Most BRUTAL Torture Methods by Mexican Cartel's
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the horrifying world of Mexican drug cartels, highlighting the brutal and sadistic torture methods employed by infamous figures like El Chapo and his Sinaloa Cartel. It recounts specific acts of violence, such as the gruesome murder of Hugo Hernandez and the torturous interrogation of DEA Agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena. The script also touches on the corrupt involvement of law enforcement officials and the systemic use of torture within Mexico's criminal justice system. The narrative serves as a chilling reminder of the cartels' power and the extreme measures they take to maintain their reign of terror.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Hugo Hernandez's kidnapping by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel led to a gruesome display of violence, illustrating the cartel's brutal methods.
- 😷 The Sinaloas are known for their sadistic torture techniques, including chainsaw dismemberment and skinning victims alive.
- 🔪 Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, is notorious for his hands-on approach to torture, often participating personally.
- 🐅 El Chapo's sons, 'Los Chapitos', continue the family's legacy of violence, with reports of feeding victims to tigers and using corkscrews as torture tools.
- 🗡️ The Zetas Cartel is infamous for its extreme acts of brutality, such as public beheadings and mass cremations at La Gallera ranch.
- 💀 The 1985 torture and murder of DEA Agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena by the Guadalajara Cartel is a chilling example of cartel violence.
- 👮♂️ Corruption within Mexican law enforcement is rampant, with officers like Luis Cárdenas Palomino facilitating cartel activities and participating in torture.
- 🔧 Torture by Mexican law enforcement is systemic, with methods including electric shocks to genitals and waterboarding.
- 🗣️ The cartels' theatrical brutality is a calculated PR strategy to instill fear and project power, similar to tactics used by terrorist organizations.
- ⚰️ The cartels' acts of violence are often captured on video, serving as a form of intimidation and a gruesome form of propaganda.
Q & A
What happened to Hugo Hernandez on the night of January 2, 2010?
-Hugo Hernandez was kidnapped by Sicarios from the Sinaloa Drug Cartel while taking an evening walk in Sonora state, Mexico.
What is the significance of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico?
-The Sinaloa Drug Cartel is one of the most feared and powerful drug cartels in Mexico, known for their brutal and creative methods of violence and torture.
What gruesome discovery was made in Los Mochis on January 8, after the Sicarios finished with Hugo?
-Hugo's torso and limbs were found in two large plastic containers, and his face, stitched onto a soccer ball, was discovered in a plastic bag near City Hall with a threatening note.
Who is Joaquin Guzman, and what is his nickname?
-Joaquin Guzman is the now incarcerated leader of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, commonly known by his nickname, El Chapo, which translates to 'Shorty' in English.
What was the fate of rival drug peddler Israel Rincon at the hands of El Chapo's men?
-Israel Rincon was brutally tortured, his teeth were ripped out, and he was electrocuted before being murdered and his body disposed of, with the torture video posted online.
What is one of El Chapo's most notorious methods of torture mentioned in the script?
-One of El Chapo's notorious torture methods involved beating people with a branch until their bodies were 'like rag dolls' from broken bones, followed by throwing them onto a bonfire.
What is the 'Colombian Necktie' and why is it an urban legend associated with Pablo Escobar?
-The 'Colombian Necktie' is a form of torture where the victim's throat is slit and their tongue is pulled through the wound. It is an urban legend because, although it was practiced, it is often misattributed to Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel when it actually predates the cartel by decades.
What is the significance of the video recordings made by the cartels during their acts of torture and murder?
-The video recordings serve as a form of propaganda, aiming to instill fear and establish the cartels' reputation as ruthless and unstoppable forces in their territories.
How do the cartels use psychological torment in their acts of violence?
-Cartels use psychological torment by forcing victims to kill each other, as seen in a leaked video where students were coerced into decapitating and beating each other to death.
What is the 'El Guiso' method of torture, and which cartel leader was known for using it?
