New Report

Edgardo Buscaglia, seemingly the most quoted man in Mexico over the last six weeks or so, and a Pentagon analyst named Max Manwaring have issued a report that details the rise of the Zetas as a full-service criminal organization independent of its roots as Osiel Cárdenas' personal staff hit men/bodyguards. According to the pair, the Zetas have expanded their operations into Central and South America, and have moved beyond mere drug trafficking; now they receive revenue from human trafficking, food service contraband, cigarette smuggling, car robbery, arms trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, execution of public officials, pirate merchandise, and pornography, among others. I'd be interested to see a couple more things; first, the diversification of operations, is that limited to the Zetas, or have most groups done the same? Also, how much of their recent recruitment has come from the Mexican military?