Although he initially commented I like what I do in regards to his career as a hitman, Reta in recent weeks has affected a more remorseful tone: It gets to a point where I cant even stand myself, he says. As a 13-year-old, Reta was at school. 'Cell' of young enforcersThe accused ring leader in the Flores killing, Jesus "Jesse" Gonzales, fled to Mexico after making bail. OG Shadow's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlNhxVZxIJ_7KhgdmaO2QQInterview with OG Shadow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kDPbfrmEncPrison Ques. As the teens became more immersed in the cartel lifestyle, their appearance changed. Harry Anslinger employed Joe Arpaio in 1957 to be an agent in the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, and he rose through the bureau over decades. He's the author of two odd books of fiction, 'Ivyland' and 'True False. 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. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. 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. They lived in a large house in a nice part of Laredo and drove expensive cars. A Warner Bros. At first glance, the violence looked like isolated, gangland-style killings. I knew that my life had just changed forever, Reta told CNN this week, 11 years later. It was kind of hard to believe.. "Under the circumstances, it was the best we could do," Pena said of the plea. 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. Reta killed his first victim at 13 years old, when a drug lord handed him a gun and commanded him to shoot another man. They either end up in prison, or its likely their tortured corpse will be left along a blood-soaked path to nowhere in the Mexican countryside. 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. This is a carousel. In 2009 Cardona was arrested and pleaded guilty to killing seven men and to conspiracy to kidnap and kill in a foreign country. It was the ease with which the boys could cross back and forth across the border that made them valuable to the Mexican Zetas drug cartel. Rosalio Reta was just 13 years old when Miguel Trevio, leader of the ruthless Zetas, the paramilitary wing of Mexicos Gulf Cartel, recruited him as a killer. "I thought I was Superman. "At a time I liked studying, I was always a boy who dreamed, until I stopped dreaming," Jimenez told a group of students in 2013, according to a Proceso article. In a gun battle, in a confrontation, hes the first one to get out of his truck and lead his people. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. A teenage hit man who killed at the behest of leaders of the Gulf Cartel pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a December 2005. 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. By 19, he was locked in a Texas prison in solitary confinement, facing 70 years jail for murder. If you believe this Record is in error (i.e. Reta's face became covered in tattoo markings. All too quickly, he found himself, a young teenager, witnessing Trevios frequent executions at a small ranch house in Nuevo Laredo. Reta grew up in Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico read analysis of Rosalio Reta After that, I didnt have no life.. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. 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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. Officials initially thought Zavala died from a heart attack after he was found having convulsions in his cell, the El Paso Times reported . Although Z-40 virtually ruled northern Mexico without fear, as Reta came to know him he began to see Trevino as a regular guy. After some prodding, Cardona estimates he probably killed close to 30 people in less than two years. They brought him to a ranch where, according to Reta, 'They were torturing people and getting information from them. 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. Trevino, 40, faces charges of organized crime, homicide, torture and money laundering, a Mexican government security spokesman told reporters in July. The cartel leader looked at Reta and ordered him to shoot and kill a man tied up on the ground. Reta, a U.S. citizen, was extradited last year from Mexico to face charges in Flores's death. Cardona and Reta could move freely and easily back and forth across the border with Mexico. Gabriel Cardona and Rosalio 'Bart' (as in Bart Simpson) Reta are American citizens of the border town of Laredo, Texas. Wife is shocked after husband of 15 years asks for permission to have an affair: 'I don't know what to do'. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. Biography Rosalio Reta was born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico in 1990, and he was raised on both sides of the United States - Mexico border. Garcia told CNN. He graduated to smuggling drugs and weapons across the Rio Grande. In an interview with CNN, Reta describes a night when friends took him across the river to Nuevo Laredo. Its a violent world.. Some are teenagers, some are from Texas, and some are still on the run. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! The former editor of the Daily Dots Unclick section, Klees essays, satire, and fiction have appeared inLaphams Quarterly,Vanity Fair,3:AM,Salon,the Awl,the New York Observer,the Millions, and the Village Voice. The cases against Cardona and Reta -- both are in prison serving long prison sentences for murder -- shed new light into the workings of the drug cartels. Rosalio "Bart" Reta, 17, was immediately sentenced to 40 years in prison. "There's no doubt about it.". ', 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. 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. Struggling with distance learning? He was also a member of the Barrio Azteca, a gang based in El Paso prisons. Rosalio Reta was just 13 when he committed his first murder for the Zetas drug cartel; . I have no idea, Cardona said. DeSantis looms large over Abbott in Texas, SAPD: Westside double shooting leaves 2 in critical condition. Prosecutor and investigators say Reta and Cardona were recruited into a group called "Los Zetas," a group made up of former members of the Mexican special military forces. She was gunned down in front of the state capitol in Chihuahua City during a protest against the drug cartels influence in the Mexican government. He is also accused of being involved in the murder of US Consulate staffers killed in Ciudad Juarez in 2010. "They're here, they're here in the United States.". The Webb County Courthouse was heavily guarded. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldnt take it anymore. The third was arrested by Mexican authorities and stabbed to death in prison there three days later. If you know nothing about him, its hard to imagine he could have been a lethal assassin. The third was arrested by Mexican authorities and stabbed to death in prison there three days later. Rosalio Reta, in some of his initial media interviews, expressed glassy-eyed contrition, casting himself as a hapless victim of grave forces beyond his control. The third member of the group, Gabriel Cardona, pleaded guilty and is serving an 80-year sentence. An El Paso man convicted of killing 17 people, who later became a motivational speaker, was killed by his cellmate in a Chihuahua prison, authorities announced Sunday. Can Alperen Sengun become a passable defender for the Rockets? 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. It gives you that sense that you could do anything without being touched and having that sense of power, Cardona said. Zavala was sentenced to life in prison after killing 16 people at a bar in Chihuahua in 2012. Sheriff Joe has built a jail that he refers to publicly as his concentration camp, and presidential candidates flock here during election campaigns, emerging full of praise. Edgar was convicted in juvenile court in July 2011 of homicide and organized crime charges, and sentenced to three years in custody, the maximum allowed. Their short but bloody careers came crashing down swiftly, one after the other. Menu. TV Shows. Michael. Join Facebook to connect with Rosalio Reta and others you may know. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Report: Houston is the No. When you see those, they seem like the window into the cold, calculated soul that made Cardona a notoriously effective killer for the Zetas. . A detective, sitting across the table, asks him how it all started. Rosalio Reta, convicted drug cartel assassin. "They were just kids themselves, waiting around playing PlayStation or Xbox, waiting around for the order to be given.". "One thing you wonder all the time: What made them this way?" H/T Gawker | Photo via The I Files/YouTube, Miles Klee is a novelist and web culture reporter. 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. 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. What's on TV & Streaming Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Browse TV Shows by Genre TV News India TV Spotlight. Air Date: Apr 6, 2011. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. There were at least seven warrants for his arrest. Featuring his first-ever on-camera interview, this is the extraordinary story of Rosalio 'Bart' Reta. Since age 14 I was in court. The following record for Rosalio Reta was recently collected from the state department of corrections website of Texas, of those serving a term of correctional supervision. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Reta and Cardona agreed to give CNN rare interviews from the Texas prisons where both men are serving life sentences for murder. He said he was under influence of drugs and forced to carry out murders, or cartel leaders would kill him. TV Shows. It looks like we don't have any Biography for Rosalio Reta yet. 'I've come to regret everything I've done. Instead, Hari visits a rural Texas prison to interview a young man named. Rosalio Reta is a former Zeta Cartel hitman whom Hari visits at the Texas prison where he is currently serving a 70-year sentence for several murders. Rebecca Salinas is a digital producer at the San Antonio Express-News. In interviews with CNN, Laredo police detectives and prosecutors . 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen as soon as next week, Houston rap royalty Bun B on returning to Rodeo for another Takeover, How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. Reta has bizarre markings around his eyes; Cardona has drawings of eyeballs tattooed on his eyelids. Now you can hear that account for yourself. 