-The 'El Guiso' method of torture involves forcing victims into 55-gallon metal drums and setting a fire underneath to slowly boil them alive. This method was attributed to Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, an alleged leader of the Los Zetas cartel.
What was the impact of the San Fernando Massacre on the notoriety of Los Zetas?
-The San Fernando Massacre in 2011, where Los Zetas kidnapped and murdered 193 people, significantly increased the cartel's notoriety for extreme brutality and violence.
Outlines
😱 Horrific Kidnapping and Torture by Sinaloa Cartel
The paragraph recounts the chilling abduction of Hugo Hernandez by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico. The details of his brutal torture, including being beaten, dismembered, and decapitated, are described. His face was gruesomely stitched onto a soccer ball, and his body parts were left in plastic containers as a message. The paragraph also discusses the broader context of violence within Mexican drug cartels, highlighting their extreme methods to instill fear and assert dominance.
🔪 Torture and Violence by Mexican Drug Cartels
This paragraph delves into the various forms of torture and violence perpetrated by Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and their rivals. It provides examples of horrific acts such as feeding victims to tigers, using corkscrews, and forcing people to become drug mules. It also recounts infamous cases like the torture and murder of DEA Agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena by the Guadalajara Cartel, and the brutal tactics of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), including the public decapitation of a woman and the torture of a rival cartel member.
🐊 The Zetas' Barbaric Acts and Law Enforcement Corruption
The paragraph focuses on the extreme violence of the Los Zetas drug cartel, detailing their acts of torture such as 'El Guiso,' mass killings, and the use of La Gallera ranch for atrocities. It also touches on the corruption within Mexican law enforcement, with examples of officers like Luis Cárdenas Palomino, who was involved in torture and drug trafficking. The paragraph discusses the systemic nature of torture within Mexican institutions and the impact of this on the fight against drug cartels.
🗡️ The Legacy of Violence and Torture in Drug Cartels
This paragraph discusses the historical context of torture methods used by drug cartels, including the Colombian Necktie and other brutal practices during La Violencia. It contrasts the theatrical brutality used by cartels as a form of PR with the actual tactics used by groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS. The paragraph concludes with a darkly humorous note on the importance of being polite to cartel members should one encounter them in Mexico.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sicarios
💡Sinaloa Drug Cartel
💡El Chapo
💡Torture Methods
💡Cartel Violence
💡Los Zetas
💡Drug Mules
💡Corruption
💡Human Rights Violations
💡Psychological Torture
💡Criminal Enterprise
Highlights
Hugo Hernandez's kidnapping by Sicarios from the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Sonora, Mexico.
The brutal and horrific torture methods employed by the Sinaloa Cartel, including chainsaw dismemberment.
The discovery of Hernandez's dismembered body and his face stitched onto a soccer ball with a threatening note.
The competitive nature of Mexico's drug cartels and their need to establish dominance through extreme violence.
Joaquin Guzman, aka El Chapo, and his role in redefining brutality within the drug cartel landscape.
El Chapo's personal involvement in torture, including beating victims with a branch until their bodies were 'like rag dolls'.
The existence of a specialized torture room in Antonio 'Jaguar' Marrufo's mansion, complete with drains and soundproofing.
El Chapo's sons' continuation of their father's brutal methods, including the use of corkscrews and feeding victims to tigers.
The infamous case of DEA Agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena's torture and murder by the Guadalajara Cartel in 1985.
The Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel's (CJNG) brutal methods, including chainsaw torture and public recordings of their acts.
Los Zetas' acts of extreme violence, such as the forced decapitation of victims and mass murder at La Gallera ranch.
The San Fernando Massacre, where Los Zetas kidnapped and murdered 193 people, forcing some to fight to the death.
The Gulf Cartel's retaliatory violence against Los Zetas, including the public decapitation of captured members.
The prevalence of cartel-related corruption within Mexican law enforcement, with examples of officers facilitating torture.
The systemic issue of torture within Mexican law enforcement, including the use of psychological and physical torture techniques.
