The Mexican arm of Anonymous is going toe to toe with one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations, the Mexican cartel Los Zetas. Anonymous is making threats to the drug cartel over the alleged kidnapping of one of its members in Veracruz.
Anonymous does not identify the missing member by name, but alleges he was kidnapped from a street protest, “doing Paperstorm” which is a reference to posting flyers or messages in public areas.
In a Youtube video, a man dressed in a suit and tie, and wearing the Guy Fawkes mask from the movie “V for Vendetta” (the mask has become the symbol for Anonymous), says in Spanish: “You made a huge mistake by taking one of us. Release him. And if anything happens to him, you (expletive) will always remember this upcoming November 5th” He continues with “We demand his release, we want the Army and the Navy to know that we are fed up with the criminal group Zetas, who have concentrated on kidnapping, stealing and blackmailing in different ways.”
"We can't defend ourselves with a weapon, but if we can do this with their cars, houses, bars, brothels, and everything else in their possession," the video says. "It won't be difficult. We all know who they are and where they are."
The video posted earlier this month also threatens to expose its associates to include journalists, taxi drivers, police and corrupt government officials who allegedly cooperate with the cartel. The website of a Gustavo Rosario, a Mexican politician suspected of having connections with the cartel was defaced and the words “Es Zeta” (is Zeta) were shown on his main page.
These threats move Anonymous into a whole new realm, they typically target corporations, government agencies, and law enforcement departments that it deems financially or morally corrupt, gangs have never before been the target of their attacks.
The U.S. Justice department states that the Zetas cartel may be the most technologically advanced sophisticated and violent force of the paramilitary enforcement groups in Mexico.
Mike Vigil, a retired head of International Operations for the DEA said that the Zetas Cartel needs to take Anonymous seriously because by publishing the names they identify the Zetas Cartel members to rivals and they will go after them. If Anonymous makes good on its threats and publishes these names, it will most certainly lead to more deaths.
This is a pretty bold move by Anonymous and it will be interesting to see the resulting fallout.
References:
Anonymous Veracruz copia. Retrieved 01 November, 2011 from Youtube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3ZL0E1J7wOg!
Mills, E (2011). Anonymous online activists threaten Mexican drug cartel. Retrieved 01November, 2011 from Cnet Web site: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20127534-83/anonymous-online-activists-threaten-mexican-drug-cartel/?tag=txt;title
THN Reporter (2011). Anonymous hackers threatening a Mexican drug cartel. Retrieved 01 November, 2011 from The Hacker News Web site: http://thehackernews.com/2011/10/anonymous-hackers-threatening-mexican.html
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