Members of Los Ciclones of CDG captured in Matamoros

February 11, 2015, 1:45 am

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Proceso article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

Elements of the Tamaulipas Forces captured ten presumed operators of a criminal organization, they are believed to be sicarios (hitmen) from Los Ciclones of the Cartel Del Golfo.

Fernando Vazquez Mendoza and his accomplices, presumed sicarios of Los Ciclones of Matamoros.

The Group for Coordination in Tamaulipas also confirmed the capture of five guns, nine vehicles, 50 magazines, 663 cartridges, two communication devices and 10 tire puncturing spikes.

The detained are: Fernando Vazquez Mendoza, who declared himself to be a commander of sicarios that has control of over a 100 delinquents. Julio Cesar Martinez Peirania, who has five safe houses where kidnapping victims are hidden, one of the detained is alleged to be a family member of "El Gafe", one of the heads of Los Ciclones.

El Gafe

Also Jesus Rojas Torres, who told Ministerial Authorities his job was the sale of stolen gasoline, and Guillermo Perez Martinez "El Fursio".

In another action the following were detained: Victor Hugo Cepeda Rodriguez, Manuel Mejia Gallegos, Cristian de Leon Lerma, Jorge Adrian Gutierrez Romero, Jose Luis Cabrera Hernandez and Abraham Mares Romero.

The capture of the first group of criminals, occurred in Matamoros central zone, when the state police carrying out a patrol, spotted a vehicle with four occupants acting suspiciously.

After intercepting them, they found a radio communication devices on which they listened to Halcones, reporting the movements of state and federal forces.

Original article in Spanish at Proceso

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The Gulf Cartel Through the Lens of Río Bravo

February 11, 2015, 8:04 am

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Over the past week and a half I have devoted much of my free time to keeping readers on the Borderland Beat forum informed of the day to day violence occurring in northern Tamaulipas.  As we have reached a point that not much has changed, I started devoting more time to analyzing the origins of the conflict.  In doing so, I keep coming back to an initial thought: a better understanding of Río Bravo is fundamental. 

From my past experience in researching, I realized that there would be some uncertainty due to contradictions in the information being reported or times that there is a general absence of information.  Thus, this may not be perfect, but the following is my current understanding of how Río Bravo has played a part in the history of the Gulf Cartel.

Municipal Overview

Río Bravo is a municipality located between the municipalities of Matamoros, which lies to the east, and Reynosa, which is to the west.  The largest city and municipal seat is Ciudad Río Bravo, located relatively near the city of Reynosa.  Ciudad Río Bravo is not located on the border with the United States itself, but a rural international bridge lies directly north of the city.  The second largest city in the municipality is Nuevo Progreso, which is located northeast of Ciudad Río Bravo and lies on the border with the United States.  According the maps created by Valor por Tamaulipas, the Gulf Cartel considers these two cities separate plazas.

Due to its location, Río Bravo has been a major transport spot for international drug trafficking.  In fact, the first time I read about Homero Cárdenas Guillén, alias "El Majadero", was in an article from 2009 which reported that he used Río Bravo as a staging ground for trafficking shipments of cocaine to the United States.

The Gulf Cartel in 2010

In early 2010, Los Zetas formally split from the Gulf Cartel, leading to a war that enveloped Tamaulipas as both sides sought to seize territory and strengthen their bases of operation.  At that time the leadership of the Gulf Cartel was shared by two individuals: Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén, alias "Tony Tormenta", who held the power of the Cárdenas family, and Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez, alias "El Coss", a close associate of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén (by then in prison in the United States, having been extradited in January 2007).

By the summer of 2010, a number of changes of plaza heads took place within the Gulf Cartel (though it has not been reported as such, I believe that many of these took place as a result of the war with Los Zetas), a few of which are notable for our purposes.  

 In May of 2010, the head of the Matamoros plaza, Alberto CastilloFlores, alias "El Beto Fabe", was executed by the Gulf Cartel on treason charges and replaced by Jose Luis Zuñiga-Hernandez, alias "El Whicho"/code name "XW", a close associate of "El Coss" who had been head of the plaza of El Control.  While unspecified, I believe it was around June that Mario Armando Ramírez Treviño, alias "El Pelón"/code name "X-20", was reassigned from Río Bravo to Ciudad Victoria (it should be noted that X-# was a designation for a group of confidants of "El Coss").  Meanwhile, a nephew of "Tony Tormenta, Rafael Cárdenas Vela, alias "El Junior"/code name "900", was reassigned from San Fernando, where he was head of plaza for around ten years, to the plaza of Río Bravo.

In November 2010 "Tony Tormenta" was killed in Matamoros during a shootout with Mexican military forces.  Among those also killed along with him was the head Los Escorpiones, an operative group of "Tony Tormenta", and several of its members.  It was strongly rumored that the location of "Tony Tormenta" was given to the military by "El Coss", who sought to seize sole leadership of the Gulf Cartel.

The War of "El Junior Cárdenas" 

Beyond the rumors of "El Coss" having a hand in the death of "Tony Tormenta", "El Junior" grew   He felt that he was not receiving as much help as lieutenants directly associated with "El Coss".  Apparently "El Junior" discussed this issue with Samuel Flores Borrego, alias "El Metro 3", the head of the Reynosa plaza, who felt the same way about "El Coss" and a plan was formed to take the Matamoros plaza from the previously mentioned "XW".

increasingly upset with "El Coss" for other reasons as well.

It is my theory that around this time "El Junior" began recruiting individuals in Río Bravo for his own personal group called Los Ciclónes de 900, which is generally shortened as Los Ciclónes, to achieve his goals.  In March 2011 the plan was enacted and "El Junior" moved to Matamoros, where he declared himself head of plaza, leading to direct confrontation with "XW" and his associates, who used the code names of "XW-#".  I tentatively believe that Los Ciclónes expanded by absorbing members of Los Escopriones and Grupo Alfa at this time, though this possibly occurred while "El Junior" was in Río Bravo or, alternatively, at a later time.

