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Mexican cartels hire US teenage killers | Mexican cartels hire US teenage killers |
(about 6 hours later) | |
By Matthew Price BBC News, Laredo, Texas | By Matthew Price BBC News, Laredo, Texas |
Advertisement | Advertisement |
Rosalio Reta: "I liked the lifestyle... killing people" | Rosalio Reta: "I liked the lifestyle... killing people" |
Prisoner number 1447523 does not understand the question. And it is not exactly a controversial one. | Prisoner number 1447523 does not understand the question. And it is not exactly a controversial one. |
Why does he believe killing for a living is "glamorous"? Surely most people would find that kind of strange? | Why does he believe killing for a living is "glamorous"? Surely most people would find that kind of strange? |
"Kind of strange? In what way?" | "Kind of strange? In what way?" |
Prisoner 1447523's name is Rosalio Reta. He was born and raised in Texas. | Prisoner 1447523's name is Rosalio Reta. He was born and raised in Texas. |
By the age of 13 he was an assassin for one of Mexico's drug cartels. | By the age of 13 he was an assassin for one of Mexico's drug cartels. |
"It's a job man. You gotta do something for a living." | "It's a job man. You gotta do something for a living." |
'No way out' | 'No way out' |
Now 20, Rosalio Reta is sitting on the other side of a thick glass window, speaking into a telephone handset in the visiting area of a Texas prison. | Now 20, Rosalio Reta is sitting on the other side of a thick glass window, speaking into a telephone handset in the visiting area of a Texas prison. |
Convicted of two murders (he says he killed many more), he will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars. | Convicted of two murders (he says he killed many more), he will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars. |
Reta lived in the city of Laredo, on the border with Mexico. | Reta lived in the city of Laredo, on the border with Mexico. |
He ran away from home when he was 11, was put into a juvenile correction facility, released, and then left home again. | He ran away from home when he was 11, was put into a juvenile correction facility, released, and then left home again. |
Hanging around with his friends in Mexico (in the border areas many people frequently cross over on business and pleasure), one told him his brother worked for a cartel. | Hanging around with his friends in Mexico (in the border areas many people frequently cross over on business and pleasure), one told him his brother worked for a cartel. |
The reality is there are gangs trying to recruit our kids Joe EspinozaAnti-gang worker | The reality is there are gangs trying to recruit our kids Joe EspinozaAnti-gang worker |
"I thought it was cool. Got involved. That's how everything started. There's no way out once you get in." | "I thought it was cool. Got involved. That's how everything started. There's no way out once you get in." |
Rosalio Reta is perhaps the most extreme example of a worrying trend: American teenagers being recruited to work for the Mexican drug cartels that control a multi-billion dollar trade. | Rosalio Reta is perhaps the most extreme example of a worrying trend: American teenagers being recruited to work for the Mexican drug cartels that control a multi-billion dollar trade. |
What concerns law enforcement officials, and those working to keep teenagers out of the cartels' grip, is that this is not simply a case of the cartels preying upon American teens - many actively want to join. | What concerns law enforcement officials, and those working to keep teenagers out of the cartels' grip, is that this is not simply a case of the cartels preying upon American teens - many actively want to join. |
Joe Espinoza's footsteps echo down the school corridor. He can hear children chattering in a classroom. | Joe Espinoza's footsteps echo down the school corridor. He can hear children chattering in a classroom. |
Inside his office is a display of bandanas, baseball caps, rosaries and red t-shirts. Lots of red T-shirts. | Inside his office is a display of bandanas, baseball caps, rosaries and red t-shirts. Lots of red T-shirts. |
"Gang paraphernalia," he says. | "Gang paraphernalia," he says. |
Mr Espinoza's job is to stop Laredo's schoolchildren joining the city's street gangs, or to encourage them to leave. | Mr Espinoza's job is to stop Laredo's schoolchildren joining the city's street gangs, or to encourage them to leave. |
He tries to catch them early, when they are just eight or nine years old. | He tries to catch them early, when they are just eight or nine years old. |
"The reality is there are gangs trying to recruit our kids," he says. | "The reality is there are gangs trying to recruit our kids," he says. |
