Female gangsters are the newest organised crime "phenomenon" gripping Mexico as women assassins are completing hits for drug cartels.
Officials in the northern Mexican state of Zacatecas have noticed more and more women becoming embroiled in the shady world of Mexican drug gangs.
Footage broadcast by Milenio TV shows a unit of balaclava-clad women draped in tactical military uniforms sporting assault rifles as they move with convoys of male cartel members.
The reporter claimed "this is a phenomenon that had not been recorded before".
"These women have been captured on film in their role as assassins and leaders of these groups," he added.
In Loreto, residents filmed two female gangsters thieving motorbikes and stood guard for another cartel burglar on Monday.
It came during a cartel raid on a State Police convoy the same day.
The cops were guarding a funeral procession for an officer slain last Friday.
Speaking with Milenio TV, officials failed to stump up a number of how many women they thought could be active in the gangs, but said its "increased in recent months".
The report says two lethal cartel attacks in recent weeks were orchestrated by female assassins.
Zacatecas in northern Mexico is ruled by two of the country's most criminal mobs, the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel - who are currently embroiled in a full-scale ground war for control of the drug trade.
In Matamoros, a city in northeastern Mexico, the Gulf Cartel reigns supreme - and recently broke headlines after kidnapping four Americans in the country for stomach surgery.
A document leaked on March 13 identified the key cartel figures responsible for the crime that sparked a FBI-led manhunt over the border.
The Drug Enforcement Administration letter, which is "sensitive but declassified", has revealed the 44 individuals in the Gulf Cartel - including its leader who is in a Mexico City prison awaiting extradition to the US.
Members of the Gulf Cartel opened fire on the American's car in the middle of the street on March 3 in the northeastern border city of Matamoros.
Latavia McGee, who had travelled from South Carolina across the border for a tummy tuck, was caught on video being escorted to a pickup truck by a cartel member.
Members were also caught dumping the bodies of Shaeed Woodward, Eric James and Zindell Brown into the vehicle.
Ms McGee and Mr James were rescued last Tuesday but the dead bodies of Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown, two of the Americans kidnapped in Mexico, were found.
Arely Servando, a Mexican national, was shot dead after she was struck by a stray bullet during the kidnaping.
The DEA has since identified José 'El Contador' Cárdenas as the leader of the Gulf Cartel, which has been around since 1930 and is based out of Tamaulipas.
Mexican authorities have confirmed Mr Cárdenas was taken into custody on February 27, 2022 in Mexico City and is set to be extradited to the US.
