Dumb criminals

This little story from  El Diario de Coahuila (Saltillo, Coahuila) 12/17/08 (translation by “M3 Report“) is being carried in the U.S. press as evidence of the pervasiveness of crime in northern Mexico, and the alleged power of the gangsters.  It seems to me more that if the supposedly master criminal “Zetas” are reduced to attempts to shake down schoolma’arms, they’re not as powerful as we are led to think.  Resourceful, but pathetic:

In “at least” 17 educational institutions in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, teachers have received threats from presumed members of the criminal gang Los Zetas demanding their Christmas bonuses. According to several reports from professors, members of the criminal group appear in schools dressed in suits and threaten teachers for their bonuses, in some cases as much as 20,000 pesos [about $1,500]. In other cases, the demands are made by telephone. Teachers are reluctant to show up for their final classes for fear of being attacked by Los Zetas.

The teachers’ union (and dissident unions) are a pretty powerful group in themselves, and teachers generally enjoy a level of respect not accorded to policemen or politicians. Screwing with teachers is much more likely to bring down the Zetas than attacking the cops.