Oaxaca. This name comes from the Nahuatl word "Huaxyacac", which refers to a tree called a "guaje" ( Leucaena leucocephala ) found around the capital city. The name
10120-794: Is an important breeding area for sea turtles such as the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) , which is classified as endangered throughout its global range. Despite conservation efforts starting in the 1970s, the number of nesting sites and nesting turtles has dramatically decreased. Conservation efforts in the state are hampered by high marginalization, lack of economic alternatives, agricultural conflicts, change of land use (agricultural activities, fires), over-exploitation and pollution of natural water sources, inadequate forest management and illegal tree felling, unsustainable coastal tourist developments, climate change, limited local capacity, and limited local knowledge and valuation of natural resources. However, there are seven officially protected natural areas in
10373-440: Is an issue which needs to be addressed to remove the threats to the biosphere reserve. The state has a total population of about 3.5 million, with women outnumbering men by 150,000 and about 60% of the population under the age of 30. It is ranked tenth in population in the country. Fifty three percent of the population lives in rural areas. Most of the state's population growth took place between 1980 and 1990. Life expectancy
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10626-409: Is arable. Spanish officials and merchants tried to take indigenous privileges due to their social status, but this was resisted. While some of this was violent, the dominant response was to resort to the administrative-judicial system or yield. Violence was reserved for the worst of situations. One native product to reach economic importance during the colonial period was the cochineal insect, used for
10879-446: Is considered an aftershock . On September 8, an 8.1 magnitude quake struck off of the southern Pacific coast, near Chiapas state. Mexico City , on September 19, then endured a 7.1 magnitude quake, which also marked the 32nd anniversary of the devastating 1985 earthquake , in which more than 10,000 people were killed. On June 23, 2020, a preliminary 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the region, triggering tsunami warnings for parts of
11132-511: Is currently serving 11 life terms in a maximum security prison in Colorado, U.S. In 1996, it was disclosed that García Ábrego's organization paid millions of dollars in bribes to politicians and law enforcement officers for his protection. It was later proven after his arrest that the deputy attorney general in charge of Mexico's federal Judicial Police had accumulated more than US$ 9 million for protecting García Ábrego. García Ábrego's arrest
11385-490: Is difficult to overstate Juárez's meaning to the state. He was born on March 21, 1806, in the village of San Pablo Guelatao and was full-blooded Zapotec. He studied to be a priest, then a lawyer. In 1847, Juárez became governor of Oaxaca, but still faced stern opposition from conservatives such as Lope San Germán. With the success of the Plan de Ayutla , Juárez became governor again, and worked to remove privileges and properties from
11638-675: Is in the valley of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán-Quiotepec. The six rivers which flow through the reserve are the Tomellín, Chiquito, Las Vueltas, Salado, Zapotitán and Río Grande of the Papaloapan watershed, which finally flow into the Gulf of Mexico . On account of wide variation in topography and annual rainfall, the micro-climatic conditions in the reserve has created a biosphere reserve, which is very rich in flora and fauna. The rich biodiversity of
11891-462: Is known for its small figures called "pretty women" or "baby face." Between 1200 and 900 BCE, pottery was produced in the area. This pottery has been linked with similar work done in La Victoria, Guatemala . Other important settlements from the same period include Tierras Largas , San José Mogote and Guadalupe , whose ceramics show Olmec influence. The major native language family, Oto-Manguean ,
12144-621: Is thought to have been spoken in northern Oaxaca around 4400 BCE and to have evolved into nine distinct branches by 1500 BCE. Historic events in Oaxaca as far back as the 12th century are described in pictographic codices painted by Zapotecs and Mixtecs in the beginning of the colonial period, but outside of the information that can be obtained through their study, little historical information from pre-colonial Oaxaca exists, and our knowledge of this period relies largely on archaeological remains. By 500 BCE, Oaxaca's central valleys were mostly inhabited by
12397-407: Is unclear which of the two – the Gulf Cartel or Los Zetas – started the conflict that led to their break up. It is clear, however, that after the capture and extradition of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, Los Zetas outclassed the Gulf Cartel in revenue, membership, and influence. Some sources reveal that as a result of the supremacy of Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel felt threatened by
12650-675: The Federal Criminal Procedure Code . The court also determined that one person who testified against García Mena was questioned by an unqualified person, making his evidence inadmissible . This decision was made after García Mena's defense appealed his conviction, saying that his right to due process was violated when he was arrested. He was released from prison because his arrest was determined to have violated Mexican federal law. The other detainees who were arrested and convicted for collaborating with García Mena in 2001 were also expected to appeal their convictions. On 29 May 2014,
12903-581: The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( Spanish : Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca ), is one of the 32 states that compose the Federative Entities of the United Mexican States . It is divided into 570 municipalities , of which 418 (almost three quarters) are governed by the system of usos y costumbres (customs and traditions) with recognized local forms of self-governance. Its capital city
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#173288447379013156-459: The Guilá Naquitz cave near the town of Mitla . This area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010 in recognition of the "earliest known evidence of domesticated plants in the continent, while corn cob fragments from the same cave are said to be the earliest documented evidence for the domestication of maize." More finds of nomadic peoples date to about 5000 BCE, with some evidence of
13409-626: The Juárez Cartel , the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel and the Tijuana Cartel. Osiel Cárdenas' brother, Antonio Cárdenas Guillén, along with Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez ( El Coss ), a former policeman, filled in the vacuum left by Osiel and became the leaders of the Gulf Cartel. The death of Antonio allowed for Costilla Sánchez to become the co-leader of the Gulf Cartel and head of the Metros, one of
13662-513: The Mexican Air Force conducted air and land surveillance in the adjacent rural communities of Guardados de Arriba, Carrizales, Rancherías, Los Ángeles, and Comales, discovering a clandestine airstrip in Camargo presumably used by the Gulf Cartel for their drug operations. The PGR confirmed on 6 April that they were investigating at least ten military officers in Tamaulipas protecting and supporting
13915-651: The Mexican Army 's elite Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE) to form part of the cartel's armed wing. Los Zetas , as they are known, served as the hired private mercenary army of the Gulf Cartel. Nevertheless, after the arrest and extradition of Cárdenas, internal struggles led to a rupture between the Gulf and the Zetas. In 1997 the Gulf Cartel began to recruit military personnel whom Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo , an Army General of that time, had assigned as representatives from
14168-760: The Panamerican Highway and the construction of the Miguel Alemán Dam. From the 1980s to the present, there has been much development of the tourism industry in the state. This tourism, as well as the population growth of the capital, prompted the construction of the Oaxaca-Mexico City highway in 1994. Development of tourism has been strongest in the Central Valleys area surrounding the capital, with secondary developments in Huatulco and other locations along
14421-639: The Plan de Tuxtepec . Juárez died in office. Díaz obtained the presidency and did not relinquish it until the Mexican Revolution . During Díaz's rule, called the Porfiriato, a number of modernization efforts were undertaken in the state, such as public lighting, first with gas then with electricity, railroad lines, new agriculture techniques and the revitalization of commerce. Most of the benefits of these advances went to national and international corporations, and workers and indigenous farmers organized against
14674-482: The Reynosa plaza; Arturo Basurto Peña, alias El Grande , and Iván Velázquez-Caballero alias El Talibán took control of Quintana Roo and Guerrero ; Alberto Sánchez Hinojosa, alias Comandante Castillo , took over Tabasco . However, continual disagreement was leading the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas into an inevitable rupture. On 18 August 2013, Gulf Cartel leader Mario Ramirez Trevino was captured. In 2007, Cárdenas
14927-547: The Sinaloa Cartel (under Héctor Luis Palma Salazar ) unsuccessfully tried to take over drug-trafficking routes in the region, and decided to turn away from the drug corridors at the Tamaulipas border and focus on other drug routes in Mexico. García Mena's success gave him social acceptance and a good reputation in the criminal underworld. After García Ábrego was arrested in 1996, the cartel experienced internal strife as several factions (and leaders) vied for control. García Mena
15180-576: The Spanish Conquest in 1521. Between 700 and 1300, the Mixtec were scattered among various dominions, including those of Achiutla , Tequixtepec-Chazumba , Apoala and Coixtlahuaca . The Zapotecs occupied a large region from Central Valleys region to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. No major city-state like Monte Albán arose again, with villages and city-states remaining small, between 1,000 and 3,000 people with
15433-463: The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (S.D. Tex.) indicted 16 suspected members of the Gulf Cartel who operated a marijuana ring in south Texas and the greater Houston area. Among those indicted was a man listed as Gilberto Mena García ("El Yune"), who was described as a Mexican national in his sixties, but the prosecution did not confirm if he was García Mena. According to
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#173288447379015686-588: The government of Tamaulipas laid off 76 state police officers and 35 rural officers based in La Frontera Chica. The layoffs included a number of police chiefs suspected of protecting García Mena. The decision was requested by the PGR to investigate police involvement in organized crime. Between 2 and 6 June 2001, the Specialized Unit Against Organized Crime (UEDO, a former branch of the PGR) cracked down on
15939-628: The supermax prison he is in. Nearly $ 30 million of the former drug lord's assets were distributed among several Texan law enforcement agencies. In exchange for another life-sentence, Cárdenas agreed to collaborate with U.S. agents in intelligence information. The U.S. federal court awarded two helicopters owned by Cárdenas to the Business Development Bank of Canada and the GE Canada Equipment Financing respectively. Both of them were bought from "drug proceeds". It
16192-491: The x represented the voiceless postalveolar fricative ( [ʃ] , the equivalent of English sh in "shop"), making "Oaxaca" pronounced as [waˈʃaka] . But during the 16th century the voiceless fricative sound evolved into a voiceless velar fricative ( [x] , like the ch in Scottish "loch"), and Oaxaca began to be pronounced [waˈxaka] . In present-day Spanish, Oaxaca is pronounced [waˈxaka] or [waˈhaka] ,
16445-541: The .38s on his waist when he was arrested, and admitted in custody that it was his. His four handguns had "El Coronel" insignia, which reportedly indicated the factory in which they were made. The weapons were not from a Mexican arms provider, and the PGR suspected that they originated in Colombia . The PGR did not confirm to the press if they would investigate links between García Mena's faction and Colombian drug-trafficking groups. PGR chief José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos said at
