Showdown in Monterrey: La Familia Vs. Los Zetas - By Pancho Montana

Dispatch / The Mexican Drug War / March 6, 2009

Showdown in Monterrey: La Familia Vs. Los Zetas

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It’s getting hot here in Monterrey, and if you’ve been reading my column lately, you know I’m not talking about the weather.

Remember about the surge of military presence in the state I wrote about? Well I got to witness it first-hand and it’s not pretty. It’s one thing to see Army convoys driving around town, but it’s a whole other, much scarier, thing to see them on foot patrol right in your neighborhood, making rounds past your house, questioning your neighbors.

Here’s what happened: I was cruising with some friends around the block and the neighboring areas, or “de rol” as we say here, when we saw some PFP and Army trucks parked right on the sidewalk. We couldn’t see any soldiers, only one federale who watched us with suspicion as we drove by. We quickly hid our stash of weed and that’s when we saw them, guachos, standing in pairs on every corner of the street, packing their signature G3s, talking to people in the neighborhood, searching the local depositos and taquerias for you know what.

That was the reality check: Shit, man, the Operation is here.

There was a “house” that was busted in my hood that day. So it was a busy day for the halcones and tiendita operators, which by the way are going for more mobility this days. They gotta be on the move to avoid getting raided. That means there’s no time for slacking off.

(A quick note: You’re gonna start seeing me use Mexican slang and words more and more often, mainly to show you dipshit non-believers out there that I’m the real fucking thing. I’ve been seeing in the comments lately that people don’t seem to believe I actually live here. Some even think I’m the War Nerd. All I can say is, thanks for the honor.)

Let’s see, where was I? Oh…that’s right. Sorry, my brain’s getting sidetracked. I’m running on weed and corridos (folk drug ballads) to get into the mood to write this thing. I got up early to go to work, but decided to call in sick. I wanted to relax a bit and try out some new grass I connected. It smells good, but it’s dry, and it’s got a lot of seeds for any of you curious pot-heads reading this out there. In short, it ain’t the greatest.

Anyway, the surge is here and is making everyone nervous. I’ll have updates on that as they come in, but I want to talk about rumors of a supposed turf war emerging here. In my last dispatch, I mentioned that one of the things the War on Drugs has done in Mexico is splinter various Cartels. One such break-off group is a new semi-Cartel called La Familia Michoacana, or La FM. These guys are now in conflict with their creators, the badass zetas.

Recently, there’s been talk that zetas reinforcements are starting to pour in my city to counteract an increasing La FM presence, who are also pouring muscle into the area to take on and exterminate the zetas. (This ain’t such bad news for me and every other region with a zetas infestation problem. Those are some mean bastards, but I’m not so sure that the FMers are gonna be any better. I guess I’ll find out.)

Anyway, to me it sounded too far-fetched that La FM would come all the way out here. here. Michoacan is about 800 km south of Monterrey, and is known for its fertile weed fields (weed from there is called michoacana and is known to fuck you up), synthetic drug labs and sea ports to receive cocaine shipments. But hey, the fact that they want to come here shows that Monterrey really is an important plaza.

And so, the war is on.

Some friends that told me they weren’t going out to clubs last weekend because some of them got text messages on their mobiles warning them that La Familia was plotting to have a shoot-out in El Barrio Antiguo, the party zone of Monterrey where most clubs are located. The area code was from the neighboring state of San Luis Potosi.

There was no shootout. The narcos are good with misinformation, so I won’t believe the rumors until I see some goddamn Michoacanos carrying cuernos (AKs) in their pimped-out pick-up trucks. But a friend of mine with deeper connections to the underworld was just yesterday telling me the rumor was real, saying that La FM is here and that they already made incursions into one Municipio in the city. But I still wonder why they would come here to Monterrey, of all places. Everybody knows that this place a zeta stronghold, and one tuff place to crack. I guess the money’s worth the risk. And these guys are badass enough to take it.

I know that this is going over your heads a bit, so let me give you a brief history of the La FM clan.

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25 Comments

Add your own

1. homer | March 6th, 2009 at 11:38 am

mexican weed is the worst shit in the world … even when it’s “good shit” it’s still basically dirt.
2. Johnny Rico | March 6th, 2009 at 11:40 am

I don’t get it. Why are you driving around with a stash of weed in your car while there are military teams on every corner? is this your way of not getting into trouble. For Pete’s sake, you are living in the middle of a drug war. That can’t be smart.

Who’s side are you on anyway? Isn’t the army trying to protect you in a sense? What kind of message is getting caught with dope going to send?
3. happyhead | March 6th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

What the hell is a “Mexican”? Do they all write like this?
4. Joe Blow | March 6th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

message? wtf?

I don’t think he’s sending any “message”.

They were driving around smoking pot. To accomplish the first part you need a car and to accomplish the second part you need a bag of weed.

Its not that hard!
5. aleke | March 6th, 2009 at 3:42 pm

Aw fuck thanks alot naysayers, now I can’t keep up worth shit.

