nabor vargas garcía was born in pachuca, hidalgo on 12 july 1976. he joined the mexican army on 28 june 1995 but stepped down from active duty four years later on 1 july 1999, registering for the army reserves. during his tenure in the army, he had served at the presidential guard assault battalion. after being unemployed for at least six years, vargas garcía was recruited by osiel cárdenas guillén, the former leader of the drug trafficking organization known as the gulf cartel. vargas garcía later became one of the leading lieutenants and founders of the cartel's former muscle, los zetas. during the late 1990s, several other members of the mexican military deserted to form part of the gulf cartel and los zetas, and were given better payments than in the armed forces.