16698-548: The 1970s under the leadership of kingpin Juan García Ábrego . By the 1980s, García Ábrego began incorporating cocaine into the drug trafficking operations and started to have the upper hand on what was now considered the Gulf Cartel, the greatest criminal dynasty in the US-Mexico border . By negotiating with the Cali Cartel , García Ábrego was able to secure 50% of the shipment out of Colombia as payment for delivery, instead of
16951-521: The 1970s, the Gulf Cartel was headed by Juan García Ábrego . García Mena defended La Frontera Chica from incursions by rival criminal groups for several years, and consolidated himself as a kingpin with manpower and a profitable marijuana-trafficking business. Groups like the Juárez Cartel (under the leadership of Amado Carrillo Fuentes ), the Tijuana Cartel (under the Arellano Félix siblings), and
17204-523: The 3,111-meter (10,207 ft) high "Cerro de San Felipe" (San Felipe Mountain), part of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca which has metamorphic rock formations. It has a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. There are pine and oak forests in the upper reaches of the mountain, while the lower reaches have scrub oaks, and tropical deciduous forest in the canyons. Most of the forest is secondary growth, having been previously forested. Huatulco National Park , also known as Bahias de Huatulco National Park – Huatulco,
17457-537: The Armed Forces and brought more than 30 army deserters to form part of Cárdenas' new criminal paramilitary wing. They were enticed with salaries much higher than those of the Mexican Army. Among the original defectors were Jaime González Durán , Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar , and Heriberto Lazcano , who would later become the supreme leader of the independent cartel of Los Zetas. The creation of Los Zetas brought
17710-797: The Aztec began to take control of trade routes in the area and part of the Pacific Coast. By this time, the Zapotec were led by Cosijoeza with the government in Zaachila in the latter 15th century. Under Ahuitzotl , the Aztecs temporarily pushed the Zapotecs into Tehuantepec and established a permanent military base at Huaxyacac (Oaxaca city). The Aztecs were stopped only by the Spanish Conquest. The conquest changed most of
17963-404: The Central Valleys between Etla and Miahuatlán , which contains the city of Oaxaca. Smaller populated valleys include Nochixtlan, Nejapa, Cuicatlan and Tuxtepec. Small mesas contain population centers such as Putla , Juxtlahuaca , Tamazulapan , Zacatepec , Tlaxiaco and Huajuapan . The largest canyons in the state are those in the Cuicatlán area and include the Cortés, Galicia and María in
18216-454: The Church and landed classes. The Constitution of 1857 was ratified in Oaxaca city, and Juárez left the governor's position to become President of Mexico . He was president during one of Mexico's most turbulent times, fighting invading French forces and conservatives. As a liberal, he imposed many of the reforms that remain today, including those in education and separation of church and state. He
18469-483: The DEA and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who headed the investigation, the suspects were involved in a conspiracy with intent to distribute 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of marijuana. If convicted, Mena García faces 10 years to life imprisonment and US$ 4 million in fines. He was also charged with drug possession with intent to distribute 100 kg (220 lb), which carries penalties of 5 to 40 years in prison and US$ 2 million in fines. The proceeds of
18722-465: The English language. Hours after the judge told García Ábrego that he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison, the death penalty was out of the question for the prosecutors. According to the factual documents presented in court on 8 May 1998, the Matamoros-based criminal syndicate of the Gulf Cartel was responsible for trafficking tremendous amounts of narcotics into the United States from
18975-535: The GAFE of illegally raiding her home and destroying personal property. On 30 July 2004, an association of ranchers in Tamaulipas notified the court that García Mena was not a registered member; his defense had claimed that García Mena was a businessman and rancher to demonstrate that he was not involved in drug trafficking. On 19 April 2007, a Nuevo León court sentenced him to 16 years and one month in prison for possession and transportation of six tons of marijuana. This charge
19228-516: The Gulf Cartel after Cardenas' extradition. Lieutenants that were once loyal to Cárdenas began following the commands of Lazcano, who tried to reorganize the cartel by appointing several lieutenants to control specific territories. Morales Treviño was appointed to look over Nuevo León ; Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez in Matamoros; Héctor Manuel Sauceda Gamboa , nicknamed El Karis , took control of Nuevo Laredo; Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa, known as El Goyo , along with his brother Arturo, took control of
19481-475: The Gulf Cartel controls territories and imposes its own rules—often violent and bloody—over the population. And in doing so, they inherently become a "competitor" with the state, who also claims sovereignty over its territories. Like other drug trafficking organizations, the Gulf Cartel also subverts government institutions, particularly at state and local levels, by using their large profits to bribe officials. The Gulf Cartel has important cells operating inside
19734-530: The Gulf Cartel has with the prison gangs in the United States have also raised concern to American officials. Reports mention that Mexican drug cartels operate in more than 1,000 cities in the United States. In 2013, high ranking Gulf Cartel member Aurelio Cano Flores became the highest cartel member to be convicted by a U.S. jury in 15 years. In January 2020, high-ranking U.S. Gulf Cartel member Jorge Costilla-Sanchez pleaded guilty to an international drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana into
19987-500: The Gulf Cartel in Miguel Alemán, Ciudad Mier, Camargo and Reynosa with support from the PJF and the army. The UEDO had intelligence confirming the whereabouts of García Mena's associates José Manuel Garza Rendón ("La Brocha"), Medrano, and Cárdenas Guillén. However, the men escaped capture when security forces were delayed in obtaining search warrants and finalizing details of the raids. The raids were headed by PGR chief Santiago Vasconcelos, and
20240-654: The Gulf Cartel to end the war with Los Zetas, and bring back the "old school" ways when they were together. In June 2020, InSight Crime journalist Victoria Dittmar claimed that the Gulf Cartel had undergone "fragmentation" at some point in time. Los Pelones emerged as an independent cartel during this fragmentation as well. However, remnants still exist in Tamaulipas. Oaxaca Oaxaca ( / w ə ˈ h æ k ə / wə- HAK -ə , also US : / w ɑː ˈ h ɑː k ɑː / wah- HAH -kah ; Spanish: [waˈxaka] , from Classical Nahuatl : Huāxyacac [waːʃˈjakak] ), officially
20493-475: The Gulf Cartel to seek for an alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Michoacana; in addition, Stratfor mentioned that these three organizations also united because they hold a "profound hate" for Los Zetas. Consequently, Los Zetas joined forces with the Beltrán Leyva Cartel and the Tijuana Cartel to counterattack the opposing cartels. On 10 November 2014, a document from the Mexican government
20746-564: The Gulf Cartel's leadership under Cárdenas Guillén occurred after the arrest of Medina Garza on 1 November 2000, which led to information on García Mena. In early 2001, García Mena and six accomplices were arrested on a highway in Tamaulipas, but he was released hours later by order of Martínez Pérez. From 31 March to 10 April 2001 about 300 soldiers from the Mexican Army and personnel from the Special Prosecutor's Office For Crimes Against Health (FEADS) were stationed in Camargo to crack down on
20999-411: The Gulf Cartel's operations in the area. The crackdown, headed by PGR chief José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos , yielded major developments against García Mena's operations. On 2 April, authorities arrested 21 members of the cartel in Guardados de Abajo. The PGR confirmed that García Mena had nearly been captured, escaping seven minutes before the police reached his location. Mexican authorities reached out to
21252-432: The Gulf Cartel's portfolio and began smuggling cocaine into the U.S. from Tamaulipas. García Mena sided with Cárdenas Guillén to oust López Falcón, which forced López Falcón to seek support from other organized-crime members tied to rival drug cartels. López Falcón and his enforcer, Rolando López Salinas ("El Rolis"), met with members of the Sinaloa Cartel and brokered a drug deal without the Gulf Cartel's approval during
21505-504: The Gulf Cartel. García Mena relied on Cárdenas Guillén's forces to kill López Falcón and López Salinas. In turn, López Falcón reportedly opted for a new strategy: reaching out to authorities and providing them with information on García Mena's whereabouts. The Gulf Cartel was under close scrutiny after several of its members threatened two U.S. agents at gunpoint in Matamoros in 1999; the incident drew attention to its leadership, which included García Mena. The first major breakthrough about
21758-429: The Gulf Cartel. The PGR confirmed that García Mena's arrest did not reduce Gulf Cartel operations. Under him, the cartel had developed an organizational structure made up of criminal cells; the cells had regional leaders, and carried out criminal activities for the cartel. They often shared resources with other cells, including vehicles, routes, corrupt public officials, weapons and gunmen. The cell controlled by García Mena
22011-529: The Gulf Cartel. They began to organize kidnappings ; impose taxes, collect debts, and operate protection rackets ; control the extortion business; securing cocaine supply and trafficking routes known as plazas (zones) and executing its foes, often with grotesque savagery. In response to the rising power of the Gulf Cartel, the rival Sinaloa Cartel established a heavily armed, well-trained enforcer group known as Los Negros . The group operated similar to Los Zetas, but with less complexity and success. There
22264-632: The INS bus scam, García Ábrego had a "special deal" with members of the Texas National Guard who would truck tons of cocaine and marijuana from South Texas to Houston for the cartel. Garcia Abrego's reach became known when a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent named Claude de la O, in 1986, stated in testimony against García Ábrego that he received over US$ 100,000 in bribes and had leaked information that could have endangered an FBI informant as well as Mexican journalists. In 1989 Claude
22517-607: The Lobos (The wolves) were established in Laredo. The infighting between the Metros and the Rojos of the Gulf cartel began in 2010, when Juan Mejía González , nicknamed El R-1 , was overlooked as the candidate of the regional boss of Reynosa and was sent to the "Frontera Chica", an area that encompasses Miguel Alemán , Camargo and Ciudad Mier – directly across the U.S.–Mexico border from Starr County, Texas . The area that Mejía González wanted
22770-521: The Mexican Army Special Forces to become the military armed-wing of the Gulf Cartel. His goal was to protect himself from rival drug cartels and from the Mexican military, to perform vital functions as the leader of the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico. Among his first contacts was Arturo Guzmán Decena , an Army lieutenant who was reportedly asked by Cárdenas to look for the "best men possible." Consequently, Guzmán Decenas deserted from
23023-473: The Mexican drug cartels are believed to have deals with the mafia groups of Europe. The Gulf Cartel and other Mexican drug trafficking groups are active in the northern and western parts of Africa. Although cocaine is not grown in Africa, Mexican organizations, such as the Gulf Cartel, are currently exploiting West Africa's struggling rule-of-law caused by war, crime and poverty, to stage and expand supply routes to
23276-410: The Mexican government forces on 5 November 2010, in the border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Government sources claimed that this operation—where more than 660 marines, 17 vehicles, and 3 helicopters participated—left 8 dead: three marines, one soldier, and four gunmen, including Antonio Cárdenas. Other sources mention that one news reporter was also killed in the crossfire. This military-led operation
