Los Zetas
What It's Like to Be Married to a Mexican Drug Trafficker
"Two days before my daughter was born, they kidnapped my husband's bodyguard. At dawn on the day she was born, we found him hanging from a bridge."
How a Stud Racehorse Helped Sink a Brutal Cartel Boss
A top Los Zetas figure had his brother set up a horse-breeding operation in America to launder cash. Then they started winning big prizes—and the feds got involved.
What It's Like to Lead a Team of Zetas Cartel Hitmen in One of Mexico's Bloodiest States
The hitman talked about the Zetas’ relationship with local politicians in the state of Veracruz, the cartel’s wars with rivals, and the toll his “work” has taken on his personal life.
Man Murdered in Texas Led Mexican Cartel While Informing for US, Attorney Claims
The murder victim, Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa, previously served as the personal attorney for Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the leader of the notorious Gulf Cartel.
The Pope Blames Business for Crime in Mexico — And Asks Prisoners to Forgive Society
Speaking in Ciudad Juárez, once the epicenter of Mexico's drug wars, the Pope condemned "today's slave drivers" for creating the conditions generating violence. Hours before he asked inmates to forgive society for pushing them into crime.
Pope Francis Tells Mexican Priests Not to Resign Themselves to the Drug Wars
The Pope was speaking in the beleaguered state of Michoacán where a military-led offensive nearly a decade ago kicked off Mexico’s bloody drug wars. At least 28 priests have been killed since then.
At Least 52 People Have Been Killed Inside a Prison in Northern Mexico
The governor of Nuevo León, where the prison is located, said the violence began as a fight between two groups of inmates, one of which was headed by a leader of the Zetas drug cartel.
Spain’s Arrest of an Allegedly Corrupt Mexican Governor Highlights Impunity in Mexico
Humberto Moreira is due to appear in a Madrid court on Friday following his arrest in an investigation into money laundering that reportedly also includes evidence that he was working for the Zetas cartel.
How Veracruz Became the Most Dangerous State in Mexico for Journalists
With hundreds of unsolved disappearances, rampant extortion, frequent kidnappings, and no fewer than 14 journalists killed in the past five years, a climate of fear governs Veracruz.
Mexico Finally Opens Auction for Private Oil Exploration, But Gets Few Takers
Mexico's government for years touted the eventual opening up of its national oil industry to private money. But in its first gamble, it auctioned off only two out of 14 exploration fields, a disappointing result.
The Branded Cocaine Bags of Mexico's Most Brutal Drug Gang
I collected the baggies while buying coke from the notorious Los Zetas cartel, in the town of Torreón.
Citizens Fear the Mexican State of Tamaulipas Is Plunging Back Into Chaos
Dozens have been killed in Mexico’s northeastern border state in recent weeks, a brutal wave of violence that resembles what occurred in 2010 during the peak of the drug war.