Elite Troops to Drug Cartel: Tragic Story of Los Zetas

The Mexican government's decision to send 500 of its elite soldiers to be trained as commandos at Fort Bragg in the United States in order to better combat the rising drug violence in Mexico backfired when many of the soldiers returned to Mexico to start the brutally violent drug cartel, Los Zetas. This cartel became known as the most dangerous and vicious of all Mexican drug cartels. Some of the initial members of the cartel were elite Mexican troops who were trained in counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics operations. However, their specific skills learned at Ft. Bragg primed them for careers as contract killers and drug dealers.

According to a former US special operations commander, more than 500 GAFE personnel most likely received special operations training. After their US training, these GAFE operatives defected from the Mexican military to become hired guns for the Gulf cartel. The name "Zetas" originates from the radio code "Z" used by top military commanders in Mexico. The Mexican state does not pay its soldiers enough, leading to a high desertion rate of an estimated 25% and making the soldiers susceptible to corruption.