Mexico: Training of Zetas

Question: The Mexican newspaper El Universal attributes to U.S. intelligence a statement that “the Zetas,” a paramilitary group whose members were initially trained in the U.S., has become a drug cartel. What is the State Department reaction to this statement? Did these individuals receive training from the U.S.?

Answer: The “Zetas” are a group of thugs who act as enforcers for the “Gulf drug cartel.” Some former members of the Mexican military are now members of the “Zetas.” Though the U.S. Government has trained some members of the Mexican armed forces over the years, the U.S. Government has not provided training to any individual who has been identified to us as a member of the Zetas.