The comparison of Mexican cartel violence to that of other infamous drug kingpins, such as Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel.
The strategic use of theatrical brutality by cartels as a form of propaganda to instill fear and assert control.
Transcripts
January 2, 2010. It’s a warm night in Mexico’s Sonora state when 36-year-old
Hugo Hernandez is taking an evening walk. He has no idea that, in the next few days,
his name will be in newspapers all over the world - for the most horrifying reason imaginable.
As he walks, he barely registers the van approaching from behind,
until it pulls up next to him, and the side panel slides open. Several men in ski masks
pile out and make a run for Hernandez. They beat him down, zip-tie his wrists,
and pull a black sack over his head. In a matter of seconds, this human cargo is bundled up into
the back of the van, which speeds away from the curb with a screech of tires.
He’s just been kidnapped by Sicarios from the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, one of the most
feared and powerful drug cartels in all of Mexico. But Hugo’s ordeal isn’t over. Not by
a long shot. He’s about to find out exactly why the Sinaloas command so much terror.
When Hugo Hernandez wakes up, he’s in Sinaloa territory. The Sicarios beat him viciously
while one among their number readies a chainsaw. This is where everything gets messy - Both in the
room where Hernandez is being held and in our knowledge of the story. We don’t know
for sure whether Hernandez was alive when they expertly peeled off his face. We don’t know if
he was alive when they cut off every one of his limbs, before tearing his head from his
torso. We can only hope, for Hugo’s sake, that they were feeling merciful that day.
What we do know is what happened afterward. On January 8, after the Sicarios are finished
with Hugo, his torso and all of the limbs that used to be attached to it turn up in
two large plastic containers on the streets of Los Mochis. Hugo’s face,
meticulously stitched onto a soccer ball, is found in a plastic bag near
City Hall with a note that reads, “Happy New Year, because this will be your last.”
Because when it comes to the dark art of violence and torture,
the drug cartels of Mexico are nothing if not disgustingly creative.
You’ve heard the stories - Shootings, stabbings, decapitations. It’s all true, and what’s more,
it’s generally underselling just how brutal agents and even leaders of Mexico’s biggest
drug cartels can be. This is a multi-billion dollar industry, and one of the most competitive
in the world. It’s why some of Mexico’s leading drug cartels, like the Sinaloas
and the Zetas, need to go so above and beyond in establishing that they’re not to be messed with.
And leading the charge is Joaquin Guzman, the now incarcerated leader of the Sinaloa Drug cartel,
that you might know better by his nickname, El Chapo - “Shorty”, in English. And if the career
of Joe Pesci has taught us anything, it’s that little guys with a homicidal streak are some of
the scariest gangsters of all. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that El Chapo has redefined
brutality even as drug cartels go, with some of his uniquely strange and sadistic torture methods,
starting with how he saw fit to punish rival drug peddler Israel Rincon, aka El Guacho.
According to unsealed court documents, El Chapo’s men got ahold of Rincon and
dragged him into a garden outhouse on one of his properties. There,
the torture began: While Cartel agents filmed the interrogation, Rincon’s teeth were ripped out,
and he was electrocuted in the ear. He was beaten and humiliated as they extracted information from
him, but Seventually, the pain got too much for Rincon to bear, and he fell unconscious.
At this point, the Sinoloa torturers called in a doctor to treat and revive El Guacho so they
could continue torturing him. Once the torturers got bored,
they murdered Rincon and disposed of his body in Culiacán before posting the footage of the brutal
torture to the internet. And what happened to Rincon was only the tip of the iceberg.
El Chapo is a hands-on torture enthusiast. While he often delegates his acts of brutality to some
of his countless underlings, he’s also more than happy to roll up his sleeves and get to torturing
himself. According to one eyewitness, he beat two people with a branch until their bodies were,
quote, “like rag dolls” from so many broken bones, before having them thrown onto a bonfire.