Regardless, with "El Junior" in Matamoros, "XW" returned to his previous position of head of the plaza of El Control.  Meanwhile, "El Coss" named another close associate of his, Juan Roberto Rincón Rincón, alias "El Primo"/code name "X-5", to head the vacated plaza of Río Bravo and in time "El Junior" and allies would fight against him as well.

Despite the information indicating that "El Metro 3" largely agreed with "El Junior", there is no evidence that he provided any type of support during the confrontations with "XW" and allies.  Nevertheless, "El Metro 3" was killed on September 2, 2011, allegedly by Juan Reyes Mejía González, alias "El Quique"/code name "R1", who was acting on orders from "El Coss".  One of the explanations why this occurred is that "El Coss" was angry that "El Metro 3" refused to go along with a plan to unite the Gulf Cartel with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Regardless, immediately thereafter, "El Coss" transferred "X-20" to Reynosa to take over as head of plaza.  It appears that soon after taking over in Reynosa, "X-20" linked up with Héctor Delgado Santiago, alias "El Metro 4", who was seen internally by Los Metros (the group which "El Metro 3" led) as the successor of "El Metro 3".  Together, they decided to join with "El Junior" in an effort to completely push "El Coss" and his allies out of the Tamaulipas border. 

As the confrontations increased, on October 19 "El Junior" was arrested in Texas, where he had been hiding from "XW" since July.  The following week, "XW" and "X-5" were arrested in Texas, where they had fled to during a gun battle in which forces from Reynosa attacked them in Río Bravo. 

The Division of the Gulf Cartel

Thereafter, the fighting waned and Los Panteras, an operative group of confidants of "X-20", took control of Río Bravo.  Juan Manuel Rodríguez García, alias "Juan Perros"/code name "Pantera 11" was named head of plaza in Río Bravo and it is possible, but unconfirmed, that around this time Carlos González Escobar, alias "Carlitos Whiskies"/code name "Pantera 7" was named head of plaza in Nuevo Progreso.

It appears that the participation of "X-20" and his allies against "El Coss" was the reason for a major turning point in the Gulf Cartel: they began working independently from the rest of the Gulf Cartel and became known collectively as Los Metros.  Apparently this faction of the Gulf Cartel was made up of the true Los Metros of "El Metro 3", Los Panteras, and Los Deltas, who were based out of Valadeces.

Though there is some uncertainty due to poor documentation in this time period, it appears that the rest of the Gulf Cartel either adopted the name Los Rojos or, at the very least, was identified as such by outsiders.  On May 10, 2012, an interview with a former member of the Gulf Cartel began circulating online.  If it is to be believed, by this time it appears the previous conflicts had been forgiven and Los Ciclónes (loyal to the Cárdenas family, which at this time was represented by the previously mentioned Homero Cárdenas Guillén and his brother, Mario Alberto Cárdenas Guillén, alias "M-1")were part of Los Rojos and aligned with "El Coss", along with Los Kalimanes, Los Alacranes, Grupo XW, Los R's, and Los X's.

Yet Los Rojos would soon suffer major setbacks.  On September 4, 2012, "El M-1" was arrested, and on September 12, 2012, "El Coss" was arrested.  If the interview is to be believed, I assume it was this point that Los Rojos ceased to exist and from it, two factions emerged: Matamoros, under the leadership of Homero Cárdenas Guillén, to which Los Ciclónes were loyal to, and the CDG del Sur faction based out of Tampico.  Alternatively, it is possible that the war of "El Junior" caused irreconcilable differences and these factions emerged then, with the CDG del Sur being allies of "El Coss" and Matamoros being allies of the Cárdenas family.

"El Niño"

In focusing on Río Bravo, another important development took that September.  On the 24th, Adrián González Martínez, alias "El Niño"/code name "Ciclón 9" was arrested in Río Bravo.  He was described in news reports as a direct subordinate of "X-20" and head of plaza in Control, Empalme,

and Progreso. 

This information is hard to place in our framework.  One might conclude that "El Niño" became head of the Control plaza at some point following the arrest of "XW", possibly directly afterwards.  Likewise, it could be concluded that "Carlitos Whiskies" was not head of the Progreso plaza prior to this and only took over following the arrest of "El Niño". 

The difficult part is his alleged relation to "X-20", which would make him part of the Los Metros faction.  It is possible that this was an error in reporting and he was a member of Los Rojos instead (the fact that he was arrested in Río Bravo would at first glance support that he was part of Los Metros, as there is multiple lines of information indicating that the plaza was lead by "Juan Perros" at this time, but the fact that Los Ciclónes seems to have originated in Río Bravo makes it possible that he had strong ties to the city and he may have even been born there). 

However, if the information is accurate, then there are a few alternative conclusions: the interview was wrong and Los Ciclónes were part of Los Metros at this time, not Los Rojos; following the arrest of "El Junior", Los Ciclónes were not unified, some were part of Los Metros while others were part of Los Rojos; or there was not a clear wall between Los Metros and Los Rojos, Los Ciclónes operated in territories controlled by each faction.

The Fall of "X-20" and Los Panteras

Regardless, it is certain that changes began to take place in Río Bravo with the August 17, 2013 arrest of "X-20".  There was a question of who would succeed him as leader of Los Metros ("El Metro 4" would have been a likely choice, but apparently died around January 15), but in the end, "Juan Perros" won out.  At that point, a brother-in-law of "Juan Perros", Miguel Angel Alemán Salinas, alias "El Alemán"/code name "Pantera 12", took his place as head of the plaza of Río Bravo and Los Panteras continued to dominate.

Things began to take a major shift with the arrest of "Juan Perros" on May 25, 2014.  There is some information that indicates that "El Alemán" the became leader of Los Metros, but it is far from certain.  Regardless, he was arrested on July 16 and his second in command, an individual known as "El Flako" took over as head of the Río Bravo plaza.

However, it was the beginning of the end for Los Panteras.  On July 22, a member of Los Panteras who was second in command to "Carlitos Whiskies" was killed by federal forces in Nuevo Progreso.  Two days later, there were online reports that people from Matamoros (although not specifically mentioned, circumstantial evidence is that it was Los Ciclónes) went to Río Bravo to kill members of Los Panteras and apparently they managed to kill "El Flako" and someone known as "El Paramédico". 

