ZETA 40 CAPTURED: MORE TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR TAMAULIPAS, NORTHERN MEXICO

By Juan Montoya
Just three days before the announcement that the head Zeta 40, Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, had been captured by Mexican marines in a dirt back road between Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon in the early morning hours Monday, the U.S. Department of State had issued yet another travelers' advisory against travel in northern Mexico.
In the case of Zeta 40, Mexican media reported that a pickup truck had been observed by an intelligence operation at about 3:45 a.m. and intercepted by a military helicopter at a roadblock. Treviño and two other men – one a bodyguard and the other an accountant – were arrested without a shot being fired and with $2 million in cash and eight military-style firearms and 500 rounds in their possession.
Media reports indicate that Morales and his fearsome Zeta groups are allegedly responsible for the mass murder and burial of some 256 Central American migrants in the San Fernando area, the arson of the Casino Royale in Monterrey August 25, 2011, that left  52 people dead, the jail break of 37 convicts and massacre of 44 during a jail break at the CERESO (prison) at Apodaca February 2012, and the execution of Jose Eduardo Moreira, son of the ex governor of Chihuahua and nephew of the current governor Ruben Moreira.
Television views who saw the coverage on Televisa last night were surprised to see Treviño and his two companions walking into the military's holding facilities alongside their military custodians without handcuffs.
Cartel experts are predicting a full-blown battle for control of the areas of influence of the Zetas now that Treviño is no longer in command. Many expect his brother – who like Zeta 40 was raised in the Dallas area – will try to take control of the lucrative drug routes and criminal enterprise activities within their sphere of influence.
The capture is being hailed as a triumph for new Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto after his predecessor Felipe Calderon initiated a bloody six-year war against the drug cartels. That policy of all-out war against these groups resulted in a virtual no-man's land being created just south of the U.S.-Mexican border, with some cartels attacking U.S. consulates and personnel in some northern Mexico City and in the interior. A Zeta operative has confessed to playing a role in the shooting death of Brownsville native Jaime Zapata on the Mexico City-San Luis Potosi highway.
The latest U.S. State Department travel advisory sates:
"Tamaulipas: Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Tampico are major cities/travel destinations in Tamaulipas. You should defer non-essential travel to the state of Tamaulipas. All USG employees are prohibited from personal travel on Tamaulipas highways outside of Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo due to the tenuous security situation.

In Matamoros, USG employees are subject to further movement restrictions between midnight and 6 a.m.

USG employees may not frequent casinos and adult entertainment establishments.
Matamoros, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, and Ciudad Victoria have experienced grenade attacks in the past year, as well as numerous reported gun battles. 

Nuevo Laredo has seen a marked increase in the number of murders, carjackings, and robberies in the past year. For example, the numbers of murders are up 92.5 percent over last year. 

These crimes occur in all parts of the city at all times of the day. 

The kidnapping rate for Tamaulipas, the highest for all states in Mexico, more than doubled in the past year. 

In February 2013, four masked and armed individuals attempted to kidnap a USG employee in Matamoros during daylight hours. All travelers should be aware of the risks posed by armed robbery and carjacking on state highways throughout Tamaulipas, particularly on highways and roads outside of urban areas along the northern border. 

Traveling outside of cities after dark is particularly dangerous. While no highway routes through Tamaulipas are considered safe, many of the crimes reported to the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros have taken place along the Matamoros-Tampico highway."