Iván Velázquez Caballero

Who is Iván Velázquez Caballero?

Iván Velázquez Caballero is a former Mexican drug lord of the criminal group known as Los Zetas. The government of Mexico listed Velázquez Caballero in 2009 as one of its 37 most-wanted drug lords and was offering up to $30 million pesos, the equivalent of over $2 million USD, for information leading to his capture.

Since he was a teenager, Velázquez Caballero began stealing cars in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, his hometown. At the age of twenty-two, he was arrested for car theft and was imprisoned at a local jail. Upon his release, Velázquez Caballero met Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano and was appointed as the regional boss of the cartel in Nuevo Laredo. By 2007, Velázquez Caballero was relocated to the state of Zacatecas, where he commanded a group of over 400 men. He later ascended to the top echelons of Los Zetas and became a major financial operator and money launderer for the criminal organization. In 2012, he was served as a top commander in several states across Mexico.

Velázquez Caballero was arrested by the Mexican Navy on 26 September 2012 in the state of San Luis Potosí. Prior to his arrest, Los Zetas had divided and Velázquez Caballero's faction had been fighting against Miguel Treviño Morales, the leader of the organization, causing a series of massacres and shootings in northern Mexico.