It was later said online the leadership had completely changed in Río Bravo as "Carlitos Whiskies", "Gama 1", "Pantera 9" and others had fled on July 26, fearing that they too would be killed.  By July 31, Nuevo Progreso had a new head of plaza, "El Camarón", also known by the code name "Ciclón 80" (on October 25 he was killed in a shootout with the military and I am not aware who is currently in charge there).  As for Ciudad Río Bravo, nothing was specifically reported, but the logical conclusion would be that Los Ciclónes installed their own head of plaza there.

Theories on the Emergence of a New War

It was on September 27 that I first read that Juan Francisco Carrizales, alias "El 98", was head of the plaza of Río Bravo for Los Metros (it is possible that he had come to power there prior to this, but this is the earliest I have found documentation).  Because of this, it could be concluded that Matamoros managed to drive out Los Panteras from Nuevo Progreso and Ciudad Río Bravo, but Los Metros regrouped and managed to retake Ciudad Río Bravo. 

However, circumstantial evidence increasingly supports an alternate explanation: the attacks against Los Panteras were not an act of war against Los Metros, rather, it was something that was agreed upon.  In this theory, Los Metros may or may not have provided physical support, but the end result was that the municipality of Río Bravo would be shared by Los Metros and Matamoros, with both sides having people operating there.

Moving forward with this theory, the arrangement was severely tested on December 16, when the previously mentioned "El Niño" was killed inside a penitentiary in Reynosa, with rumors indicating he was soon to be released.  That night, Los Ciclónes of Matamoros mounted an attack on Río Bravo, apparently against "El 98", who was rumored to have ordered the killing. 

"El 98" was already in the cross-hairs, multiple reports blamed him for thefts and extortions in Río Bravo, which, under the theory of a shared plaza, would pose a risk against the interests of Matamoros as well if the plaza heated up too much.  Nevertheless, war did not start then; apparently cooler heads prevailed and though a major conflict was averted, tensions developed. 

Online criticism of "El 98" would continue and, in time, Sergio Velázquez, alias "El Gafe", too became the target of online reports.  "El Gafe", once a bodyguard for "El Metro 4", by then was one of the most powerful members of Los Metros, and possibly their leader.  My working theory is that "El Gafe" himself was the one who approved of Matamoros running out Los Panteras and was also the one who was able to prevent a war from starting with the death of "El Niño".  In both cases, it would be likely that "El Gafe" negotiated directly with Ángel Eduardo Prado Rodríguez, alias "El Orejón"/code name "Ciclón 7", reportedly the current head of the Matamoros plaza.

Continuing with my working theory, on January 27, 2015, a picture of "El Gafe" was posted online along with derogatory information.  Up until this time, much about "El Gafe" was shaded in mystery.  I believe that this absolutely infuriated "El Gafe", who sought to find out the source of the posts and felt that it was done by the Matamoros faction. 

Reading between the lines, individuals from the Matamoros faction tried to calm things down, in part by stating that he and the "true Metros" had their respect and that they only had a problem with "El 98".  Then on February 1 the real name of "El Gafe" was revealed.  That same night, "Ciclón 4" was apparently executed by "El 98" in Río Bravo.  He may have been the head of plaza on behalf of Matamoros there.  Regardless, it was the straw that broke the camel's back and thus, that very night violence erupted in northern Tamaulipas and a new war emerged.

Mexican Political Family's Close Ties to PRI Party and Prime real estate in the U.S.

February 11, 2015, 9:58 am

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Lucio republished from NYT  By LOUISE STORY and ALEJANDRA XANIC von BERTRAB

 

José Murat Casab, left, a former governor of Oaxaca and an influential member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Members of his immediate family have bought at least six properties in the United States, records and interviews show.Credit Said Hernandez/Revistatucan.com 

In the fall of 2013, one of Mexico’s top housing officials posted an item on Twitter about an advertising campaign promoting mortgages for low-income Mexicans. The campaign’s message was simple: “The most important thing in life is in your house.”

It carried the tag line, “Homes with value.”

The official, Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, knows something about homes with value, especially across the border.

The windshield of a minivan after a reported assassination attempt 

against José Murat in 2004.Credit Jorge Luis Plata/European Pressphoto Agency

Over the years, he and members of his immediate family — starting with his father, José Murat Casab, a former governor of Oaxaca — have bought at least six properties in the United States, including two condominiums near a ski resort in Utah, another at the beach in South Texas and at least one in Manhattan, according to records and interviews. In New York, José Murat’s children have also lived for periods of time in one of the more modest condos at the luxurious Time Warner Center overlooking Central Park.

Alejandro Murat’s wife, Ivette Morán, purchased a condominium at 40 West 55th St., left, for $1.18 million,

 property records show. Mr. Murat says the condo is owned by his uncle, José Hinojosa.

 

Ownership of the homes was often obscured through variations on family names listed on deeds or through shell companies, according to records examined by The New York Times. In fact, on the day the younger Mr. Murat tweeted about the housing program, public filings in Florida recorded the transfer of a $750,000 Boca Raton condo that had been purchased in his wife’s name to an entity called IMRO 2013 Trust.

The Murats’ real estate holdings stand in contrast to the Everyman image that José Murat, renowned for his political might and booming personality, worked to project as governor.

“I arrived to the state government with my wife, Lupita, and my four children,” he said a year before his term ended in 2004. “And I’m leaving as I arrived, with the same trousers, with the same shoes, with the same shirts and the same car.”

The Murat properties, which emerged during a Times investigation into the people behind shell companies that own condominiums at the Time Warner Center, have not been the subject of any official inquiry and there is no evidence of any wrongdoing behind the purchases. But the private assets of Mexico’s public officials have come under intense focus recently with a fresh round of revelations and protests centered on the country’s endemic corruption. 

Last fall, a scandal erupted over reports that a government contractor had built a multimillion-dollar home for the wife of Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto. While Mr. Peña Nieto’s wife, Angélica Rivera, said she was paying for it with money she earned as a soap opera star, she also revealed she owned a condo in Florida. Around the same time, Mr. Peña Nieto disclosed his own $3.3 million in real estate, jewelry, art and other investments. Last week, he said a new federal comptroller would examine purchases by him and his wife of homes in Mexico.

And in December, an official at Infonavit, the housing agency run by Alejandro Murat, resigned after a photo of his son with a Porsche was posted on social media, setting off a furor and prompting federal inquiries. The official said the posting was a joke and the car did not belong to his family.

These revelations added to the already widespread anger over accusations that corrupt police officers were involved in the abduction and presumed murder last year of 43 college students by a drug cartel. As demonstrations spread, Mr. Peña Nieto was reeling. His Institutional Revolutionary Party, the PRI, had ruled the country for seven decades until 2000, and he had pledged to erase its legacy of corruption when he took office more than two years ago.

Continue reading full article by linking here

Shootings Reorganize the CAF

February 11, 2015, 12:20 pm

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a ZetatijuanaSpecial Report by Otis B Fly-Wheel

The restructure of the Arellano Felix Cartel and its dispute with the people of the Sinaloa Cartel for certain plazas; the betrayals inside the cells with hit men looking to raise the ranks, and debts for drugs seized to independent traffickers.

They are the causes of assassinations and gun battles in Tijuana, according to analysis of the Authorities and of Alejandro Lares Valladares, Secretary of Public Security in Tijuana.

Zeta Investigations

What is happening? asks the Secretary of Public Security for Tijuana, Alejandro Lares Valladares, in relation to the resurgence of criminals with rifles, and of battles in public areas in the middle of the day, the functionary said.

He spoke with intent about the criminals of the Arellano Felix Cartel (CAF) reorganizing, with a confrontation between them and the Sinaloa Cartel, and of social decomposition.

Also in his charge is the area of intelligence and of the Special Operations Group (GOES) Carlos Gomez, Lares Valladares explains that the head of the CAF detained and freed have returned to their illicit activities. He gave some names, Manuel Lopez Nunez "El Balas", the ex-Ministry Enrique Jorquera Guerrero, Pedro Quintero Velazquez "El 5-8", "El Jaguar", alias "Pedro", and Juan Lorenzo Cargas Gallardo, who is good in areas of intelligence , and so will be at the head of restructuring.

He also mentioned of confrontations with the Sinaloa Cartel, headed by "El Chapito Trejo", who operates with Dailia Rodelo"La Prima" and Julian Lopez "El Chino", "El Elias", "El Cabezon" and "Clave Marlon" alias "Alejo". He insists that the brothers Alfonso and Rene Arzarte, continue giving instructions from some point in Sinaloa.

What is happening repeats Lares? and replies:

"That now its very easy for the people to go out and kills somebody, its social decay. What happened with the death of the woman, her stepson under the influence of Crystal meth asks her for money, when it was not given, he attacked and killed her, these events occurred in the Linda Vista colonia on September 11th 2014."

"Its social decay its living and is derived from the drug trade in Crystal Meth."

In respect of the resurgence in rifles, a recent case was heard, on 12th of December 2014 when two AR 15 rifles were used when a group of men tried to kill another man in the parking lot of Carl's Jnr fast food restaurant in Soler. This man himself had been in a previous shoot out, which occurred on 29th November, in the interior of the Restaurant Cabanna, in an exclusive area of La Mesa delegation.

Rifles have always been in Tijuana, that is very clear, recognized Lares, but if we see a chronology there has always been rifles. There is the confiscation of weapons from State Police at Altabrisa. On December 21st 2014, PEP said two rifles and 352 rounds of ammunition were recovered from a house.

He said "Recently we have detected on facebook, arms for sale, pistols for 500 pesos."

Also they who carried rifles in the streets, they were imprisoned CAF members, are now free, said Carlos Gomez responding to the Secretary of Security.

Lately on the other side, is the Sinaloa Cartel, who have the rifles to stop those who are trying to rise in the ranks.

For the Authorities, until now the difference with the worst years of insecurity in Tijuana, is that Rifles they have, but they are lacking in equipment. They carry magazines with only 10-15 rounds in, they are searching for the cohesion to become a more effective team.

Before we saw former Police Officers, in the videos we see now they are tattooed hit men, exposed the authorities. In terms of attacks in public places and central locations, the opinion of the Police is that they happen because the criminals start to hang around in these areas, where there are many Forces Patrols, thinking that their enemies will not dare to try and kill them there, but they do come and attack them and manage to flee.

The resurgence of the Arellano Felix Cartel

Completing the phrase, Lares and Gomez detail:

"If there exists a reorganization  or an intent to reorganize the Arellano Felix Cartel, as it has always existed.... wanting to carry this out, are the men they are releasing from prisons."

"They are free, but to do what? Nothing? some of them stay straight for a while, like Manuel Lopez Nunez "Don Balas", who was a business man but returned to drug related activities.

But they say that all of the ex prisoners affect insecurity, the CAF had 2,694 who were imprisoned for theft or violence in Tijuana in 2014 have been released.

"Is it a fight between those of the CAF who have left prison and the Sinaloans?" asked Zeta

"For us yes"

"In all of the city?"

In certain zones where they are reorganizing, if you review the clashes, they are in the areas that were formerly controlled by CAF: Playas, Soler, La Cacho. In all these places we have to accept their intent to reorganization, because they are leaving prison and do not know how to do anything else than to be a criminal.

As an example:"Only 5-8 (Pedro Quintero Velazquez) has 14 or 15 properties in Rosarito, people come from San Luis to sell them, we have just detained one of his accomplices. Speaking of him, they have no arrest warrant and he is a fundamental part of the CAF, he has been working with many people from "Los Surenos" and "Paisas", ex convicts from the prisons in California.


We had a well founded fear, that the CAF will recruit from deportees as cheap labor, if you look at the majority of the arrested, or those captured in video images, they have gang tattoos, you check with the United States and they have been imprisoned for murder, robbery with violence, drugs, and do not know how to do anything else, all the tattooed people are not given jobs here.

Some of the ex prisoners who are CAF members that are causing problems of insecurity and gun battles are:

Juan Lorenzo Gallardo "El Chan", detained in December of 2010, freed in august 2014.

