Latest news with #Zetas
San Francisco Chronicle
10-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mexico's security chief says drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's most powerful drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers, prompting Mexican authorities to turn away dozens of Colombians trying to enter the country in recent weeks, Mexico's security chief said Tuesday. Through contact with Colombian authorities, García Harfuch said that nine of the 12 individuals were former soldiers and the remaining three were civilians with weapons training. Close underworld ties have long existed between organized crime groups in Mexico and Colombia. For many years, Colombian drug traffickers produced cocaine and heroin and moved it themselves by boat or plane to the United States. Later, as U.S. authorities cracked down on trafficking in the Caribbean, Mexican cartels' power grew as they moved Colombian drugs over land and via small plane to the U.S. border and smuggled them across. Decades of internal conflict in Colombia have produced tens of thousands of former soldiers, paramilitaries and guerrillas with weapons training and combat experience. Colombians have been hired guns in the 2021 assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse and in the ongoing war in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Mexican immigration authorities rejected 69 Colombians trying to enter Mexico, some of whom in interviews said 'they had been coopted by some criminal group.' García Harfuch said Tuesday that both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels were recruiting Colombians. Colombia's ambassador to Mexico, Fernando García, said last week that he feared the arrests would negatively impact ongoing negotiations with Mexico to reduce the number of Colombians prevented from entering the country at Mexican airports. In March, the Colombian government had said that talks with Mexico were progressing with mechanisms for Mexico and Colombia to verify information about those seeking to enter Mexico. In October 2023, Mexican authorities arrested eight Colombians also in Michoacan state, who allegedly were helping to make explosives dropped by cartel drones. Former soldiers from other countries have worked with Mexican cartels too. More than a decade ago, the fearsome Zetas, whose leaders came from Mexico's military, recruited former members of Guatemala's special forces Kaibiles in their ranks.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mexico's security chief says drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's most powerful drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers, prompting Mexican authorities to turn away dozens of Colombians trying to enter the country in recent weeks, Mexico's security chief said Tuesday. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch's comments followed the arrest last week of 12 Colombians in the western state of Michoacan in connection with a mine attack that killed eight Mexican soldiers. Through contact with Colombian authorities, García Harfuch said that nine of the 12 individuals were former soldiers and the remaining three were civilians with weapons training. Close underworld ties have long existed between organized crime groups in Mexico and Colombia. For many years, Colombian drug traffickers produced cocaine and heroin and moved it themselves by boat or plane to the United States. Later, as U.S. authorities cracked down on trafficking in the Caribbean, Mexican cartels' power grew as they moved Colombian drugs over land and via small plane to the U.S. border and smuggled them across. Decades of internal conflict in Colombia have produced tens of thousands of former soldiers, paramilitaries and guerrillas with weapons training and combat experience. Colombians have been hired guns in the 2021 assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse and in the ongoing war in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Mexican immigration authorities rejected 69 Colombians trying to enter Mexico, some of whom in interviews said 'they had been coopted by some criminal group.' García Harfuch said Tuesday that both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels were recruiting Colombians. Colombia's ambassador to Mexico, Fernando García, said last week that he feared the arrests would negatively impact ongoing negotiations with Mexico to reduce the number of Colombians prevented from entering the country at Mexican airports. In March, the Colombian government had said that talks with Mexico were progressing with mechanisms for Mexico and Colombia to verify information about those seeking to enter Mexico. In October 2023, Mexican authorities arrested eight Colombians also in Michoacan state, who allegedly were helping to make explosives dropped by cartel drones. Former soldiers from other countries have worked with Mexican cartels too. More than a decade ago, the fearsome Zetas, whose leaders came from Mexico's military, recruited former members of Guatemala's special forces Kaibiles in their ranks. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
10-06-2025
- Politics
Mexico's security chief says drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers
MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's most powerful drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers, prompting Mexican authorities to turn away dozens of Colombians trying to enter the country in recent weeks, Mexico's security chief said Tuesday. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch's comments followed the arrest last week of 12 Colombians in the western state of Michoacan in connection with a mine attack that killed eight Mexican soldiers. Through contact with Colombian authorities, García Harfuch said that nine of the 12 individuals were former soldiers and the remaining three were civilians with weapons training. Close underworld ties have long existed between organized crime groups in Mexico and Colombia. For many years, Colombian drug traffickers produced cocaine and heroin and moved it themselves by boat or plane to the United States. Later, as U.S. authorities cracked down on trafficking in the Caribbean, Mexican cartels' power grew as they moved Colombian drugs over land and via small plane to the U.S. border and smuggled them across. Decades of internal conflict in Colombia have produced tens of thousands of former soldiers, paramilitaries and guerrillas with weapons training and combat experience. Colombians have been hired guns in the 2021 assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse and in the ongoing war in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Mexican immigration authorities rejected 69 Colombians trying to enter Mexico, some of whom in interviews said 'they had been coopted by some criminal group.' García Harfuch said Tuesday that both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels were recruiting Colombians. Colombia's ambassador to Mexico, Fernando García, said last week that he feared the arrests would negatively impact ongoing negotiations with Mexico to reduce the number of Colombians prevented from entering the country at Mexican airports. In March, the Colombian government had said that talks with Mexico were progressing with mechanisms for Mexico and Colombia to verify information about those seeking to enter Mexico. In October 2023, Mexican authorities arrested eight Colombians also in Michoacan state, who allegedly were helping to make explosives dropped by cartel drones. Former soldiers from other countries have worked with Mexican cartels too. More than a decade ago, the fearsome Zetas, whose leaders came from Mexico's military, recruited former members of Guatemala's special forces Kaibiles in their ranks.