Another incident had him non-fatally shoot a rival cartel boss before ordering that the man be buried
alive to suffocate slowly. A witness at El Chapo’s trial, Isaias Valdez Rios, described the latter’s
torture as follows: “He had burns made with an iron on his back, his shirt was stuck to
his skin. He had burns made with a car lighter all over his body. His feet were burned.” It was only
after days of being left for dead in an old wooden structure that El Chapo saw fit to bury the man.
One of the drug lord’s most trusted associates, Antonio "Jaguar" Marrufo,
had a special room in his mansion built specifically for the torture and murder
of their rivals in the drug trade. The room had a fitted drain in the ground
to let the blood drain away more easily, as well as non-stick tiles and soundproofing
technology to stop anyone from the outside from hearing the horrific screams from within.
El Chapo’s apples didn’t fall far from the tree, either. His sons - Iván and Alfredo Guzmán Salazar
and Joaquín and Ovidio Guzmán López - formed their own Sinaloa splinter cartel known as “Los
Chapitos,” or “Little Chapos,” along with close El Chapo associate, hitman Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas,
aka El Nini. As you’ve probably predicted by now, they share their old man’s love
of horrific torture, and keep a ranch in Navolato where the worst of it takes place.
People close to the matter have reported that they twist corkscrews into the flesh of their
victims before yanking them out and rubbing hot chilli peppers on the open wounds. Some are fed,
either dead or alive, depending on how lucky they are, to the tigers some of El Chapo’s
sons keep as pets. They’re also known for making drug mules out of the local civilians,
in many cases killing them and their families if they refuse the offer.
But Mexico’s cartel community isn’t going to let the Sinaloa syndicate have all the “fun.” There
are plenty of horrific instances of violence and torture from El Chapo’s many competitors, and now,
we’re going to take you on a traumatic crash course through some of the worst
ones. Seriously, we’re begging you, put down that sandwich. It’s gonna get really gross.
Probably one of the most infamous cases of cartel torture was the one committed against
DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985 when his undercover investigation was blown open by
members of the ruthless Guadalajara cartel. Kiki’s death was anything but quick, as his captors saw
fit to torture him to death over the course of 30 hours of grueling and humiliating hours.
On February 7th, 1985, he was ambushed by a group of armed men in Guadalajara on the way to the US
Consulate. He went without a struggle, knowing that he was outmatched, and he was taken to a
secondary location where the torture commenced. He was bound to a chair while the cartel torturers
recorded the interrogation, beating him so viciously that his skull, jaw, nose,
cheekbones, and windpipe were crushed. We can only imagine the horror that Kiki felt when his
captors produced a power drill, which they used to drill into his skull while he was still alive.
How do we know he was still alive? The toxicology
report showed the presence of amphetamines in Kiki’s system,
despite the fact that he never used the drugs himself. This implied to DEA investigators
that Kiki was given the drugs so that he would remain awake and conscious during his torture.
In more recent years, members of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (or CJNG) captured a
member of a rival cartel, the aforementioned Los Chapitos, and decided to record his torture and
murder. By the time the video started, the man’s face was already beaten and bloody,
and his arms were tied behind his back on a chair. One of his torturers produced a
chainsaw while another questioned him, and began sawing into the man’s legs.
Eventually, when the torturers had done all they wanted to,
they sawed off the man’s legs entirely and poured water onto him.
Then there are the horrific crimes of Los Zetas, one of the best-known drug cartels outside of the
Sinaloa Cartel. The Zetas don’t have the Sinaloa’s numbers or name recognition, but they make up
for it with their truly extraordinary acts of brutality. In one video, a woman in a pink shirt
is forced onto her knees by a Los Zetas agent, who holds up a straight razor before saying, “Well,
gentleman, this is what happens to all those in the Gulf Cartel. On behalf of Los Zetas.”
The woman does not resist, seemingly drugged, as the man holds the razor
to her throat and slices off her head over the course of a brutal 40 seconds,
as her perforated throat wheezes air. This particular video understandably
garnered massive controversy when it was leaked on Facebook.
