Mexico releases report on recent Tamaulipas seizures

The arrests of nearly 1,500 suspects and the seizure of 4,300 weapons and 123 tons of marijuana are among the top figures recently released by the Mexican military.

The figures were compiled nationally by Mexico’s Defense Secretariat (SEDENA) and take into account all the seizures made during January and February.

The report lists 1,475 arrested suspects, and the seizure of 4,309 weapons, 1,298 motor-vehicles, three airplanes, eight ships, 123 tons of marijuana, 15,993 psychotropic pills, 22 kilos of opium and 12 kilos of cocaine, SEDENA said.

Military officials also reports destroying 35 drug laboratories, 2,875 hectares of marijuana, 2,881 hectares of poppies and 86 clandestine airports.

The Mexican military also released figures from their operations in the state of Tamaulipas from the last two weeks of February.

During that time period, residents saw a dramatic increase in firefights due to a drug war between the Zetas criminal organization and various drug cartels, including The Gulf Cartel, La Familia Michoacana and The Sinaloa Cartel.

According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency documents, the Zetas began as a rapid response team from the Mexican army called Grupo Aeromovil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE). The group was designed to fight drug cartels; however, shortly after their inception, the Zetas switched sides and became the personal guard of cartel leader Osiel Cardenas.

After Cardenas was arrested in Matamoros, the Zetas began operating as a separate entity working with The Gulf Cartel, the DEA said.

In late February, the two organizations began fighting over the slaying of a Zeta lieutenant who was mistakenly killed by Gulf Cartel members, said a Mexican law enforcement officials who refused to release his name citing security reasons.

The Gulf Cartel announced their separation from the Zetas early Tuesday morning by hanging three banners throughout the city.

“The Gulf Cartel is separating from the Zetas,” the banner read. “In our ranks we don’t want kidnappers, terrorist, bank robbers, rapists, child-killers and traitors. Signed CDG.”

As the two cartels waged war throughout the state, according to SEDENA’s report, the Mexican military continued their own war on drugs seizing 8,431 kilos of marijuana, 120 bundles of cocaine, and 157 bags of rock cocaine.

During the last two weeks of February, the military arrested 20 suspects, seized eight armored vehicles and 72 non-armored vehicles.

SEDENA also reports seizing during that time frame, 95 assault rifles, 33 handguns, 543 ammunition clips, 20,233 ammunition rounds and 170 grenades.

The arrests of nearly 1,500 suspects and the seizure of 4,300 weapons and 123 tons of marijuana are among the top figures recently released by the Mexican military.