Zetas Issue Open Challenge to the United States and Mexican Governments

Borderland Beat recently published the following communique from the Zetas drug cartel:

A communique from the special forces of Los Zetas

Message to the nation, the government, and all of Mexico and to public opinion: The special forces of Los Zetas challenges the government of Mexico and its federal forces.

Not the Army, not the Marines nor the security and antidrug agencies of the United States government can resist us. Mexico lives and will continue under the regime of Los Zetas. Let it be clear that we are in control here and although the federal government controls other cartels, they cannot take our plazas. You want proof? Look at what happened in Sinaloa and Guadalajara. If we can get all the way into their kitchen we are not going to lose control of our territory.

Sincerely, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales Z-40

(Link here) (More details here). Morales subsequently released another communique refuting that he had anything to do with the first message. The second stated:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

With respect to the banner under my name, MIGUEL ANGEL TREVIÑO MORALES, that challenges the Mexican government and all the authorities and federal agencies
of both countries. To start with let me clarify that I did not order those banners to be hung. We do not govern this country, nor do we have a regime; we are not terrorists or guerrillas. We are dedicated to our occupation and what we least desire is to have problems with any government, neither Mexico or much less with the U.S.

That message must have been put by someone with nothing better to do; that person wants to set me up against the government and make the government believe that is my mindset.

Yes, I know and am aware that you cannot and should not fight against any government. Never in my right mind would I pick a fight against Samson, I have no motive to put such those stupidness on a message, nor do I think the government believes anybody with a brain would sign their name to such stupidness.

We also want to clarify that the Zeta cartel are not terrorists and we are against terrorism.

Not long ago the media said the DEA had an informant commented that we would make an attempt against the life of an ambassador. We would not now or ever have any such inclination.

That is not who we are or how we think. That messsage must have been put up by someone who wants to ostracize me. I don't know who put it up, nor am I going to say it was this group or that person because in reality I have no idea. But what is true is that I respect the Mexican and the American governments, and I reject those foolish comments on that messsage and I reiterate that I am not of that mindset nor is the Zeta cartel, now or ever. In regards to what happened at the casino royal in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon: those were not our orders, it was stupid what those people did. I don't think those idiost realized the damage they were doing to the families of the victims that died in that regrettable occurence. With our most sincere condolences we want it understood we did not order that. We know this will cause an outcry but what those idiots did was senseless and they did not realize the problems they were getting into.

Our respect to the Mexican government.

Whatever is going on, it is interesting to compare this type of challenge to the letter by the Gadianton Robbers to the Nephites in Chapter 3 of Third Nephi.