Raúl Zepeda Gil at Aeon Magazine:
Between 2010 and 2011, Los Zetas kidnapped dozens of migrants coming from Central America. Their campaign of terror earned them the reputation of Mexico’s most deadly criminal organisation. In the eastern state of Tamaulipas, in the municipality of San Fernando, authorities found mass graves. According to a 2016 report from the Open Society Justice Initiative, there is compelling evidence that the killings, enforced disappearances and torture committed by members of the Zetas cartel meet the legal definition of crimes against humanity. This gang transformed the landscape of the Mexican drug wars. Beyond drug trafficking, Los Zetas attacked innocent civilians in several towns, operated heavy weapons against the Mexican authorities, and committed massive, forced disappearances.
Most of us are taught to see criminals, like the Zetas, as the polar opposite of the police or the army. Maybe even that the fight between the legal authorities and the illegal cartels is one of simple good versus evil. But some social scientists take a different approach. Los Zetas is interesting for many reasons, including the fact that they were founded by a splinter group from the Mexican Army’s special counterinsurgency unit.
more here.
Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.