23529-506: The Mexican government to capture him. In 2010 he was finally sentenced to 25 years in prison after being charged with 22 federal charges ; the courtroom was locked and the public prevented from witnessing the proceeding. The proceedings took place in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in the border city of Brownsville, Texas. Cárdenas has been isolated from interacting with other prisoners in
23782-428: The PGR began an investigation of police officers allegedly involved in Gulf Cartel operations. The investigation originated from videos and photographs found at García Mena's home linking him to mayor Rodríguez Barrera. Garza Rivas said that there were no clear indications of state-official collusion with the Gulf Cartel, but agreed to collaborate with the investigation. The congress stated that they would request access to
24035-403: The PGR decided to return García Mena's home to his mother. However, the army discovered a hidden compartment behind a bedroom wardrobe a few hours before they were going to leave the house. They noted the wardrobe had an electrical switch, and because they thought the location was unusual they decided to investigate, finding a cupboard wall which covered the entrance to the small room. García Mena
24288-501: The PGR offices in certain states across Mexico. After his imprisonment a short time later, Jorge Madrazo Cuéllar created the National Public Security System (SNSP), to fight the drug cartels along the U.S.–Mexico border. After Osiel Cárdenas Guillén took full control of the Gulf Cartel in 1999, he found himself in a no-holds-barred fight to keep his notorious organization and leadership untouched, and sought out members of
24541-456: The PGR said that security forces were closing in on cartel leaders and their arrests were imminent. Troops stationed in La Frontera Chica on 5 June 2001 conducted a number of raids in search of Alesio García Peña ("El Huarachón"), one of García Mena's henchmen and a suspected successor. Although two of his properties in Ciudad Mier were raided, they were unable to locate him. The Army also set up
24794-460: The PGR's videos and photographs; because the files were in the possession of a federal agency, the congress required PGR approval. That day, the PGR confirmed that they were also investigating Nuevo León attorney general José Santos González Suárez and deputy attorney general César Cantú García for possible ties to García Mena. According to PGR head Rafael Macedo de la Concha, every public official related to García Mena's case would be asked to appear at
25047-515: The Santa Muerte. The weapons, which included three .38 pistols , one .22 pistol and a German-made Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, allowed the soldiers to arrest García Mena in flagrante delicto . The soldiers were particularly alarmed by his MP5 and .38 weapons; the MP5 is a military-exclusive weapon in Mexico, and civilian possession is a violation of federal law. García Mena was wearing one of
25300-692: The Sierra de Miahuatlán and the Sierra de la Garza. The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca enters the state from the Puebla and Veracruz borders in the Tuxtepec region , running northwest to southeast towards the Central Valleys region , then onto the Tehuantepec area . Local names for parts of this range include Sierra de Tamazulapan, Sierra de Nochixtlan, Sierra de Huautla, Sierra de Juárez, Sierra de Ixtlan and others. Average altitude
25553-492: The Spanish presidio of Villa Alta. This rebellion was put down by the Spanish, in alliance with about 2,000 Mixtecs and Aztecs. From this point, the Mixe retreated far into the mountains to isolate themselves, where they remain today. The first priest in the territory was Juan Diaz, who accompanied Francisco de Orozco and built the first church in what is now the city of Oaxaca. He was followed by Bartolome de Olmade and others who began
25806-643: The Spanish. Resistance to the new order was sporadic and confined to the Pacific coastal plain, the Zapotec Sierra, the Mixea region and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Mixe put up the most resistance to intrusions on their lands. They not only resisted during the first decade or so of Spanish occupation, like other groups, but through the rest of the 16th century. The last major Mixe rebellion came in 1570, when they burned and looted Zapotec communities and threatened to destroy
26059-454: The State of Mexico. PGR prosecutor Otilia Moreno Ramirez appealed the defense's transfer request, saying that a transfer to a Nuevo León prison would pose a security threat and a flight risk. According to the PGR, the pending Monterrey charge was unrelated to his State of Mexico charges. Ninfa Delia Domínguez Leal , the former head of Nuevo León's state penitentiaries, said that García Mena's transfer
26312-479: The U.S. border from Brownsville, Texas . Their network is international, and is believed to have dealings with crime groups in Europe, West Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and the United States. Besides drug trafficking, the Gulf Cartel operates through protection rackets , assassinations, extortions , kidnappings , and other criminal activities. The members of the Gulf Cartel are known for intimidating
26565-402: The U.S. government, who highlighted it as evidence of increasing multilateral collaboration between law-enforcement agencies in both countries. On 20 April 2001, PGR head Rafael Macedo de la Concha met with DEA administrator Donnie R. Marshall . Marshall praised the Mexican government for García Mena's arrest, saying that it indicated that Mexico was committed to fighting corruption. García Mena
26818-511: The US$ 1,500 per kilogram they were previously receiving. This renegotiation, however, forced Garcia Ábrego to guarantee the product's arrival from Colombia to its destination. Instead, he created warehouses along the Mexican's northern border to preserve hundreds of tons of cocaine; this allowed him to create a new distribution network and increase his political influence. In addition to trafficking drugs, García Ábrego would ship cash to be laundered , in
27071-619: The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the DEA for assistance, since they suspected García Mena of fleeing to the U.S. They seized 12 tons of marijuana at the home of Juan de Dios Hinojosa Moreno, one of García Mena's top lieutenants in Guardados de Abajo, on 4 April. The military also raided the homes of Zeferino Peña Cuéllar (head of the Miguel Alemán Municipal Police and alleged Gulf Cartel operator), and García Mena's brother Juan Anacleto;
27324-627: The United States each month. His luck ended in November 2000 when he was captured in Tampico , Tamaulipas and imprisoned in La Palma . After Medina Garza's arrest, his cousin Adalberto Garza Dragustinovis was investigated for allegedly forming part of the Gulf Cartel and for money-laundering, but the case is still open. The next in line was Sergio Gómez alias El Checo , however, his leadership
27577-429: The United States, approved executions, and signed forms to allow the purchase of police forces. And while his brother Antonio Cárdenas Guillén led the Gulf Cartel, Cárdenas still made vital orders from La Palma through messages from his lawyers and guards. The arrest and extradition of Cárdenas, however, caused for several top lieutenants from both the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas to fight over important drug corridors to
27830-410: The United States, especially the cities of Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo , Reynosa , and Tampico —all situated in the state of Tamaulipas. They also fought for coastal cities Acapulco, Guerrero and Cancún, Quintana Roo ; the state capital of Monterrey, Nuevo León, and the states of Veracruz and San Luis Potosí . Through his violence and intimidation, Heriberto Lazcano took control of both Los Zetas and
28083-474: The United States, where he was sentenced to 25 years in a prison in Houston, Texas for money laundering, drug trafficking and death threats to U.S. federal agents. Reports from the PGR and El Universal state that while in prison, Cárdenas and Benjamín Arellano Félix , from the Tijuana Cartel, formed an alliance. Moreover, through handwritten notes, Cárdenas gave orders on the movement of drugs along Mexico and to
28336-531: The United States. The Gulf Cartel is believed to have ties with the 'Ndrangheta , an organized crime group in Italy that also has ties with Los Zetas. Reports indicated that the Gulf Cartel was using the BlackBerry smartphones to communicate with 'Ndrangheta, since the texts are "normally difficult to intercept". In 2009, the Gulf organization concluded that expanding their market opportunities in Europe, combined with
28589-474: The United States. With the arrest of one of García Ábrego's traffickers, Juan Antonio Ortiz, it became known the cartel would ship tons of cocaine in the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) buses between the years of 1986 to 1990. The buses made great transportation, as Antonio Ortiz noted since they were never stopped at the border. It also became known that, in addition to
28842-480: The United States—in Mission , Roma , and Rio Grande City —for example, and their presence is expanding. Thomas A. Shannon , a U.S. diplomat and ambassador, stated that criminal organizations like the Gulf Cartel have "substantially weakened" the institutions in Mexico and Central America, and have generated a surge of violence in the United States. The U.S. National Drug Threat Assessment mentioned that
29095-628: The Zapotec remained dominant in many parts of the Central Valleys and into the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Mixtec were pushing into Zapotec territory, taking Monte Alban. In areas they conquered, they became prolific builders, leaving behind numerous and still unexplored sites. But the conquest of the Central Valleys was never completed, with pressure coming from the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Zapotecs and Mixtecs both allied themselves and fought among themselves as they tried to maintain their lands and valuable trade routes between
29348-566: The Zapotecs, with the Mixtecs on the western side. These two groups were often in conflict during the pre-Hispanic period. Archeological evidence indicates that between 750 and 1521, there may have been population peaks of as high as 2.5 million. The Zapotecs were the earliest to gain dominance over the Central Valleys region. The first major dominion was centered in Monte Albán, which flourished from 500 BCE to AD 750. At its height, Monte Albán
29601-487: The accusations by posting their own banners throughout Tamaulipas. They pointedly noted that they had carried out executions and kidnappings under orders of the Gulf Cartel when they served as their enforcers, and they were created by them for that sole purpose. Also, Los Zetas mentioned that the Gulf Cartel also kills innocent civilians, and then blames them for their atrocities. Nevertheless, other sources also reveal that Antonio Cárdenas Guillén, brother of Osiel and one of
29854-561: The area had gold . In addition, when Zapotec leaders heard about the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire , they sent an offer of an alliance. Several captains and representatives were sent to the area to explore, looking for gold and routes to the Pacific to establish trade routes to Asian spice markets . The most prominent of Cortés's captains to arrive here were Gonzalo de Sandoval , Francisco de Orozco and Pedro de Alvarado . They overcame
30107-525: The area. At least 10 people were killed. The state is located in the southeastern portion of Mexico, bordered by the states of Puebla , Veracruz , Chiapas and Guerrero , with the Pacific Ocean to the south. It has a territory of 93,967 km (36,281 sq mi), accounting for less than 5% of Mexico's territory. Here several mountain chains come together, with the elevation varying from sea level to 3,759 m (12,333 ft) asl , averaging at 1,500 m (4,921 ft) asl. Oaxaca has one of
30360-416: The areas around Huajuapan de León, where Valerio Trujano defended the city against royalist forces until José María Morelos y Pavón came in with support to keep the area in rebel hands. After that point, insurgents had greater success in various parts of the state, but the capital remained in royalist hands until the end of the war. The state was initially a department after the war ended in 1821, but after
