Piracy on Falcon Lake
Encyclopedia
Piracy on Falcon Lake refers to an increase in crime at the border between the United States
and Mexico
on Falcon Lake
. The lake is a 60 miles (96.6 km) long reservoir
constructed in 1954 and is a known drug smuggling route. A turf war
between rival drug cartel
s for contol of the lake began in March 2010 and has led to a series of armed robberies and shooting incidents. All of the attacks were credited to the Los Zetas
cartel and occurred primarily on the Mexican side of the reservoir but within sight of the Texas
coast. The so-called pirates operate "fleets" of small boats designed to seize fisherman and smuggle drugs.
began in early 2010 as part of the Mexican Drug War
. The violence in and around Reynosa in March caused both civilians and Zeta cartel members to leave their homes and take refuge at Falcon Lake. Beginning in May 2010, the Zetas acquired several small skiff
s, bass boat
s and Argos boat
s which they use to patrol the their side of the lake for Gulf Cartel members, though they often commit other crimes such as the robbing of civilian vessels close to the shore. Some reports suggest that the Zetas commandeered boats belonging to Mexican fisherman and forced their crews to commit crimes. On April 30, 2010, five Americans in two boats were fishing on Falcon Lake at the Old Guerrero church. While there, a boat with four "heavily tattooed" men boarded
the boats, demanded money and drugs. Ultimately the pirates received $200 cash before the American boats made an escape. The pirates followed the fishing boats, but the Americans got away when they crossed into United States territory.
On May 6, 2010 three fishermen in a boat off the north side of Salado Island were approached by a boat with two men armed with AR-15
s. One of the pirates boarded the boat and searched it for drugs, money or guns. During the incident, one of the pirates chambered a round and told the fishermen that he would shoot if they did not give him money. On May 16, five armed men boarded and robbed another boat also on the American side of the lake. There has been at least three other confirmed incidents in which armed men dressed in black have boarded American boats while they were fishing just inside of Mexican waters. In a different episode in late May, a Border Patrol boat chased another boat occupied by men in ski masks but the vessel was faster than the Americans and got away. Fisherman have also reported their sightings of small boats loaded with Mexicans and machine gun
s. The pirates speak Spanish and claim to be Mexican Police officers though they have been identified by tattoos of the letter "Z" for Zeta on their arms or necks. Texas Department of Public Safety
officials issued a warning for American citizens to stay on the United States side of the water and to be on the lookout for vessels used by Mexican fishermen, boats with a large prow
, a small outboard motor
without a cowling
and no identification numbers on the hull
. The warning has prevented many Texas fisherman and tourists from using the lake entirely.
On August 31, United States authorities released a statement saying that pirates aboard a small boat tried to intercept an American fishing boat but the operator outran the attackers and returned to the Texas side of the reservoir. On the side of the pirate boat was the misspelled words "Game Warden
", written with tape
. The fisherman noticed this mistake and assumed the approaching vessel to be a pirate.
On September 30, 2010, the most serious incident involving the pirates thus far occurred when McAllen, Texas
resident and
Colorado
native David Hartley
went missing while riding through the Mexican side of the lake on a jet ski
with his wife Tiffany Hartley. According to Tiffany's report to the Texas police, men in two small boats approached and fired on her and her husband with automatic weapons in an attempt to steal their jet skis. They then chased her back to the American side of the lake. Hartley also said that her husband was shot in the head and the pirates retrieved his body and the jet ski. Mr. Hartley's body remains missing. Both the Mexican and the United States launched an investigation in early October. Search and rescue
teams searched the lake but no evidence was found.
During the investigation, homicide detective Rolando Armando Flores Villegas of Tamaulipas
, was reportedly killed and his head delivered in a suitcase to the Mexican Army
. The detective was one of many officers assigned to investigating the Hartley incident and he was allegedly killed only days after delivering a document to a local television station which named two of the suspected pirates. Gary Freeman
, a political scientist at the University of Texas stated that "the beheading has such strong resonance with Islamic fundamentalism
that it raises the specter of groups in Mexico being as fanatical and as bloodthirsty as Osama bin Laden
and his gang. They seem to be copying some of their techniques, and that might be deliberate." However, Mexican police stated they do not believe the killing to have any relation to the Hartley case.
On May 8, 2011, Mexican Naval Infantry
patrolling the lake discovered a camp of Zetas on an island believed to be used for smuggling marijuana into the United States by speedboat. The marines fired first and a battle began that left twelve cartel members and one marine dead. Twenty small arms
were captured including assault rifle
s. The engagement occurred while the Mexican Army
was recovering hundreds of bodies from mass graves across the nation. Many of the dead are reported to have been abducted from busses by the Zetas for recruitment but killed when they refused to join them.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on Falcon Lake
Falcon International Reservoir
Falcon International Reservoir, commonly called Falcon Lake, is a reservoir on the Rio Grande 40 miles southeast of Laredo, Texas, USA, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The huge lake is bounded by Starr and Zapata counties on the Texas side of the international border and the municipality and...
. The lake is a 60 miles (96.6 km) long reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
constructed in 1954 and is a known drug smuggling route. A turf war
Turf war
According to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...
between rival drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
s for contol of the lake began in March 2010 and has led to a series of armed robberies and shooting incidents. All of the attacks were credited to the Los Zetas
Los Zetas
Los Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
cartel and occurred primarily on the Mexican side of the reservoir but within sight of the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
coast. The so-called pirates operate "fleets" of small boats designed to seize fisherman and smuggle drugs.
