| Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 December 1974[1][2] Apan,[3] Hidalgo,[4] Mexico |
| Alias(es) | El Lazca; Z-3; El Verdugo ('The Executioner') |
| Charge(s) | Murder, drug trafficking, mercenary |
| Status | Fugitive |
| Occupation | Los Zetas drug lord |
Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, (born 25 December 1974) is a Mexican drug trafficker who heads the Mexican drug cartel known as Los Zetas.[5]
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Lazcano enlisted in the Mexican Army at age 17 and was later incorporated to the Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFES), an elite Special Forces group dedicated to fight the war against drug cartels in Mexico. In 1998,[6] drug lord Osiel Cárdenas from the Gulf Cartel bribed and recruited Lazcano and 30 other Special Forces soldiers as his gunmen or bodyguards, giving rise to Los Zetas. Lazcano was placed as third in command (Z-3), and after the death of Arturo Guzmán Decena (Z-1) and the capture of Rogelio González Pizaña in 2004, he became the commander.[5]
Since February 2010, Lazcano engaged in a violent turf war against his former employer/partner, the Gulf Cartel, throughout northern border states like Tamaulipas and Nuevo León. The killing has been so rampant in areas that some [7][8][9] border towns have been turned into "ghost towns".[10]
The Gulf Cartel, reinvigorated from a new alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel, initially made gains against the Zetas in the turf war. The Gulf Cartel was able to retake the strategically important city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, forcing the Zetas to retreat to Monterrey, Nuevo León. Since then, Lazcano and his commanders have continued to fight against the forces of the Gulf Cartel, bringing violence to Central Mexican states like San Luis Potosi that had previously been largely spared the bloodshed. In February 2011, dozens of large banners with a message directed to Lazcano appeared throughout Mexico. The message condemns Los Zetas targeting of civilians and challenges Lazcano to "fight like a man". The message is signed by the "United Cartels", a pseudonym for the Sinaloa-Gulf Cartel Alliance.[11]
Lazcano is wanted by the federal authorities of both the United States and Mexico on multiple murders and drug trafficking charges.[12][13] A $5 million USD bounty is offered in the U.S.[2][14] and $2 million USD bounty is offered in Mexico.[15]
On a wall of the chapel in the in village of Tezontle, Hidalgo, a plaque says it was donated by Heriberto Lazcano: "Donated by Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, Lord, hear my prayer", reads the bronze-colored marker, which states the chapel was built in honor of Pope John Paul II. The Rev. Juan Aguilar, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Tulancingo, where the chapel is located, said it was built in 2009 as a community project and the money did not go through the church, which was unaware of who funded it. The revelation has the church distancing itself from the property while admitting it knows of other donations from drug traffickers. The Attorney General of Mexico is investigating the funding of the Tezontle chapel for possible criminal charges, including money laundering or "use of illicit funds." The diocese will decide whether to continue using the chapel, depending on the results of the federal investigation.[16]
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