On 7 October 2012, the
Mexican Navy responded to a civilian complaint reporting the presence of gunmen in
Progreso, Coahuila. Upon the navy's arrival, Lazcano and one gunman—who were inside a white van—opened fire against the marines, triggering a shootout that left Lazcano, his gunman, and one marine dead. The vehicle was found to contain a grenade launcher, 12 grenades, possibly a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and two rifles, according to the Navy. However, before the Navy could make an official announcement of his death, several heavily armed and masked gunmen, presumably under orders of
Miguel Treviño Morales, stormed the funeral home where his body lay with that of the other man involved in the shooting. Homero Ramos, Coahuila's state prosecutor, said: "A masked, armed group overpowered the personnel, took the bodies, and forced the owner of the funeral home to drive the getaway vehicle." At the time of his death, Lazcano was 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) tall and not 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in), as previously estimated by the authorities. The Mexican Navy did not identify Lazcano until his body was snatched from the funeral home in
Sabinas, Coahuila, a testament to the drug lord's low-profile behavior. At first, the Navy thought the two gunmen killed in the shootout were low-level criminals, which explains why they were taken to a funeral parlor. Once the bodies were taken, the police matched the fingerprints and photos with those of Lazcano. He was able to be identified because when Lazcano was in the military, his fingerprints were on file; he also spent some time in jail early in his career, and his prints may have been taken there. Unlike other drug traffickers, Lazcano was elusive and avoided opulence and power to keep a low profile. He was one of the most secretive drug lords in Mexico, mainly because he had been trained in military intelligence.
Background Lazcano was the most powerful cartel leader to be killed since the start of
Mexico's drug war in 2006. Lazcano's death differs from those of other cartel leaders in Mexico – including the
Gulf Cartel kingpin
Antonio Cárdenas Guillén,
La Familia Michoacana leader
Nazario Moreno González and the
Beltrán-Leyva Cartel leader
Arturo Beltrán Leyva – as they died in gun battles that lasted hours. Moreover, it was not the first time Mexican cartel members have recovered the bodies of their associates. The body of
Arturo Guzmán Decena, the founder of Los Zetas, was snatched after a shootout with the Mexican Army in 2002. In 2010, the Mexican police killed the drug lord
Nazario Moreno González of
La Familia Michoacana in a gun battle; before they could take the body, his gunmen carried it off. Taking the bodies of their fallen comrades is a part of Los Zetas' military culture, in which gunmen are taught to not leave their comrades behind. This death came just hours after the Navy arrested a high-ranking Zeta member in
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Salvador Alfonso Martínez Escobedo. Martínez Escobedo knew Lazcano personally and made him the godfather of his 2010 wedding; he helped the authorities identify the corpse of Lazcano, although it is unclear if he did it through the photographs or in person.
Analysis of repercussions The apparent death of Lazcano benefited three parties: the
Mexican Navy, who dealt a significant blow to organized crime with the death of Lazcano;
Miguel Treviño Morales, who, until his capture on 15 July 2013, rose as the "uncontested" leader of Los Zetas; and
Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who, until his capture on 22 February 2014, was the leader of the
Sinaloa Cartel and the main rival of Los Zetas. (
El Chapo would later escape from prison on 11 July 2015 and resume control of the cartel.)
El Chapo was perhaps the biggest winner of the three, since his primary goal was to take over the smuggling routes in
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, the headquarters of Treviño Morales. If the body hadn't been taken, it would also be a symbolic victory for
Felipe Calderón, who can say that his administration took down one of the founders and top leaders of Los Zetas and consequently boost the morale of the Mexican military. It is still unclear, however, if Lazcano's absence will drastically change the operational structure of Los Zetas. In the months prior to his death,
Miguel Treviño Morales had taken the lead of Los Zetas while Lazcano's power declined. When the rumors of his supposed death in 2011 were denied, he fell off the radar and spent much of his time hiding in South America and Europe. The infamous border town of
Ciudad Juárez, which experienced more than 11,000 homicides from 2007 to 2012 and an average of 300 homicides a month in 2010, will probably remain calm. After violence reached its peak in October 2010, homicides have plummeted steadily in the city, mainly because the Sinaloa Cartel has managed to defeat the Juárez Cartel and its affiliated gangs. The Juárez Cartel has been severely battered by the government and rival cartels, though it was once a major player in Mexico's drug trade. It is no longer a transnational criminal organization since it has lost its connection with drug suppliers elsewhere in Latin America, and is now a "second-tier" organization on par with Los Aztecas, as Logan alleges. Analysts say that Lazcano's death does not signify the end of Los Zetas. As seen in other instances when top cartel leaders are taken out, fragmenting within the organizations occur, causing short-term violence. Los Zetas have a line of succession when leaders are arrested or killed, but the problem is that most of these replacements are younger, less-experienced members who are likely to resort to violence to maintain their reputation. The Mexican Navy disagrees with this hypothesis; they consider that the death of Lazcano will not increase drug-related violence or infightings within the cartel. Their reasoning lies on the fact that
Miguel Treviño Morales "naturally" succeeded Lazcano and lead Los Zetas. In a response to the Navy's statements,
InSight Crime believes that Lazcano's fall will not stop Los Zetas from fragmenting, making incursions from other cartels and infightings more likely to occur.
Memorial In
Puebla, several candles and flowers were left as offerings for Lazcano on the
Day of the Dead to "help him through
Mictlan," the underworld of
Aztec mythology. The offering also had a picture of Lazcano, a beet juice cup, a copy of the Mexican Constitution, a colorful jokes book, and a book about skulls. in October 2014, a newspaper in Veracruz state published an obituary in memory of his second death anniversary and with details of a mass ceremony held in a local church. ==Philanthropy==