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. When developing to the teenage years, they had dropped out of school and had become friends with bad influences. People getting tortured, killed, decapitated. At 17, he was convicted for two murders and sentenced to 70 years in a Texas states prison in 2007. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. 'It gets to a point where I can't even stand myself. Not long after, Reta botched an assassination attempt in Mexico, missing the victim and killing innocent people. He's a veteran of the Laredo Police Department and one of the few officers who has questioned the young men. . But what we fail to see is that we do it to ourselves.. March 17, 2009 Rosalio Reta has claimed to police that he killed 30 people. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. 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. Cardona and Reta grew up on Lincoln Street in Laredo, just a few blocks from the citys largest border crossing checkpoint. Reta and Cardona were paid a $500 retainer each week. If eyes are a window into the soul then unraveling the myth of Gabriel Cardona gets complicated. Last month, Zetas leader Miguel ngel Trevio, widely believed to be responsible for escalating the depraved and sadistic wave of narco-terror occurring along the borderlands, was arrested. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. 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. Reta's first kill was at 13 years old. As the call ends, Cardona says, "There are three left to kill, there are three left. Attorneys and witnesses have reported being threatened by the cartel's enforcers, and Reta has been moved into solitary confinement. The question remains: How did two American teenagers become killers-for-hire for a Mexican drug cartel? 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. One of the most feared and powerful drug kingpins in the world, Trevino took drug cartel brutality to never-before-seen levels. Absolute control, Reta said of Trevinos power. On the border, a lot of people get dragged into this lifestyle, Reta said. 2023 Cable News Network. Reta, 24, and Cardona, 26, still bear signs of their years as feared assassins. LAREDO, Texas (CNN) -- Rosalio Reta sits at a table inside a Laredo Police Department interrogation room. 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. The teenager turned himself in to Mexican police, then called Detective Garcia to ask to be extradited to the U.S., fearing reprisal for his error, or from rival gang member. But former member Rosalio Reta told Reveal that Morales' propensity for psychological torture made him an equally terrifying killer. DAVID MONROY/AFP/Getty Images Show More Show Less 5 of 15 Rosalio Reta. The friends were mingling with questionable characters but he was curious about the narco world. . 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. It was kind of hard to believe.'. His Stetson, his shining yellow lawmakers badge, and his sneer have become national symbols of a particular kind of funhouse-mirror Americana, and his hefty chunk of Arizona, home to nearly four million people, is now Harry Anslingers last great laboratory. Regardless of which story is true, Hari concludes, undermine Mexicos economy. OG Shadow's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlNhxVZxIJ_7KhgdmaO2QQInterview with OG Shadow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kDPbfrmEncPrison Questions Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPT_cCpNMvT4gP9OHCrUphCxJYdH06b7EShaun's true crime podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPT_cCpNMvT50d_7cJ55ciKoZEY8q_YPtShaun's books: https://shaunattwood.com/shaun/books/Shaun's UK tour dates: http://shaunattwood.com/category/events/Website: http://shaunattwood.com/ Blog: http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.co.uk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaunattwood Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shaun-Attwood/228166633865948#cartel #narcos #warondrugs #mexico He was sentenced to 70 years in prison for his murders. For years, Trevino was the unrivaled leader of the ruthless Zetas drug cartel until police arrested him last month just outside Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. 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How did two American teenagers become killers-for-hire for a Mexican drug cartel brutality to levels. Large over Abbott in Texas, and some are teenagers, some are teenagers, some are Texas... Of his truck and lead his people: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup rule... Initially thought Zavala died from a heart attack after he was curious about the narco world December 2005 a Bros.. Border with Mexico was arrested by Mexican authorities and stabbed to death in there! Third member of the Gulf cartel pleaded guilty to killing seven men and conspiracy! Or Xbox, waiting around playing PlayStation or Xbox, waiting around for the Zetas drug?. One thing you wonder all the time: What made them this way? convicted for two murders and to.
