Los Negros

Los Negros are a narco-military unit formed by the Sinaloa Cartel to counter the operations of the Gulf Cartel's Los Zetas.cite book|last=Mallory|first=Stephen L|title=Understanding Organized Crime|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers|date=2007|pages=67|isbn=0763741086|language=English] cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31729154_ITM|title=Lieutenant in Mexican drug cartel a wanted man|last=Samuels|first=Lennox|date=March 21, 2006|publisher=Dallas Morning News|accessdate=2008-04-11] cite book|last=Freeman|first=Laurie|title=State of Siege:Drug-Related Violence and Corruption in Mexico|publisher=Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars|pages=7,13,15|url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/news/docs/State_of_Siege_WOLA.pdf] Los Negros, also known as the Beltran Group, is lead by Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez Villarreal and overseen by the brothers, Arturo Beltran Leyva and Hector Beltran Leyva.cite journal|date=January 9, 2008|title=A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border|publisher=Majority Staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security|pages=12,13|url=http://www.house.gov/mccaul/pdf/Investigaions-Border-Report.pdf] Los Negros have been known to employ gangs such as Mexican Mafia and MS-13 to carry out murders and other illegal activities.cite book|title=Weak bilateral law enforcement presence at the U.S.Mexico border|publisher=Committee on the Judiciary House of Representatives|date=November 17, 2005|pages=11|isbn=1422334414] Los Negros has been reported as recruiting from their rival group Los Zetas.cite book|last=Noble|first=John|title=Mexico|publisher=Lonely Planet Publications|date=2006|pages=384|isbn=1740597443] The group is currently involved in fighting in the Nuevo Laredo region for control of the drug trafficking corridor.

Nuevo Laredo

Nuevo Laredo has been at the center of a war between the Gulf Cartel's Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel's Los Negros. Following the 2003 arrest of Gulf Cartel leader Osiel Cárdenas, it is believed the Sinaloa Cartel moved 200 men into the region to battle the Gulf Cartel for control.cite book|last=Noble|first=John|title=Mexico|publisher=Lonely Planet Publications|date=2006|pages=384|isbn=1740597443] The Nuevo Laredo region is an important drug trafficking corridor as 40% of all Mexican exports, a total of 9,000 trucks, pass through the region into the United States.

Following the 2002 assassination of journalist Robert Javier Mora Garcia from 'El Mañana' newspaper, much of the local media has been silenced over the fighting. The cartels have begun to use the media to send messages and wage a media war. In 2008, Edgar Valdez took out an ad in the local paper accusing Los Zetas of being "narco-kidnappers" and purchasing protection from state officials and the attorney generals office.

The drug war between the Sinaloa and Gulf Cartels had spread to neighboring Acapulco when a dozen or so members of Los Zetas attempted to kidnap Sinaloa Cartel members. Five of the Zetas were instead captured and taken to a safe house to be beaten, videotaped and murdered. [cite news|title=Acapulco fears being `Narcapulco'|date=February 07, 2006|publisher=Miami Herald|accessdate=2008-04-13]

ee also

*Drug Enforcement Agency
*Gulf Cartel
*Los Zetas
*Nuevo Laredo
*Mexico-US border
*Sinaloa Cartel

References

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