death_date death_place predecessor birth_place successor opponents other_names module height title birth_date organization image article_title name occupation death_cause
7 october 2012 progreso , coahuila , mexico rogelio gonzález pizaña apan , hidalgo , mexico miguel treviño morales gulf cartel sinaloa cartel title 2 = '' el laz '' 3 = '' el = lazca '' 4 = '' el bronce '' 5 = eight '' el pitirijas '' 6 = '' el muñeco '' aliases 7 = '' licenciado '' 8 = '' el verdugo 1 '' = '' z-3 '' yes = grupo aeromóvil de fuerzas especiales serviceyears = 1991 -- allegiance 1998 = branch = 25px mexican army unit 1.80 eight '' el laz '' 3 = '' el lazca '' aliases 4 = '' el bronce '' 5 = '' el 1 pitirijas '' 6 = '' el muñeco '' 7 = = '' licenciado '' 8 = '' el verdugo '' '' z-3 '' 2 = 25 december 1974 los zetas heriberto lazcano lazcano.jpg heriberto lazcano lazcano
 heriberto lazcano lazcano leader of los zetas ballistic trauma
heriberto lazcano lazcano

heriberto lazcano lazcano -lrb- 25 december 1974 -- 7 october 2012 -rrb- , commonly referred to by his aliases z-3 and el lazca , was a mexican drug lord and the leader of los zetas drug cartel .
he was one of the most-wanted mexican drug lords .
lazcano joined the mexican army at the age of 17 and later ascended to the grupo aeromóvil de fuerzas especiales -lrb- gafe -rrb- , the mexican army special forces .
during his tenure in the mexican army , lazcano reportedly received military training from the israeli defense forces and the united states army , but eventually deserted in 1998 , after eight years of service .
upon his desertion , he was recruited by the drug lord osiel cárdenas guillén and arturo guzmán decena with around 30 other soldiers to work as the enforcers of the gulf cartel , forming the paramilitary group known as los zetas .
his torture methods earned him the nickname `` el verdugo '' -lrb- ` the executioner ' -rrb- , particularly for killing his victims by feeding them to lions and tigers he kept in a ranch .
lazcano died in a shootout with the mexican navy on 7 october 2012 .
after his death , his body was taken from the funeral home by an armed gang .
