Washington, D.C. 703.268.

4453

CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATES

6/28/2010

2010-006

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LATIN AMERICA MUST MONITOR REVOLUTIONARY CHATTER

www.cjiausa.org
By: Jerry Brewer

As with Colombia’s history against the FARC paramilitary guerillas, Mexico is also
witnessing ever-increasing acts of kidnapping for ransom, robberies, ritual murder,
and other acts of extortion and the bold head-on confrontations with police, military,
and other government officials.


jbrewer@cjiausa.org
Within this fragmented, complex, and ambiguous violence-dominated environment
and carnage is a common agenda. What sinister plot is playing out from the far
reaches of South America’s tri-border (TBA) confluence with Argentina, Paraguay,
and Brasil to the U.S. border? The transnational and associated cultural diversity of
the players indicates it is much more than simply supplying the demand for illegal
narcotics- a U.S. $30 billion demand.

The aggressive expansion of the narco-terror throughout Central America, and

especially Mexico, seems to directly correlate with the modus operandi and agenda of
armed-revolutionary paramilitary guerillas such as the FARC and ELN in Colombia
and Venezuela. Terrorism has been described as a “weapon the revolution cannot do
without.”

Typically, these private armies, guerillas, and their acts of warlordism announce an
impending failed or failing state within their targeted paths. On this unconventional
battlefield of both a model of military and nonmilitary methods, a strategy in which a
transnational nonstate actor can challenge and attempt to capture the sovereignty of a
nation is graphically presented.

Los Zetas evolved as deserters from the Mexican military Special Forces, with
elements of Guatemalan “Kaibiles,” another military command style of soldier from
Guatemala. In Mexico the Los Zetas have radically morphed from an enforcement
arm of the Mexican Gulf Cartel into extended organized crime as kidnappers,
extortionists, and human smuggling. They were quick to expand their power and
influence stature by beheading rivals and others that stood in their way. This is a fluid
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organization that trains professionally as a force of power and instruments of death as their guiding
mandate. Their “reach” into Central America corrupts police, recruits talent, and trains willing agents in
Guatemalan camps.

The Zeta area of influence is a clear indicator of turf superiority, for that territory range extends from
Central America, along the Caribbean and Atlantic coastal states, and into the lower Texas border. This
transnational influence is responsible for the long distance cocaine shipping from South America, and
through the risky Central America drug pipeline into the lucrative North American drug markets. This
awesome endeavor requires a power that must prevail against all obstacles designed to interdict.

The current threat assessment for Mexico reveals a potential reality that is a culmination of greed,
vengeance, and preparation for battle. This equation is the new crime-terror nexus. The organizational
similarities of organized crime and terror have merged to essentially form a single merchant of violence
and death, available to the highest or most powerful bidder or survivor.

The Zeta’s strategic architecture, superior armament, wealth, tactical proficiency and fluid movement
has indeed succeeded in causing much paralyses of the Mexican government. Their movement
continues to become more violent with their brazen and direct military head-on confrontations, as they
take control of national territory in a de-facto transformation into “quasi-states within a state.”

Does anyone believe that this action by the Zeta’s will/can create a failed state in Mexico? Regardless,
it is highly probable that they will perceive victory by simply weakening Mexico, challenging the state’s
defense, and finding opportunity to operate with impunity.
What used to be a “business as usual” multi-national drug trafficking operation on many different fronts,
has led a chosen few into an ideology of revolution. What may be the roots of such an undertaking?
Internal rebellion, and other forms of armed revolt throughout Latin America are most certainly not a
new phenomenon. However, in the world terrorist’s equation it is a good marriage to exploit the
ideology of intense ethnic hatred, anger, and revenge towards those that work valiantly to interdict
radicalized terrorists. Especially, when the land mass is contiguous to the US and resources are scarce
to prevent their strategic and progressive movement.
The organized element of the terror nexus is specific to Latin America. It has its roots from Argentine
revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara, to Venezuelan revolutionary Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, also known
as “Carlos the Jackal.” Guevara, a celebrated hero and mentor to the presidential Cuban Castro brothers,
Raul and Fidel, as well as to President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. President Evo Morales of Bolivia
has also stated his admiration “of the revolution.” Guevara was known as a “notorious disciplinarian
who unhesitatingly shot defectors.”
High levels of corruption within the Venezuelan government, military, law enforcement, and
government security apparatus has been reported, and must remain a concern for the hemisphere.
President Chavez was quick to end the joint US antinarcotics cooperation and efforts. Consequently,
Venezuela is now reported as “fast becoming a major hub for cocaine trafficking.” There are frequent
sighting of Venezuelan flag aircraft being located and spotted throughout Central America.
Recently, Hugo Chavez called for the new President-elect Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia to close
U.S. military bases in the country.
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Colombia’s President Uribe had accused President Rafael Correa of Ecuador of having ties to the
FARC. A letter allegedly pulled from the computer of a rebel leader killed showed that the FARC had
supported Correa during his 2006 presidential campaign. Too, Colombia's national police chief stated
that evidence from a computer showed that the FARC had given Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez
$100 million pesos when he was a jailed rebel leader. The computer apparently also revealed a US$300
million contribution to the FARC from Chavez.