30613-537: The armed wing of the entire Gulf organization. The first mention of Los Escorpiones on the media was in 2008, when El Universal wrote an article about some "protected witnesses" from the Gulf Cartel who denounced the alliance between the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel and Los Zetas to the Mexican authorities, and that the Gulf Cartel had created Los Escorpiones to stop and balance the growing hegemony of Los Zetas. However, his brother Osiel Cárdenas Guillén disapproved
30866-512: The army and the PGR sent additional troops to the municipalities of Los Aldamas , Los Ramones , China and General Bravo to improve security. On 26 April, the PGR said that they would increase the law-enforcement presence in Tamaulipas and Veracruz with additional army troops and would not rely on the Federal Preventive Police (PFP). The decision was made after the PGR obtained new evidence from García Mena's arrest and prioritized
31119-474: The arrest of García Ábrego. Further theories put forward to allege the arrest of García Ábrego was to satisfy U.S. demands and meet certification, from the Department of Justice (DOJ), as a trade partner, the vote set to take place on 1 March. García Ábrego was apprehended on 14 January 1996, and Mexico shortly after received certification on 1 March. Upon his capture outside the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León,
31372-700: The arrest of the Gulf Cartel boss Cárdenas in 2003 and his extradition in 2007, the panorama for Los Zetas changed—they started to become synonymous with the Gulf Cartel, and their influences grew within the organization. Los Zetas began to grow independently from the Gulf Cartel, and eventually a rupture occurred between them in early 2010. On 9 November 1999, two U.S. agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI were threatened at gunpoint by Cárdenas Guillén and approximately fifteen of his henchmen in Matamoros. The two agents traveled to Matamoros with an informant to gather intelligence on
31625-603: The arrests of Cárdenas Guillén and Humberto García Ábrego . The increased surveillance in Miguel Alemán and Camargo forced several traffickers to flee and leave some rural communities in near abandonment. Local residents worried that with García Mena's capture, their communities would suffer economic hardship (specifically García Mena's laborers who worked at his properties). Municipal authorities countered these statements by saying that their communities had other means of economic production besides drug trafficking. In response to police-corruption allegations during García Mena's tenure,
31878-485: The assistance of ten other gang members, including his brother Antonio. U.S. authorities issued an arrest warrant for his capture and released a US$ 10,000 bounty. Mexican authorities, including the PGR, requested citizens' help in locating García Mena, who was referred to in the press release by his alias "The Czar of Miguel Alemán". According to the Mexican police, García Mena was believed to be hiding in his hometown of Guardados de Abajo, and highlighted that his parents owned
32131-541: The attorney general's offices for questioning; this included federal officials and members of the military. On 1 May 2001, the Public Registry of Property and Commerce (RPPC) said that the PGR had not issued them a judicial order to seize García Mena's properties. In order to take ownership of his properties, the PGR had to get approval from a judge. On 21 May, Mattar Oliva charged García Mena with drug possession and marijuana transportation (pending charges against him in
32384-550: The beginning of agriculture. By 2000 BCE, agriculture had been established in the Central Valleys region of the state, with sedentary villages. The diet developed around this time remained until the Spanish Conquest, consisting primarily of harvested corn, beans, chocolate, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash and gourds. Meat was generally hunted and included tepescuintle , turkey, deer, peccary , armadillo and iguana . The oldest known major settlements, such as Yanhuitlán and Laguna Zope , are also in this area. The latter settlement
32637-414: The cartel, and that would tighten relations with Colombia and straighten the Gulf Cartel's path, something quite difficult with Antonio Cárdenas as co-leader. Los Escorpiones, also called Grupo Escorpios, ( The Scorpions ), was believed to be the mercenary group that protected Antonio Cárdenas Guillén , the former leader of the organization. According to reports by the Mexican government, Los Escorpiones
32890-477: The cartel. Although soldiers raided García Mena's home in Guardados de Abajo with a search warrant , they were unable to locate him for several days and his family continued to access it. Authorities believed that it was a safe house for his operations, and discovered several government-issued IDs from the State of Mexico and Guerrero in his name with different photographs and addresses. After several fruitless days,
33143-476: The case against García Mena was Alejandro Garza Delgado. His defense argued that he was not guilty because the drugs linked to him by the prosecution were not in his possession at the time of his arrest. Although judge Rodolfo Pasarin de Luna sentenced Leal Moncada to 26 years and gave minor sentences to three detainees on 26 July 1990, he said that the evidence against García Mena was insufficient and ordered his release. The Attorney General's Office (PGR) appealed
33396-471: The coast line, out of the identified 100 marine species. Vegetation is dominated by the low forest growth of caducifolia in 80% area with the unusual feature of 50 ft (15.24 m) high trees. Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve, which encompasses the states of Puebla and Oaxaca in Mexico, was established as reserve in 1998 covering an area of 490,187 ha (1,211,280 acres), with an altitudinal range of 600 to 2,950 m (1,969 to 9,678 ft). It
33649-463: The coast. This development was threatened by violence associated with the 2006 uprising , which severely curtailed the number of incoming tourists for several years. On February 12, 2008, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Oaxaca. From the Mexican Revolution until the 2000s, the ruling PRI party controlled almost all Oaxacan politics, from the local to the state level. Challenges to
33902-734: The colonial period. Initially, the Spanish did not change native power structures and allowed nobles to keep their privileges as long as they were loyal to the Spanish crown. But all indigenous people were eventually lumped into one category as the Spanish halted warfare among the city-states and created the official category of "indio" (Indian). Settlers arriving from Spain brought with them domestic animals that had never been seen in Oaxaca: horses , cows , goats , sheep , chickens , mules and oxen . New crops such as sugar cane , vanilla and tobacco were introduced. Landholding remained mostly in indigenous hands, even though only 9% of Oaxaca's terrain
34155-410: The conflict between them was when Samuel Flores Borrego, alias El Metro 3 , lieutenant of the Gulf Cartel, killed Sergio Peña Mendoza, alias El Concorde 3 , lieutenant of Los Zetas, due to a disagreement for the drug corridor of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, whom both protected. Soon after his death, Los Zetas demanded the Gulf Cartel to hand over the killer, but they didn't, and observers believe that triggered
34408-553: The convergence of the Sierra Madre del Sur , the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and the Sierra Atravesada into what is called the Oaxaca Complex (Complejo Oaxaqueño). The Sierra Madre del Sur runs along the coast with an average width of 150 km (93 mi) and a minimum height of 2,000 meters (6,562 ft) asl with peaks over 2,500 m (8,202 ft) asl. In various regions the chain is locally known by other names, such as
34661-1286: The drainage towards the Gulf is represented by the Papaloapan and Coatzacoalcos Rivers and their tributaries such as the Grande and Salado Rivers. Three rivers account for most of the water headed for the Pacific: the Mixteco , Atoyac and Tehuantepec Rivers with their tributaries. Other important rivers and streams include the Tequisistlán, Santo Domingo, Putla, Minas, Puxmetacán-Trinidad, La Arena, Cajonos, Tenango, Tonto, Huamelula, San Antonio, Ayutla, Joquila, Copalita, Calapa, Colotepec, Aguacatenango-Jaltepec, Los Perros, El Corte, Espíritu Santo, Sarabia, Ostuta, Petapa and Petlapa. Major cities include Huajuapan de León , Juchitán de Zaragoza , Oaxaca (Oaxaca de Juárez) , Puerto Escondido , Salina Cruz , San Pedro Pochutla , San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán , San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec , Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán , Santa Lucía del Camino , Santa María Asunción Tlaxiaco , Santiago Pinotepa Nacional and Tehuantepec (Santo Domingo Tehuantepec) . Regions and districts of Oaxaca are: While
34914-441: The drug corridors of Tamaulipas with the Gulf Cartel in 2003. This gang was controlled by Dionisio Román García Sánchez alias El Chacho , who had decided to betray the Gulf Cartel and switch his alliance with the Tijuana Cartel ; however, he was eventually killed by Los Zetas. Once Cárdenas consolidated his position and supremacy, he expanded the responsibilities of Los Zetas, and as years passed, they became much more important for
35167-452: The drug lord was flown to Mexico City where U.S. federal agent took him on a private plane to Houston , Texas. Wearing slacks and a striped shirt, García Ábrego was immediately extradited to the United States where he was interviewed by an FBI agent, and confessed to have "ordered people murdered and tortured", bribed top Mexican officials, and smuggled tons of narcotics into the United States. His prosecutors, however, tried García Ábrego as
35420-413: The drug trafficking organizations like the Gulf Cartel tend to be less structured in U.S. than in Mexico, and often rely on street gangs to operate inside the United States. The arrest of several Gulf Cartel lieutenants, along with the drug-related violence and kidnappings, have raised concerns among Texas officials that the drug war in Mexico and the drug cartels are taking hold in Texas . The strong ties
35673-405: The drug-trafficking and organized-crime-involvement charges since they were pending confirmation by a judge. On 17 April, judge José Ángel Mattar Oliva in Toluca charged García Mena with illegal possession of military-exclusive firearms. The judge dropped a charge of carrying a firearm when he was arrested, since it was not proven by the prosecution. In accordance with Mexican law, since García Mena
35926-528: The drugs reached Tamaulipas, they were smuggled into the U.S. for further distribution. On 12 June 1989, the Federal Judicial Police (PJF) arrested two of García Mena's associates (Jesús López Meléndez and Germán Rodríguez Mijares) in Apodaca with 2.5 tons of marijuana. In their confessions, the men said that they were hired in Oaxaca by Octavio Leal Moncada (one of García Mena's business partners) to move
36179-577: The drugs to one of his ranches in Hidalgo . They identified Leal Moncada, García Mena, and the brothers Omar and Sergio Hinojosa García, as owners of the marijuana, and the PJF arrested García Mena and several of his henchmen on 14 June 1989. Once arrested, García Mena confessed that his cousin Eusebio Guadalupe Hinojosa García and Virgilio Esquivel Cabrera were also involved in his drug operations. The other detainees identified García Mena as
36432-408: The dry season. In the driest areas mesquite , some cactus and grasslands can be found. There are also 58 species of aquatic plants. Wildlife includes a wide variety of birds, small to medium-sized mammals and some larger ones such as deer and wildcats, reptiles and amphibians. Off the coast there are fish and shellfish, as well as dolphins and whales which pass by during their migrations. The state
36685-505: The effect of dividing the state into small secluded communities, which have developed independently over time. There are 16 ethno linguistic groups recognized by the Instituto Nacional Indigenista who maintain their individual languages, customs and traditions well into the colonial period and to some extent to the present day. However, some studies put the number of cultures in the state as high as 4,000. This makes Oaxaca
36938-522: The euro strength against the U.S. dollar, justified establishing an extensive network in that continent. The main areas of demand and drug consumption are in Eastern Europe, the successor states of the Soviet Union . In Western Europe, the primarily increase has been in the use of cocaine. Along with the market in the United States, the drug market in Europe is among the most lucrative in the world, where
