On a dusty, remote ranch across the Rio Grande from this Texas border town, an intimidating drug lord stood over 13-year-old Rosalio Reta and handed him a gun. Reta didn't know who the man was, but it was clear he instilled fear and commanded respect among everyone standing around watching the dramatic scene unfold. The American teen had never before met anyone who carried a pistol adorned with such an unforgettable decoration: the number "40" encrusted in diamonds on the handle. The cartel leader looked at Reta and ordered him to shoot and kill a man tied up on the ground. If he refused to murder the stranger, Reta recalls, the drug lord would have killed him.
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Two men reveal details about their lives as teen drug cartel assassins
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Now in prison, Rosalio Reta and Gabriel Cardona were hit men for drug lord "Z-40"
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For each killing, they say, they each were paid about $10,000
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Their stories offer a glimpse into a dark world that threatens countless Mexicans and Americans
Texas
Reta and Cardona agreed to give CNN rare interviews from the @placeholder prisons where both men are serving life sentences for murder.
Mexicans
Trevino, 40, faces charges of organized crime, homicide, torture and money laundering, a @placeholder government security spokesman told reporters in July.
Z-40
One of the most feared and powerful drug kingpins in the world, @placeholder took drug cartel brutality to never-before-seen levels.
Gabriel Cardona
Reta has bizarre markings around his eyes; @placeholder has drawings of eyeballs tattooed on his eyelids.
Gabriel Cardona
@placeholder was also making a name for himself at that time, and impressing the same narco leaders.