Galindo Mellado Cruz: Difference between revisions

Galindo Mellado Cruz
Galindo Mellado Cruz
Born	18 April 1973; Tampico Alto, Veracruz, Mexico
Died	9 May 2014 (aged 41); Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Cause of death	Multiple gunshot wounds
Other names	Z-9; El Mellado; Galdino Mellado Cruz ; Comandante Mellado
Organization(s)	Los Zetas ; Gulf Cartel

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Template:Spanish name Galindo Mellado Cruz (18 April 1973 – 9 May 2014), commonly referred to by his alias El Mellado and/or Z-9, was a Mexican drug lord and one of the founders of Los Zetas, a criminal organization originally formed by ex-commandos from the Mexican Armed Forces. He joined the Mexican Army in 1992 and was part of the Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE), an elite special forces unit of the Army. In 1999, he withdrew from the military and was recruited by the Gulf Cartel, a drug trafficking organization, shortly thereafter.

With other ex-commandos, he formed Los Zetas, a group that worked as the Gulf Cartel's military wing. In 2010, the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas broke relations and Mellado Cruz sided with the former to maintain a low profile status. He was killed in a gunfight with Mexican security forces in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on 9 May 2014.

Early life and career

Galindo Mellado Cruz (also Galdino) was born in Tampico Alto, Veracruz, Mexico on 18 April 1973.^[1]^{[A 1]} According to the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), Mellado Cruz joined the Mexican Armed Forces as a soldier in the Mexican Army on 1 September 1992. During his tenure in the military, he was part of the Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE), an elite special forces unit of the Army, where he received top military training.^[4]^[5] On 1 May 1999, however, he applied to be discharged from the Army.^[2] Shortly thereafter, he was recruited by the Gulf Cartel, a Mexican drug trafficking organization, and began working for the drug kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén along with several other ex-commandos from the Army. The group of former soldiers recruited by the Gulf Cartel became known as Los Zetas, and Mellado Cruz was part of the original fourteen founders of the group. The group's members were Arturo Guzmán Decena (alias "Z-1"), the leader; Alejandro Lucio Morales Betancourt (alias "Z-2"); Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano (alias "El Lazca"), Mateo Díaz López (alias "Z-6"); Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar (alias "El Mamito"); Óscar Guerrero Silva (alias "Z-8"); Omar Lorméndez Pitalúa (alias "Z-9"); Efraín Teodoro Torres (alias "Z-14"); Mellado Cruz (also known by his alias "Z-6" and "El Mellado"), among other ex-commandos.^[5]^[6] Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Los Zetas were the Gulf Cartel's military wing and had the task of protecting Cárdenas Guillén and killing rival cartel members.^[7]

When Cárdenas Guillén was arrested by Mexican security forces in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on 14 March 2003,^[8] the leadership of the Gulf Cartel was handed over to his brother Antonio Cárdenas Guillén (alias "Tony Tormenta") and Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez (alias "El Coss"). The leadership of Los Zetas, on the other hand, was kept under the control of Lazcano Lazcano.^[9] However, Cárdenas Guillén allegedly continued to command the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas behind bars;^[10] with his extradition to the United States in 2007, Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel kept their alliance under a loose relationship, but each of their respective leaders attempted to fill the leadership void. Following several disagreements and internal power struggles, both criminal organizations broke their alliance and declared war at each other in early 2010.^[11]^[12]

According to information from U.S. law enforcement, Mellado Cruz sided with the Gulf Cartel after the split in order to maintain a low-profile status and avoid public attention. Under the Gulf Cartel, he allegedly oversaw organized crime activities at the U.S.-Mexico border area known as La Ribereña, which encompasses the municipalities of Camargo and Miguel Alemán in Tamaulipas.^[13]^[14] Sometime between 2010 and 2014, Mellado Cruz escaped from two prisons in Tamaulipas after being imprisoned for rape, armed robbery, homicide, and drug trafficking. He also had thirteen pending criminal investigations for homicide, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking accusations.^[15]

Kingpin Act sanction

On 24 March 2010, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Mellado Cruz under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (sometimes referred to simply as the "Kingpin Act"), for his involvement in drug trafficking along with fifty-three other international criminals and ten foreign entities.^[16] The act prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from doing any kind of business activity with him, and virtually froze all his assets in the U.S.^[17]

Death

On 9 May 2014, Mellado Cruz was killed in a shootout against Mexican federal security forces at a domicile in Las Fuentes neighborhood in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.^[18]^[19] During the firefight, grenades detonated and shots were exchanged between law enforcement and Mellado Cruz's aides. Gulf Cartel gunmen set roadblocks and threw road spikes throughout Reynosa's streets to prevent the mobilization of reinforcements from the military. Reinforcements from organized crime arrived at the scene in an attempt to save his life, but he was shot dead inside the property.^[13]^[20] Following his death, the gunmen left the premises. The firefight left five more gunmen associated with him dead, along with a Mexican Army soldier.^[21] Inside the house, authorities discovered several assault rifles, including a Barrett 50 rifle and AK-47s, along with grenades, cartridges, and other weapons the criminals used to combat law enforcement.^[22] Mellado Cruz's death came amid an internal power struggle within the Gulf Cartel, as rival factions within the organization fight for the control of Reynosa and the rest of Tamaulipas with each other and Los Zetas, their former allies.^[23] Days prior to his death, gunfights in Reynosa had left a total of at least 23 dead, including two innocent bystanders, a couple of federal policemen, a soldier, and eighteen suspected criminals.^[13]

