Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Unspoken War: Instagram account launched in Gulf Cartel's name

December 18, 2013


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A new Instagram account is raising some eyebrows south of the border.
An anonymous person created an account on Monday in the name of the Matamoros-based Gulf Cartel.
So far, only three photos have posted to the account.
Two photos feature weapons, equipment and the drug cartel’s logo.
One photo features an alleged gathering of gunmen with hashtags deriding their rivals and tagging their allies.
Instagram is the latest social media tool to be used by the Gulf Cartel.
The cartel has previously created accounts on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
The Instagram account follows a video posted by the cartel on YouTube of its members provided relief supplies to victims of Hurricane Ingrid back in September.
UTB Government Prof. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera told Action 4 News that Mexican drug cartels have become very sophisticated and tech-savvy.
Correa-Cabrera said it’s unlikely anybody other than the cartel itself would set up an account in their name.
Although the cartel has suffered some setbacks, Correa-Cabrera said it remains very active on social media.
“This is a very interesting development,” Correa-Cabrera said. “They are rebranding themselves…This is just the latest way for the cartel to communicate with the community.”

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