That being said, keep writing man. This stuff is more precious than white china heroin
6. mx? | March 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

cuernos is short for cuernos de chivo, its the nickname narcos gave the good old AK47 because its curved magazine resembled a goats horn.
7. mx? | March 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pm

The revolution day shootouts wherent made on Nov.2008 it was a few weeks ago, during the last days of the “narcoblockades”
8. homer | March 6th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

@ Johnny Rico
“I don’t get it. Why are you driving around with a stash of weed in your car while there are military teams on every corner?”

For the same reason that you put the beer between your lap when you see a cop while driving. And you’re right! You don’t get it and never will.
9. Roger Dodger | March 7th, 2009 at 1:10 pm

Definitely the War Nerd. Appropriating and misusing the native slang is his hallmark.
10. pj | March 7th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

Yep, this latest one convinced me that this is the same writer as the “War Nerd”. I’m not complaining though, I missed his columns, glad he’s back, whoever he is.
11. dirty harry | March 7th, 2009 at 11:16 pm

I’d take his comments about not being the War Nerd a lot more seriously if these “Pancho Montana” reports didn’t appear rite around the same time Brechers reports stopped.
12. Johnny Rico | March 8th, 2009 at 1:49 am

@homer

You are a fucking idiot. I grew up in Mexico. I’ve been through plenty of roadblocks.

I don’t need to put the beer between my legs, my car has a cupholder, douchebag.
13. Mr. Wiggles | March 8th, 2009 at 3:11 am

Viva El Dolanerd! Not your most focused column, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Note, you should capitalize the Z in Zeta - it’s a proper noun.

More first hand interviews would be good. I’ve traveled with narcotraficantes in southern Mexico and they always have good stories. Especially when you get into still-existing tribal rivalries between Zapotec and Mixtec etc.
14. Clarkson | March 9th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

to all the people that “just can’t believe” he had weed in the car: (a) legal to possess small amounts of MaryJane in Mexico, and (b) the military presence is NOT there to bust a couple guys with a joint, and (c) you have obviously never dealt with the cops in Mexico.
Don’t get it ? Come down here, and you will. Until then, keep your stupid confusion to yourself.
15. WinBingo | March 11th, 2009 at 7:41 am

this is a real war, worst than Irak.
16. Hondah | March 12th, 2009 at 7:46 am

this is a Madness!
17. Kotek Besar | March 17th, 2009 at 5:11 am

How many countries has America pushed to the brink of civil war recently? Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti, and Mexico…
18. cuernos | March 25th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

mexican weed is the worst, yet, that’s what most of america smokes. let me guess, you’re smoking primo shit from the green lands of iceland and it is filtered through some magical unicorns ass to give it a crystalized look right? pffft keep dreaming. you smoking the same shit as everyone else fuck face
19. jabuhrer | March 26th, 2009 at 9:02 am

“mexican weed is the worst, yet, that’s what most of america smokes.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That is hilarious. Jeez, how clueless can you be?
20. Balija | April 19th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

Men Yall stupid Mexican Drug Dealers drive around the city because thats their job they are looking for rivals and they are doing missions dont you F* get it they have weed because thats what they smoke they dont give a fuck about military because they will front them, yeah mexican weed sucks yeah because you havent smoke the good stuff you dumb head.

and btw if you dont know shit dont write you stupid ass hole.
21. JASMIN | May 4th, 2009 at 7:14 am

PINCHE VIEJO PENDEJO PARA QUE PONES STA POINCHE PAJINA SI VIEN SABES A TE VAN A MATAR HIJO DE TU PUTA MADRE VIEJO STUPIDO

P.S.LOSER
22. sasha | May 5th, 2009 at 6:45 am

ur a stupid ass hole bitch ur talking about my family.so stop writing or delete this stupid page or else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
23. Maggie | May 29th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

I am curious. I keep hearing people theorize that Mexican authorities are striking hard at the La Familia and Gulf guys, particularly recently at La Familia to get them and whichever politicians are associated with them totally out of the picture. The next ones on the list will be the Gulf cartel, which will leave the Sinaloa (Pacific) cartel in control, which will be protected by the Mex Army. People who believe this theory cite that it was very curious that El Teo just walked away a few months ago, reporters at Zeta said he was escorted out of La Mision area by Federal Police.

Is this just a far fetched wacky theory floating around? Was is your take on it?

Thxs,

Maggie
24. junior culiacan | September 20th, 2009 at 10:59 pm

u cant fuck with the cartel of sinaloa….especially the leader el mayo zambada…
25. monri | October 19th, 2009 at 7:15 pm

Its funny how this dumb fukn kid tells the story as if it was something to be proud of. He is obviously misinformed and high… that being said I have lived in all the main borders of Mexico (Matamoros, Reynosa, Tijuana, Mexicali, etc…) and its nothing to brag or be proud of the country is made a mess and its depressing to see people live in fear and the authorities have little or no power against this terrorist. Mexico is a beautiful country and the people in it are very welcoming and good people its sad that a couple of thugs (manosos) give us such a bad reputation.