In Nuevo Leon, Mexico, authorities have killed a key figure of the notorious Los Zetas cartel during an attempted arrest. This long-standing crime boss, along with his bodyguard, engaged law enforcement in a fierce gunfight.
The incident happened early Tuesday morning in Santiago, a town within Nuevo Leon. State agents were executing a search warrant at a luxury ranch when they came under fire, according to local law enforcement sources. In the ensuing confrontation, two gunmen were killed, and two others were apprehended.
One of the deceased gunmen was recognized as Zeferino “Don Zefe” Pena Cuellar, a founding member of Los Zetas and currently associated with the Gulf Cartel. The other deceased assailant, identified as David Calderon, had served as Pena’s top security specialist and was a former soldier in the Mexican army. Nuevo Leon officials confirmed that Pena is still active in the region, reportedly involved in drug trafficking operations targeting the U.S.
Pena has a long history in organized crime, dating back to the 1990s when he played a role in recruiting key members like Arturo Guzmán Decena and Heriberto Lazcano for Gilberto “El June” García Mena, a prominent Gulf Cartel leader and relative of the current governor of Nuevo León. Reports indicate that Pena was instrumental in laying the groundwork for El June’s operations. His actions ultimately paved the way for Osiel Cárdenas Guillén to rise to power, as he established Los Zetas with Decena and Lazcano as his protectors. At that time, Pena was a police officer and helped recruit former military personnel into the burgeoning organization.
After falling victim to internal cartel conflicts, Pena kept a relatively low profile, surfacing only sporadically to maintain his drug-related activities. He was under the radar of law enforcement for quite some time, but ultimately, agents were successful in locating and killing him.
The U.S. government categorizes both Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel as foreign terrorist organizations.
