• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, November 1, 2011

There is something in the current round of social media war that’s distinctly reminiscent of later-era Japanese monster movies, when the various monsters started battling each other. Like an unexpected twist bringing Gamera into play against Godzilla, the Anonymous storyline is now crossing with the Mexican drug war storyline.

Anonymous is (are?) angry at the Zetas cartel, based in the Mexican state Tamaulipas, over their kidnapping of an Anonymous supporter who had denounced some of the cartel’s many criminal activities. The collective is demanding his release, and threatens to expose the identities of police officers, journalists, and others on the Zetas’ payroll if he isn’t freed by November 5 (Guy Fawkes’ Day in the U.K.). In a Spanish-language video an Anonymous member wearing the iconic Guy Fawkes mask threatens the cartel: “For the time being we will not post photos or the names… but if needed we will publish them including their addresses to see if by doing so the government will arrest them.”

Despite its supposed anonymity, social media is hardly a secure bastion for critics of the Mexican drug cartels, as demonstrated in September by the murder of two online commentators. The mangled bodies of a man and a woman, both in their early 20s, were discovered hanging from a bridge Nuevo Laredo, just across the Texas border, along with a banner explaining “This is going to happen to all of those posting funny things on the Internet. You better f*cking pay attention. I'm about to get you.” The banner specified two blogs to be avoided, El Blog del Narco and Al Rojo Vivo, both of which have documented murders and official corruption. The note was signed with a “Z,” indicating it was left by the Zetas.

The gang apparently wasn't persuaded by El Blog del Narco's claim that it is “not for or against any crime organization,” perhaps more concerned by the fact that U.S. counternarcotics officials and drug war analysts supposedly consult the blog for information unavailable elsewhere. However one contributor at Al Rojo Vivo wasn't impressed: “Don't be afraid to denounce. It's very difficult for them to find out who denounced. They only want to scare society.”

Some of the other popular blogs are Narco Tijuana, Narcotrafico en Mexico and Narcoguerra. While most crimes associated with the Mexican drug war take place in northern states along the U.S. border where smuggling is concentrated, the scope of some the blogs is national, including both official press releases and anonymous tips from federal authorities in Mexico City, and local authorities around the country.  So far the battle between the Mexican government and drug cartels has left about 40,000 people dead, by most independent estimates, including 66 journalists.