In order to confirm the drug lord's identity, the Mexican government carried out forensic anthropology studies, where they analyzed the corpse's pictures with the photos from Mellado Cruz's time in the military. They also compared the corpse's fingerprints and DNA samples with the ones they had on file in the Mexican Armed Forces database. The following day, authorities apprehended Ricardo Flores López (also known as Pedro Luis Hernández Campos), the alleged second-in-command behind Mellado Cruz and the cartel's chief in Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas.^[24]

Sources

Footnotes

^ His exact name is unclear. The Mexican government has used Galindo Mellado Cruz and Galdino Mellado Cruz interchangeably.^[2]^[3]

References

^ "Recent OFAC Actions". United States Department of the Treasury. 2010. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2 February 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ ^a ^b "Ley Transparencia (SEDENA)" (in Spanish). Secretariat of National Defense (Mexico). 2006. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 11 March 2013 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Mensaje a medios del Comisionado Nacional de Seguridad, Monte Alejandro Rubidio García" (in Spanish). Los Pinos: Government of Mexico. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Matan al fundador del cártel más sanguinario de México" (in Spanish). Clarín. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 13 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ ^a ^b Badillo, Jesús (12 May 2014). "El líder Zeta entrenado en la élite del Ejército" (in Spanish). Milenio. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "¿Quién era el Z-9, el ex militar fundador de Los Zetas?" (in Spanish). Red Política. El Universal (Mexico City). 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 15 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Logan, Samuel (16 February 2012). "A Profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel". Combating Terrorism Center. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Drug boss captured in Mexico". BBC News. 15 March 2003. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Gómez, Francisco (8 November 2010). "El Coss, nuevo "amo" del grupo". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Aponte, David (5 January 2005). "Líderes narcos pactan en La Palma trasriego de droga". El Universal (Mexico City) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 28 March 2012 suggested (help)
^ Roebuck, Jeremy (February 2013). "Indictment describes shifts in Gulf-Zeta relationship". The Brownsville Herald. Archived from the original on 25 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Ortiz, Ildefonso (18 March 2013). "Gulf Cartel infighting reignites with Reynosa firefights". The Monitor (Texas). Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ ^a ^b ^c Ortiz, Ildefonso (11 May 2014). "Original Zeta member believed to be among dead in Reynosa firefight". The Monitor (Texas). Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Ortiz, Ildefonso (1 May 2014). "Authorities: 16 dead amid Gulf Cartel infighting in Reynosa". The Brownsville Herald. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Redacción AN (12 May 2014). "Abaten al 'Z-9' en Reynosa, confirma el gobierno federal" (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "DESIGNATIONS PURSUANT TO THE FOREIGN NARCOTICS KINGPIN DESIGNATION ACT" (PDF). United States Department of the Treasury. 15 May 2014. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 14 May 2013 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "An overview of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act" (PDF). United States Department of the Treasury. 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
^ "Mexico: A Zetas founder among 6 dead in shootout". USA Today. The Associated Press. 11 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Reynosa: Habría muerto el Z-9" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Heraldo. 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Wilson, Steve (13 May 2014). "Founder of ultra-violent Zetas drug cartel killed in Mexico". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Confirman el abatimiento de El Mellado, fundador de Los Zetas" (in Spanish). Proceso (magazine). 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 13 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Pérez Silva, Ciro (15 May 2014). "Confirma Rubido García muerte del fundador de los 'zetas', Galindo Mellado" (in Spanish). La Jornada. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Lohmuller, Michael (12 May 2014). "Mexico Kills Zetas Founder As Cartel's Decline Continues". InSight Crime. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 19 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Vicenteño, David (12 May 2014). "Confirma Segob la muerte de 'El Mellado', fundador de Los Zetas" (in Spanish). Excélsior. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 14 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

Galindo Mellado Cruz at the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR)

[4] His exact name is unclear. The Mexican government has used Galindo Mellado Cruz and Galdino Mellado Cruz interchangeably.^[2]^[3]

