1. The Zetas’ Origins

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Maps, Tables, and Figures ix
4. Abbreviations xi
5. Acknowledgments xv
6. Introduction 1
7. SECTION I. The Zetas: Criminal Paramilitaries in a Transnational Business
8. Introduction 13
9. 1. The Zetas’ Origins 15
10. 2. The Zetas’ War 36
11. 3. A Transnational Criminal Corporation 56
12. SECTION II. Mexico’s Drug War: A Modern Civil War?
13. Introduction 85
14. 4. Paramilitarization of Organized Crime and a “War on Drugs” 87
15. 5. The New Paramilitarism in Mexico 107
16. 6. Mexico’s Modern Civil War 126
17. SECTION III. Los Zetas Incorporated
18. Introduction 155
19. 7. The Zetas’ War and Mexico’s Energy Sector 157
20. 8. Energy and Security in Tamaulipas, Ground Zero for the Zetas 186
21. 9. Who Benefi ts from the Zetas’ War? 211
22. Conclusion. Four Successful Business Models in an Era of Modern Civil Wars 239
23. Appendix 1. Energy Reform and the Zetas’ Expansion (Timeline) 259
24. Appendix 2. History of Organized Crime in Tamaulipas: Timeline of Key Events 267
25. Appendix 3. Map of Criminal Paramilitaries and Natural Resources in Mexico 281
26. Appendix 4. El disfraz de la guerra (The War’s Disguise): Communiqué by Residents of La Ribereña 283
27. Appendix 5. Organizational Charts: Constellis Holdings, LLC, and Los Zetas Inc. 289
28. Appendix 6. Areas of Dominant Influence of Major TCOs in Mexico, 2015 291
29. Notes 293
30. References 315
31. Index 341