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mexico's security chief says drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's most powerful drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers, leading Mexico to turn away dozens of Colombians trying to enter the country in recent weeks, Mexico's security chief said Tuesday. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch's comments followed the arrest last week of 12 Colombians in the western state of Michoacan in connection with a mine attack that killed eight Mexican soldiers. Through contact with Colombian authorities, García Harfuch said that nine of the 12 individuals were former soldiers and the remaining three were civilians with weapons training. Close underworld ties have long existed between organized crime groups in Mexico and Colombia. For many years, Colombian drug traffickers produced cocaine and heroin and moved it themselves by boat or plane to the United States. Later, as U.S. authorities cracked down on trafficking in the Caribbean, Mexican cartels' power grew as they moved Colombian drugs over land and via small plane to the U.S. border and smuggled them across. Decades of internal conflict in Colombia have produced tens of thousands of former soldiers, paramilitaries and guerrillas with weapons training and combat experience. Colombians have been hired guns in the 2021 assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse and in the ongoing war in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Mexican immigration authorities rejected 69 Colombians trying to enter Mexico, some of whom in interviews said 'they had been coopted by some criminal group.' García Harfuch said Tuesday that both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels were recruiting Colombians. Colombia's ambassador to Mexico, Fernando García, said last week that he feared the arrests would negatively impact ongoing negotiations with Mexico to reduce the number of Colombians prevented from entering the country at Mexican airports. In March, the Colombian government had said that talks with Mexico were progressing with mechanisms for Mexico and Colombia to verify information about those seeking to enter Mexico. In October 2023, Mexican authorities arrested eight Colombians also in Michoacan state, who allegedly were helping to make explosives dropped by cartel drones. Former soldiers from other countries have worked with Mexican cartels too. More than a decade ago, the fearsome Zetas, whose leaders came from Mexico's military, recruited former members of Guatemala's special forces Kaibiles in their ranks. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Mexico's judicial election will imperil its relationship with the US
This week's judicial elections in Mexico won't eliminate corruption or return power to the people. Instead, they will jeopardize the investment climate between Mexico and the U.S., strengthen the power of fentanyl traffickers and consolidate the corrupt architecture of the ruling party. Mexico elected more than 2,600 judges and magistrates, but there is concern that major drug cartels will take advantage of these changes to move from partial influence to direct intervention in the various branches of the judiciary. Organized crime will not only influence judges but will position their own players in key areas of power. Candidates running for judicial office included Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's lawyer, a methamphetamine trafficker, an arms smuggler, an alleged murderer of a journalist and a former defender of the Zetas cartel. The 'hugs not bullets' policy of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, judicial corruption and the economic power of the drug cartels had created an ecosystem conducive to impunity. Despite this complex and challenging environment, Mexico maintained a minimum separation of powers, checks and balances, certain institutional norms and academic requirements for appointing judicial authorities. This was laid to rest with Sunday's election. Mexico has gone from judicial authorities with master's and doctoral degrees to small-time lawyers with barely five years of experience and a few letters of recommendation. The pre-selection of candidates was controlled by the ruling party's raffles, and the final selection was determined by an accordion brochure that indicated how and for whom to vote. Mexico won't become the most democratic country in the world, as President Claudia Sheinbaum promised. It will not have a judicial model like that of Switzerland or the U.S., where some judges are elected by popular vote. Mexico will be closer to the Bolivian model, with elections that have turned the judiciary into a political weapon of incumbent rulers and the powerful drug cartels. In 2009, Bolivia decided to push for constitutional reform under the leadership of President Evo Morales. In 2011, the country elected most of its judicial authorities by popular vote. There was much confusion, little information, uninterested voters, incompetent candidates and a president who sought to lay the groundwork to keep himself in power in perpetuity. It was a total disaster. In Mexico, judicial reform does not aim to give more power to the people but to the party. López Obrador saw many of his projects and promises interrupted due to the checks and balances of the judiciary. He knew that to change the system in his favor, he needed to have total control. Although López Obrador was unable to achieve his aspiration, he set the foundation and the strategy to achieve his mission, which was fulfilled with the arrival of Sheinbaum, leading to last Sunday's disastrous vote. Mexico's judicial elections also weaken and jeopardize the trade relationship with the U.S. Powerful political and economic groups will be able to pursue legal action against companies and businesspeople operating in the country. Legal security and predictability, essential for doing business, have been shattered. Those elected this weekend will serve for nine and 12 years. This means that although the maneuvers that led to the destruction of the judiciary took mere months, the consequences of these changes on security, investment and trade will prevail for many years. The U.S. will have to take preventive measures and redouble diplomatic, commercial and security efforts to successfully deal with its main trading partner. It will not be an easy task. Fortunately, the Trump administration does not hesitate or evade challenges. The policy of 'peace through strength' remains the best means to successfully face the new commercial and security challenges in Mexico. Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University's Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