Much like Los Chapitos, the Zetas even have their own murder, torture, and body disposal
ranch: La Gallera ranch in northern Veracruz. After taking it over in 2011, the Zetas have
used it as a hub of mass cremation, incinerating their victims to avoid evidence of their crimes
ever coming to light. These cremations were performed in the ranch’s twelve “Kitchens,”
in a scene described by witnesses as something far worse than any horror movie could ever conjure up.
Some victims were dissolved in bathtubs full of acid. Others were chopped up and fed to
crocodiles. In more pedestrian but no less horrifying cases, the bodies of the kidnapped,
tortured, and murdered were buried in mass graves around the property. Perhaps the most
upsetting part is that the locals knew this was happening for years, and even reported it,
but the corrupt local police were in the pocket of the Zetas, and nothing was done.
Whenever Los Zetas and the kitchen mixes, something horrible is sure to
happen - and this fact is true all the way to the top. Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales,
one of the alleged leaders of the cartel group, had a particular form of torture and execution
he enjoyed that’s referred to as “El Guiso” or “The Stew.” Victims would be forced into
55-gallon metal drums alive, and a fire would then be set underneath them, slowly boiling them alive.
The incident that truly put Los Zetas on the map was the infamous 2011 San Fernando Massacre,
where the Zetas kidnapped and murdered 193 people on La Joya Ranch. After hijacking a
number of buses, the victims were dragged to the ranch, where the women were brutalized and killed,
and the men were given weapons and forced to fight each other to the death. People who were
willing to kill to save their own lives were then recruited as more ruthless hitmen for
Los Zetas in what is perhaps the most horrific job application process in modern history.
The most horrifying part is that this isn’t even an isolated incident.
Multiple cartels have used forcing people to kill others as a source of psychological
torment. A video that leaked online in 2023 appeared to show the horrifying fate of 5
students lured onto a cartel compound, who were forced to kill each other on camera
when they refused an offer to join the cartel. The video depicted one student
decapitating another with a machete, as another had their head beaten in with a piece of rock.
The cocky and in-your-face style of Los Zetas made them plenty of enemies. They
hanged two members of the Gulf Cartel, and in one video, filmed themselves disposing of
the headless bodies of 49 migrant workers whom they’d murdered. The former was seen
as particularly insulting by members of the Gulf Cartel, because the Zetas had originally
served as their security force, before splintering off and forming their own group.
In 2012, the Gulf Cartel struck back with some horrific violence of their own. They released
a video of several captured members of the Zetas tied up, and pleading for mercy as
they’re interrogated about their leaders. When the Gulf Cartel operatives tire of asking questions,
they descend on the Zetas with machetes, brutally hacking off each of their heads without so much as
a flicker of remorse. Cartel members live by the machete, and die by the machete.
Filming their crimes, as you may have noticed, is pretty standard for cartels.
In one particularly vile video filmed by a group of unknown cartel members,
you can see them goofing off with a severed human face while surrounded by dead bodies. One of them
puts the face on like a Halloween mask, while his cartel friends laugh and joke about it.
You may be feeling a little queasy hearing about all this murder and mayhem - though
it kind of makes us wonder why you clicked on a video called “Mexican Cartels' Most
Brutal Torture Methods” - but, at the very least, we’ve got a consolation:
The Cartel isn’t running unopposed. Mexico’s finest are on the case, the top cops who
want to put cartels like the Sinaloas and the Zetas on notice. Like Luis Cárdenas Palomino,
a law enforcement official once voted “Mexico’s best police officer,” and he won’t rest until--
Wait, he was working for the cartel, too? AND he was also involved in torturing people!?
That’s right, while we personally think that Palomino’s “best police officer” award should
be revoked, he’s in the runnings for one of its most criminal and corrupt. He was arrested for
abusing suspects under his care, facilitating torture, and essentially being a glorified
errand boy for El Chapo. His former boss, Genaro Garcia Luna, was also imprisoned for corruption
and drug trafficking, so he’s been doing a fine job holding up institutional traditions.
