ABSTRACT
On July 1, 2011, marines opened fire on Los Zetas in Fresnillo and pinned down their quarry long enough for other military units to ensnare the criminals inside a noose. After five hours, and at least fifteen deaths, the bloody competition ended with the paramilitaries still in catbird’s seat. This “Zetas-Cross” theory, developed by Southern Pulse investigators in Mexico, holds that consolidation of both corridors would isolate the Gulf Cartel, ensconced in Matamoros, and what remains of La Familia and the Knights Templars, well positioned in Morelia. The arrest of some two thousand employees in La Familia’s network inside United States in July 2011 underscored a level of law-enforcement prowess not present in Mexico, where corruption prevails and anti-cartel plans seep into the underworld. No matter the outcome of fighting in the north, in Veracruz, in Jalisco, and in Sinaloa, the Colombian experience demonstrates that results occur only when economic, social, and political elite commit themselves to combating organized crime.