Manuel Lopez Nunez "El Balas" captured in September of 2008, and given freedom in November of 2011.

Pedro Quintero Velazquez "El 5-8", "El Jaguar", alias "Pedro", apprehended in September of 2012, freed, recaptured 25th August 2013 and freed the following day.

"El Chan"carries the baton, "El Balas" left long ago, he was an entrepreneur, but rejoined the organisation, Jorquera is already active with them, "El 5-8" was in San Luis, but has already returned.

Subalterns are identified by the alias "El Gros", "El Alejo", "Pit Junior" and "Giovanni", also known as "El Sotol".

What are you doing in this regard?

We are locating them, to make structures and stop them.

As regards the structure of the Sinaloa Cartel, headed by the brothers Alfonso and Rene Arzate "Los Aquiles". In Otay there is a mentor, Elias, all of the detained say that he is the voice of Sinaloa, "El Cabezon" in the east zone, "El Alejo" and "El Chapito Trejo", who has control of them all, the people of this group want it this way according to the testimony of the detained.

Betrayals and debts as reasons for killing

Consulting both Alejandro Lares Valledares, like Carlos Gomez, and the assistant attorney general for State Public Security Jose Maria Gonzalez Martinez agree that, if they are to be arrested and not receive any help from their criminal bosses, the dealers refuse to keep selling and in some cases change their cell phones, and this almost always ends in an assassination. In some cases even the refusal to keep selling is enough to get them killed.

"We have seen cases about, where distributors , intending to kill dealers because they believe the dealers were contemplating leaving, or they get shot because they were going to change their mobile phones, or they set them up so their competitors kill them", said Gonzalez Martinez.

"Also there are cases of people who are dedicated to crossing drugs into the United States, but something went wrong and the load was seized, if they cannot pay, they get killed", argued Gomez.

Other have personal vendettas between drug dealers, with access to guns and drugs. The municipal Police gave an account of a shooting that occurred on the Tuesday 27th of January, the injured man was Sanchez toboada, they said that people identified as "El Perro" and "El Chito", met the injured man and shot him because "El Perro" was told that the man had slept with his wife who was also a drug dealer.

Another example is the homicide of Jonathan de Jesus Barraza Izaguirre, his corpse was found located on the 8th of January, on the federal highway of Cuota Playas, with gunshot wound in his chest. Eduardo Llamas was wounded n the same location. The investigation lead to the capture of Hector Hugo Fregoso Ornelas "El Chemo", a drug dealer of crystal meth, who declared that he killed Barraza because Barazza wanted to expand his zone, and he had received orders to kill Barazza from his boss, known as "El Unico, already nobody enters his territory without his permission. They deceived them by telling them that were allowed to sell drugs and were being shown their territory.

Also the case of Cesar Hernandez Aguilar, "El Tartamundo" who on January 23rd 2014 killed Francisco Javier Aguilar Robledo by shooting him in the chest several times, he was a drug sales boss , but when he was detained by the Police his boss would not pay his bail, he refused to keep selling, which led to his death.

In a likewise manner, are the small shop drug dealers said the Attorney General for Tijuana Gilberto Cota Alanis, when they are attacked they do not want to give information on their attackers, or why they were attacked, and they never want to give statements.


Less murders

Regarding the gun battles and the homicides, the State Attorney General, Jose Maria Gonzalez Martinez, stated that 2015 had started with a reduction.

We mentioned that there is a decrease that is not historical, for the better rate. In January 2012 there were 43 homicides, 42 were committed in 2013, with 47 in 2014, and this year by January 2015 we have 28, he said.

In all of Baja California there have been 41 culpable homicides, 27 in Tijuana, 10 in Mexicali, two in Rosarito, two en Ensensada and none in Tecate, according to the official figures of the PGJE.

In terms of statistics, in January of 2014, there were 1.2 homicides per day, meanwhile in January of 2015 there had been an average of 1.4 homicides per day.

I know they killed a man in a cafe in the colonia Cacho, then a double homicide in Tijuana made too much noise, but in general the numbers are down.

"I saw it coming, and admit the table has to be swept clean, said Gonzalez Martinez in reference to the captures made by the Federal Police of Alfonso Lira "El Atlante" and Luis Mendoza Uriate "El Guero Chompas," but specifically to combat that which is deemed narco trafficking in the terms of the PGJE."

"We are not going to see the end of narco trafficking, possibly we can forge ahead to decrease what is visible, we went from people who operated in the shadows ten years ago, to people on the street selling product, for this reason we have increased to more than 500% in Police searches related to narco trafficking."

"We went from 12 raids throughout the state throughout 2013, to 88 searches in 2014" ( Otis: it could be a thousand raids, but if the targets of the raids are advised beforehand, the numbers don't matter).

In addition, we doubled the number of detainees recorded before judges in 2014 to 1,500 which is double the figure from the previous year, " you take them from circulation and the figures reduce," said the state official.

"On this subject we have been clear in hitting all the drug selling groups, I told them don't ask me, make it clear to everyone we are coming, because we have found colonias where neither the Municipal Police or the PEP are made available to anyone, there are colonias where they never see a mobile patrol, but here their instruction is not to give information about future searches so they investigate do their job and inform us."

"I am very interested in hitting the people of "El Aquiles", of "El Atlante", that to me is the best cure. Historically we see that, you never hit so and so or that location."

"Its clear that we come from incredible passivity previously on the part of the police, with search warrants month to month only amounting to 90 per year. Now the PGR have released all the dealers in the past year, they were left with 60 percent of the cases, we ordered six secretaries and they already arrived to help with administration."

In respect of the groups that are trafficking and killing, the Attorney General mentioned the usual suspects of "Los Arzarte", the people of Mendoza Uriarte, Don Cuco, the people of "El Atlante", and "El Chapito Trejo".

"Who and why are they killing?"

In general terms, narco trafficking continues in Tijuana. the difference in the wars for territory, is that there are many internal conflicts happening.