37191-846: The existence of this mercenary group, since he had created Los Zetas, the parallel version of Los Escorpiones, and they had turned against the organization. El Universal reported that Mexican authorities identified the gunmen that were engaging in confrontations against the troops in Matamoros, Tamaulipas as members of the Los Escorpiones group. Along with Antonio Cárdenas, the following members of Los Escorpiones were killed: Sergio Antonio Fuentes, alias El Tyson or Escorpión 1 ; Raúl Marmolejo Gómez, alias Escorpión 18 ; Hugo Lira, alias Escorpión 26 ; and Refugio Adalberto Vargas Cortés, alias Escorpión 42 . The arrests of Marco Antonio Cortez Rodríguez alias Escorpión 37 and of Josué González Rodríguez alias Escorpión 43 —the two who were hospitalized after
37444-533: The fall of emperor Agustín de Iturbide , it became a state in 1824, with Jose Maria Murguia as its first governor. During the 19th century, Oaxaca and the rest of Mexico was split between liberal (federalist) and conservative (centralist) factions. The political and military struggles between the factions resulted in wars and intrigues. Vicente Guerrero , a liberal, was executed by firing squad in Cuilapam in 1831. Liberal Manuel Gomez Pedraza became governor in 1832 but
37697-469: The government of this area remained loyal to the Spanish Crown. When representatives of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla came to meet with them, they were hanged and their heads left out in view. Some early rebel groups emerged in the state, such as those led by Felipe Tinoco and Catarino Palacios, but they were also eventually executed. After 1812, insurgents began to have some success in the state, especially in
37950-495: The growing force of their enforcer group and decided to curtail their influence, but eventually failed in their attempt, instigating a war. According to narco-banners left by the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Reynosa, Tamaulipas, the reason for their rupture was that Los Zetas had expanded their operations to include extortion, kidnapping , assassinations, theft, and other actions with which it disagreed. Unwilling to stand for such abuse, Los Zetas responded and countered
38203-464: The gunfights. Although not confirmed, KVEO-TV , several online sources and witnesses, along with one law enforcement officer who preferred to keep his name anonymous, mentioned that more than 100 people died that day in Matamoros. The death of Antonio Cárdenas Guillen also caused a spiral of violence in Reynosa, Tamaulipas a number of days after he was killed. Moreover, his death also generated
38456-428: The head of the Gulf Cartel, and García Mena worked under him. According to federal sources, García Mena was protected by local police, politicians, and the military. Investigators believe that García Mena was allowed to conduct drug-trafficking activities with relative impunity by these corrupt officers. In 1997, he recruited several military members who were stationed in Miguel Alemán to combat drug-trafficking groups in
38709-486: The high central plains of Mexico and Central America. The first Aztecs arrived in the Oaxaca area in 1250, but true expansion into the region began in the 15th century. In 1457, Moctezuma I invaded the Tlaxiaco and Coixtlahuaca areas, gaining control, demanding tribute and establishing military outposts. These were Mixtec lands at first, pushing these people even further into Zapotec territory. Under Axayacatl and Tizoc ,
38962-729: The increasingly lucrative European illegal drug market. The rumors of the broken alliance between the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas began on blogs and mass emails in September 2009, but it remained pretty much the same throughout that year—a rumor. But on 24 February 2010, hundreds of trucks marked with C.D.G , XXX , and M3 (the insignias of the Gulf Cartel) began to hit the streets of northern Tamaulipas. The clash between these two groups first happened in Reynosa, Tamaulipas and then expanded to Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros. The war then spread out through 11 municipalities of Tamaulipas, 9 of them bordering
39215-403: The infighting could have been caused by the suspicions that the Rojos were "too soft" on the Gulf cartel's bitter enemy, Los Zetas. When the Gulf cartel and Los Zetas split in early 2010, some members of the Rojos stayed with the Gulf cartel, while others decided to leave and join the forces of Los Zetas. InSight Crime explains that the fundamental disagreement between the Rojos and the Metros
39468-491: The judge that García Mena did visit him for a scheduled appointment. The judge thus ordered for García Mena's release, citing torture and the doctor's appointment book as evidence of García Mena's innocence. As García Mena stepped out of prison, he was re-arrested for other drug charges. He was transferred to Reclusorio Sur (a Mexico City penitentiary), and then re-transferred to Topo Chico in Monterrey. The lead prosecutor of
39721-493: The largest faction in the Gulf cartel, firefights broke throughout Tamaulipas and drug loads were stolen among each other, but the Metros managed to retain control of the major cities that stretched from Matamoros to Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas. Some experts have found it difficult to argue that the Gulf Cartel does not impose a direct threat to the state since they "do not seek political change", and that they only want to be left alone with their business. Observations indicate that
39974-647: The latter pronunciation used mostly in dialects of southern Mexico, the Caribbean, much of Central America, some places in South America, and the Canary Islands and western Andalusia in Spain, where [x] has become a voiceless glottal fricative ( [h] ). Most of what is known about prehistoric Oaxaca comes from work in the Central Valleys region. Evidence of human habitation dating to about 11,000 years BCE has been found in
40227-481: The lead of the Gulf Cartel, but ultimately failed in his attempt. He did not have the leadership skills nor the support of the Colombian drug-provisioners. In addition, he was under observation and was widely known, since his surname meant more of the same. He was to be replaced by Óscar Malherbe de León and Raúl Valladares del Ángel, until their arrest a short time later, causing several cartel lieutenants to fight for
40480-403: The lead operator, and stated that the drugs were intended to be smuggled from Miguel Alemán to the U.S. in speedboats. During his first hearing, García Mena retracted from his statements and said he was tortured by the PJF to confess he was the owner of the marijuana loads. When he was first visited by his defense lawyer Horacio Moyar Quintanilla, García said he was fine, but he later stated that he
40733-512: The leadership of their current head, Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano. Other sources, however, mention that the Gulf Cartel began looking to form a truce with their Sinaloa Cartel rivals, and Los Zetas did not want to recognize the treaty settlement, which led them to act independently and eventually break apart. On the other hand, other sources reveal that Los Zetas separated from the Gulf Cartel to ally with Beltrán-Leyva Cartel , which led to conflict between them. Other sources mention that what initiated
40986-457: The leadership. Malherbe tried to bribe officials $ 2 million for his release, but it was denied. Hugo Baldomero Medina Garza , known as El Señor Padrino de los Tráilers (the lord of the Trailers), is considered one of the most important members in the rearticulation of the Gulf Cartel. He was one of the top officials of the cartel for more than 40 years, trafficking about 20 tons of cocaine to
41239-464: The local level. Despite Spanish domination, the indigenous peoples of Oaxaca have maintained much of their culture and identity, more so than most other places in Mexico. Part of this is due to the geography of the land, making many communities isolated. By 1810, the city of Oaxaca had 18,000 inhabitants, most of whom were mestizos or mixed indigenous/European. During the Mexican War of Independence
41492-509: The local police and the military facilitated his drug operations. García Mena consolidated his criminal empire by building a profitable marijuana-trafficking business with his brother and nephews, and successfully defended his turf from rival criminal groups. He befriended Osiel Cárdenas Guillén , who became the undisputed Gulf Cartel kingpin, during the late 1990s. García Mena had disagreements with other Tamaulipas-based traffickers, however, who eventually plotted his downfall. On 6 April 2001, he
41745-757: The main Aztec military stronghold only four months after the fall of Tenochtitlan. Their reports about the area prompted Cortés to seek the title of the Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca from the Spanish Crown . The valley Zapotecs, the Mixtecs of the Upper Mixteca, the Mazatecas and the Cuicatecas, for the most part, chose not to fight the newcomers, instead negotiating to keep most of the old hierarchy but with ultimate authority to
41998-424: The making of dyes for textiles. This product was exported to Europe, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. The use of this insect faded in the 19th century with the discovery of cheaper dyes including synthetic colorants . For much of the colonial period, the state (then an intendencia or province) was relatively isolated with few roads and other forms of communication. Most politics and social issues were on
42251-468: The marijuana operation were used to buy properties in the Texas counties of Hidalgo , Starr , and Montgomery . Gulf Cartel The Gulf Cartel (Spanish: Cártel del Golfo , Golfos , or CDG ) is a criminal syndicate and drug trafficking organization in Mexico, and perhaps one of the oldest organized crime groups in the country. It is currently based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas , directly across
42504-515: The mayor worked for the PJF in Reynosa and Ciudad Victoria . García Mena reportedly met him several times at horse-racing events at Las Bugambilias, a ranch owned by his lead smuggler Edelio López Falcón ("El Yeyo"). Rodríguez Barrera and García Mena appeared together in several videos and photographs with other senior Gulf Cartel members; Ramírez Díaz was the cousin of Mario Ramírez ("La Gata") and Eduardo Ramírez ("El Pollo"), two of García Mena's chief collaborators in La Frontera Chica. García Mena
42757-555: The mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, and García Ábrego was given eleven life sentences in prison. During the four-week trial, 84 witnesses, ranging from "law enforcement officers to convicted drug smugglers", confessed that García Ábrego smuggled loads of Colombian cocaine on planes and then stored them in several border cities along the Mexico–United States border before being smuggled to the Rio Grande Valley . In addition, it
43010-401: The military to seize. The prosecution thought it suspicious that multiple drug seizures on García Mena's turf under Martínez Perea's tenure occurred without arrests. The former mayors of Miguel Alemán and Camargo, Raúl Rodríguez Barrera ("El Chupón") and Lorenzo Ramírez Díaz, respectively, were also accused of protecting the Gulf Cartel. Rodríguez Barrera reportedly met García Mena in 1997, when
43263-529: The millions. Around 1994, it was estimated that the Gulf Cartel handled as much as "one-third of all cocaine shipments" into the United States from the Cali Cartel suppliers. During the 1990s, the PGR (Procuraduría General de la República), the Mexican attorney general's office, estimated that the Gulf Cartel was "worth over US$ 10 billion." García Ábrego's ties extended beyond the Mexican government corruption and into
43516-401: The mobilization of the soldiers, marines, and federal police forces. The street confrontations generated a wave of panic among the population and caused the publication and broadcast of messages through social networks like Twitter and Facebook, reporting the clashes between authorities and the cartel members. When the Mexican authorities reached the spot where Antonio Cárdenas ( Tony Tormenta )
43769-482: The module, García Mena was allowed four hours of recreation daily. The guards reported that despite his high profile, García Mena did not receive special treatment and ate the same food as the other inmates. García Mena was defended during his trial by a number of different attorneys, including Juan Jesús Guerrero Chapa , Francisco Flores Iruegas, Jesús Solano Sánchez, and Américo Delgado de la Peña . He denied his firearms charges on 12 April 2001, but did not comment on
