ABSTRACT
Los Zetas go to great lengths to safeguard their members; it is a unifying gesture on and off the battlefield that lifts moral, as well as a spirit of belonging to something greater than oneself. This common attribute that is instilled within a nation’s armed forces or even exists within some police units rarely, if ever, is practiced among rank and file members of criminal syndicates. While most narco-traffickers are Roman Catholics, some Zetas and other criminals carry images of mythical narco-saint Jesús Malverde. The alabaster-skinned mustachioed figure became a folk hero early in the twentieth century because he allegedly stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Los Zetas retaliate with sadistic savagery against their enemies. Witnesses swear that the paramilitaries set fire to four Nuevo Laredo police officers crammed into barrels filled with diesel fuel. Their remains were buried there the next day.