[1] "Recent OFAC Actions". United States Department of the Treasury. 2010. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2 February 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[leytransparencia-2] "Ley Transparencia (SEDENA)" (in Spanish). Secretariat of National Defense (Mexico). 2006. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 11 March 2013 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[3] "Mensaje a medios del Comisionado Nacional de Seguridad, Monte Alejandro Rubidio García" (in Spanish). Los Pinos: Government of Mexico. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[5] "Matan al fundador del cártel más sanguinario de México" (in Spanish). Clarín. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 13 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[milenio-6] Badillo, Jesús (12 May 2014). "El líder Zeta entrenado en la élite del Ejército" (in Spanish). Milenio. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[7] "¿Quién era el Z-9, el ex militar fundador de Los Zetas?" (in Spanish). Red Política. El Universal (Mexico City). 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 15 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[logan-8] Logan, Samuel (16 February 2012). "A Profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel". Combating Terrorism Center. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[9] "Drug boss captured in Mexico". BBC News. 15 March 2003. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[cossamo-10] Gómez, Francisco (8 November 2010). "El Coss, nuevo "amo" del grupo". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[11] Aponte, David (5 January 2005). "Líderes narcos pactan en La Palma trasriego de droga". El Universal (Mexico City) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 28 March 2012 suggested (help)

[12] Roebuck, Jeremy (February 2013). "Indictment describes shifts in Gulf-Zeta relationship". The Brownsville Herald. Archived from the original on 25 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)^{[permanent dead link]}

[reynosa2-13] Ortiz, Ildefonso (18 March 2013). "Gulf Cartel infighting reignites with Reynosa firefights". The Monitor (Texas). Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[originalmonitor-14] Ortiz, Ildefonso (11 May 2014). "Original Zeta member believed to be among dead in Reynosa firefight". The Monitor (Texas). Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)^{[permanent dead link]}

[15] Ortiz, Ildefonso (1 May 2014). "Authorities: 16 dead amid Gulf Cartel infighting in Reynosa". The Brownsville Herald. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)^{[permanent dead link]}

[16] Redacción AN (12 May 2014). "Abaten al 'Z-9' en Reynosa, confirma el gobierno federal" (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[17] "DESIGNATIONS PURSUANT TO THE FOREIGN NARCOTICS KINGPIN DESIGNATION ACT" (PDF). United States Department of the Treasury. 15 May 2014. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 14 May 2013 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[18] "An overview of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act" (PDF). United States Department of the Treasury. 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.

[19] "Mexico: A Zetas founder among 6 dead in shootout". USA Today. The Associated Press. 11 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[20] "Reynosa: Habría muerto el Z-9" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Heraldo. 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[21] Wilson, Steve (13 May 2014). "Founder of ultra-violent Zetas drug cartel killed in Mexico". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[22] "Confirman el abatimiento de El Mellado, fundador de Los Zetas" (in Spanish). Proceso (magazine). 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 13 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[23] Pérez Silva, Ciro (15 May 2014). "Confirma Rubido García muerte del fundador de los 'zetas', Galindo Mellado" (in Spanish). La Jornada. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[24] Lohmuller, Michael (12 May 2014). "Mexico Kills Zetas Founder As Cartel's Decline Continues". InSight Crime. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 19 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[25] Vicenteño, David (12 May 2014). "Confirma Segob la muerte de 'El Mellado', fundador de Los Zetas" (in Spanish). Excélsior. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 14 May 2014 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

