Several up-State and out of the area people asked about the news out of the Falcon International Reservoir, Starr & Zapata Counties of Texas concerning a skirmish between the Mexican military and the members of the modern organized international delinquency. These are some of my responses.....
The skirmish was between a large band of pseudo "Zeta" gang members....about 30 of them ....that had been surprized up against small peninsula of an island jutting into Falcon Lake. The Naval Infantry had been conducting very active measures in that area....gradually forcing straggler thugs with their drug and marijuana packages.....several tons.... onto smaller and smaller piece of ground. The Naval Infantry had brought some of their light tactical rubber attack craft up to the only area where the thugs could attempt an escape with their cumbersome "panga" commercial fishing boats, powered by 25 horsepower Yamahas, maximum speed 12 knots. The Navy's craft, though not sleek looking, are built for pursuit and are powered by one 200 horsepower Yamaha, and can attain speeds over 35 knots.
The thugs had been observed by high-level aerial surveillance during the night, In the morning the Navy helicopters came in with the heavy infantry unit....about 30 men. They engaged the thugs...then called in Mexican Army reinforcements to cut of an angle of retreat....and to counteract the effects of a 50 millimeter recoilless rifle....quite a devastating weapon...The reinforcements numbered three platoons of light infantry, or about 90 soldiers.
Unfortunately one Naval Infantryman was killed. Final count of the thugs was 18 dead, 4 wounded, and 10 captured. These are the (pseudo) ZETAs who pride themselves with literally butchering people and leaving their dismembered bodies around in public. Their actions are unspeakable, sub-human, and their only deserved path is to be obliterated. These 18 received better than they deserved.
They replaced the original ZETA deserters from the 1990's who are all now either dead or in some Mexican or American prison. They bonded and intertwined with the Mara Salvatrucha 13 from Central America, a group which required that a prospective member murder his mother as she watched him do it, preferably by knife, before that individual could be inducted into the group.
The Sheriff of Zapata County complained to the local press yesterday that the Naval Infantry should have told him that they were going to conduct military actions..."because I had a lot of people here on this side for Mother's Day....and they might have been scared if they had heard something." The operations were 9 miles away, on the other side of Falcon Lake. I really do not have any knowledge as to why the good Sheriff might not have been informed by the Naval Infantry .
Anyway, there it is. All American press reports take elements of the truth about this matter (these matters), and then publish things that leave substantial false understanding of the issues at hand. Their handling of this story was close, and yet so far away. (no banana)
My information is normally gathered from four or five sources that have proven to be around 97% accurate during these past few months. Some are readily accessible through somewhat disgusting drug-war related sites and some is drawn from personal informants.
And .......That was my message, amended very slightly six or seven times so as to be forwarded to some inquiries on a more personalized basis to each respondent. Remember that I will do my best to give travel information, or almost any other advice as requested. Remember also......free advice is worth every penny of it.
Hasta mas al rato,
El Gringo Viejo
