About a dozen masked gunmen stand behind a lone captive kneeling on the floor of what appears to be a safe house. The room is bare—white walls, white tile floors, a burgundy curtain over the window, and bright overhead lighting. Most of the men wear digital camouflage mixed with black tactical gear, their faces concealed behind balaclavas. Nearly all are armed with rifles, while one man in the center appears to be holding a heavy-caliber long-range rifle. Nothing about the scene looks random. Every man has his place, every weapon is on display, and the captive sits directly in the middle.
The captive, dressed in a plain dark shirt and pants, is completely surrounded. There is no yelling, no celebrating, and no chaos. The men remain calm as the questioning begins, speaking one at a time while the captive answers. It feels less like a battlefield and more like an interrogation room. The message is clear before a single question is asked: the men conducting the interview are in control.
Throughout the interrogation, the men asking the questions never sound rushed or uncertain. They control the pace of the conversation while the captive answers directly, identifying commanders, describing the chain of command, estimating the size of the force operating in the area, discussing alleged military corruption, admitting they have suffered heavy losses, and explaining that claims of success are being used to recruit new members. The interview ends with the captive warning civilians not to join the fight because, in his words, “Los Chapos aren’t going to allow you to win out here.” Whether every claim can be independently verified or not, the video is clearly intended to project that Los Chapitos believe they have the upper hand and are dictating the pace of the conflict.
The following is translated and transcribed by Sol Prendido.
Sicario: “What’s your name?”
Captive: “Jesus Hernandez Topani.”
Sicario: “Which cartel do you belong to?”
Captive: “The Cabrera’s.”
Sicario: “Who’s your primary commander?”
Captive: “El Güero Manuel.”
Sicario: “How much was he paying you?”
Captive: “They promised me twenty thousand pesos but I never received anything.”
Sicario: “How many teammates did you have in that area where you were operating?”
Captive: “Somewhere around 45 men.”
Sicario: “Who are the commanders?”
Captive: “Greñas, Flechas, Rubio, and Macario.”
Sicario: “Who gives out the orders to fight against the government personnel who aren’t in league with you guys?”
Captive: “The Cabrera’s.”
Sicario: “Who are the soldiers that work with you guys?”
Captive: “It’s a group of soldiers out of Corte Alto, Sinaloa. They’re positioned on the thoroughfare that leads towards Durango.”
Sicario: “How much are they being paid?”
Captive: “I honestly couldn’t tell you but I do know that they’ve been paid off.”
Sicario: “What were you guys told when we acquired your improvised fighting vehicle?”
Captive: “They’re claimed that it was gifted to you guys.”
Sicario: “Who was the person that abandoned it?”
Captive: “Flechas.”
Sicario: “How many of your teammates have we killed off since you started operating out here?”
Captive: “A fuck lot.”
Sicario: “If you guys are losing then why are you wanting everyone to believe otherwise?”
Captive: “It’s for recruitment purposes so that we can have more people join us.”
Sicario: “Why is it that you guys retreat whenever we engage you instead of standing your ground? Are you guys not man enough?”
Captive: “We unfortunately have a lot of novices. To top it off we’re being overwhelmed by a force that’s larger in numbers.”
Sicario: “Why are you guys extorting the townspeople?”
Captive: “Our men are hungry and…”
Sicario: “What would you like to say to the civilian population and your buddies?”
Captive: “Don’t bother getting involved in this conflict because it’s not as easy as it looks. The Chapo’s aren’t going to allow you to win out here.”
Sicarios scream in unison: “We are Chapo’s absolute mob!!!”
According to some people, this war ended months ago. Los Chapitos apparently never got the memo.
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2 Comments
en realidad yo no veo que vaya ganando ni uno. perdidas de personal y territorios de volteados si. arrebatamiento de territorio no. meza flores es quien lleva la de ganar.
Gracias por el comentario. Es difícil decir que Isidro va ganando. Perdió a su principal aliado con la muerte del Músico, y varios de nosotros todavía creemos que pudo haberlo entregado.
En mi humilde opinión, la principal razón por la que Isidro no va ganando es que meterse en esta guerra expuso lo que siempre había sido su mayor ventaja: mantenerse fuera del radar. Ahora está en la lista de los 10 más buscados del FBI, con una recompensa de 5 millones de dólares por información que lleve a su captura.
Los únicos que realmente van ganando son los que logren mantenerse libres hasta que Trump deje la presidencia.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fausto-isidro-meza-flores-added-to-fbis-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list