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 ==Early life and career==
-Galindo Mellado Cruz (also Galdino) was born in [[Tampico Alto, Veracruz]], Mexico on 18 April 1973.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recent OFAC Actions|url=http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20100324.aspx|publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]]|accessdate=2 June 2014|date=2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202202538/http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20100324.aspx|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|His exact name is unclear. The Mexican government has used Galindo Mellado Cruz and Galdino Mellado Cruz interchangeably.<ref name=leytransparencia/><ref>{{cite web|title=Mensaje a medios del Comisionado Nacional de Seguridad, Monte Alejandro Rubidio García|url=http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/articulos-prensa/mensaje-a-medios-del-comisionado-nacional-de-seguridad-monte-alejandro-rubidio-garcia-2/|publisher=Government of Mexico|accessdate=4 June 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q5VFijGb|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|location=[[Los Pinos]]|language=Spanish|date=12 May 2014}}</ref>|group = A}} According to the [[Secretariat of National Defense (Mexico)|Secretariat of National Defense]] (SEDENA), Mellado Cruz joined the [[Mexican Armed Forces]] as a soldier in the [[Mexican Army]] on 1 September 1992. During his tenure in the military, he was part of the [[Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales]] (GAFE), an elite special forces unit of the Army, where he received top military training.<ref>{{cite news|title=Matan al fundador del cártel más sanguinario de México|url=http://www.clarin.com/mundo/Matan-fundador-cartel-sanguinario-Mexico_0_1136886515.html|accessdate=2 June 2014|publisher=[[Clarín (Argentine newspaper)|Clarín]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513085324/http://www.clarin.com/mundo/Matan-fundador-cartel-sanguinario-Mexico_0_1136886515.html|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref><ref name=milenio/> On 1 May 1999, however, he applied to be discharged from the Army.<ref name=leytransparencia>{{cite web|title=Ley Transparencia (SEDENA)|url=http://www.sedena.gob.mx/leytrans/petic/2006/enero/25012006b.html|publisher=[[Secretariat of National Defense (Mexico)]]|accessdate=2 June 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311084920/http://www.sedena.gob.mx/leytrans/petic/2006/enero/25012006b.html|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish|year=2006}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, he was recruited by the [[Gulf Cartel]], a Mexican drug trafficking organization, and began working for the drug kingpin [[Osiel Cárdenas Guillén]] along with several other ex-commandos from the Army. The group of former soldiers recruited by the Gulf Cartel became known as [[Los Zetas]], and Mellado Cruz was part of the original fourteen founders of the group. The group's members were [[Arturo Guzmán Decena]] (alias "Z-1"), the leader; Alejandro Lucio Morales Betancourt (alias "Z-2"); [[Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano]] (alias "El Lazca"), Mateo Díaz López (alias "Z-6"); [[Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar]] (alias "El Mamito"); [[Óscar Guerrero Silva]] (alias "Z-8"); Omar Lorméndez Pitalúa (alias "Z-9"); [[Efraín Teodoro Torres]] (alias "Z-14"); Mellado Cruz (also known by his alias "Z-6" and "El Mellado"), among other ex-commandos.<ref name=milenio>{{cite news|last1=Badillo|first1=Jesús|title=El líder Zeta entrenado en la élite del Ejército|url=http://www.milenio.com/policia/Zeta-entrenamiento-elite-militar-Galdino_Mellado_Cruz-Zetas-crimen-organizado-Tamaulipas-Reynosa_0_297570484.html|accessdate=2 June 2014|publisher=[[Milenio]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NR2fNT|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=¿Quién era el Z-9, el ex militar fundador de Los Zetas?|url=http://www.redpolitica.mx/nacion/quien-era-el-z-9-el-ex-militar-fundador-de-los-zetas|accessdate=2 June 2014|agency=[[El Universal (Mexico City)]]|publisher=Red Política|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515001740/http://www.redpolitica.mx/nacion/quien-era-el-z-9-el-ex-militar-fundador-de-los-zetas|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref> Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Los Zetas were the Gulf Cartel's military wing and had the task of protecting Cárdenas Guillén and killing rival cartel members.<ref name=logan>{{cite web|last=Logan|first=Samuel|title=A Profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel|url=http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-los-zetas-mexicos-second-most-powerful-drug-cartel|accessdate=16 July 2012|publisher=[[Combating Terrorism Center]]|date=16 February 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/69hXF0MxG|archivedate=5 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
+Galindo Mellado Cruz (also Galdino) was born in [[Tampico Alto, Veracruz]], Mexico on 18 April 1973.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recent OFAC Actions|url=http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20100324.aspx|publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]]|accessdate=2 June 2014|date=2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202202538/http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20100324.aspx|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|His exact name is unclear. The Mexican government has used Galindo Mellado Cruz and Galdino Mellado Cruz interchangeably.<ref name=leytransparencia/><ref>{{cite web|title=Mensaje a medios del Comisionado Nacional de Seguridad, Monte Alejandro Rubidio García |url=http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/articulos-prensa/mensaje-a-medios-del-comisionado-nacional-de-seguridad-monte-alejandro-rubidio-garcia-2/ |publisher=Government of Mexico |accessdate=4 June 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q5VFijGb?url=http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/articulos-prensa/mensaje-a-medios-del-comisionado-nacional-de-seguridad-monte-alejandro-rubidio-garcia-2/ |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no |location=[[Los Pinos]] |language=Spanish |date=12 May 2014 |df= }}</ref>|group = A}} According to the [[Secretariat of National Defense (Mexico)|Secretariat of National Defense]] (SEDENA), Mellado Cruz joined the [[Mexican Armed Forces]] as a soldier in the [[Mexican Army]] on 1 September 1992. During his tenure in the military, he was part of the [[Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales]] (GAFE), an elite special forces unit of the Army, where he received top military training.