Mexican Marines have killed Heriberto Lazcano, the founding leader of the extremely violent Zetas drug cartel.
 
Killed in a gunfight in a small village in the northern state of Coahuila on Sunday afternoon, Lazcano, also known as "El Lazca" or "Z-3," was one of Mexico's most-wanted men. Only Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel would represent a bigger prize to the Mexican government.
 
Just hours after he was killed, a masked, armed group snatched Lazcano's body and that of another Zetas member from the funeral parlor. It appeared the military was unaware it had killed Lazcano until his corpse was stolen. Authorities had already taken fingerprints and photographs of the body and later confirmed it was, indeed, Lazcano. [1]  
 
Lazcano, alias "The Executioner," was the highest profile drug lord to be killed or captured in a military offensive launched since President Felipe Calderon took office in late 2006.
 
Lazcano's death was a double blow to the Zetas criminal organization. Senior Zetas plaza boss Ivan Velazquez, also known as "El Taliban" or "Z-50" was captured last weekend. Since 2009, government troops have caught or killed more than 20 major drug lords, claiming three of the "most wanted" bosses in the past month alone. [2]  
 
The Zetas are considered one of the two most powerful drug gangs in Mexico and have carried out some of the worst atrocities in a drug war that has killed about 60,000 people during Calderon's term. [3] 
Under Lazcano's leadership, the Zetas grew into a gang of more than 10,000 gunmen with operations stretching from the Rio Grande to deep Central America. [4] 
This is evidence that God is hearing and answering our prayers for the success of President Calderon's "war on drugs" and for the safety of our southwest border.
 
LET'S PRAY:
    Father, we ask for President Calderon's continued success in the drug war during the closing days of his presidency. We ask You to assist Mexico's military in striking crippling blows to the cartels, including the swift capture of Sinaloa Drug Lord "El Chapo" Guzman.
    Thank you for hearing our prayers and shaking the foundations of the brutal Zetas cartel. We ask you to hinder the Zetas from rallying and regrouping.
    We stand against violence and the death of the innocent that might ensue in a power struggle in the aftermath of Lazcono's death.
We pray for those who are deeply imbedded in the criminal activities of the drug cartels. We know that You take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. (Ez 33:11).