44022-430: The most rugged terrains in Mexico, with mountain ranges that abruptly fall into the sea. Between these mountains are mostly narrow valleys, canyons and ravines. Major elevations in the state include Zempoaltepetl (3,396 m or 11,142 ft asl), El Espinazo del Diablo, Nindú Naxinda Yucunino and Cerro Encantado. Oaxaca has 533 km (331 mi) of coastline with nine major bays. The mountains are mostly formed by
44275-417: The municipality of Tlaxiaco. There are a very large number of small canyons as well as ravines and arroyos of all sizes. The mountainous terrain allows for no navigable rivers; instead, there are a large number of smaller ones, which often change name from area to area. The continental divide passes through the state, meaning that there is drainage towards both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Most of
44528-619: The murder was ordered by the Gulf Cartel leadership, investigators later concluded that it was planned by the Juárez Cartel as revenge for the murder of clan member Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes the year before. On 15 January, García Mena's defense issued a recurso de amparo in a Toluca court to prevent their client from being transferred to another Mexican prison (the government was transferring groups of high-profile criminals due to strikes and murders in Altiplano). García Mena's defense alleged that
44781-809: The narcotics seized in Guardados de Abajo during the operation leading to his arrest were not his, and he was a victim of defamation because of his previous activities. He told investigators that the narcotics belonged to his nephew, José Fernando Guerra García, a successor to the family business. In 2003, several prison guards confirmed that García Mena was housed with sixty-nine other inmates in Module 8, Section 2-B of Altiplano. The module also housed other high-ranking organized-crime figures, including Luis Amezcua Contreras , Jesús Labra Avilés , Óscar Malherbe de León , Hugo Baldomero Medina Garza , Miguel Caro Quintero , Alcides Ramón Magaña , Jesús Amezcua Contreras , Jesús Albino Quintero Meraz and Ismael Higuera Guerrero . In
45034-450: The operation in Matamoros, and reiterated his effort against organized crime. After this incident, there was a huge division of opinions over the fate of the Gulf Cartel. Some experts believed that the death of Antonio Cárdenas would be dreadful for the Gulf Cartel, and that Los Zetas would overthrow them and eventually take control of Tamaulipas. Others explained how his death allowed Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez to take full directive of
45287-543: The operations of the Gulf Cartel. Cárdenas Guillén demanded the agents and the informant to get out of their vehicle, but they refused to obey his orders. The incident escalated as Cárdenas Guillén threatened to kill them if they did not comply and as his gunmen prepared to shoot. The agents tried to reason with him that killing U.S. federal agents would bring a massive manhunt from the U.S. government. Cárdenas Guillén eventually let them go and threatened to kill them if they ever returned to his home turf. The standoff triggered
45540-456: The other charges. García Mena's defense appealed the use of protected witnesses at the trial on 4 November 2002, saying that protected witnesses were used unfavorably by the prosecution. His defense asked judge José Manuel Quintero Montes on 28 November to move his case to a court in Nuevo León, because their client had a pending 1989 charge in Monterrey which was linked to one of his charges in
45793-474: The park consists of dry land. The park has 10 different types of vegetation: "selva espinosa", swampland, deciduous , sub-tropical broadleaf, mangrove , savannah , "bosque de galleria", "tular", palm trees, and coastal dunes. 246 species of flowers and 189 species of animals have been documented so far in the park. Birds such as storks , herons , wild ducks, blue-winged teals , pelicans , and spoonbills can be found here. Three species of turtles also visit
46046-452: The park to lay their eggs. Benito Juárez National Park is located 5 km (3.1 mi) to the north of Oaxaca within the municipal limits of San Felipe del Agua and Donaji, Oaxaca, and San Andres Huayapan of the central district. It was designated as a national park under a presidential decree, in 1937. The topography of the park has an elevation range varying from 1,650 to 3,050 metres (5,413 to 10,007 feet) above sea level . The climate
46299-513: The place names in parts of Oaxaca from their Nahuatl names. In 1486 the Aztecs established a fort on the hill of Huaxyácac (now called El Fortín), overlooking the present city of Oaxaca. This was the major Aztec military base charged with the enforcement of tribute collection and control of trade routes. Aztec rule in Oaxaca lasted only a little more than 30 years. Very soon after the fall of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), Spaniards arrived in Oaxaca. Moctezuma II had informed Hernando Cortes that
46552-535: The police. García Mena gave some of the profits to Cárdenas Guillén, who gave them to his collaborators in the police. Their partnership strengthened with time; Cárdenas Guillén was romantically involved with Adriana García García, García Mena's niece. Adriana worked at the PJF offices in Miguel Alemán, and helped Cárdenas Guillén with leaked law-enforcement information. García Mena supported their relationship, and gave Cárdenas Guillén free rein in Miguel Alemán's drug-trafficking activities. Cárdenas Guillén eventually became
46805-475: The population and for being particularly violent. Although its founder Juan Nepomuceno Guerra smuggled alcohol in large quantities to the United States during the Prohibition era, and heroin for over 40 years, it was not until the 1980s that the cartel was shifted to trafficking cocaine , methamphetamine and marijuana under the command of Juan Nepomuceno Guerra and Juan García Ábrego . The Gulf Cartel,
47058-414: The preserve consists of 910 plant genus, 2,700 vascular species, 102 species of mammals, 356 species of birds which includes the endangered Green Macaw ( Ara militaris ), and 53 species of reptiles. However, the reserve is faced with threats from poaching, deforestation, overgrazing, and trash scattered on the highways and secondary roads that pass close and through the reserve. Inadequate patrolling staff
47311-462: The previous leaders, especially Venustiano Carranza, and held various portions of the state until 1920. At the end of the Revolution, a new state constitution was written and accepted in 1922. A series of major disasters occurred in Oaxaca from the 1920s to the 1940s. In 1928, a series of earthquakes destroyed many of the buildings in the capital. A much larger earthquake in 1931 was the largest in
47564-455: The regime. After the Mexican Revolution broke out, Díaz was soon ousted and the rest of the war was among the various factions that had power in different parts of the country. Various leaders such as Francisco I. Madero , Victoriano Huerta and Venustiano Carranza came to the state during this time, but the most important force in the area was the Liberation Army of the South under Emiliano Zapata . This army allied with and fought against
47817-534: The region; among them were Arturo Guzmán Decena and Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano , two military officers who were his bodyguards. García Mena's legal team advised him to hire mercenaries because illegal possession of firearms was considered a more serious crime than drug trafficking at that time. On 14 January 2000, García Mena was accused of collaborating with three military members based in Tamaulipas: General Ricardo Martínez Perea , Infantryman Javier Antonio Quevedo Guerrero, and Captain Pedro Maya Díaz. The report, which
48070-478: The rule were sporadic and included the student movements of the 1970s, which did bring down the state government. Teachers' strikes were frequent thereafter, culminating in the 2006 uprising in Oaxaca city , which brought in groups protesting the heavy marginalization of the poor. The PRI lost its 80-year hold on the state government in 2010 with the election of the PAN gubernatorial candidate Gabino Cué Monteagudo . This has led to speculation of major changes for
48323-700: The same charges, and received 19 to 33 years in prison. On 1 March 2008, State of Mexico judge Rafael Zamudio Arias reduced García Mena's sentence to 43 years and nine months for drug trafficking and illegal possession of military-exclusive firearms after his defense appealed the sentence. The Federal Judicature Council (CJF) said that the court had confirmed that he was a drug-trafficking leader in Guardados de Abajo and responsible for safeguarding marijuana loads through his associates. The court also found four of García Mena's associates guilty of drug trafficking and/or illegal possession of military-exclusive firearms, and sentenced them to 15 to 24 years in prison. García Mena
48576-444: The shootout of 5 November 2010—allowed for the Mexican forces to understand the structure of Los Escorpiones. In the late 1990s, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the former leader of the Gulf cartel, had other similar groups besides Los Zetas established in several cities in Tamaulipas. Each of these groups were identified by their radio codes: the Rojos (The Red ones) were based in Reynosa; the Metros were headquartered in Matamoros ; and
48829-408: The shootout that day. And even after the drug lord was killed, the roadblocks continued throughout the rest of the day. The Guardian newspaper mentioned that in a YouTube video, a convoy of SUV's filled with gunmen and pickups packed with marines were seen in a chase through the streets of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. And although there wasn't any visible confrontation between the two, the intensity of
49082-446: The situation was clear through the background noises of grenade explosions and automatic gunfire. A news video from Televisa , also on YouTube, shows images from the confrontations of that day. Moreover, several bystanders also recorded the shootouts. Nevertheless, according to the newspapers The Brownsville Herald and The Monitor from across the border in Brownsville, Texas and McAllen, Texas , around 50 people were killed in
49335-407: The state and there are several species of 'giant' stick insects indigenous to the region (such as Bacteria horni which has a body length of up to 22 cm). The most important ocean creatures commercially are shrimp, tuna, bonito, huachinango and mojarra . Sea turtles used to be exploited for both their meat and eggs but this was stopped by the federal government in the 1990s. The coast of Oaxaca
49588-419: The state from the Mayan lands of Chiapas, Yucatán , and Guatemala . The central and northwest of the state is part of the cultures of the Valley of Mexico , with historical influence seen from ancient cities such as Teotihuacan , Tula , and Tenochtitlan . The main reason that indigenous languages and cultures have been able to survive here is the rugged terrain, which isolate communities. This also has
49841-414: The state is over 2,000 m (6,562 ft) above sea level , average temperature is about 18 °C (64.4 °F), except near the coast. The coastline along with the regions of Yautepec, Putla, parts of Huahuapan and Silacayoapan are hot and relatively dry. Hot and humid climates predominate in Villa Alta, and the Central Valleys area and all others over 2,000 m (6,562 ft) above sea level have
50094-430: The state is within the tropical latitudes, its climate varies with altitude. There are three principal climate regions in the state. The first is the hot and subtropical lands. This accounts for about 30% of the state. The next is the semi hot and semi humid regions which account for about 18%, and temperate and semi humid at about 16%. All of these climates experience a rainy season in the summer and early fall. As most of
50347-444: The state of Guerrero). The judge dismissed an additional drug-transportation charge. According to the PGR witness Arnulfo Garza Silva, García Mena offered him US$ 2 million to move drugs from Zihuatanejo to Miguel Alemán. However, the judge rejected his testimony because of his description of García Mena as a light-skinned man in his twenties (which did not match his age and complexion). On 26 July 2001, his defense team registered
50600-411: The state of Texas. Soon, the violence generated between these two groups had spread to Tamaulipas' neighboring states of Nuevo León and Veracruz . Their conflict has even occurred on U.S. soil, where the Gulf Cartel killed two Zeta members in Brownsville, Texas on 5 October 2010. In the midsts of violence and panic, local authorities and the media tried to minimize the situation and claim that "nothing