Jose Maria Gonzalez Martinez added the problem posed is that of the released. He remembers how in conversations before 2008, Raydel Lopez "El Muletas" and Filiberto Parra "La Perra", came and went from prison, the PGR data records possession of 30 wraps, a kilo of Marijuana, etc. and after release they staged one of the worst periods of insecurity in Tijuana. We process so many, but we must make sure not to grow these people into worse criminals, we have to take them out of circulation, he warned.

In this category the authorities consider are: Javier Hernandez Flores "El Javi" or "El Lentes", and Dalia Rodelo "La Prima", Julian Lopez "El Chino", they are sought for the homicide of the ex-director of the Municipal Institute of Sport, Arturo Hachadur Kaloyan, which occurred on the 16th of December 2013.

In respect of the constant release from prison of criminals, the Attorney General is limited to say, " its a question for the Courts, we do what is within our remit. But "El Javi" is the best example of what is happening at the moment, he has an outstanding arrest warrant for possession of weapons, but was set free."

The same occurs with other narco traffickers.

"It is not easy to convince the Judges of Criminal Courts, we process them for possession with intent to supply, where the intent to supply is considered a more serious crime, we show they have no work or other source of income, but the judges reduced his charge to possession. So we ask for bail in the region of 12,000 to 20,000 pesos, but the judges lower that to 3000 pesos, so along comes a relative and pays the sum, and they are at liberty" again concluded Jose Maria Gonzalez Martinez.

Original special report in Spanish at Zetatijuana

Morelos tops the list of most violent states-Guerrero most in homicides with Sinaloa in second place

February 11, 2015, 7:44 pm

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Lucio source material from Reforma, and Proceso

Note:  Keep in mind these ratios are from “official” numbers, which are notoriously low balled, but the report gives good indication of   which cities  are experiencing the greatest criminal activity.  Also, victims injured and later die of their injuries are seldom moved to the homicide count.–lucio-

The state of Morelos emerged as the entity with the highest rate of violence in the country, according to the latest report of the Citizen Council for Security and Criminal Justice AC. 

The study is based on complete figures of previous investigations initiated last year by prosecutors of common law.

The allocation of points is reported by type of crime, per 100,000 inhabitants.

Of 100 possible points, Morelos is located with 34.05 points six measurable crimes. Guerrero followed with 32.89 points and 32.37 points Baja California.

The score of Morelos is almost twice that of the national average, the national average is 18.84 points, but of the 32 states, 12 have an index of violence above the national average.

Homicide, Guerrero leads the pact

By type of crime, Guerrero in 2014 had the highest homicide rate in the country: 43.67 per 100,000 inhabitants. The rate is three times higher than the national average (13.31).

Sinaloa ranks second national position with 34.61 intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants 

Chihuahua ranks third with 30.67; 12 states have homicide rates above the national.

Tamaulipas has the highest kidnapping rate

Tamaulipas had the highest rate of kidnapping in the country (7.53 kidnappings per 100,000 inhabitants), a rate six times higher than the national average (1.19). 

Morelos is second national position with 6.22 kidnappings per 100,000 inhabitants

Tabasco third with 4.23

Quintana Roo highest in rape

Quintana Roo had the highest rate of rape in the country, 28.56 per 100,000 inhabitants, three times the national average of 10.75. 

Morelos ranks second with 23.78

Chihuahua is third with 23.33.

Assaults, The State of Mexico tops the list

As for the offense of injury, the State of Mexico had the highest rate at 235.40 per 100 thousand inhabitants, almost twice higher than the national average of 125.89. 

Second place went to Guanajuato with 218.72 intentional injuries per 100 000

Baja California third with 213.52.

Robbery; Tabasco leads

In robbery crimes, Tabasco is ranked first with 422.64 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants, which is almost three times the national average, which is 155.96. 

Morelos is second national position with 405.50 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants

and Baja California's third with 306.26. 

Extortion, once again Morelos is the leader

Morelos also won as the entity with the highest rate of extortion in the country, 19.30 per 100,000 inhabitants, same as four times the national average of 4.91. 

Quintana Roo took second place with 15.97 extortion per 100 thousand inhabitants 

 Jalisco at third with 8.61 

Cuernavaca, the most violent municipality replaces Acapulco

For municipalities, Cuernavaca, Morelos, bumped the list topper of last year, Acapulco, Guerrero, as the most violent city in the nation. 

 

Of 100 possible points, Cuernavaca has 62.19.

The study measures 223 municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants.

According to the study, the score obtained in 2014 Cuernavaca is three times that calculated for the whole country, which is 18.84. 

The violence in the municipality moved from first to Acapulco in 2014 ranked second with 55.54 points in total.

This is followed by:

Chilpancingo, Guerrero also with 49.83 points; 

Oaxaca, Oaxaca, with 45.08 points

Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, with 42.91.

Three high violence municipalities of the State of Mexico: 

Tlalnepantla de Baz, with 42.58 points;

Ecatepec de Morelos, with 41.78 points

Naucalpan with 40.42 points.

Culiacán, Sinaloa, came in ninth place with 38.84 points, 


and tenth is Hidalgo de Parral with 36.80.

Homicide ;  Acapulco is a staggering 69.60 of 100,000 inhabitants  

While the total number of crimes positioned  Cuernavaca at first, Guerrero led in  the highest number of homicides. 

For the third year Acapulco, is the municipality of 100,000 or more inhabitants with the highest homicide rate in the country (69.60), which is five times the national (13.31). 

Chilpancingo (Guerrero) occupied the second position with a national rate of 62.95 

El Fuerte (Sinaloa) third with a rate of 55.17.

Of the 20 municipalities with the highest rates of homicides:

Five  cities are located in the state of Guerrero, 

Four cities in Sinaloa 

Three in Michoacán

 73 of the 223 municipalities have a rate higher than the national homicide.

No surprise here, Tamaulipas has the highest rate of kidnappings

El Mante, Tamaulipas is the municipality with the highest rate of kidnappings in the country (21.05 per 100,000 inhabitants), 18 times the national (1.19). 

Second is Victoria (Tamaulipas) with a rate of 16.81 

Placing third is Chilpancingo (Guerrero) with a rate of 13.27.

