It was kind of hard to believe.. He was a good student, but he was more interested in what was happening across the river from his town, in the cantinas and barrios of Nuevo Laredo. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. His feelings about his bloody work have changed over the years, from chilling braggadocio as a 19-year-old in police interviews, to softly spoken, wet-eyed pleas for understanding in his latest interviews. These notable hitmen worked in and around the U.S.-Mexico border, involving themselves with powerful and violent drug cartels. Authorities said he requested extradition after being arrested in connection with an explosion that killed four people in a crowded bar in Monterrey, Mexico. Cardona says it wasnt long before he also became a drug cartel assassin. ", Prosecutors say both teens were given military-style training in Mexico. The teenagers lived in several safe houses around Laredo and drove around town in a $70,000 Mercedes-Benz. In a particularly nightmarish anecdote, Reta describes how Trevio tortured two brothers and finally forced one to kill the other, promising to release the killerwhom he in turn killed anyway. Reta said he began to fear that rival cartel members were getting close to killing him as retribution, so while working on an assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, he called a contact at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and surrendered. Reta killed his first victim at 13 years old, when a drug lord handed him a gun and commanded him to shoot another man. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Police say that one of the crimes for which Cardona is serving time is the kidnap and murder of two American teenagers, during which he slashed them with a bottle, collected their blood in a glass and toasted the La Santa Muerte, the personification of death. Did you encounter any technical issues? 6 Cabo hotels for your spring break vacation, How to score cheap flights (and mistake fares) in 2023, Escape to Long Beach, Washington before the summer crowds, Amazon is having a big sale on Canon cameras and lenses, Score Apple AirPods for under $100 on Amazon today, Stanleys huge water bottle is less than $35 on Amazon, This Costco membership discount puts $30 back in your pocket. In 2009 Cardona was arrested and pleaded guilty to killing seven men and to conspiracy to kidnap and kill in a foreign country. Before Trevios capture and arrest by Mexican marines a week ago, the Center for Investigative Reporting spoke with Reta about his horrific experience as a murderous cog in Los Zetas. 'Cell' of young enforcersThe accused ring leader in the Flores killing, Jesus "Jesse" Gonzales, fled to Mexico after making bail. This is a carousel. 1 of 3 Authorities say Rosalio Reta Jr., 17, is a member of the ``Zetillas,'' young enforcers for the Gulf Cartel. 4:56 PM EDT, Tue August 6, 2013, a Mexican government security spokesman told reporters in July. At an age when most kids are starting high school, Texas teen Rosalio Reta, now 24, was carrying out bloody murders for one of Mexico's most sadistic and violent drug cartels. Hes not going to ask people to do something that hes not willing to do himself. The money and lifestyle were so seductive and intoxicating that both teenagers dropped out of school and started living the high-rolling, lavish lifestyle. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. The job of a cartel assassin isnt one most people grow old and retire from. If you believe this Record is in error (i.e. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. "He was torturing two brothers and he made one kill the other," convicted killer Reta said from inside his jail cell. Rosalio Reta, convicted drug cartel assassin Over the years the ramshackle neighborhood has developed into a discarded border region where homes sit on dilapidated foundations and families live. Rosalio Reta photos, including production stills, premiere photos and other event photos, publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and more. Two men reveal details about their lives as teen drug cartel assassins, Now in prison, Rosalio Reta and Gabriel Cardona were hit men for drug lord "Z-40", For each killing, they say, they each were paid about $10,000, Their stories offer a glimpse into a dark world that threatens countless Mexicans and Americans. Witnesses testified Wednesday that Reta and two other men working for the cartel were paid $15,000 to kill a Laredo man in January 2006. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. As '24 nears, FL Gov. That clue unraveled the chilling reality and led police to arrest Gabriel Cardona and Rosalio Reta. Detective Roberto Garcia of the Laredo Police Department told the New York Times, 'The cartels - they just seduce you. When orders from cartel leaders came, the men would begin hunting their prey. "They were just kids themselves, waiting around playing PlayStation or Xbox, waiting around for the order to be given.". They were raised in poverty and with the many problems inherent to poverty. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? 4, 2008) From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research RETA v. STATE Court of Appeals of Texas, Fourth District, San Antonio Some are teenagers, some are from Texas, and some are still on the run. In interviews with CNN, Laredo police detectives and prosecutors told how Cardona and Reta were recruited by the cartel to be assassins after they began hitting the cantinas and clubs just across the border. Reta pleaded guilty to two murders and was handed two prison sentences, of 30 and 40 years. At age 13, the Laredo, Texas, native was brought into the notorious Zetas drug cartel across the border in Mexico, where . Zavala was sentenced to life in prison after killing 16 people at a bar in Chihuahua in 2012. Rosalio 'Bart' Reta's story of how he went from a kid to a teenage hit man for a Mexican drug cartel and how detectives put him behind bars. Reta and Cardona were paid a $500 retainer each week. Zavala was also charged for killing activist Marisela Escobedo in 2010. Inmate Search Alabama Arizona Arkansas Federal Bureau of Prisons