<ref>{{cite news|title=Matan al fundador del cártel más sanguinario de México|url=http://www.clarin.com/mundo/Matan-fundador-cartel-sanguinario-Mexico_0_1136886515.html|accessdate=2 June 2014|publisher=[[Clarín (Argentine newspaper)|Clarín]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513085324/http://www.clarin.com/mundo/Matan-fundador-cartel-sanguinario-Mexico_0_1136886515.html|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref><ref name=milenio/> On 1 May 1999, however, he applied to be discharged from the Army.<ref name=leytransparencia>{{cite web|title=Ley Transparencia (SEDENA)|url=http://www.sedena.gob.mx/leytrans/petic/2006/enero/25012006b.html|publisher=[[Secretariat of National Defense (Mexico)]]|accessdate=2 June 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311084920/http://www.sedena.gob.mx/leytrans/petic/2006/enero/25012006b.html|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish|year=2006}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, he was recruited by the [[Gulf Cartel]], a Mexican drug trafficking organization, and began working for the drug kingpin [[Osiel Cárdenas Guillén]] along with several other ex-commandos from the Army. The group of former soldiers recruited by the Gulf Cartel became known as [[Los Zetas]], and Mellado Cruz was part of the original fourteen founders of the group. The group's members were [[Arturo Guzmán Decena]] (alias "Z-1"), the leader; Alejandro Lucio Morales Betancourt (alias "Z-2"); [[Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano]] (alias "El Lazca"), Mateo Díaz López (alias "Z-6"); [[Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar]] (alias "El Mamito"); [[Óscar Guerrero Silva]] (alias "Z-8"); Omar Lorméndez Pitalúa (alias "Z-9"); [[Efraín Teodoro Torres]] (alias "Z-14"); Mellado Cruz (also known by his alias "Z-6" and "El Mellado"), among other ex-commandos.<ref name=milenio>{{cite news|last1=Badillo |first1=Jesús |title=El líder Zeta entrenado en la élite del Ejército |url=http://www.milenio.com/policia/Zeta-entrenamiento-elite-militar-Galdino_Mellado_Cruz-Zetas-crimen-organizado-Tamaulipas-Reynosa_0_297570484.html |accessdate=2 June 2014 |publisher=[[Milenio]] |date=12 May 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NR2fNT?url=http://www.milenio.com/policia/Zeta-entrenamiento-elite-militar-Galdino_Mellado_Cruz-Zetas-crimen-organizado-Tamaulipas-Reynosa_0_297570484.html |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no |language=Spanish |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=¿Quién era el Z-9, el ex militar fundador de Los Zetas?|url=http://www.redpolitica.mx/nacion/quien-era-el-z-9-el-ex-militar-fundador-de-los-zetas|accessdate=2 June 2014|agency=[[El Universal (Mexico City)]]|publisher=Red Política|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515001740/http://www.redpolitica.mx/nacion/quien-era-el-z-9-el-ex-militar-fundador-de-los-zetas|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref> Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Los Zetas were the Gulf Cartel's military wing and had the task of protecting Cárdenas Guillén and killing rival cartel members.<ref name=logan>{{cite web|last=Logan |first=Samuel |title=A Profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel |url=http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-los-zetas-mexicos-second-most-powerful-drug-cartel |accessdate=16 July 2012 |publisher=[[Combating Terrorism Center]] |date=16 February 2012 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/69hXF0MxG?url=http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-los-zetas-mexicos-second-most-powerful-drug-cartel |archivedate=5 August 2012 |deadurl=no |df= }}</ref>
-When Cárdenas Guillén was arrested by Mexican security forces in [[Matamoros, Tamaulipas]], on 14 March 2003,<ref>{{cite news|title=Drug boss captured in Mexico|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2852197.stm|accessdate=4 September 2012|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=15 March 2003|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AR3wWHNj|archivedate=4 September 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> the leadership of the Gulf Cartel was handed over to his brother [[Antonio Cárdenas Guillén]] (alias "Tony Tormenta") and [[Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez]] (alias "El Coss"). The leadership of Los Zetas, on the other hand, was kept under the control of Lazcano Lazcano.<ref name=cossamo>{{cite news|last=Gómez|first=Francisco|title=El Coss, nuevo "amo" del grupo|url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/181707.html|accessdate=12 September 2012|newspaper=[[El Universal (Mexico City)|El Universal]]|date=8 November 2010|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AdDzxHew|archivedate=12 September 2012|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref> However, Cárdenas Guillén allegedly continued to command the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas behind bars;<ref>{{cite news|last=Aponte|first=David|title=Líderes narcos pactan en La Palma trasriego de droga|url=http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=119863&tabla=nacion|accessdate=7 February 2013|newspaper=[[El Universal (Mexico City)]]|date=5 January 2005|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328092221/http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=119863&tabla=nacion|archivedate=7 February 2013|language=Spanish}}</ref> with his extradition to the United States in 2007, Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel kept their alliance under a loose relationship, but each of their respective leaders attempted to fill the leadership void. Following several disagreements and internal power struggles, both criminal organizations broke their alliance and declared war at each other in early 2010.<ref>{{cite news|last=Roebuck|first=Jeremy|title=Indictment describes shifts in Gulf-Zeta relationship|url=http://m.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/article_7a902511-a796-534f-a6cd-1d80ae920525.html?mode=jqm|accessdate=16 July 2013|newspaper=[[The Brownsville Herald]]|date=February 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6IMzxFjBY|archivedate=25 July 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name=reynosa2>{{cite news|last=Ortiz|first=Ildefonso|title=Gulf Cartel infighting reignites with Reynosa firefights|url=http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_c0af45e4-8f6f-11e2-8401-0019bb30f31a.html|accessdate=22 March 2013|newspaper=[[The Monitor (Texas)]]|date=18 March 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6FJmq6eps|archivedate=22 March 2013}}</ref>