Without education, he believes, children "may end up in a prison gang. And eventually they will end up in the cartels." | Without education, he believes, children "may end up in a prison gang. And eventually they will end up in the cartels." |
Powerful interests | Powerful interests |
Martin Riso was 10 when he joined his gang. | Martin Riso was 10 when he joined his gang. |
At first, he says, "it's just a neighbourhood thing here. It gives you a sense of belonging." | At first, he says, "it's just a neighbourhood thing here. It gives you a sense of belonging." |
But, he adds, "joining a gang eventually will take you to a place where you deal with a lot more things than just throwing your colours, or running your streets. You start dealing drugs out of Laredo. Eventually from some places people end up being hit-men. It keeps escalating." | But, he adds, "joining a gang eventually will take you to a place where you deal with a lot more things than just throwing your colours, or running your streets. You start dealing drugs out of Laredo. Eventually from some places people end up being hit-men. It keeps escalating." |
When Mr Riso was 15 he decided he needed to get out of the gang. | When Mr Riso was 15 he decided he needed to get out of the gang. |
Mr Espinoza helped him, as he has so many others. But he is fighting a battle against very powerful interests. | Mr Espinoza helped him, as he has so many others. But he is fighting a battle against very powerful interests. |
Mexico's cartels are multi-billion dollar enterprises, feeding off the US's addiction to illegal narcotics. | Mexico's cartels are multi-billion dollar enterprises, feeding off the US's addiction to illegal narcotics. |
Trying to get the anti-gang message across in Laredo's schools | Trying to get the anti-gang message across in Laredo's schools |
Teenagers are useful to them. In Texas, under-17s cannot be prosecuted as adults, so if they are caught working for the cartels, they often get away with light punishment. | Teenagers are useful to them. In Texas, under-17s cannot be prosecuted as adults, so if they are caught working for the cartels, they often get away with light punishment. |
Laredo lies on an important highway, Route 35, which leads up from the border to the rest of the US. | Laredo lies on an important highway, Route 35, which leads up from the border to the rest of the US. |
The cartels use Laredo's street gangs to control the border and the highway. It is a tactic employed along the border in other communities and, the police believe, across the country. | The cartels use Laredo's street gangs to control the border and the highway. It is a tactic employed along the border in other communities and, the police believe, across the country. |
"It's all over the United States," investigator Mario Soria says. "Any major city with gang influence, you'll find the [cartel] control." | "It's all over the United States," investigator Mario Soria says. "Any major city with gang influence, you'll find the [cartel] control." |
A large man, with a pistol on his right hip, Officer Soria has been working Laredo's streets for more than two decades, with mixed results. | A large man, with a pistol on his right hip, Officer Soria has been working Laredo's streets for more than two decades, with mixed results. |
He points out some graffiti. "This tells me this is a Latin King area," he says, referring to one of the town's prominent gangs. It's just a short walk from the river that marks the border with Mexico. | |
The Latin Kings "are part of the organisation now. The cartel knows they can trust this gang here." | The Latin Kings "are part of the organisation now. The cartel knows they can trust this gang here." |
Less violence | Less violence |
Despite the cartels' influence, Laredo's authorities feel they are making progress. | Despite the cartels' influence, Laredo's authorities feel they are making progress. |
The killings that teenagers like Rosalio Reta carried out two or three years ago are less common - though they do still happen. Violence is down. | The killings that teenagers like Rosalio Reta carried out two or three years ago are less common - though they do still happen. Violence is down. |
Still, says Officer Soria: "I don't think we will ever stop it." | |
Neither, back in his prison, does Rosalio Reta. | Neither, back in his prison, does Rosalio Reta. |
"Where I'm from, man, there's only a couple of things you can be, and being part of a cartel is one of them. | |
"A lot of people wanna get involved in the cartels and that. Honestly, there are a lot of people who will look up to me." | "A lot of people wanna get involved in the cartels and that. Honestly, there are a lot of people who will look up to me." |
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