California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana As the call ends, Cardona says, "There are three left to kill, there are three left. A close friend, Gabriel Cardona, now 26, lived nearby. ', Solitary: Before he was even at the legal drinking age, Reta was locked up forever in solitary confinement, Marked man: Reta, like Cardona, received prison tattoos after his arrest, the only outward indication of what occurred in his past, Teenage dream: Cardona and Reta were living like regular teenagers before being drawn into a world of murder, drugs and cash. Investigators found a fingerprint on a cigarette box inside the suspected shooter's get-away car. Authorities say Reta worked on both sides of the border for Miguel Trevino Morales, the leader of the cartel's operation in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Rosalio Reta (born 1990) was an enforcer for the Los Zetas gang in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas during the 2000s. This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. He said he was under influence of drugs and forced to carry out murders, or cartel leaders would kill him. TV . But former member Rosalio Reta told Reveal that Morales' propensity for psychological torture made him an equally terrifying killer. It was real hard for me. H/T Gawker | Photo via The I Files/YouTube, Miles Klee is a novelist and web culture reporter. Rosalio Reta and his friend, Gabriel Cardona, were members of a three-person cell of American teenagers working as cartel hit men in the United States, according to prosecutors. When Reta arrived at the ranch, it was a crash course in drug cartel culture. The tattooed but somewhat soft-spoken Reta, who grew up in Laredo, Texas, but had family in Mexico, recounts how he was attracted by myths of the narco lifestyle on the other side of the river. In Chasing the Scream, journalist Johann Hari spends three years trying to understand the war on drugs by interviewing hundreds of people who have fought on its front lines. All Rights Reserved. Click through the slideshow to view infamous Mexican hitmen. Cardona and Reta say they were paid thousands of dollars a week just to be available ready at all times to answer the call to kill. I learned about drugs, theft, vandalism and fights. Rosalio Reta was just 13 years old when Miguel Trevio, leader of the ruthless Zetas, the paramilitary wing of Mexico's Gulf Cartel, recruited him as a killer. Rosalio Reta and his friend, Gabriel Cardona, were members of a three-person cell of American teenagers working as cartel hit men in the United States, according to prosecutors. The third was arrested by Mexican authorities and stabbed to death in prison there three days later. After some prodding, Cardona estimates he probably killed close to 30 people in less than two years. Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. Once he bragged to police, 'If I cannot hit you in the forehead from a distance, I will kneel down in front of you and put my forehead against the muzzle of your gun. Since 1993, he has been the elected sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Industry chief demands planned corporation tax hike from 19 to 25% in this Ukrainian soldier takes out five Russian tanks and three armoured vehicles in ONE DAY using US-supplied Do not sell or share my personal information. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. At first glance, the violence looked like isolated, gangland-style killings. Forever: This photo taken the year before their arrests reads 'parejas por siempre' - partners forever. Rosalio Reta, convicted drug cartel assassin. "These organizations, these cartels, they function like a Fortune 500 company," Webb County, Texas, prosecutor Uriel Druker said. Teachers and parents! Its hard to pinpoint just how much money they were paid. 2. The Webb County Courthouse was heavily guarded. Movies. He was also a member of the Barrio Azteca, a gang based in El Paso prisons. Reta grew up in Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border, and joined the Zetas at just 13 years old, after meeting its second-in-command, Miguel Trevio. Meet Rosalio Reta, an inmate in Texas who killed over 30 people during his time as a hitmanstarting at age 13for Miguel Trevio, the just-captured boss of the brutal Zeta drug cartel. Rosalio "Bart" Reta, 17, was immediately sentenced to 40 years in prison. Rebecca Salinas is a digital producer at the San Antonio Express-News. In that moment, even though it was another man he was instructed to kill, Reta's life was over. The comments below have not been moderated. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. For his part, Cardona is not as remorseful. Reta's face became covered in tattoo markings. Denounced by Mexicos Catholic Church, Santa Muerte is a popular symbol among drug traffickers. When developing to the teenage years, they had dropped out of school and had become friends with bad influences. At 17, he was convicted for two murders and sentenced to 70 years in a Texas states prison in 2007. The third member of the group, Gabriel Cardona, pleaded guilty and is serving an 80-year sentence. Ive come to regret everything Ive done, Reta said. Kids in England had to wear masks at school because No10 'didn't want an argument' with Nicola Sturgeon - Health ministers knew there was no evidence to justify making kids abide by rule of 6 - but No10 'didn't Charles evicting Harry and Meghan is the act of a King putting his country first: REBECCA ENGLISH reveals A royal princess at Eton? Rosalio Reta was just 13 when he committed his first murder for the Zetas drug cartel; . The American teen had never before met anyone who carried a pistol adorned with such an unforgettable decoration: the number 40 encrusted in diamonds on the handle. Featuring his first-ever on-camera interview, this is the extraordinary story of Rosalio 'Bart' Reta. 04-07-00564-CR (Tex. He took his head off just by shooting it.. Cardona smiled when asked how many people he remembers killing for the Zetas. