I fell in love with Mexico as a child growing up in San Diego, California. The first time that I can remember crossing the border—maybe at age seven, or even earlier—the food tasted better, the colors seemed more vivid, and the people were warmer than anything I’d experienced in the United States. I felt I’d found my second home.
I write this because I realize this book paints Mexico in a less than favorable, even terrifying, light through the prism of the drug war and the Zetas. But it is because I love Mexico so much that I write about the devastating violence that has gripped it in recent years. The years portrayed in this book from late 2009 to 2013 were some of the worst, as Miguel Treviño, and the Zetas, reached their zenith of power. During these years, the violence struck home for me personally as it devoured the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas on the Texas-Mexico border. As a reporter covering the region, I grew heartsick, writing endless stories about gruesome killings, kidnappings, and mass graves that were never investigated, and the perpetrators never brought to justice. And with the same heavy heart, I wrote about my brave colleagues in Mexico, murdered in increasingly shocking numbers as they struggled to reveal the truth behind the violence, which is that the drug war is more about politics and corruption than drugs.
What drew me to the investigation of Jose Treviño and his brothers was the opportunity to understand the origins of the nightmare I had been reporting on for so many years. For the first time at José’s trial, founding members of the Zetas testified in court about the inner workings of the secretive organization and helped me understand how they became the de facto government in places like Coahuila and Veracruz. The federal agents who worked this case—especially Scott Lawson, Alma Perez, and Steve Pennington—were kind enough to entertain my hundreds, if not thousands, of questions over the three years I reported on the investigation. For their patience and for their trust I am deeply indebted. I also want to thank FBI special agent Michelle Lee, the media coordinator for the FBI’s San Antonio office, who was always unfailingly helpful throughout the process of writing this book. If the bureau takes any issue with its characterization within these pages, it is solely the author’s doing and not Agent Lee’s. I would also like to thank the Waco Treasury Taskforce officers Brian Schutt, Steve Junker, Kim Williams and IRS special agent Billy Williams for their time and patience.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank former FBI special agent Art Fontes, former DEA supervisory agent Leo Silva, former DEA senior special agent Pedro Ayarzagoitia, and DEA special agents Kyle Mori and Bill Johnston. I also owe a debt of thanks to FBI special agent Raul Perdomo, FBI special agent Jason Hodge, Laredo PD homicide investigator Ernie Elizondo, FBI supervisory special agent David Villarreal, and IRS special agent Michael Lemoine, as well as to my sources in Mexico who took the time to educate me about horse racing and organized crime.
I never could have written this book without the blessing of my employer the Texas Observer, and my colleagues and friends at the magazine who gave me the time off to write this book, even though it meant more work for them. I also want to thank The Investigative Fund, especially Taya Kitman and Esther Kaplan, who have supported my work and kept me going through the hard times. I also owe much thanks to the Lannan Foundation, which has been an invaluable supporter of my work on the border. The team at Ecco, including my editor, Zachary Wagman, and his assistant, Emma Janaskie, also has my gratitude, as does my agent, Farley Chase.
I am also indebted to a number of friends who read various versions of the manuscript over the years, and gave me much-needed insight to improve the book, including Karen Davidson, Karen Olsson, Athena Ponce, and Dave Mann. The wonderful S. Kirk Walsh was an invaluable reader and editor who helped me immensely. Also thank you to my friend Jazmine Ulloa, who first started this journey with me when we wrote the magazine story in 2013, and to the incomparable journalist Ginger Thompson, who broke the story about Jose Treviño and Tremor Enterprises in 2012, and was a source of inspiration throughout the years of writing this book. I also owe a debt of gratitude to another exceptional journalist, Cecilia Ballí, my compañera-in-crime, who traveled with me to racetracks and auctions. For their boundless support, I’d also like to thank Jordan Smith, Glynis Laing, Liz Pierson, Katie Wells, Jessica Montour, W. K. Stratton, Karen Tannert, and Kim Sherman. I am indebted to Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera for giving me a deeper understanding of how organized crime functions in Mexico. Y también muchísimas gracias a Rebecca y Guadalupe Massey, and to Alfredo Corchado, Angela Kocherga, Jason Buch y toda la banda de los Camineros for staying true to Mexico and the border, despite the toughest of times in journalism.
And finally to my family, who endured my long absences, even when I was at home, and who made my happiness and the writing of this book possible. Los quiero mucho.