Mireles is a charismatic figure and whole villages rally to his side; in one mesmerizing early scene,
a Mexican army unit tries to disarm the Autodefensas only to back down in the face of a mob of angry men and women.
The founders of the Zetas were defectors from the
Mexican Army's Airborne Special Forces Group (Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales - GAFES), a US - trained
unit considered one of the most elite in the region.