PF entrevista a Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar "El Mamito"

El grupo delictivo mexicano de Los Zetas, considerado uno de los más violentos de América Latina, adquiere todas sus armas en Estados Unidos, de acuerdo con uno de sus presuntos fundadores detenido recientemente por el gobierno de México.

"En Estados Unidos, todo el armamento se compra en Estados Unidos", dijo Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar a la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública federal (SSP), que lo capturó el domingo en el central Estado de México.

Los Zetas tienen "compradores del otro lado", es decir, aliados en Estados Unidos que adquieren las armas y después se las hacen llegar, según Rejón Aguilar, a quien las autoridades identifican como El Mamito.

Antes, explicó, el cargamento era transportado a través de los cruces fronterizos, pero ahora se traslada por el río Bravo, que divide a Estados Unidos y México.

"Ahí a nosotros se nos hizo un poco más difícil traer armamento, pero como quiera hay, o sea, se consigue", dijo en un video distribuido a los medios por la SSP.

Interrogado por policías federales, el detenido señaló que para el cártel del Golfo, rival de Los Zetas, es más sencillo comprar armas en Estados Unidos y hacerlas llegar hasta territorio mexicano.

"Ignoramos el suceso, el porqué, nada más uno saca deducciones, que si es imposible estar comprando armamento y menos traerlo en una cajuela y ellos lo traen y pueden pasar libremente, pues tiene que haber un trato o algo, no sé, uno deduce que puede haber un trato con el gobierno, no sabemos", dijo.

Las declaraciones se dan a conocer en momentos en que el gobierno mexicano exige al de Estados Unidos tomar más medidas para detener el tráfico de armas a su territorio, debido a que este arsenal llega hasta el crimen organizado.

Los Zetas fueron conformados en la década de 1990 con ex militares de élite reclutados por Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, líder del cártel del Golfo. Durante varios años —incluso después de la captura de Cárdenas Guillén y su extradición a Estados Unidos—, ambas organizaciones fueron aliadas, hasta que rompieron relaciones en 2008.

Desde entonces se disputan el control de rutas para enviar droga a Estados Unidos, lo que ha derivado en un aumento de la violencia en el noreste mexicano, particularmente en los estados de Nuevo León y Tamaulipas.

Rejón Aguilar declaró a la SSP que un "círculo cerrado" de Los Zetas se encarga de conseguir droga en Guatemala, Colombia o Panamá, y después la envía a Estados Unidos.

La situación actual de violencia en Tamaulipas se debe a "la ruptura que hubo entre los cárteles", pero "ahorita estamos en espera porque hay mucho gobierno", comentó, en aparente alusión al despliegue de 2,790 militares en el estado para combatir a la delincuencia.

De 35 años y originario del estado de Campeche, Rejón Aguilar señaló que Los Zetas están "peleados" con el cártel de Sinaloa, las organizaciones de Jalisco y La Familia Michoacana, aunque uno de sus presuntos líderes, Jesús El Chango Méndez, intentó establecer una alianza "porque le habían matado a toda su gente y quería apoyo". Méndez fue detenido en junio pasado.

El gobierno mexicano, que en diciembre de 2006 inició una ofensiva contra el crimen organizado, asegura que la detención de Rejón Aguilar representa un golpe del más alto nivel a Los Zetas y que el único de sus fundadores que sigue prófugo es Heriberto Lazcano, El Lazca.

Expertos en seguridad, sin embargo, advierten que la estructura de la organización no se verá afectada con la captura, pues Los Zetas siguen siendo fuertes en varios estados, especialmente del norte, y tienen gran capacidad para operar y mutar.

* I'm Jesus Rejon Aguilar, AKA el Mamito.

- What is your date of birth, where were you born and how old are you?

* 9th of June 1976, I'm 35, I was born in Campeche.

- What is your profession?

* I'm a drug trafficker

- Which cartel?

* The Zetas cartel.

- How did you join this organization and when?

* After I deserted from the army in 1999 I went to Reynosa and there I met Decena, 'Z-1'.

- Who founded the Zetas?

* It was founded by Osiel with Z-1's help.

- At the time of its founding how many were you?

* Initially we were 7, then 7 more joined so that made the 14 oldest members.