Palomino has a shady past, having been implicated in a murder in his adolescence,
before proving himself to be a reliable asset for cartel bigwigs who wanted a friend on the inside
of Mexican law enforcement. Because of crooked cops like Palomino, Mexican law enforcement
and special forces have been accused of a bevy of horrific crimes - from taking bribes to committing
straight-up massacres on the cartel’s behalf. And, of course, there’s plenty of torture, too!
One of the favorite methods of people like Palomino is known locally as the chicharra,
which involves using a cattle prod to repeatedly shock the genitals of
a prisoner in order to induce confessions - even if they know the person they’re
tormenting is innocent. They’ve also been known to repeatedly suffocate victims
with plastic bags, employ Guantanamo-style waterboarding techniques, and beat victims
within an inch of their life, sometimes accidentally killing them in the process.
Dr. Robert Bunker, a research director at the security consulting firm C/O Futures LLC,
said of the torturous cartel cops, “Basic [torture] techniques can
include the use of bladed instruments, pliers, and clippers, but fire, water,
and electrical-based approaches can also be readily applied.”
But we can’t lay the responsibility of all this torture at the feet of Palomino;
it’s far more systemic in nature than that. An anonymous Mexican police commander told
the Daily Beast, “Torture is committed on a grand scale, and it will never disappear,
because our institutions lack the resources and capacity to prosecute someone for what
is done through torture.” This same anonymous commander to his cartel-corrupted co-workers
employed psychological tortures as well as physical, like arresting the families of
victims and threatening to kill or torture them too in order to induce confessions.
Former DEA chief of international operations Mike Vigil actually claimed that brutal torture methods
have been a part of the Mexican law enforcement credo even outside of Cartelian influence. He
said, “All of Mexico’s security forces have used torture since their very inception,
and it has become normal for them. They look at it as an easy way to solve cases and don’t understand
that it is a violation of human rights or that anyone will confess when tortured.”
Of course, Mexican drug cartels don’t have an absolute monopoly on disturbing cartel
violence. After all, one of the most feared and infamous drug kingpins of all time,
Pablo Escobar, was Colombian. However, one of the most popular factoids about how Escobar’s Medellin
Cartel liked to torture people is actually an urban legend: The dreaded Colombian Necktie.
Now, we don’t mean that it was a total myth like the Iron Maiden, it was very much practiced on
people for a number of years. The torture involves slitting the victim’s throat, and yanking the
tongue out of the wound, so it rests against the upper chest like a bloody necktie. However,
while it’s commonly misattributed to Pablo and his gang, it was actually a feature of
a brutal period of the Colombian Civil War known as La Violencia, which went on for a
decade between 1948 and 1958 - predating the 1976 rise of the Medellin Cartel by decades.
For all our torture and mutilation fans out there, La Violencia was a goldmine of
atrocities - From the Colombian Necktie to the “Flower Vase Cut,” where victims’ limbs were
cut off and stuffed into their body, to a torture where - much like the Mexican cartels - victims’
genitals were cut off and shoved into their mouth. And, perhaps most upsetting of all,
cases where pregnant women had the fetuses cut out of their wombs and replaced with a rooster.
The cruel irony of all the coverage of Mexican Cartel brutality - including this
video - is exactly what the cartel wants. The theatrical brutality of the cartel is a brutal
but sophisticated PR move, advancing their image as feared and unstoppable gangsters
who rule their respective territories. Very similar to the tactics employed by terrorist
groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS with their own traumatic videos of horrific violence.
But the acts of torture and murder are often so audacious;
how could they not provoke some kind of reaction?
But if this video has taught you anything, it’s hopefully this:
If you find yourself taking a vacation to Mexico any time soon, and you happen to
run into someone involved in a drug cartel - Remember to be polite. If we make another
one of these videos, we’d hate for any of our subscribers to appear in that sequel.
Now check out “El Chapo Versus Pablo Escobar - How Do They Compare?” Or watch this video instead!
Weitere ähnliche Videos ansehen
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)