The victim, whose identity has not been confirmed, appears to be a member of a rival cartel. The video shows the victim being forced to kneel down, and then being shot multiple times at close range. The execution is carried out with a level of brutality that has shocked even seasoned experts in organized crime.

Unlike traditional cartels that historically avoided excessive public scrutiny, Los Zetas—and by extension, the CDN—pioneered the use of "narcocorridos" (folk songs glorifying drug lords) and early internet videos to project power. The CDN inherited the Zetas' militaristic structure, their predilection for "signature killings" (such as decapitations and dissolutions in acid), and their understanding that public terror is a force multiplier.