50853-413: The state's history, devastating a number of cities along the coast. The 1930s brought the Great Depression , which along with the disasters, prompted wide-scale migration to Mexico City. In 1944, torrential rains caused extensive flooding in the Tuxtepec region, resulting in hundreds of deaths. In the 1940s and 1950s, new infrastructure projects were begun. These included the Izúcar-Tehuantepec section of
51106-467: The state's rugged and isolating terrain. Most live in the Central Valleys region, which is also an economically important area for tourism, with people attracted for its archeological sites such as Monte Albán , and Mitla , and its various native cultures and crafts. Another important tourist area is the coast, which has the major resort of Huatulco and sandy beaches of Puerto Escondido , Puerto Ángel , Zipolite , Bahia de Tembo , and Mazunte . Oaxaca
51359-440: The state. In 2017, a series of earthquakes brought death and destruction to parts of Mexico, including Oaxaca. According to the US Geological Survey , on September 23, 2017, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Matías Romero , about 275 miles southeast of Mexico City . The epicenter was about 12 miles from Matías Romero and approximately halfway between the two even more violent earthquakes in Mexico earlier that month, of which it
51612-589: The state: Benito Juárez National Park at 3,272 ha (8,090 acres), Huatulco National Park at 11,845 ha (29,270 acres), Lagunas de Chacahua National Park at 14,920 ha (36,900 acres), Playa de Escobilla Sanctuary at 30 ha (74 acres), Playa de la Bahía de Chacahua Sanctuary at 31 ha (77 acres), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve at 490,678 ha (1,212,490 acres) and Yagul Natural Monument at 1,076 ha (2,660 acres). Lagunas de Chacahua National Park , created in 1937, lies about 54 km (34 mi) west of Puerto Escondido , near
51865-435: The successors of the Gulf Cartel, was addicted to gambling, sex, and drugs, leading Los Zetas to consider his leadership as a threat to the organization. Other reports mention, however, that the rupture occurred due to a disagreement about who would take on the leadership of the cartel after the extradition of Osiel. The candidates of the Gulf Cartel were Antonio Cárdenas and Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez, while Los Zetas wanted
52118-442: The summer of 2000. They eventually left the Gulf Cartel and joined the Sinaloa Cartel, which promised him larger profits in exchange for allowing them to smuggle drugs in Tamaulipas. This prompted García Mena and the Gulf Cartel to fully cut ties with them. At that time, the Sinaloa Cartel operated as a triangle organization and held an alliance with the Milenio Cartel and Juárez Cartel, two other criminal groups in Mexico that rivaled
52371-470: The superficial conversion of a number of indigenous people, including the baptism of Zapotec leader Cosijoeza. In 1528, the Dominicans settled in the city of Oaxaca, forming the Bishopric of Oaxaca in 1535, and began to spread out from there, eventually reaching Tehuantepec and the coast. Other orders followed, such as the Jesuits in 1596, the Mercedarians in 1601, and others in the 17th and 18th centuries. Spanish conquest and subsequent colonization had
52624-460: The transfer would ensure poor treatment and keep him in solitary confinement . On 18 January, a court confirmed that he would remain in Altiplano. On 30 May 2003, García Mena was found guilty of illegal possession of military-exclusive firearms and was sentenced to eight years in prison. His organized-crime involvement and drug trafficking were pending when he was convicted, and he also had charges pending in Matamoros and Toluca. At trial, García Mena
52877-450: The two factions within the Gulf Cartel. Mario Cárdenas Guillén , brother of Osiel and Antonio, is the other leader of Gulf Cartel and head of the Rojos, the other faction within the Gulf Cartel and the parallel version of the Metros. Costilla was often viewed as the "strongest leader" of the two, but collaborated with Antonio Cárdenas, who acted as representative of his jailed brother. However, Antonio died in an eight-hour shooting with
53130-430: The unrest. He was left in charge of drug-trafficking activities in La Frontera Chica, and became one of Cárdenas Guillén's top collaborators. Cárdenas Guillén initially did not know what to call García Mena when he was appointed to the executive role; learning that García Mena was born in June and enjoyed hot weather, he began calling him "El June". García Mena met Cárdenas Guillén when the latter worked in Miguel Alemán as
53383-466: The verdict, and issued an arrest warrant for him later that year. Leal Moncada and the other detainees were also later acquitted and released from prison. García Mena returned to his native Tamaulipas and settled in Guardados de Abajo , a rural community in Camargo where he lived in a mansion for twelve years. In 1992, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) suspected that García Mena managed to smuggle 30 tons of marijuana from Mexico to Texas with
53636-400: The war. Tamaulipas was mostly spared from the violence until early 2010, when the Gulf Cartel's enforcers, Los Zetas, split from and turned against the Gulf Cartel, sparking a bloody turf war. When the hostilities began, the Gulf organization joined forces with its former rivals, the Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Michoacana , aiming to take out Los Zetas. Consequently, Los Zetas allied with
53889-473: The world for endangered species. The state has important ecological zones such as the Selva Zoque in the northeast. Vegetation varies from those adapted to hot and arid conditions such as cacti , to evergreen tropical forest on the coasts. Forests in the higher elevations consist of conifers , broadleafed trees and a mixture of the two. In the lower elevations by the coast there are evergreen and deciduous rainforest , with those dropping leaves doing so in
54142-528: Was a drug mule and car thief before he joined the Gulf Cartel . García Mena also smuggled drugs through tunnels connecting Miguel Alemán to Star County, Texas . The tunnels required advanced technology because they were dug below the Rio Grande River . García Mena bought properties on both sides of the border to ensure drugs were smuggled smoothly. In 1984, he was arrested for the first time after U.S. authorities found him in possession of 454 kg (1,001 lb) of marijuana in Texas . However, García Mena
54395-506: Was a quiet, normal neighbor; although he greeted neighbors when he arrived home, however, they thought it unusual that he was usually accompanied by a man in military uniform. According to authorities, he used Monterrey as a corridor to move drugs from other parts of Mexico (primarily Oaxaca ) before they were sent to Miguel Alemán to be resold. His narcotics were stored in warehouses in Colonia Central de Carga and Parque Industrial Ciudad Mitras, two neighborhoods in Guadalupe and García . When
54648-422: Was a result of more than six months of intelligence work. Milenio Television mentioned that the Mexican authorities had tried to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén twice before this incident, but that his personal gunmen had distracted the Mexican forces and allowed him to be escorted in his armored vehicle. The confrontations started around 10:00 am, and extended to 06:00 pm, around the time Cárdenas Guilén
54901-416: Was arrested at his home the weapons charges were split into two indictments. That day, he was also charged by Toluca-based judge Leopoldo Cerón Tinajero with organized-crime involvement and drug trafficking. The judge said that he was considering moving the case to a federal court in Tamaulipas for jurisdictional reasons. Cerón had transferred several suspects in García Mena's case to Tamaulipas because it had
55154-421: Was arrested by the Mexican Army after a week-long manhunt. García Mena's arrest triggered infighting within the Gulf Cartel, and prompted more offensives from the Mexican government. He was convicted of several charges, including drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms. García Mena was released in 2014, after a court determined that his arrest violated due process . A fugitive from U.S. justice, he has
55407-401: Was brought up that García Ábrego had previously been arrested in Brownsville, Texas for six-year-old auto theft charges, but was released later with no charges whatsoever. Two men from the Rio Grande Valley were charged before the drug lord's arrest for laundering more than $ 30 million for García Ábrego. He was also held responsible in 1984 for the massacre of 6 people in La Clínica Raya,
55660-407: Was created by Antonio Cárdenas Guillen and is composed of over 60 civilians, former police officers, and ex-military officials. According to El Universal , there are several music videos on YouTube that exalt the power of this armed group through narcocorridos . After the rupture between the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas (which until then had served as the cartel's armed wing), Los Escorpiones became
55913-663: Was deemed a criminal of mid-tier menace but he was denied several legal benefits because of the seriousness of his conviction. He was also fined MXN$ 4,500. Prosecutor Carlos Javier Vega Memije said that the PGR were unhappy because the court did not include his drug-trafficking and organized-crime-involvement charges in the conviction, and would appeal the decision. On 30 June 2003, State of Mexico judge Andrés Pérez Lozano charged García Mena with money laundering – specifically, with conspiracy to invest and acquire properties with illegal funds. The charge originated from an investigation which began in Tamaulipas on 22 April; García Mena bought
56166-435: Was escorted by about 100 soldiers and state police. Initially charged with drug trafficking, organized-crime involvement and illegal possession of military-exclusive firearms, he was assigned to judge Antonio González García from Toluca, State of Mexico . The other men arrested in Guardados de Abajo the week that García Mena entered custody were charged with the same crimes. On 9 May 2001, medical staff from La Palma gave him
56419-405: Was even subject to allegations of corruption. It is believed the Mexican government knew all García Ábrego's whereabouts all along and had refused to arrest him due to information he possessed about the extent of corruption within the government. The arresting officer, a FJP commander, is believed to have received a bullet-proof Mercury Grand Marquis and US$ 500,000 from a rival cartel for enacting
56672-427: Was extradited to the United States and charged with the involvement of conspiracies to traffic large amounts of marijuana and cocaine, violating the "continuing-criminal-enterprise statute" (also known as the "drug kingpin statute"), and for threatening two U.S. federal officers. The standoff the two agents had with the drug lord in 1999 in the city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas led for the U.S. to indict Cárdenas and pressure
56925-548: Was forced to say that by the PJF. He said he was in Monterrey for an appointment with doctor Óscar Támez, and that he was arrested at his mother-in-law's house, where he was tortured and forced to sign blank papers. The judge ordered the prosecution to present evidence proving that the vehicle and the properties that were linked to the drug operation were tied to García Mena. He also ordered the doctor to appear in court and show him García Mena's medical records and appointments. The doctor appeared in court in less than 72 hours and showed
57178-490: Was given to Samuel Flores Borrego , suggesting that the Metros were above the Rojos. Unconfirmed information released by The Monitor indicated that two leaders of the Rojos, Mejía González and Rafael Cárdenas Vela , teamed up to kill Flores Borrego. Cárdenas Vela had held a grudge on Flores Borrego and the Metros because he believed that they had led the Mexican military to track down and kill his uncle Antonio Cárdenas Guillén on 5 November 2010. Other sources indicate that
57431-515: Was guilty of knowingly reinvesting drug proceeds and of drug trafficking with intent to sell, distribute, import, and export were unproven. Although the prosecution tried to have it reviewed, the court confirmed that the decision was final. García Mena remained imprisoned in Altiplano because he had a pending drug-trafficking charge in Nuevo León and a firearms charge in the State of Mexico. Federal authorities raided an alcohol business owned by García Mena's sister, Evangelina, in Miguel Alemán on 22 May as