Of the 20 municipalities with the highest rates of kidnappings, 

Six cities were Tamaulipas

Morelos and five 

Veracruz has four of the cities. 

In addition 60 of the 223 municipalities kidnapping rates above the national.

Rape:  Quintana Roo tops the list

As for the crime of rape, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, is in the municipality of the popular tourist destination of Playa del Carmen.  The state has a very low crime rate even when compared to the U.S., however with respect to the crime of rape, it comes in with the highest rate; 48.78 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is almost five times the national (10.75).

The second place is Cuernavaca with 46.82 

Benito Juarez, Cancun, Quintana Roo, third with a rate of 40.04.

Among 20 municipalities with the highest rates of rape;

Four cities are in Hidalgo

Three in Chihuahua

Three in Morelos

Two in Quintana Roo

Two in Chiapas 

101 of the 223 municipalities recorded rape rates higher than the national.

Assaults  

    

Regarding the crime of assaults and injuries, Kanasín, Yucatán, was in 2014 the municipality with the highest rate with 621.40 per 100 thousand inhabitants, five times the national average of 125.89. 

The second position corresponded to Oaxaca, Oaxaca, with a rate of 568.24 

And third Acuña, Coahuila, with a 479.44.

Among the 20 municipalities with the highest rates of assault and malicious wounding;

12 in the State of Mexico 

3 in Guanajuato

97 of the 223 municipalities have rates of strokes and above the national malicious wounding rate

Morelos has the highest rate of robbery

Cuernavaca, Morelos, has the highest rate of robbery: mil144.12 per 100 thousand inhabitants, which is seven times the national 155.96. 

Cuauhtemoc Mexico City ranks second nationally with 683.06 points

 and the municipality of Centro, Tabasco, ranks third with 630.61.

Of the 20 municipalities with the highest rates of robbery; 

Six are in the State of Mexico, four at the Federal District

Three in Puebla and Morelos

 82 of the 223 municipalities have rates of robbery with violence than the national.

Extortion

As for the crime of extortion, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, is the municipality with the highest rate with 61.68 per 100,000 inhabitants, it is 12 times the national 4.91. 

Cuernavaca is second with a rate of 52.64 

Cuautla third with a rate of 33.13.

Two municipalities of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas  and two of Quintana Roo are among the 20 municipalities with the highest rates of extortion, and 102 of the 223 municipalities have rates higher than the national extortion. 

Over all cities with the highest criminality

In 2014 Morelos had the highest rate of violence among the 32 states of the country in 2014 with 34.05 points. 

Guerrero was second with 32.89 points 

Baja California in third with 32.37 points.

The homicide ratio of Morelos is almost twice that of the national average, which is 18.84 points.

Of the 32 states, 12 have an index of violence above the national average.

Of the 20 municipalities with the highest rate of violence five are located in the State of Mexico and the states of: Morelos, Guerrero and Baja California each have three municipalities within that ranking. 

The municipalities of the following cities that were in the 2013 twenty most violence cities list and no longer on the list:

 Chalco (Mexico), Cuautitlan (Mexico),

Jiutepec (Morelos),

Nuevo Laredo (Tamaulipas),

San Pedro (Coahuila)

Torreón (Coahuila) 

Replacing those cities in 2014 are:

Centro (Tabasco),

Cuauhtémoc (Distrito Federal),

Cuautla (Morelos),

Mexicali (Baja California),

Texcoco (Mexico)

Tijuana (Baja California)  

Tlalnepantla Baz (Mexico)

The figures from the Citizen Council for Security and Criminal Justice AC were published in January 2015 by the National System of Public Security, and correspond to data reported by prosecutors and/or general prosecutor of justice in each of the 32 states.

Son of Osiel Cardenas pleads guilty in Texas Federal Court

February 12, 2015, 9:43 am

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Lucio republished from My San Antonio

BROWNSVILLE — The son of infamous Mexican drug lord Osiel Cardenas pleaded guilty Wednesday to attempting to slip military-grade ammunition past U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Brownsville and into Matamoros, Mexico.

Osiel Cardenas Jr., 23, also known as “Mini Osiel,” pleaded guilty in federal court to trying to export on December 31, 2014, several hundred rounds of of rifle bullets to Mexico in a black 2015 Cadillac Escalade, including 290 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 161 rounds of .223mm ammunition.

In addition, authorities found 29 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and a pair of .233mm rifle magazines, which are designated as defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List. Cardenas Jr. also had more than 14 grams of marijuana hidden in his underwear.

Ammunition and firearms are highly valued by organized crime groups, but mostly illegal for citizens in Mexico to possess. Texas, with its many gun stores, has proved a source of illegal weapons funneled to Mexico.

Cardenas Jr., who is a U.S. citizen, had pleaded not guilty last week. He made no comments Wednesday during the proceeding before U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen. His sentencing is scheduled for May at which time he faces up to 10 years in prison.

His father, Osiel Cardenas Guillen, 47, was convicted in 2009 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges and was the former leader of the Gulf Cartel.

Financial Officer of Los Zetas Captured in Nuevo Laredo

February 12, 2015, 10:51 am

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Proceso article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

Federal Forces detained Humberto Dominguez Lara, presumed financial operator for the Cartel of Los Zetas in the states of Nuevo Leon, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas and Coahuila.

Dominguez Lara in detention

The detention happened this Tuesday past in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas in an operation in which elements of the Army, the PGR, and the Federal Police participated.

In a communication, the Federal Governments Security Cabinet said that Dominquez Lara paid members of his criminal group and acted as responsible for the management of economics, resources, and proceeds of illicit activities.

In addition to the arrest of Dominguez Lara, his aide Daniel Lopez Lozano was arrested, and in both cases it was not necessary for the forces to discharge their weapons, according to a statement.



During his detention the forces secured, 20 kilos of Marijuana, two pistols, a fragmentation grenade, $174,000, and a vehicle.

The detained and the secured objects were put at the disposition of SEIDO of the PGR.