+When Cárdenas Guillén was arrested by Mexican security forces in [[Matamoros, Tamaulipas]], on 14 March 2003,<ref>{{cite news|title=Drug boss captured in Mexico |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2852197.stm |accessdate=4 September 2012 |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=15 March 2003 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AR3wWHNj?url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2852197.stm |archivedate=4 September 2012 |deadurl=no |df= }}</ref> the leadership of the Gulf Cartel was handed over to his brother [[Antonio Cárdenas Guillén]] (alias "Tony Tormenta") and [[Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez]] (alias "El Coss"). The leadership of Los Zetas, on the other hand, was kept under the control of Lazcano Lazcano.<ref name=cossamo>{{cite news|last=Gómez |first=Francisco |title=El Coss, nuevo "amo" del grupo |url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/181707.html |accessdate=12 September 2012 |newspaper=[[El Universal (Mexico City)|El Universal]] |date=8 November 2010 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AdDzxHew?url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/181707.html |archivedate=12 September 2012 |deadurl=no |language=Spanish |df= }}</ref> However, Cárdenas Guillén allegedly continued to command the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas behind bars;<ref>{{cite news|last=Aponte|first=David|title=Líderes narcos pactan en La Palma trasriego de droga|url=http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=119863&tabla=nacion|accessdate=7 February 2013|newspaper=[[El Universal (Mexico City)]]|date=5 January 2005|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328092221/http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=119863&tabla=nacion|archivedate=7 February 2013|language=Spanish}}</ref> with his extradition to the United States in 2007, Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel kept their alliance under a loose relationship, but each of their respective leaders attempted to fill the leadership void. Following several disagreements and internal power struggles, both criminal organizations broke their alliance and declared war at each other in early 2010.<ref>{{cite news|last=Roebuck |first=Jeremy |title=Indictment describes shifts in Gulf-Zeta relationship |url=http://m.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/article_7a902511-a796-534f-a6cd-1d80ae920525.html?mode=jqm |accessdate=16 July 2013 |newspaper=[[The Brownsville Herald]] |date=February 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6IMzxFjBY |archivedate=25 July 2013 |deadurl=no }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=reynosa2>{{cite news|last=Ortiz |first=Ildefonso |title=Gulf Cartel infighting reignites with Reynosa firefights |url=http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_c0af45e4-8f6f-11e2-8401-0019bb30f31a.html |accessdate=22 March 2013 |newspaper=[[The Monitor (Texas)]] |date=18 March 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6FJmq6eps?url=http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_c0af45e4-8f6f-11e2-8401-0019bb30f31a.html |archivedate=22 March 2013 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref>
-According to information from U.S. law enforcement, Mellado Cruz sided with the Gulf Cartel after the split in order to maintain a low-profile status and avoid public attention. Under the Gulf Cartel, he allegedly oversaw organized crime activities at the U.S.-Mexico border area known as La Ribereña, which encompasses the municipalities of [[Camargo, Tamaulipas|Camargo]] and [[Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas|Miguel Alemán]] in [[Tamaulipas]].<ref name=originalmonitor>{{cite news|last1=Ortiz|first1=Ildefonso|title=Original Zeta member believed to be among dead in Reynosa firefight|url=http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/original-zeta-member-believed-to-be-among-dead-in-reynosa/article_803dac12-d8bb-11e3-84eb-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=story|accessdate=3 June 2014|publisher=[[The Monitor (Texas)]]|date=11 May 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NehzWr|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Ortiz|first1=Ildefonso|title=Authorities: 16 dead amid Gulf Cartel infighting in Reynosa|url=http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/valley/article_8be55e6c-d176-11e3-a0f9-0017a43b2370.html?mode=story|accessdate=3 June 2014|publisher=[[The Brownsville Herald]]|date=1 May 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NlUgYS|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Sometime between 2010 and 2014, Mellado Cruz escaped from two prisons in Tamaulipas after being imprisoned for rape, armed robbery, homicide, and drug trafficking. He also had thirteen pending criminal investigations for homicide, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking accusations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Redacción AN|title=Abaten al 'Z-9' en Reynosa, confirma el gobierno federal|url=http://m.aristeguinoticias.com/1205/mexico/abaten-al-z-9-en-reynosa-ap/|accessdate=4 June 2014|publisher=Aristegui Noticias|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NtYIIR|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref>
+According to information from U.S. law enforcement, Mellado Cruz sided with the Gulf Cartel after the split in order to maintain a low-profile status and avoid public attention. Under the Gulf Cartel, he allegedly oversaw organized crime activities at the U.S.-Mexico border area known as La Ribereña, which encompasses the municipalities of [[Camargo, Tamaulipas|Camargo]] and [[Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas|Miguel Alemán]] in [[Tamaulipas]].<ref name=originalmonitor>{{cite news|last1=Ortiz |first1=Ildefonso |title=Original Zeta member believed to be among dead in Reynosa firefight |url=http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/original-zeta-member-believed-to-be-among-dead-in-reynosa/article_803dac12-d8bb-11e3-84eb-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=story |accessdate=3 June 2014 |publisher=[[The Monitor (Texas)]] |date=11 May 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NehzWr |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Ortiz |first1=Ildefonso |title=Authorities: 16 dead amid Gulf Cartel infighting in Reynosa |url=http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/valley/article_8be55e6c-d176-11e3-a0f9-0017a43b2370.html?mode=story |accessdate=3 June 2014 |publisher=[[The Brownsville Herald]] |date=1 May 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NlUgYS |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Sometime between 2010 and 2014, Mellado Cruz escaped from two prisons in Tamaulipas after being imprisoned for rape, armed robbery, homicide, and drug trafficking. He also had thirteen pending criminal investigations for homicide, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking accusations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Redacción AN |title=Abaten al 'Z-9' en Reynosa, confirma el gobierno federal |url=http://m.aristeguinoticias.com/1205/mexico/abaten-al-z-9-en-reynosa-ap/ |accessdate=4 June 2014 |publisher=Aristegui Noticias |date=12 May 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NtYIIR?url=http://m.aristeguinoticias.com/1205/mexico/abaten-al-z-9-en-reynosa-ap/ |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no |language=Spanish |df= }}</ref>
