Reta killed his first victim at 13 years old, when a drug lord handed him a gun and commanded him to shoot another man. SHARN STEINMANN/Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Lori Garcia . They wave that power, that cash, the cars, the easy money. Refine any search. 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. LAREDO, Texas On a dusty, remote ranch across the Rio Grande from this Texas border town, an intimidating drug lord stood over 13-year-old Rosalio Reta and handed him a gun. Infamous cartel hit man 'El Wicked' strangled in prison: Mexican authorities. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Trevino then released his team of assassins onto the streets of Laredo, Texas, engaging in a series of high-profile murders. Eventually Laredo police detectives zeroed in on the teen assassins. 4, 2008) From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research RETA v. STATE Court of Appeals of Texas, Fourth District, San Antonio In that moment, even though it was another man he was instructed to kill, Reta's life was over. Cardona estimates he killed between 20 and 30 people. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 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. 1 of 3 Authorities say Rosalio Reta Jr., 17, is a member of the ``Zetillas,'' young enforcers for the Gulf Cartel. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. He says he made "guiso," or stew, with their bodies. out-of-date, incorrect offense/sentence details, record expunged, etc), please send an email to: Temp Release Prison, Texas Inmates & Offenders, https://offender.tdcj.texas.gov/OffenderSearch/offenderDetail.action?sid=06748142, Search is on for inmate accidentally released from Colorado jail, Search for Escaped Inmate in Ellis County, Search underway after inmate escapes in Sabine Parish, Three inmates escape Athens County correctional facility, one apprehended, Man Accused of Helping Callahan County Inmate Escape Self-Surrenders, Oklahoma DOC unveils new inmate search feature, Search continues for Inmate who escaped from Lawrence County work release, Correctional Facility or Supervision Authority, Department of Corrections Inmate / Offender Record. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming Soon Movie News India Movie Spotlight. For his part, Cardona is not as remorseful. The friends were mingling with questionable characters but he was curious about the narco world. Cardona smiled when asked how many people he remembers killing for the Zetas. I wasnt living my life.. Before his arrest, he was on the FBI's most wanted list. 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. 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. I couldnt take it anymore. 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. ", In Cardona's interrogation tape, there are clues that "Los Zetas" are reaching deeper and deeper into the United States. The I Files, a YouTube channel devoted to investigative journalism that uploaded the Reta interview, has promised a full documentary about him and the Zetas in the coming months. ', 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. 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. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. One of the most feared and powerful drug kingpins in the world, Trevino took drug cartel brutality to never-before-seen levels. His mind isnt haunted by violent images from his former life. For four more years, he is known to have killed 30 people total, acting as a hitman for the Zeta cartel. For Reta, the Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo, with its nightlife, its danger and its glamor, intrigued the restless teen, and one fateful night, his curiosity was to be sated. It was kind of hard to believe.'. And these kids all have that romantic notion they are going to live forever. They each say they lived the life for about three years, Cardona from age 16 to 19; Reta, from age 13 to 16. I will look you in the eyes while you kill me.'. Garcia told CNN. Attorneys and witnesses have reported being threatened by the cartel's enforcers, and Reta has been moved into solitary confinement. 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. Cardona was also making a name for himself at that time, and impressing the same narco leaders. 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. He was freed in November 2013, and sent to a support center in San Antonio. H/T Gawker | Photo via The I Files/YouTube, Miles Klee is a novelist and web culture reporter. Investigators say Cardona and Reta were paid $500 a week each as a retainer, to sit and wait for the call to kill. Forever: This photo taken the year before their arrests reads 'parejas por siempre' - partners forever. 2. It's eating me inside little by little, and there's nothing I can do or say to justify my actions.'. In the statement, Reta admitted being the driver of the car they used to go kill Flores. Reta didnt know who the man was, but it was clear he instilled fear and commanded respect among everyone standing around watching the dramatic scene unfold. In January 2009, Lopez confessed to disposing more than 300 corpses. The Webb County Courthouse was heavily guarded. ', Black woman says man repeatedly tried to break into her room at 1am in D.C. hotel, suspects trafficking ring (updated), Why is this still happening man: Student film aftermath of school shooting in viral TikToks, We have to be careful: Woman shares scary experience with Bolt taxi driver amid recent U.K. murders (updated), Coroner confirms Gabby Petitos remains found in Wyoming, death ruled a homicide, *First Published: Jul 22, 2013, 3:04 pm CDT. And Cardona responds, "I've heard in Dallas and Houston.". DeSantis looms large over Abbott in Texas, SAPD: Westside double shooting leaves 2 in critical condition. The newspaper states Baeza killed Zavala for identifying him to authorities for his role in the murders. If he refused to murder the stranger, Reta recalls, the drug lord would have killed him. 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. 'I've come to regret everything I've done. 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. Movies. The teenagers lived in several safe houses around Laredo and drove around town in a $70,000 Mercedes-Benz. Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. Rosalio Reta was born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico in 1990, and he was raised on both sides of the United States-Mexico border. 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. For years, Trevino was the unrivaled leader of the ruthless Zetas drug cartel until police arrested him last month just outside Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. When developing to the teenage years, they had dropped out of school and had become friends with bad influences. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. He was eighty when I met him, and about to be elected to his sixth consecutive term. 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. "Under the circumstances, it was the best we could do," Pena said of the plea. There, he witnessed his first executions, and he was turned into a child soldier for Los Zetas. He was sentenced to 70 years in prison for his murders. He is only in his 20s, but he's facing a lifetime of monotony in solitary confinement. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. He doesnt spend a lot of time thinking about the violence he wielded, he said. Air Date: Apr 6, 2011. Whatever Reta's true feelings about his past are, the facts have remained consistent. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs A teenage hit man who killed at the behest of leaders of the Gulf Cartel pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a December 2005 murder and was sentenced to 30 years in state prison. Rosalio Reta has claimed to police that he killed 30 people. In a gun battle, in a confrontation, hes the first one to get out of his truck and lead his people. When orders from cartel leaders came, the men would begin hunting their prey. 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. He graduated to smuggling drugs and weapons across the Rio Grande. The third was arrested by Mexican authorities and stabbed to death in prison there three days later. IE 11 is not supported. It was real hard for me. Rosalio Reta was just 13 when he committed his first murder for the Zetas drug cartel; . Some, like the cartel hitman Rosalio Reta and the sadistic sheriff Joe Arpaio, are partially responsible for its violence.Others, like the addiction doctor Gabor Mat and the former president of Switzerland, Ruth Dreifuss . Before Trevio's capture and. A teenage hit man who killed at the behest of leaders of the Gulf Cartel pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a December 2005. Over a nearly one-year period starting in June 2005, the border town of Laredo, Texas, saw a string of seven murders. Rosalio Reta, Self: Generation Z: Child Soldiers of the Zetas. Investigators found a fingerprint on a cigarette box inside the suspected shooter's get-away car. By 19, he was locked in a Texas prison in solitary confinement, facing 70 years jail for murder. Reta has bizarre markings around his eyes; Cardona has drawings of eyeballs tattooed on his eyelids. Investigators say Reta and another American recruit were paid $500 a week on retainer to sit and wait for a call to kill. Rosalio Reta in a Texas state prison in 2009 at age 19. Credit. Cardona is asked, "Where else are the Zetas?" 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. On the surface, Gabriel Cardonas eyes belong to a baby face. 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 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. Alleged member of the gang Los Aztecas, Chavez Castillo has admitted to over 800 murders, sometimes beheading and dismembering them. Regardless of which story is true, Hari concludes, undermine Mexicos economy. "One thing you wonder all the time: What made them this way?" When most teens are entering high school, Rosalio (Bart) Reta was killing. He took his head off just by shooting it.. I have no idea, Cardona said. For the latest from AC360 click here. 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. Convicted of two murders (he says he killed. Absolute control, Reta said of Trevinos power. I never thought that I was going to die in prison.. On the border, a lot of people get dragged into this lifestyle, Reta said. And like everything in the violent world of drug cartels, unraveling truth and myth seems fleeting. In 2009 Cardona was arrested and pleaded guilty to killing seven men and to conspiracy to kidnap and kill in a foreign country. It gives you that sense that you could do anything without being touched and having that sense of power, Cardona said. Teachers and parents! That same night, Trevino had Reta execute his first victim, and he became part of a team of highly-skilled assassins chosen from Mexican-American youths after training in handguns, assault rifles, and rocket launchers. 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. Their short but bloody careers came crashing down swiftly, one after the other. Rebecca Salinas is a digital producer at the San Antonio Express-News. Teen Hit Man For Los Zetas Cartel: Rosalio Reta aka Bart Simpson: Johann Hari - YouTube 0:00 / 8:20 #podcast #warondrugs #mafia Teen Hit Man For Los Zetas Cartel: Rosalio Reta aka Bart. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston pastor calls for state book ban, Report: Houston ranked No. ", All About Laredo Gulf Cartel Gang Violence Mexico Illegal Drugs, Watch how the teens turned into drug cartel hitmen , Guarding the U.S.-Mexico border, from New York, House hearing on spillover violence from Mexico, Pentagon: No request to deploy troops to border, U.S. teens are accused of acting as Mexican cartel hit men in Laredo, Texas, One allegedly told police: "I loved killing that first person", Police detective: "One thing you wonder all the time is what made them be this way? PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Although Z-40 virtually ruled northern Mexico without fear, as Reta came to know him he began to see Trevino as a regular guy. They were paid up to $50,000 and 2 kilos of cocaine for carrying out a hit. Some are teenagers, some are from Texas, and some are still on the run. Teenagers go there to drink and dance, but cartel members lurk there, keeping an eye out for possible recruits. I wasn't living my life,' he told CNN. This Record may not reflect actual, complete, or up-to-date data. In interviews with CNN, Laredo police detectives and prosecutors . A large image of Santa Muerte or Saint of Death marks Cardonas back. Then Noe Flores was gunned down in a clear case of mistaken identity. 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. Its a violent world.. Rosalio Reta, convicted drug cartel assassin. If you know nothing about him, its hard to imagine he could have been a lethal assassin. "I thought I was Superman. 04-07-00564-CR (Tex. He still faces separate charges in another killing in Laredo that was allegedly carried out on the orders of the Mexican Gulf Cartel. Wife is shocked after husband of 15 years asks for permission to have an affair: 'I don't know what to do'. Movies. 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. Top dog: Miguel ngel Trevio was at the head of the most vicious, violent and depraved of Mexico's drug cartels until his arrest last month. Menu. TV . 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. They brought him to a ranch where, according to Reta, 'They were torturing people and getting information from them. 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