Taking them down...

Yesterday the army arrested the Monterrey-area boss of the Zetas, known as El Tory, and, in an effort to free him, his Zeta operatives set up 30 roadblocks all over the city which completely shut it down.  I had spent the whole day in Monterrey and, fortunately for me, I'd just left the city when the blockades started at around 5:00 pm.  The desperate attempt to catch the army convoy in bumper to bumper traffic failed, however, and the army got their big fish back to the safety of the base. 

While the operational capabilities of the Zetas to set up thirty roadblocks so quickly is somewhat impressive, to me it only reveals that they have a hidden army of street rateros (punks) in place all over the city who, at a moment's notice, can be ordered to hijack city buses and tractor trailers.  The fact is that over the last months the army and federal police forces have consistently whipped the cartels at every turn and despite the fact that Monterrey's homicide rate is the highest in its 414-year history, people are starting to have hope that perhaps the government may be winning after all. 

And I was thinking things were going to calm down some during the World Cup...

 
       

Comments

[Paloma Cruz]

Scary stuff. I know that I have a trip to Nuevo Leon needed sometime this year, but am not looking forward to it.

[Carey Rowland]

May God be with you, the people of Mexico, and President Calderon in your campaign to outlast and overcome these gangsters.

[Eric Sanders]

I wish you God's blessing as well. I guess things haven't really changed all that much since Hector and Achilles did battle outside the Scaean Gates, have they?