57684-409: Was hiding in the room, and was arrested by the army's Special Forces Airmobile Group (GAFE) at 12:20 p.m. on 9 April 2001. Although authorities were prepared to use force, García Mena (who was alone) was arrested without incident. He was in possession of a portable oxygen tank, a mobile phone, a radio-communication device, five firearms, food and cleaning supplies, and an altar and paraphernalia of
57937-442: Was home to 25,000 people and the capital city of the Zapotec nation. It remained a secondary center of power for the Zapotecs until the Mixtecs overran it in 1325. The site has several notable features, including the Danzantes, a set of stone reliefs, and the finding of fine quality ceramics. Starting from AD 750 previous large urban centers such as Monte Alban fell across the Oaxaca area and smaller dominions grew and evolved until
58190-752: Was initially declared a protected area and later decreed as a National Park on July 24, 1998. Located in the Santa Maria Huatulco town, to the west of Cruz Huatulco, it extends to an area of 11,890 hectares (29,400 acres). In the low lands of the park, there 9,000 species of plant (about 50% of the species are reported throughout the country) in the forest and mangroves in the coastal belt. Fauna species have been identified as 264, which includes armadillos and white-tailed deer . Bird species are counted at 701, which include hummingbirds , pelicans and hawks . The amphibian and reptile species are counted to be 470, which include Black Iguana , salamanders and snakes. Dolphins , whales and turtles are sighted species off
58443-447: Was issued anonymously to the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), provided details of García Mena's use of the military for his drug-trafficking activities. The military men were accused of allowing the Gulf Cartel to move drugs from Tamaulipas to the U.S. and notifying them of law-enforcement presence by sharing their communications equipment. In return, García Mena provided them with information on drug shipments by rival gangs for
58696-433: Was killed. The intense shootings provoked the temporary closure of three international bridges in Matamoros, along with the University of Texas at Brownsville , just across the border. Public transportation and school classes in Matamoros were canceled, along with the suspension of activities throughout the municipality , since the cartel members hijacked the units of public transport and made dozens of roadblocks to prevent
58949-477: Was murdered by gunmen as he entered his home in Miguel Alemán. He was under investigation in the U.S. for his alleged role in homicide and drug trafficking. After his arrest, García Mena was flown to Mexico City by Air Force personnel and taken into custody at the PGR facility in Mexico City. He was imprisoned at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 ("Altiplano"), a maximum-security prison in Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico , on 10 April 2001. García Mena
59202-446: Was not an aggressive crime boss and was generally level-headed. The officer said that García Mena preferred to keep the peace and avoid a commotion. García Mena had a large group of henchmen in Tamaulipas, and one of his closest associates was López Falcón. Although they worked together smuggling drugs into the U.S. from Tamaulipas, they began having differences in the late 1990s. The differences began after López Falcón began diversifying
59455-489: Was not close to being dismantled; the other cartel leaders were similar in rank. According to the PGR, the operation leading to García Mena's Guardados de Abajo arrest also yielded 127 firearms; four hand grenades; 2,134 marijuana packages, weighing more than 20 tons; 20 kg (44 lb) of marijuana seeds; 52 vehicles and 18 houses, of which 10 remained under federal jurisdiction. The government called it one of Tamaulipas' largest weapons seizures. García Mena's arrest marked
59708-400: Was not sentenced and was released from prison thirty days after his arrest. He returned to Mexico, and resumed his criminal activities. Instead of returning to his native Tamaulipas, García Mena made Nuevo León his center of operations. Disguised as a cattle rancher, he rented a house in the Monterrey neighborhood of Colinas de San Jerónimo. Residents of the neighborhood said that García Mena
59961-520: Was occurring", but the facts were impossible to cover up. Confrontations between these two groups have paralyzed entire cities in broad daylight. Several witnesses claimed that many of the municipalities throughout Tamaulipas were "war zones", and that many businesses and houses were burned down, leaving areas in "total destruction". The bloodbath in Tamaulipas has caused thousands of deaths, but most of shootings and body counts often go unreported. The complexity and territorial advantage of Los Zetas forced
60214-990: Was one of the cartel's largest. In addition, the law-enforcement operations in Guardados de Abajo discomfited local residents (who called the crackdown excessive), a number of whom filed complaints with the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH). Some of the complaints cited forced disappearances . Amnesty International stated that CNDH officials reported that the military broke into people's houses and arbitrarily detained several residents; some of them were reportedly subject to torture and death threats. On 13 May 2001, several gunmen (presumably on García Mena's orders) stormed an arena in Guadalupe to kill López Falcón. According to investigators, García Mena believed that López Falcón betrayed him by giving authorities information on his whereabouts. On 30 October 2001, García Mena's henchmen attempted to kill López Falcón associate Peña Cuellar in Monterrey for allegedly providing authorities information leading to his arrest. Félix Alonso Fernández García ,
60467-403: Was opposed by General Estaban Moctezuma. He and commandant Luis Quintanar persecuted liberals in the state, including Benito Juárez . The constant warfare had a detrimental effect on the state's economy and those in the Tehuantepec area supported a separatist movement, which partially succeeded in the 1850s. Two Oaxacans, Juárez and Porfirio Díaz , were prominent players in the Reform War . It
60720-443: Was ordered to pay MXN$ 281,925 in fines. He requested a recurso de amparo in 2010, saying that he was subject to torture and negligence while receiving medical attention. State of Mexico judge Carlos Sáinz Martínez overturned García Mena's March 2008 conviction on 21 January 2014, ruling that the property raids which led to his 2001 arrest did not meet all the requirements of Article 16 of the Constitution of Mexico and Article 61 of
60973-403: Was originally applied to the Valley of Oaxaca by Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs and passed on to the Spanish during the conquest of the Oaxaca region. The modern state was created in 1824, and the state seal was designed by Alfredo Canseco Feraud and approved by the government of Eduardo Vasconcelos. "Huaxyacac" [waːʃ.ˈja.kak] was transliterated as "Oaxaca" using Medieval Spanish orthography, in which
61226-403: Was over leadership. Those who were more loyal to the Cárdenas family stayed with the Rojos, while those loyal to Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez, like Flores Borrego, defended the Metros. Originally, the Gulf cartel was running smoothly, but the infighting between the two factions in the Gulf cartel triggered when Flores Borrego was killed on 2 September 2011. When the Rojos turned on the Metros,
61479-429: Was part of a faction opposed to groups headed by cartel leaders Ángel Salvador Gómez Herrera ("El Chava"), Adán Medrano Rodríguez ("El Licenciado"), and Hugo Baldomero Medina Garza ("El Señor de los Tráilers") for control of the drug corridors in La Frontera Chica. Control of the Gulf Cartel consolidated under Osiel Cárdenas Guillén in 1998, and García Mena began working with him with other cartel leaders involved in
61732-514: Was part of the pending 1989 investigation in Nuevo León. On 1 September 2007, State of Mexico judge Octavio Bolaños Valadez sentenced García Mena to 54 years and nine months in prison for organized-crime involvement, illegal possession of military-exclusive firearms, and drug trafficking. The drug-trafficking charge was marijuana possession with intent to distribute. He was also ordered to pay MXN$ 549,244 (approximately US$ 48,600 in 2007) in fines. Four of García Mena's associates were also found guilty of
61985-422: Was planned and carried out in secret; the only people informed were the President Vicente Fox , the Secretary of Defense in Mexico, Ricardo Clemente Vega García, and Mexico's Attorney General, Rafael Macedo de la Concha. After his capture, Cárdenas was sent to the federal, high-security prison La Palma. However, it was believed that Cárdenas still controlled the Gulf Cartel from prison, and was later extradited to
62238-477: Was present, the gunmen received the soldiers and cops with grenades and high-calibre shots. Reports mention that Antonio Cárdenas was being protected by the Los Escorpiones ( The Scorpions ), the alleged armed wing of the Gulf Cartel and the personal army of Antonio Cárdenas, who was serving as snipers and bodyguards for him. La Jornada newspaper mentioned that over 80 SUV's packed with gunmen fought to protect Cárdenas Guillén, and over 300 grenades were used in
62491-503: Was released to the media and claimed that Los Rojos faction of the Gulf Cartel was planning to ally with Los Zetas. The potential alliance was conducted by Juan Reyes Mejía González (alias "R1"), from the Gulf Cartel; and Rogelio González Pizaña (alias "Z-2"), from Los Zetas. The latter was released from prison months earlier even though he was scheduled to serve 16-years behind bars in January. Authorities believe that González Pizaña reincorporated in organized crime and decided to join with
62744-442: Was released without a conviction. He returned to Mexico, and established a center of operations in Nuevo León . García Mena was arrested on drug-trafficking charges in 1989, but authorities were again unable to convict him. Released in 1990, he rejoined the Gulf Cartel. Throughout his criminal career, García Mena cultivated a social image of a feared kingpin and a benefactor. He donated money to his community, and corrupt officials in
62997-402: Was removed from the case for unknown reasons, retiring a year later. García Ábrego bribed the agent in an attempt to gather more information on U.S. law enforcement operations. García Ábrego's business had grown to such length that the FBI placed him on the Top Ten Most Wanted in 1995 . He was the first drug trafficker to be on that list. On 14 January 1996, García Ábrego was arrested outside
63250-440: Was seen as a folk hero and a quasi-mythical figure by many residents of Guardados de Abajo. Part of his social image stemmed from his roles as benefactor and kingpin. According to local residents, he provided jobs, services and investment, and was feared and respected by local law enforcement. Residents said that García Mena bought medicine for the sick, brought people to the hospital as needed, provided jobs at his ranch, helped build
63503-449: Was short-lived when he was assassinated in April 1996 in Valle Hermoso , Tamaulipas. After this, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén took control of the cartel in July 1999 after assassinating Salvador Gómez Herrera alias El Chava , co-leader of the Gulf Cartel and close friend of him, earning his name as the Mata Amigos (Friend Killer). As confrontations with rival groups heated up, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén sought and recruited over 30 deserters of
63756-424: Was unlikely to be approved because Nuevo León did not have a maximum-security prison. The defense request was denied by a federal court, and García Mena remained in Altiplano. On 3 March 2003, a State of Mexico court dropped six of the seven drug charges after deciding that the prosecution had not proven its case. According to the court, the prosecution only proved marijuana possession; the PGR claims that García Mena
64009-422: Was wanted by the U.S. government for drug trafficking, and was the subject of a pending extradition request. On 12 April 2001, the Tamaulipas State Police and federal agents reinforced Camargo and Miguel Alemán to prevent criminals from fleeing Tamaulipas for Nuevo León. The plan consisted of surveillance on highways connecting Tamaulipas with Nuevo León to prevent the flow of drugs. The Nuevo León State Police ,
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