Piracy incidents
A turf war between the Los Zetas and the Gulf CartelGulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
began in early 2010 as part of the Mexican Drug War
Mexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
. The violence in and around Reynosa in March caused both civilians and Zeta cartel members to leave their homes and take refuge at Falcon Lake. Beginning in May 2010, the Zetas acquired several small skiff
Skiff
The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...
s, bass boat
Bass boat
A bass boat is a small boat that is designed and equipped primarily for bass fishing or fishing for other panfish, usually in freshwater such as lakes, rivers and streams...
s and Argos boat
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
s which they use to patrol the their side of the lake for Gulf Cartel members, though they often commit other crimes such as the robbing of civilian vessels close to the shore. Some reports suggest that the Zetas commandeered boats belonging to Mexican fisherman and forced their crews to commit crimes. On April 30, 2010, five Americans in two boats were fishing on Falcon Lake at the Old Guerrero church. While there, a boat with four "heavily tattooed" men boarded
Boarding (attack)
Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
the boats, demanded money and drugs. Ultimately the pirates received $200 cash before the American boats made an escape. The pirates followed the fishing boats, but the Americans got away when they crossed into United States territory.
On May 6, 2010 three fishermen in a boat off the north side of Salado Island were approached by a boat with two men armed with AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
s. One of the pirates boarded the boat and searched it for drugs, money or guns. During the incident, one of the pirates chambered a round and told the fishermen that he would shoot if they did not give him money. On May 16, five armed men boarded and robbed another boat also on the American side of the lake. There has been at least three other confirmed incidents in which armed men dressed in black have boarded American boats while they were fishing just inside of Mexican waters. In a different episode in late May, a Border Patrol boat chased another boat occupied by men in ski masks but the vessel was faster than the Americans and got away. Fisherman have also reported their sightings of small boats loaded with Mexicans and machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s. The pirates speak Spanish and claim to be Mexican Police officers though they have been identified by tattoos of the letter "Z" for Zeta on their arms or necks. Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The DPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement and vehicle regulation. The Public Safety Commission oversees the DPS. Its five members are appointed by the Governor of Texas and confirmed by the...
officials issued a warning for American citizens to stay on the United States side of the water and to be on the lookout for vessels used by Mexican fishermen, boats with a large prow
Prow
thumb|right|295pxThe prow is the forward most part of a ship's bow that cuts through the water. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. The terms prow and bow are often used interchangeably to describe the most forward part of a ship and its surrounding parts...
, a small outboard motor
Motor
Motor is a device that creates motion. It usually refers to an engine of some kind. It may also specifically refer to:*Electric motor, a machine that converts electricity into a mechanical motion...
without a cowling
Cowling
A cowling is the covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles and aircraft.A cowling may be used:* for drag reduction* for engine cooling by directing airflow* as an air intake for jet engines* for decorative purposes...
and no identification numbers on the hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. The warning has prevented many Texas fisherman and tourists from using the lake entirely.
On August 31, United States authorities released a statement saying that pirates aboard a small boat tried to intercept an American fishing boat but the operator outran the attackers and returned to the Texas side of the reservoir. On the side of the pirate boat was the misspelled words "Game Warden
Game warden
A game warden is an employee who has the role of protecting wildlife. Game wardens may also be referred to as conservation officers or wildlife officers...
", written with tape
Adhesive tape
Adhesive tape is one of many varieties of backing materials coated with an adhesive. Several types of adhesives can be used.-Types:Pressure sensitive tape...
. The fisherman noticed this mistake and assumed the approaching vessel to be a pirate.
On September 30, 2010, the most serious incident involving the pirates thus far occurred when McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas
McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
resident and
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
native David Hartley
David Hartley
David Hartley may refer to:*David Hartley , English philosopher*David Hartley , son of the philosopher, and signatory to the Treaty of Paris*David Hartley...
went missing while riding through the Mexican side of the lake on a jet ski
Jet ski
Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name is sometimes mistakenly used by those unfamiliar with the personal watercraft industry to refer to any type of personal watercraft; however, the name is a valid trademark registered with the...
with his wife Tiffany Hartley. According to Tiffany's report to the Texas police, men in two small boats approached and fired on her and her husband with automatic weapons in an attempt to steal their jet skis. They then chased her back to the American side of the lake. Hartley also said that her husband was shot in the head and the pirates retrieved his body and the jet ski. Mr. Hartley's body remains missing. Both the Mexican and the United States launched an investigation in early October. Search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
teams searched the lake but no evidence was found.
During the investigation, homicide detective Rolando Armando Flores Villegas of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, was reportedly killed and his head delivered in a suitcase to the Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
. The detective was one of many officers assigned to investigating the Hartley incident and he was allegedly killed only days after delivering a document to a local television station which named two of the suspected pirates. Gary Freeman
Gary Freeman
Gary Freeman is the name of:*Gary Freeman , sculptor from Indianapolis, Indiana*Gary Freeman , NBA player in 1970*Gary Freeman , New Zealand rugby league player...
, a political scientist at the University of Texas stated that "the beheading has such strong resonance with Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
that it raises the specter of groups in Mexico being as fanatical and as bloodthirsty as Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
and his gang. They seem to be copying some of their techniques, and that might be deliberate." However, Mexican police stated they do not believe the killing to have any relation to the Hartley case.
On May 8, 2011, Mexican Naval Infantry
Mexican Naval Infantry
The Naval Infantry are the marine corps and amphibious infantry force of the Mexican Navy. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country, to accomplish these responsibilities the corps is...
patrolling the lake discovered a camp of Zetas on an island believed to be used for smuggling marijuana into the United States by speedboat. The marines fired first and a battle began that left twelve cartel members and one marine dead. Twenty small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
were captured including assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
s. The engagement occurred while the Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
was recovering hundreds of bodies from mass graves across the nation. Many of the dead are reported to have been abducted from busses by the Zetas for recruitment but killed when they refused to join them.