Thread: CNN Transcript: Teenage Hitmen for Cartel living in the US

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On CNN Newsroom-

Teenage hit men living in the U.S., waiting for their orders from Mexico. Could they hit in your neighborhood?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Police say they are sleeper cells just waiting for the phone call to strike. But these are not Islamic terrorist. They're American teenagers hired as hit man for the Mexican drug cartels. Their targets could be living in your neighborhood. CNN's Ed Lavandera has this remarkable story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Moises Garcia had just finished a family lunch in Laredo, Texas. Garcia helped his pregnant wife and 3-year-old boy into their white Lexus.

LORI GARCIA, MOTHER OF MURDER VICTIM: This guy just came out of his car and just started shooting.

LAVANDERA: Garcia was a wanted man. He had a $10,000 bounty on his head. Garcia's wife was shot in the chest. She and her son survived. But Moises was dead.

L. GARCIA: It happened so fast. He didn't have a chance of anything.

LAVANDERA: Garcia's murder at first looked like an isolated gangland-style killing. But there were more, seven murders in a year- long stretch. And there was something more sinister brewing.

Then Nole Flores (ph) was killed, an innocent victim in a case of mistaken identity. Investigators found fingerprints on this cigarette box in the shooter's get away car. The chilling truth unraveled. The clue led police to Gabriel Cardona and Rosalio Reta, American teenagers working as Mexican drug cartel hitmen in the United States.

ROBERT GARCIA, LAREDO POLICE DEPARTMENT: They were very good at what they did. They were professional at what they did.

LAVANDERA: Assassins is what they were.

How Gabriel Cardona and Rosalio Reta evolved from average teenagers into hitmen laid out in court records and these police interrogation videos obtained by CNN.

In this tape, Reta happily details how he carried out his first cartel assassination at the age of 13.

"I loved doing it, killing that first person, I loved it. I thought I was superman," said Reta. Detective Robert Garcia is the man sitting across the table from Reta.

R. GARCIA: That's one thing that you wonder all the time, what made them be this way?

LAVANDERA (on camera): Like many Americans, these teenagers started hitting the cantinas and bars just across the border in Mexico. And that's where investigators say the cartel was waiting to recruit them.

(voice-over): These kids were easy targets for the cartel. The two started living the high life. They got tattoos honoring Santa Muerte, the grim reaper-like saint honored by drug traffickers. Cardona had eyeballs tattooed on his eyelids. And markings covered Reta's face.

(on camera): Cardona and Reta should have been in school here. But instead investigators say they dropped out and joined the cartel's payroll. They drove around town in a $70,000 Mercedes, they were paid $500 a week as a retainer to sit and wait for the call to kill. Then they could make up to $50,000 for a hit.

(voice-over): Prosecutors say Cardona and Reta were hitmen for the Zetas, a group of former Mexican special military forces that do the dirty work for the notorious Gulf Cartel.

URIEL DRUKER, ASSISTANT WEBB COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: They actually enjoy it and laugh about it. They compete, you know, discussing their exploits about conducting these activities.

R. GARCIA: They just told us that they're already here. They're sleeper cells. They're already here in the U.S. Not just in Laredo, I mean, they're all throughout the U.S.

LAVANDERA: In Cardona's interrogation, he tells detectives, the Zetas are moving their operations deeper into the U.S. Cardona says he knows of hits carried out in Houston and Dallas.

Cardona and Reta are in prison now serving long terms for murder. But before they were arrested, federal authorities recorded a phone call between the two young men. Cardona brags about killing 14-year old Inez Villareal, the innocent cousin of a Cardona enemy who's also murdered.

Cardona laughs about torturing both, making "guiso" or stew out of their bodies in large metal drums. Villareal and his cousin have never been found. Before the call ends, Cardona says, "There are three left to kill. There are three left."

It's a reminder the cartel's work never ends as they recruit the next generation of killers.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Laredo. (END VIDEOTAPE)

AND on CNN Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

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BLITZER: A hit man for a Mexican drug cartel and, guess what, they say they are proud of it and authorities say there are more of them in sleeper cells across the united states. CNN's Ed Lavendera has the stunning confession.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVENDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Garcia just finished a family lunch in Laredo, Texas. He helped his pregnant wife and 3-year-old boy into their white Lexus.

LORI GARCIA, SON KILLED: This guy just came out of the car and just started shooting.

LAVENDERA: Garcia was a wanted man. He had a $10,000 bounty on his head. His wife was shot in the chest. She and her son survived but he was dead.

GARCIA: It happened so fast. He didn't have a chance with anything.

LAVENDERA: Garcia's murder at first looked like an isolated gang-land style killing but there were more. Seven murders in a year- long stretch. There was something more sinister brewing. Then Flores was killed, an innocent victim in case of mistaken identity. Investigators found fingerprints on the cigarette box in the shooter's get away car. The chilling truth unraveled and the clue led the police to American teenagers working as Mexican drug cartel hit men in the United States.

ROBERT GARCIA, LAREDO, TEXAS POLICE: They were very good at what they did. They were professional at what they did.

LAVENDERA: Assassins is what they were. How Gabriel evolved from an average teenager into hit men is laid out in court records and these police interrogation records obtained by CNN. In this tape, the details about how he carries out the first cartel assassination at the age of 13. I loved doing it, killing that first person. I loved it. I thought I was Superman. Detective Robert Garcia is the man sitting across the table from him.

GARCIA: One thing you wonder all the time, what made them be this way?

LAVENDERA: Like many Americans, these teenagers started hitting the bars across the border in Mexico and that's where the cartel was waiting to recruit them. These kids were easy targets for the cartel. They started living the high life. They got tattoos honoring the grim reaper like saint honored by drug traffickers. He had eye balances tattooed on his eyelids and markings marked his face.

They should have been in school here but instead the investigators say that he dropped out and joined the cartel's payroll. They drove around town in a $70,000 Mercedes and were paid $500 a week as a retainer to sit and wait for the call to kill. Then they could make up to $50,000 for a hit. Prosecutors say that they were hit men for a group of former special military forces that do the dirty work for the gulf cartel.

URIEL DRUKER, WEBB CO., TEXAS ASST. DISTRICT ATTNY.: They actually enjoy it and laugh about it and compete while discussing their exploits about conducting these activities.

GARCIA: They are already here. They are sleeper cells. They are already here in the U.S.

LAVENDERA: The interrogation he tells detectives that they are moving their operations deeper into the U.S. he says that he knows of his carried out in Houston and Dallas. They are in prison now serving long terms for murder. Before they were arrested, federal authorities recorded a phone call between the two young men. He brags about killing 14-year-old, the innocent cousin of an enemy, who is also murdered. He laughs about torturing both, making stew out of their bodies in large metal drums. He and his cousin have never been found. Before the call ends, he says -- there are three left to kill. There are three left. It's a reminder that cartels work never ends as they recruit the next generations of killers.

Ed Lavendera, CNN, Laredo.

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