Arrests and killings Infighting in the Gulf Cartel

1 arrests , killings

1.1 dávila garcía s killing
1.2 matamoros prison massacre
1.3 cárdenas vela s arrest
1.4 ramos garcía s arrest
1.5 zúñiga hernández s arrest
1.6 cárdenas guillén s arrest
1.7 costilla sánchez s arrest

arrests , killings
dávila garcía s killing

on 11 october 2011, struggle between metros , rojos intensified when mexican authorities found body of césar dávila garcía inside abandoned house in reynosa, tamaulipas. inside abandoned house, corpse of el comandante gama, dávila garcía s code name, had been shot 9 mm pistol. according mexican authorities, man top financial operator in gulf cartel , close associate of former drug lord antonio cárdenas guillén. after drug lord s death, dávila garcía became regional drug baron of coastal city of tampico, tamaulipas before moving matamoros. neither faction in gulf cartel claimed responsibility death, mexican intelligence sources indicated dávila garcía killed metros. assassination happened day after mexican navy dismantled network of gulf cartel in 3 municipalities across tamaulipas, 35 cartel members arrested. ricardo salazar pequeño, regional boss of cartel in ciudad miguel alemán, along cartel s accountant gabriela gómez robles, apprehended. in addition, several firearms, drug loads, , radio communication equipment confiscated.

matamoros prison massacre

on 15 october 2011 in border city of matamoros, tamaulipas, large-scale prison riot left 20 inmates dead , 12 others wounded. brawl broke out between 2 inmates @ around 8:00 a.m. later extended rest of prison. in turmoil, mexican federal police , tamaulipas state police summoned guards regain control of prison. mexican military later took control of prison @ around 10:30 a.m. news videos showed helicopters in air on watchtower. later in morning, family members gathered outside prison await news of loved ones while mexican authorities set booth take care of requests , inquires.

according monitor, sources confirmed prison brawl related fight between metros , rojos.

cárdenas vela s arrest

on 20 october 2011, while heading luxury house in south padre island, texas bodyguards , lady, rafael cárdenas vela, drug lord of gulf cartel , leader of rojos, pulled on , arrested in port isabel, texas police reportedly working federal agents had been tipped whereabouts. stratfor , san antonio express-news released report on 3 november 2011 putting more context on arrest of cárdenas vela in south texas , stated metros had played role in arrest.

cartels try avoid conducting hits on u.s. soil, may explain why costilla sanchez s faction may have tipped off u.s. authorities instead of killing him. there has not been confirmation los metros responsible tip u.s. authorities, if not, benefit hit taken intra-cartel rivals loss of leader.

the monitor reported on 27 october 2011 rescue attempt cárdenas vela unlikely. despite being powerful leader in gulf cartel, rude actions burned many bridges in organization. source outside law enforcement direct knowledge of situation stated cárdenas vela hardheaded , impulsive, made him have many enemies in organization. (some of the) comandantes glad gone, source said. moreover, cárdenas vela s arrest triggered series of road blocks , gunfights in valle hermoso , matamoros, tamaulipas, city in operated. 27 october 2011, el universal reported total of 14 killings result of arrest , of gulf cartel infighting.

ramos garcía s arrest

u.s. border patrol agents arrested eudoxio ramos-garcía, former drug lord of gulf cartel, in rio grande city, texas on 31 october 2011.

zúñiga hernández s arrest

on 1 november 2011 in city of santa maria, texas, josé luis zúñiga hernández (comandante wicho), high-ranking member of gulf cartel, arrested in santa maria, texas on 26 october 2011 u.s. border patrol agents. during arrest, zúñiga carrying cocaine, $20,000 dollars in cash, , gold, diamond, , ruby encrusted .38 super colt handgun. pistol has name wicho encrusted on it. freely admitted mexican national without documents reside in united states, while sources familiar zúñiga hernández indicate turned himself in american authorities. attorney testified ice agents coerced zúñiga hernández confess crimes , cooperate them in exchange protection family , immunity prosecution. ice agents denied such claims, however.

zúñiga hernández cartel boss in city of matamoros, tamaulipas after death of antonio cárdenas guillén (a.k.a. tony tormenta) on 5 november 2010. nonetheless, according court documents, ousted regional boss rafael cárdenas vela on 10 march 2011 after internal feud in gulf cartel, , fled united states illegally under death threats. pleaded guilty in january 2012 firearm charges , illegal entry after being deported united states on 8 august 1997. prior deportation, zúñiga hernández found guilty on 14 february 1990 marijuana distribution. faces 20 years in prison after entering u.s. illegally after deportation, , additional 10 years being alien firearm. each of these 2 convictions carries fine of $250,000 u.s. dollars.

on 24 january 2013, zúñiga hernández sentenced 7 years in prison in brownsville, texas, after pleading guilty illegal possession of firearms , entering united states unauthorized.

cárdenas guillén s arrest

mario cárdenas guillén, wearing black bullet-proof vest , flanked 2 ski-masked marines, presented on national television on 4 september 2012. according reports issued mexican navy, cárdenas guillén arrested day before in city of altamira, tamaulipas. @ time of arrest, cárdenas guillén carrying rifle in front of building entrance, along $10,000 in cash, radiocommunication equipment, ammunition, several credit cards, , 4 envelopes containing cocaine. arrest of mario 1 of highest-profile arrests in months , powerful blow gulf cartel, lost of influence after separated los zetas in 2010.

costilla sánchez s arrest

the mexican navy arrested jorge eduardo costilla sánchez, supreme leader of gulf cartel, on 12 september 2012 in residential lomas de rosales neighborhood in tampico, tamaulipas without firing single bullet.

he presented on camera in morning of 13 september 2012, handcuffed , wearing long-sleeve shirt. ten bodyguards of costilla sánchez arrested during operative. ernesto banda chaires, 1 of detainees, believed regional boss of cartel in tampico. in wednesday arrest, mexican authorities confiscated several assault rifles, pistols encrusted jewelry, , number of expensive-looking watches. when asked if had criminal charges , if had lawyer, costilla sánchez shook head.