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Convicted of two murders (he says he killed. Gonzalez Duran is allegedly one of the founding members of the Zetas, a group of army deserters who went to work as hitmen for the Gulf drug cartel. Over the years the ramshackle neighborhood has developed into a discarded border region where homes sit on dilapidated foundations and families live under crumbling rooftops. Prosecutors say the shooting victim, Noe Flores, was the half brother of the intended target. Before his arrest, he was on the FBI's most wanted list. Reta, in Spanish street slang, describes his initiation as an assassin, at the age of 13, for the Mexican Gulf Cartel, one of the country's two major drug gangs. Some like it, NOT! But this was a put-on, Slater writes. It's eating me inside little by little, and there's nothing I can do or say to justify my actions.'. Im really a good person, he said. And Cardona responds, "I've heard in Dallas and Houston.". He was freed in November 2013, and sent to a support center in San Antonio. Cardona and Reta didnt last long in that world. 'The best we could do'Reta decided to plead guilty, but retain his right to appeal, after his statement to police was allowed as evidence over his attorney's objections, said the attorney, Eduardo Pena. The mysterious drug lord who ordered Reta to shoot the stranger at the ranch that day, Reta says, was Miguel Angel Trevino. Cardona and Reta grew up on Lincoln Street in Laredo, just a few blocks from the citys largest border crossing checkpoint. I have no idea, Cardona said. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Rosalio Reta appears in, Chapter 9: Bart Simpson and the Angel of Jurez, drug war. Before Trevio's capture and. A lot of people get dragged into this lifestyle, but what we fail to see is we do it to ourselves. CNN was first to broadcast the police interrogation videos from which the world first learned about Reta and Cardona, sparking worldwide fascination with both men and making them infamous legends of a narco world. And that's why the cartel recruited these young Americans. But investigators started suspecting something more sinister. If eyes are a window into the soul then unraveling the myth of Gabriel Cardona gets complicated. You think that its not going to end because it just keeps coming., In interrogation videos made shortly after his arrest in 2009, Reta told a Laredo police detective how killing made him feel like Superman., Related: U.S. teens were hit men for Mexican cartel. Rosalio Reta(born 1990) was an enforcer for the Los Zetas gang in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas during the 2000s. ", In Cardona's interrogation tape, there are clues that "Los Zetas" are reaching deeper and deeper into the United States. All too quickly, he found himself, a young teenager, witnessing Trevios frequent executions at a small ranch house in Nuevo Laredo. He is also accused of being involved in the murder of US Consulate staffers killed in Ciudad Juarez in 2010. Cardona was also making a name for himself at that time, and impressing the same narco leaders. Three people exemplify its story: an angel [Juan Manuel Olgun], a killer [, dangerous. Emanuel Arriaga, a spokesman for the Nuevo Leon state Attorney General's office, said Wednesday that prosecutors in Monterrey couldn't link Reta to any killings. It looks like we don't have any Biography for Rosalio Reta yet. Air Date: Apr 6, 2011. Regret: Reta expresses his anguish over his killing career that began at 13 years old, Baby-faced killers: Cardona was barely in his 20s and Reta was still a teenager when they were sent to jail for the rest of their lives, River to hell: The international bridge over the Rio Grande that links Laredo, Texas to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Crossing: The border post at Laredo, Texas is one of the most important drug routes in the U.S. for Mexican drug cartels. "They're here, they're here in the United States.". Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! Alleged member of the gang Los Aztecas, Chavez Castillo has admitted to over 800 murders, sometimes beheading and dismembering them. In a gun battle, in a confrontation, hes the first one to get out of his truck and lead his people. There, he witnessed his first executions, and he was turned into a child soldier for Los Zetas. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Reta watched others respond to Trevinos tough leadership. 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen next week, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, The only Houston rodeo food guide you'll need, Former KHOU anchor turns layoff into lucrative real estate career, Houston is in for dust and gray skies as Texas haboob arrives, Astros GM provides update on Yordan Alvarez's hand injury, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban. Rosalio Reta, convicted drug cartel assassin Over the years the ramshackle neighborhood has developed into a discarded border region where homes sit on dilapidated foundations and families live. A teenager accused of being a hit man for a drug cartel pleaded guilty to murder Thursday, abruptly ending a trial that exposed the cartel's workings in the U.S. and Mexico. It was kind of hard to believe.'. Reta has spoken about his past at various times over the seven years since his arrest. He was eighty when I met him, and about to be elected to his sixth consecutive term. Despite Reta's youth, "he's a cold-blooded killer," Guillen said. Rosalio Reta and his friend, Gabriel Cardona, were members of a three-person cell of American teenagers working as cartel hit men in the United States, according to prosecutors. Gladiator sequel starring Paul Mescal gets release date CONFIRMED for late 2024 - 24 years after original . Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs And these kids all have that romantic notion they are going to live forever. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Woman appears to fake injury while arguing with tradie next door, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby, Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, Biden claims ICU nurse would whisper in his ear and BREATH on him, Child reads from sexually explicit book at Maine school board meeting, Moment supermarket cashier is attacked at work in New York. 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