- So you're a founding member?

* Yes.

- What number did you have?

* I'm Z-7.

- What happened when Osiel was captured?

* When Osiel was captured Costilla took command. Jorge Costilla Sanchez became the leader.

- How did the split between the Zetas and the Gulf cartel happen?

* They (Gulf Cartel) allied themselves with the Familia Michoacana, with the Sinaloa Cartel, and with others.

* They made an alliance. And when the split happens they start killing people and they were already organized.

That's when the groups separated. Two main groups were formed, the Gulf Cartel (and allies) and the Zetas.

- And then comes the split between the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas?

* Yes, that was the split.

- So you're fighting against everyone?

* The Gulf Cartel made an alliance so we're fighting against el Chapo (Sinaloa Cartel) el Mayo, with La Familia Michoacana, they have an alliance and they're attacking us.

- In Michoacan, did El Chango Mendez go to Aguascalientes to talk to the Zetas? Looking for protection from you?

*He wanted to talk.

- Why?

* Because he'd lost many people and wanted help.

- Was that going to be possible?

*Well, my point of view is that he who betrays once betrays twice. I didn't think it was convenient but those were my thoughts, I don't know what the rest thought.

- What about La Tuta (Familia Cartel)? What is the relation between La Tuta and the Zetas?

* There is none, they're with the Gulf Cartel.

- That relation between La Tuta, or the Familia or the Knight's Templar, with the Gulf Cartel, does that make La Tuta your enemy?

* Yes because they are killing our people.

- That relationship between the Familia and Arturo Beltran, after Beltran falls, then El Chayo, then

El Chango. How do you see Michoacan?

* In Michoacan everything has come crashing down because an agreement could never be found with them.

Before Beltran fell there was a truce and they broke it. They started robbing. The truce was broken. And they sought refuge with Valencia.

- Did everyone start working on their own?

* No, the war started. The war started and we had to go our own way.

- In what way did you start to work?

* From before we had the ability to bring in drugs.

- From where did you obtain those drugs? Where you working with Colombian cartels?

* No, that was handled by someone else, but we've always brought drugs from Guatemala, Colombians are not to be trusted.

- So you bring it from somewhere else?

* It comes from Guatemala. It gets to Guatemala from Colombia, or Panama or somewhere else. We buy it from Guatemala.

- And weapons?

* We get them from the US. All our weaponry comes from the US.

- How are they brought here?

* Before they were brought across the bridge but now they're smuggled across the river.

- You were telling me about the weapons, who do you buy them from?

* We buy them from the US. There was a time when the middlemen we worked with even said that the US government was selling to them.

- What do you know about the current situation? Who are the ones who sell you guns?

* Well, it's been getting harder to get weaponry, but we still manage.The Gulf Cartel has an easier time getting guns.

- How come?

*We don't know why. We only know it's hard to bring guns and they are bringing in lots of guns. One deduces that they have a deal with the government. We don't know.

- How frequently?

* Every opportunity is taken, it's sporadic, once a month, every 20 days.

- And the drugs?

* The drugs are handled by the accountants, it's a closed circle. They know how it's getting across I can't tell you

if it's every month or every two months. With all these problems I'd think every 2, 3 months.

- How does that drug get into the US?

* It's taken to Laredo but no, it's something only the accountants know.

- In San Luis Potosí you'll remember the attack there against US ICE agents?

* Yes, it was an armoured caravan. They thought they were someone else and they attacked.

- Tell me what's going on in Tamaulipas.

* In Tamaulipas there is war because of the split between the cartels. We're waiting because there's a heavy government presence.

- Tell me about the armoured cars, how were they made? How many did you have?

* I had 3, maybe 5.

- And these 5 you had, what type were they?

-They were trucks, what they call "Monsters".

- Where you expecting being caught?

* One knows that sooner or later you're going to get caught.

- Is there anyone you want to say you're sorry to?

*What do you mean?

- Yes, for your actions, or if you failed someone. Your sons, your family?

* Oh, to my mother. Because of this I haven't seen her in 17 years.

- How does it make you feel not having seen your mother for this long?

* Well, it, it feels bad. It's cruel but, there's nothing I can do about it.