Mexican hacker group member freed by cartel: report

A Mexican member of online "hacktivist" group Anonymous was released by the Zetas drug cartel ahead of a threat by the Web group to expose details of the crime ring's activities, Mexican television reported Friday.

Televisa reported that the man kidnapped in the eastern port of Veracruz was released ahead of a November 5 deadline set by Anonymous, after which it planned to divulge the Zetas's links to politicians and others.

The report said the release was announced via Twitter from a member of Anonymous using the handle @anonhispano.

There was no comment from Mexican authorities, who in the past had said they had no verification of the abduction.

The US security consultancy Stratfor in early October released a video in which a masked individual claiming to be part of Anonymous had threatened to make some information public about the Zetas in retaliation for the kidnapping of one of his associates.

The Zetas emerged from a military arm of the Gulf cartel, and are one of the main drug organizations involved in the bloodbath in Mexico in recent years.

More than 45,000 people are believed to have been killed since 2006, when the government launched a massive military crackdown against powerful drug cartels who are battling among themselves over the lucrative drug trade.

(c) 2011 AFP