Declining cooperation on anti-drug and anti-terrorism efforts by Venezuela under the Chavez
administration has been a major U.S. concern as Venezuela is ranked as one of the principal drug transit
countries in this hemisphere. As far back as March of 2002 the former commander of the U.S. Southern
Command (General Gary Speer) told the Senate Armed Services Committee, “We are very concerned
about President [Hugo] Chavez as the FARC guerrillas operate at will across the border into
Venezuela.”

Syria’s President Bashar Assad’s trip to Venezuela last week and continuing travel to Cuba were
described by Assad as a “relationship that binds him” with brave and just stances towards the regional
issues. Too, because “Venezuela has become for the Arabs a symbol of resistance and revolution
against tyranny and colonialism.” He further described Venezuela as “the essence and main pivot of
Syria’s relationship with Latin America.”

Syria joins Cuba and Iran on the blacklist of nations of the U.S. State Department “that support
terrorism.” Syria supports the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamist movement
Hamas. There are around 20,00 Middle Eastern immigrants in the TBA in South America, mostly from
Syria and Lebanon. Argentina has around 4 million of its population that are of Syrian and Lebanese
ancestry. It is believed by U.S. authorities that Hezbollah in the TBA confluence area is receiving
between $10 and $12 billion a year.

What appears to be the recent origins of a more recent revolutionary model throughout the Americas?
In September 2007, in Havana, Cuba, leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) nations met and
made speeches at their 14th conference. Although the conference's main theme was how to develop
backward economies and societies, it was reported by sources that "three groups of intelligence experts"
were off in a well-protected corner room discussing their leader's hostile rhetoric and slogans, and
discussing covert action against democracies. This smorgasbord of clandestine espionage experts
consisted of intelligence officers and civilian officials on the staffs of the rulers of Iran, Venezuela, and
Cuba, "with ties to underground and terrorist organizations."

El Financiero newspaper of Mexico cited Jose Antonio Perez Stuart who is an expert on intelligence
matters, that the objective of the political association between the Cuban DGI intelligence service (that
trains and mentors Venezuela’s DISIP service) and narcotraffickers “is the penetration of Castro agents
in Mexican territory in order to infiltrate Mexican politics, control government positions and utilize
them to their benefit.”

Reports of meetings between Cuban intelligence and leftist militants and terrorists in Venezuela
indicates pro-Marxist revolutionary and pro-terrorist activity by Castro and Chavez has not ended.
These meetings were attended by a Cuban general, Arab militants operating out of Margarita Island in
Venezuela, as well as representative(s) of the FARC and ELN.

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The crime-terror nexus throughout Latin America is apparently quite vibrant. Revolutionary movement
is inherent within this complicated equation, that although remains quite nebulous, has many nefarious
links to leftist organizations/leaders, paramilitary/guerilla groups, and rogue state intelligence services.
The complete agenda may remain unclear, but the destabilizing of governments that fight for their
homeland and freedoms, as well as the violent death handed out to those that oppose, is occurring and
escalating daily.

Los Zetas in Mexico must become a top priority of enforcement officials due to their strong military-
style power and expertise. Left unchecked- a new FARC-revolutionary model may saturate Mexico.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATES

United States of America
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Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global risk mitigation firm
headquartered in Northern Virginia.. Website is located at www.cjiausa.org. jbrewer@cjiausa.org