SUMMARY

Zetas Vieja Escuela, the "Old School Zetas", also known as Grupo Bravo faction, was a group that splintered from the Mexican drug cartel Los Zetas in early 2016. It has been difficult to identify the leadership of the faction, but one alleged leader was Juan Pablo Perez Garcia, also called “El Oaxaco" or "Bravo 1".

Los Zetas, with its origin in the Gulf Cartel, had experienced few instances of infighting within the cartel compared to its parent organization. However, as several leaders of Los Zetas were arrested and extradited to the US, the cartel became more unstable and struggles for power within the organization or over different geographical areas increased. Arguably, the most devastating arrests was that of Los Zetas’ leader Miguel Treviño Morales in July 2013, as well as the arrest of his successor Omar Treviño Morales in March 2015.

Zetas Vieja Escuela got involved in a deadly fight for the control over territory and drug trade in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas state, against rival [Los Zetas – Cártel del Noreste faction[(/#/actor/3296), in the beginning of 2016. The eastern states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas was the strongholds of Los Zetas – Old School Zetas faction.

Zetas Vieja Escuela allegedly disliked the direction that Los Zetas had taken over the past few years, where kidnappings, extortions and the targeting of family members had become a larger part of the cartel’s activities. The faction was believed to prefer the more traditional drug trafficking trade of the cartel, which might had been the origin of the faction’s name. Another possible factor that may have contributed to the faction’s name could be that it was joined by several of Los Zetas original members.

It was reported in 2016 that Zetas Vieja Escuela had made an alliance with the Gulf Cartel in order to fight Los Zetas – Cártel del Noreste faction in Nuevo Leon state.

The Zetas Vieja Escuela has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence.