This brutal video, which just came out, pretty much speaks for itself…that is, if you can understand Spanish. If not, I’ll explain it to you so you understand what’s going on. It was filmed in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, and it shows various Gulf Cartel sicarios (assassins) posing with two decapitated Zetas who were supposedly part of cell run by a guy called “The Guide.” In the video, not only do they issue some pretty gruesome threats against two powerful leaders of the Zetas–Miguel Treviño (aka “Z-40”) and Heriberto Lazcano (aka “Z-3”)–but, well, it’s also kind of funny.

Check it out:

Here’s the translation of the first message, which is signed by “R1” (aka Juan Reyes Mejía González), a commander in the CDG (that’s the Mexican acronym for the “Gulf Cartel”) in charge of fighting the war against the Zetas in Tamaulipas:

Wazzup, fuckin’ stinky 40?! You oughtta first kill your girl, the one who made you look like a pussy (pendejo)–you couldn’t even handle your girl, and she got away from you and split. And then she goes and turns on you and spills the beans to the DEA. So first take care of her, and then you can come fight me. Do you remember what you did to the men who killed your brother? Well, that’s what I’m going to do to you and your brother, 42. Sincerely, R1

(Note: At some point, R1 calls 42 “chueco mal hecho“, which means he was bad from the time of conception and born defective. They always have a “colorful” way of swearing and insulting.)

Here’s my rough translation of the second video “message,” signed by the whole Gulf Cart clan:

Look at this, fucking Lazcano! This is what’s gonna happen to anyone who tries coming to Reynosa. Here’s what’s left of those who worked for “The Guide” (“El Guía,” most likely a Zetas commander or cell leader). Now, I’m telling you “pipirrijas” [PM: I have no idea what this word means but it’s probably like pendejo, some sort of Tamaulipas slang that I’ve never heard it before] you better deliver “40” and “42” or have them delivered to me with bullet holes in their heads, and you better come and apologize to me on your knees because I already got half of what I said I’d take from you. We aren’t the ones running around telling everyone how bad-assed we are; it’s you who are the roosters, who can only measure your worth by fighting. Sincerely, Gulf Cartel.

(Note: Illegal cock-fights are a popular sport among narcos. A couple of years ago I actually went to a couple of cock-fights that were being hosted by the plaza bosses for the Beltran Leyvas. This was like two or three years ago, when they were still alive, of course.)

So what are these messages all about? Well, if we are to believe the news, the Zetas are currently getting their asses handed to them by the Gulf Cartel, and the video messages are obviously meant to drive that point home, psychologically. What’s interesting about them is that they reveal just how deep the hatred between the two sides goes, particularly towards “Z-40”. The messages also give a sense of how the narcos “talk” to each other directly…and the kind of verbal abuse, mockery and taunts captured Zetas have to listen to while they are being tortured—before they get their heads cut off and photographed.

Side note: When reading the comments section for this video on the narcoblog, I saw that someone made a comment about Aztecs fighting the Mayans and other tribes, that history repeats itself or some other shit like that. And it really got me thinking that Mexico hasn’t changed much from the human sacrifice days, before Spaniards in shiny armor and horses (and gunpowder) were mistaken for gods. We are still killing each other in ever-more gruesome ways–it’s strange how everything changes but also stays the same… But don’t mind me, I’m high as a fucking kite right now. Scored some quality weed, finally!

Another side note: To those of you who can read Spanish, I recommend the book Maquiavelo para Narcos if you want to get some good insight and perspective in how capos think and how they run their organizations. The book is often compared to Machiavelli’s The Prince, and has been heavily criticized because it can also be used as a kind of how-to guide on how to become a narco. But the information in the book is pretty spot-on. Plus it was written by a federal agent—most likely a very dirty, crooked federal agent (who doesn’t use his real name, of course) because he seems to know a lot about successfully running a criminal enterprise.

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Pancho Montana is the eXiled Online’s Special Mexican War on Drugs Correspondent.

As a native of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, located in northern Mexico, Mr. Montana lives in Gulf Cartel territory. That means the streets belong to the Zetas, a paramilitary organization trained by the Yankees and hired by the Gulf Cartel to keep things civilized and business booming. Although it could be that the Zetas won’t be around for long…

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