 ==Kingpin Act sanction==
-On 24 March 2010, the [[United States Department of the Treasury]] sanctioned Mellado Cruz under the [[Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act]] (sometimes referred to simply as the "Kingpin Act"), for his involvement in drug trafficking along with fifty-three other international criminals and ten foreign entities.<ref>{{cite web|title=DESIGNATIONS PURSUANT TO  THE FOREIGN NARCOTICS KINGPIN  DESIGNATION ACT|url=http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/narco_designations_kingpin.pdf|publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]]|accessdate=28 May 2014|page=11|date=15 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514025153/http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/narco_designations_kingpin.pdf|archivedate=28 May 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> The act prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from doing any kind of business activity with him, and virtually froze all his assets in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|title=An overview of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act|url=http://www.assetsearchblog.com/uploads/file/drugs.pdf|publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]]|accessdate=28 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528053616/http://www.assetsearchblog.com/uploads/file/drugs.pdf|archivedate=28 May 2014|page=1|date=2009}}</ref>
+On 24 March 2010, the [[United States Department of the Treasury]] sanctioned Mellado Cruz under the [[Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act]] (sometimes referred to simply as the "Kingpin Act"), for his involvement in drug trafficking along with fifty-three other international criminals and ten foreign entities.<ref>{{cite web|title=DESIGNATIONS PURSUANT TO  THE FOREIGN NARCOTICS KINGPIN  DESIGNATION ACT |url=http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/narco_designations_kingpin.pdf |publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]] |accessdate=28 May 2014 |page=11 |date=15 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514025153/http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/narco_designations_kingpin.pdf |archivedate=28 May 2014 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> The act prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from doing any kind of business activity with him, and virtually froze all his assets in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|title=An overview of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act|url=http://www.assetsearchblog.com/uploads/file/drugs.pdf|publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]]|accessdate=28 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528053616/http://www.assetsearchblog.com/uploads/file/drugs.pdf|archivedate=28 May 2014|page=1|date=2009}}</ref>
 ==Death==
-On 9 May 2014, Mellado Cruz was killed in a shootout against Mexican federal security forces at a domicile in Las Fuentes neighborhood in [[Reynosa, Tamaulipas]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Mexico: A Zetas founder among 6 dead in shootout|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/05/11/zetas-founder-killed/8984223/|accessdate=3 June 2014|agency=[[The Associated Press]]|publisher=[[USA Today]]|date=11 May 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NySJFb|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Reynosa: Habría muerto el Z-9|url=http://www.elnuevoheraldo.com/el_valle/noticias_locales/article_a509a76a-d9f8-11e3-8bf3-001a4bcf6878.html|accessdate=4 June 2014|publisher=El Nuevo Heraldo|date=2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4O2TdAZ|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref> During the firefight, grenades detonated and shots were exchanged between law enforcement and Mellado Cruz's aides. Gulf Cartel gunmen set roadblocks and threw road spikes throughout Reynosa's streets to prevent the mobilization of reinforcements from the military. Reinforcements from organized crime arrived at the scene in an attempt to save his life, but he was shot dead inside the property.<ref name=originalmonitor/><ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Steve|title=Founder of ultra-violent Zetas drug cartel killed in Mexico|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/10826461/Founder-of-ultra-violent-Zetas-drug-cartel-killed-in-Mexico.html|accessdate=4 June 2014|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=13 May 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4PjSxg9|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Following his death, the gunmen left the premises. The firefight left five more gunmen associated with him dead, along with a Mexican Army soldier.<ref>{{cite news|title=Confirman el abatimiento de El Mellado, fundador de Los Zetas|url=http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=372029|accessdate=4 June 2014|publisher=[[Proceso (magazine)]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513053240/http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=372029|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref> Inside the house, authorities discovered several assault rifles, including a Barrett 50 rifle and AK-47s, along with grenades, cartridges, and other weapons the criminals used to combat law enforcement.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pérez Silva|first1=Ciro|title=Confirma Rubido García muerte del fundador de los 'zetas', Galindo Mellado|url=http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2014/05/12/confirma-rubido-garcia-muerte-del-fundador-de-los-201czetas201d-galindo-mellado-3051.html|accessdate=3 June 2014|publisher=[[La Jornada]]|date=15 May 2014|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4PTrtbr|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref> Mellado Cruz's death came amid an internal [[Infighting in the Gulf Cartel|power struggle within the Gulf Cartel]], as rival factions within the organization fight for the control of Reynosa and the rest of Tamaulipas with each other and Los Zetas, their former allies.