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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8 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
buen dia mica. eso si es cierto y un buen punto se habia mantenido bajo perfil asta en esta guerra y si lleva varios operativos encontra de el. pero no le vamos a desmeritar que siempre a sido fuerte cuando la guera de los beltran se mantuvo y las veces que peleo varias gano. algo que me doy cuenta y nadie lo a dicho es de que otro que era aun mas bako perfil que isidro fue el mayito flaco de todos ellos era el que menos se escuchaba y habia menos fotos de el con la guerra esta mas quemado y no llevo la misma linea que su papa mayo. de bajo perfil y estar lejos de los pleitos.
digo que isidro por que tiene territorios nuevos y mas gente la volteada. los mayos no an ganado nada. los chapos perdieron territorio por que lo entregaron los volteados. a ver quien sera el trofeo para la salida de trump y hacer ver ala gente de USA que el si combatio y atrapo a terroristas de mexico. saludos
Saludos Nombre,
Le doy mucho crédito a Isidro. Lo tengo en el puesto número 31 de mi libro, y gran parte de esa posición se debe a su longevidad. Entendió algo que muchos jefes nunca comprenden: la corona atrae demasiado calor. Nunca necesitó proclamarse rey de la Organización Beltrán Leyva ni comportarse como el hombre más poderoso de la sala. Mantuvo una estructura cerrada, se concentró en el negocio y dejó que otros persiguieran los reflectores mientras él seguía vivo y en libertad.
A Mayito Flaco lo tengo en el puesto número 46. Eso no es un menosprecio. Su verdadero poder todavía se está midiendo. Heredó el nombre de Mayo, su red de lealtades y la responsabilidad de mantener unida a La Mayiza, pero todavía no cuenta con las décadas de liderazgo independiente que tiene Isidro. Su posición se basa en el lugar que ocupa actualmente: la sucesión, la legitimidad familiar y la guerra contra Los Chapitos. El expediente público sobre él sigue siendo mucho más limitado que el poder que aparentemente ejerce sobre el terreno.
Mayito Flaco no era el hijo que todos esperaban que tomara el mando, pero una vez que Mayo quedó fuera del tablero, ¿quién más tenía el apellido, la confianza y la capacidad para mantener unido a ese bando?
— Mica Treviño
Musico is dead? When and where did this happen?
He was arrested shortly after his som was killed.
Are we talking about Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe?
Good catch, Jimmy. Sorry, I used the wrong alias and meant EL Sagitario, whom I ranked 49th in the 50 book.