Another page opens in the ever-amazing book of Zetas. They have managed to penetrate and compromise the third largest crude oil producer in the world–Pemex.
On Wednesday a federal joint task force raided Pemex security offices on the sixth and seventh floors of the $100 billion state-controlled company, seizing all computers and racks of documents as part of its investigation into the theft of some $70 to $90 million of oil and fuel from Pemex pipelines over the past few year according to La Jornada. Thirty Pemex officials were detained for questioning.
Investigators say that the multimillion dollar operation was run by Los Zetas in collusion with Pemex security.
No mention of this element in Pemex security:
After taking office in 2006, Calderon, an ardent privatizer in the Bush mold, had Pemex contract SY Coleman in Arlington, Virginia to provide security for the pipelines and fields in Veracruz. Since then the Zetas have been draining the lines with impunity. According to Pemex, illegal extraction of fuel tripled between 2006 and 2008, going from 136 incidents in 2006 to 396 three years later.
Coleman, a subsidiary of big dog defense contractor L3 Communications, was headed by Rumsfeld crony Jay Garner until he took a leave-of-absence in 2003 to run the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Aid in Iraq. The Texas-based tech provider L3 also happens to have the contract for the high-tech fence going up along the US/Mexican border.
For more see Los Zetas Raise Their Game posted back in May.
So far $98 million has been frozen in bank accounts related to the operation.
The oil-giant’s security division is headed by retired army general Miguel Estrada Martinez who has several other retired military under his wing at Pemex. It’s difficult to ignore the linkage there with ex-GAFE Herbierto Lazcano and his fellow army vets in Los Zetas.
This should get more interesting as the investigation moseys along–especially if it takes an El Norte turn toward Houston.
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Nifty analysis, Richard. Though it wasn’t conveyed in my posting on the Pemex bust yesterday, I agree with you regards the wholesale labeling of nearly every egregious crime and mayhem in Mexico as ” Zetas”. They’re an easily recognizable brand name now–used by the authorities, the press and every two-bit street thug seeking street creds. The lack of such caveat in the posting isn’t an indication that I accept the hype. I didn’t tie the operation to the Zetas–blame the PGR or whomever in the DF. As for the ex-military angle, I didn’t go so far as to say “the Mexican military is involved in the wholesale theft”–I just pointed out the nexus was “difficult to ignore.” Otherwise, thanks again, Rich– another fine job in bringing less heat and more light to this bad craziness. (cc: The Mex Files)
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