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lohmuller|first1=Michael|title=Mexico Kills Zetas Founder As Cartel's Decline Continues|url=http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/mexico-kills-zetas-founder-as-cartels-decline-continues|accessdate=4 June 2014|publisher=[[InSight Crime]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519193306/http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/mexico-kills-zetas-founder-as-cartels-decline-continues|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Days prior to his death, gunfights in Reynosa had left a total of at least 23 dead, including two innocent bystanders, a couple of federal policemen, a soldier, and eighteen suspected criminals.<ref name=originalmonitor/>
+On 9 May 2014, Mellado Cruz was killed in a shootout against Mexican federal security forces at a domicile in Las Fuentes neighborhood in [[Reynosa, Tamaulipas]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Mexico: A Zetas founder among 6 dead in shootout |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/05/11/zetas-founder-killed/8984223/ |accessdate=3 June 2014 |agency=[[The Associated Press]] |publisher=[[USA Today]] |date=11 May 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4NySJFb?url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/05/11/zetas-founder-killed/8984223/ |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Reynosa: Habría muerto el Z-9 |url=http://www.elnuevoheraldo.com/el_valle/noticias_locales/article_a509a76a-d9f8-11e3-8bf3-001a4bcf6878.html |accessdate=4 June 2014 |publisher=El Nuevo Heraldo |date=2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4O2TdAZ?url=http://www.elnuevoheraldo.com/el_valle/noticias_locales/article_a509a76a-d9f8-11e3-8bf3-001a4bcf6878.html |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no |language=Spanish |df= }}</ref> During the firefight, grenades detonated and shots were exchanged between law enforcement and Mellado Cruz's aides. Gulf Cartel gunmen set roadblocks and threw road spikes throughout Reynosa's streets to prevent the mobilization of reinforcements from the military. Reinforcements from organized crime arrived at the scene in an attempt to save his life, but he was shot dead inside the property.<ref name=originalmonitor/><ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson |first=Steve |title=Founder of ultra-violent Zetas drug cartel killed in Mexico |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/10826461/Founder-of-ultra-violent-Zetas-drug-cartel-killed-in-Mexico.html |accessdate=4 June 2014 |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=13 May 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4PjSxg9?url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/10826461/Founder-of-ultra-violent-Zetas-drug-cartel-killed-in-Mexico.html |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no |df= }}</ref> Following his death, the gunmen left the premises. The firefight left five more gunmen associated with him dead, along with a Mexican Army soldier.<ref>{{cite news|title=Confirman el abatimiento de El Mellado, fundador de Los Zetas|url=http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=372029|accessdate=4 June 2014|publisher=[[Proceso (magazine)]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513053240/http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=372029|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref> Inside the house, authorities discovered several assault rifles, including a Barrett 50 rifle and AK-47s, along with grenades, cartridges, and other weapons the criminals used to combat law enforcement.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pérez Silva |first1=Ciro |title=Confirma Rubido García muerte del fundador de los 'zetas', Galindo Mellado |url=http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2014/05/12/confirma-rubido-garcia-muerte-del-fundador-de-los-201czetas201d-galindo-mellado-3051.html |accessdate=3 June 2014 |publisher=[[La Jornada]] |date=15 May 2014 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Q4PTrtbr?url=http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2014/05/12/confirma-rubido-garcia-muerte-del-fundador-de-los-201czetas201d-galindo-mellado-3051.html |archivedate=4 June 2014 |deadurl=no |language=Spanish |df= }}</ref> Mellado Cruz's death came amid an internal [[Infighting in the Gulf Cartel|power struggle within the Gulf Cartel]], as rival factions within the organization fight for the control of Reynosa and the rest of Tamaulipas with each other and Los Zetas, their former allies.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lohmuller|first1=Michael|title=Mexico Kills Zetas Founder As Cartel's Decline Continues|url=http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/mexico-kills-zetas-founder-as-cartels-decline-continues|accessdate=4 June 2014|publisher=[[InSight Crime]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519193306/http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/mexico-kills-zetas-founder-as-cartels-decline-continues|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Days prior to his death, gunfights in Reynosa had left a total of at least 23 dead, including two innocent bystanders, a couple of federal policemen, a soldier, and eighteen suspected criminals.<ref name=originalmonitor/>
 In order to confirm the drug lord's identity, the Mexican government carried out [[forensic anthropology]] studies, where they analyzed the corpse's pictures with the photos from Mellado Cruz's time in the military. They also compared the corpse's fingerprints and DNA samples with the ones they had on file in the Mexican Armed Forces database. The following day, authorities apprehended Ricardo Flores López (also known as Pedro Luis Hernández Campos), the alleged second-in-command behind Mellado Cruz and the cartel's chief in Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vicenteño|first1=David|title=Confirma Segob la muerte de 'El Mellado', fundador de Los Zetas|url=http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2014/05/12/958831|accessdate=3 June 2014|publisher=[[Excélsior]]|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514052132/http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2014/05/12/958831|archivedate=4 June 2014|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref>