When he went to the DEA office to lure Gus to Casa Tranquila, all of the Salamancas were dead at that point. Hector had nothing to lose by actually telling the DEA about his crimes, and Gus's, as he would have been returned to Casa Tranquila anyway. And even if his attempt to kill Gus was unseccesful, Gus would still have been brought down (kind of like an extra layer of "insurance" in Hector's plan). Was it just because of his hatred of Hank and the DEA? Or is there something I'm missing?
"What kind of man talks to the DEA? No man. No man at all. A crippled little rata. What a reputation to leave behind. Is that how you want to be remembered?"
My estimation of Hector Salamanca as a man just fucking plummeted
I did 20 fuckin years
Take it easy. We're not making a neo-western here.
I'd kill the crippled fuck myself, be a fuckin honor
I see versions of OPs question a lot and i don't think it's appreciated how dangerous it can be for someone to be labeled a rat or a snitch. Growing up, I watched a lot of Lockup on MSNBC, a show that profiled various prisons throughout the US. And from prison to prison, if a person was thought to be a rat, it was a death sentence.
Look at how Jack reacted when he and his crew watched Jesse's confession tape. Jack was ready to kill Jesse right there. And when Walt would refer to Jesse as Jack's "partner," Jack responded, "You think I'd partner with a rat?!"
But…he’s planning to BLOW HIMSELF UP, so some other existential danger is really inconsequential.
Its not danger that keeps someone like Hector from working with police. Its built so deeply into the culture of crime, its just not an option. Even if noone would ever be around to remember him being a rat he still wouldnt because it goes against his very being to do so. Its just so unthinkable I'm honestly surprised Gus didnt see the set up coming from a mile away. The fact he believed Hector would snitch is almost too unbelievable, but Gus was at the end of his rope and dealing with many distractions.
Hector was old school, and it’s embedded into everything that he is to not talk to the DEA. Yes he hated Gus, but he didn’t rat him out to the DEA hate him. That level doesn’t exist.
The Cartels settled things through violence which is what he did to Gus, showing up at the DEA building brought Gus to him to do just that. Plus he could tell Hank to fuck off which was a plus.
Also, rattling out Gus would have tied Gus to his friends in the cartel, Don Eladio et all, which he would also never do.
Eladio and, well, everyone else, was dead by this point.
Or, do you mean Hector would have considered it honourable to be associated with them, and hence did not wish to bestow such a position on Gus publicly?
You’re right, i got the events backwards. Let’s replace the cartel bosses with anyone in the cartel structure below them who has the pluck and wherewithal to become the next don. Maybe of the bikini girls who ran out of Eladio’s house will invest some of the money they stole on their way out to begin their own cartel.
They explain it on the show when they bring Hector in for questioning after the Tuco/Hank incident, a rat is the absolute worst thing you can be in their world. It seems to be an unspoken rule between the cartels, you never rat on anybody to the DEA, no matter what. Also, he wants Gus dead as revenge for murdering his entire family, he doesn't want Gus in jail. Sangre por sangre.
OG cartel don’t talk to the DEA. Hector ain’t no rat!
I told you, numbnuts. This guy's OG. (...) Kept his mouth shut for 17 years in San Quentin. Stroke or no stroke, old-school gangbang Mexicans don't help feds.
I totally forgot about that line lol
It's gomie right?
Right
YEP, his last satisfaction was freaking out Gus and giving the DEA the finger all in one move.
That would take months at the rate he communicated.
ding ding
They made it clear that it was one last screw you to the DEA.
Not ratting is like his religious code.
Gomie answered this: Old school gangsters never talk to the Feds.
Hector had nothing to lose by actually telling the DEA about his crimes
He did have something to lose tho, that being his honor/integrity as an og cartel guy, but it probably had to do with his hatred for the DEA.
Personal "morals"
Hector didn't want to snitch, no matter what. They could probably be threatening with gelding him and still wouldn't tell a singular word of it to them.
Hector is many things, but "Rata" is not one of them. The idea of telling the cops about this thing of theirs is out of the question and, in their minds, a nonsensical proposition.
Is he stupid?
he’s a man of honor.
remember the part when hank interrogated hector if he met or knew jesse pinkman. Jesse was pleading with his eyes not to rat him out but then hector just answered them by pissing his pants
He shat himself, even more of a power move.
Then he wouldn't get to poop his pants in front of Hank
hector didn't wanted gus to live, he wanted gus to come and he wanted to see him at his final seconds of life, that scream from gus was everything to salamanca
At this point, Hector had nothing left to live for except seeing Gus dead. The DEA would arrest Gus, not kill him, and then Hector would be stuck in a wheelchair all alone for the rest of his life. So his choice was: go out with a bang and kill gus OR watch Gus go on trial over many years while hector remains a vegtable, only for gus to be acquitted when gus successfully uses Lyle as a scapegoat.
He may be a piece of shit Salamanca, but he ain’t no rat.
Integrity til I die.
I think he contemplated using the DEA for help in this situation, but had a change of heart upon seeing them and went back to what he knew.
There is using DEA to take revenge then there is being a rat. Hector was no rat
Never the dea
He won't die a "crippled little rata"
Walt knew that word of Hector going to the DEA would get to Gus. It was Walts plan of luring Gus to the retirement home. There was no other reason for Hector to go to the DEA. He probably could have just sat there the whole time in silence but decided it was fun to mess with Hank and Steve one last time before blowing himself to bits.
Cause snitching to the DEA would be worse then getting blown up.
Hector spent like 20 years in prison, he’s not a snitch
Hector no es una rata
Corrección: Hector no era una rata, porque ahora Hector esta muerto, ese pobrecieto
He wouldn’t have gained anything that he wasn’t about to with Walter’s help, he would have just died with the reputation of being a rat. (Also, he hates the DEA and probably liked the chance to mess with them)
Because the writer didn't want it.
Its so unthinkable an OG cartel guy like Hector would work with the feds, I'm honestly surprised Gus didnt see the set up a mile away. Its almost unbelivable for his character. I think he normally would catch on to something like that, but it really drives home how much Gus was dealing with at that point that distracted his typically sharp senses.
it's a thing about pride that's respectable. Steve Gomez said it in the show "stroke or no stroke"
Hector has pride so he’s not snitch
DEA were his mortal enemies. It's as if a jew dealt with nazis to get back at soviets. He had his honor and a legacy to keep.
1 missing reply
There’s something worse than getting Gus caught by the DEA, and that’s being a rat. Hector Salamanca is not a rat.