Original article in Spanish at Proceso

32 accused in gold for cash scheme to launder Chapo's drug profits

February 12, 2015, 5:43 pm

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Lucio, republished from  ICE and DOJ agencies 

32 defendants face federal or state charges in Illinois alleging laundering more than $100 million in drug proceeds through cash-for-gold scheme

The  full 313  page indictment on second age of this post

CHICAGO — Thirty-one defendants face federal money laundering charges for their roles in a conspiracy that allegedly laundered more than $100 million in drug proceeds for the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel in a cash-for-gold scheme; one other defendant faces state money laundering charges in DuPage County, Illinois.

The federal charges, contained in a criminal complaint, stem from a multi-year money laundering and drug trafficking investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), together with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Agents this week seized 12 firearms while arresting 12 of the federal defendants. Ten of those defendants were arrested in the Chicago area; two were arrested in Kentucky and Georgia. Four federal defendants, including two of the alleged conspiracy leaders, were already in state or federal custody. Fifteen defendants are fugitives, and several may be in Mexico. Agents also arrested the defendant facing state charges.

Prior to this week’s arrests, in the course of the 3 ½-year investigation, agents seized more than $2.8 million in U.S. currency, 28 firearms, 42 kilograms of cocaine (92 pounds), more than two tons of marijuana, as well as large amounts of heroin and methamphetamine.

Thirty-one defendants were charged with conspiring to launder narcotics proceeds for the Sinaloa Cartel in a 311-page criminal complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court and unsealed Tuesday. The federal defendants arrested Feb. 10 in the Chicago area appeared Tuesday before Magistrate Judge Daniel Martin in U.S. District Court; eight remain in federal custody pending detention hearings scheduled for later this week.

Alleged conspiracy leaders Diego Pineda-Sanchez, 30, and Carlos Parra-Pedroza, 31, were arrested on related money laundering charges in September 2014 while visiting the United States from their native Guadalajara, Mexico. A federal grand jury charged both men by indictment in December 2014 with multiple counts of money laundering based on four of the 49 separate instances of money laundering noted in the complaint filed Monday. That case is currently before Judge Harry D. Leinenweber in U.S. District Court.

These charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon, Northern District of Illinois; with Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of HSI Chicago; James C. Lee, special agent in charge of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division; and Carl J. Vasilko, special agent in charge of ATF in Chicago. The following agencies also provided significant assistance in this investigation: Drug Enforcement Administration; Cook County Sheriff’s Office; DuPage County Sheriff’s Office; Chicago Police Department; Buffalo Grove Police Department; the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad, and the U.S. Marshals Service. This investigation was conducted under the umbrella of the U.S. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

“The drug trade is driven by money earned at the expense of countless devastated lives and ravaged communities,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon. “These charges reflect the tireless work of federal, state and local authorities to stop not only those individuals who make that destructive business possible, but profitable.”

“Chicago is a hub for narcotics money laundering, with dirty money changing hands all too often in public parking lots throughout the city and suburbs,” said Hartwig. “Criminals are turning to sophisticated trade-based schemes to launder their money and cover their tracks. But these arrests should serve as a stern warning to those doing business with drug traffickers — you will ultimately pay the price.”

Lee added, “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to fighting the war on drugs. IRS CI brings, and will continue to bring, its financial expertise to disrupt and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug trafficking organization.”

The complaint alleges that Pineda-Sanchez, Parra-Pedroza, and 29 associates laundered more than $100 million in drug proceeds since 2011 for the Sinaloa Cartel. The defendants’ money laundering activities on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel spanned throughout the Unites States, including; Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, California, Texas and North Carolina. Pineda-Sanchez and Parra-Pedroza are high-ranking Mexico-based money brokers who allegedly used a network of individuals in Chicago, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles to launder illicit drug proceeds through a gold-based scheme.

According to the complaint, Pineda-Sanchez, Parra-Pedroza and others routinely directed U.S.-based members of their organization to collect narcotics proceeds, then use this money to purchase scrap and fine gold from local businesses, and ship that gold to refineries based in Florida and California. The refineries in turn transmitted the cash value of the gold to Parra-Pedroza and other co-conspirators in Mexico.

As part of the undercover law enforcement operation, HSI Chicago collected more than $4.5 million in drug proceeds from 38 different money couriers on 49 occasions between June 2013 and August 2014.

The complaint details several instances in which Parra-Pedroza warned a confidential informant, who was working with law enforcement, of the dangers of losing drug money entrusted to the organization. In one such instance, Parra-Pedroza told the informant about unidentified Mexican associates who had coerced a man to accept responsibility for losing their drugs or money by “cut[ting] his fingers off.”

The money laundering complaint charges Pineda-Sanchez, Parra-Pedroza, and the following co-defendants with one count each of conspiring to commit money laundering:

    Jose Abel Mendoza-Parra, 22, Maria Loera-Alvarado, 36, Alma Lorena Ortiz de Rosas Vera, 38, Luis Armando Acosta-Vizcarra, 43, and Teodocio Caro, 54, of Mexico;

    Juan Carlos Nunez-Galvez, Gabriel Salcedo, 53, Jose Hernandez-Ochoa, 28, and Jose Sanantonio, 28, of Berwyn, Illinois;

    Mario Herrera, Pedro Saucedo-Palominos, 42, Casmiro Isias-Padilla, 37, Efren Mota, 48, Tomas Salgado-Reyna, 30, Federico Barrera-Perez, 45, Omar Lopez-Cabrera, 32, and Joel Estrada, 27, of Chicago;

• ·         Luis Reyna-Tellez, 19, and Hector Chavez-Cuevas, 36, of Cicero, Illinois;
• ·         Ernesto Ruiz-Ramirez, 25, of Joliet, Illinois;
• ·         Valentin Rodriguez, 37, of Markham, Illinois;
• ·         Harranah Samori, 42, of Matteson, Illinois;
• ·         Oscar Acosta, 36, Melrose Park, Illinois;
• ·         Emmanuel Diaz, 28, of Naperville, Illinois; Anthony Leiva, 53;
• ·         Alfonso Nevarez, 40, of Northlake, Illinois;
• ·         Felix Lemus-Guevara, 29, of Georgia;
• ·         Virgil Durbin, 47, of Kentucky;
• ·         Pedro Urquiza-Osorio, 53, of Texas; and
• ·         Oscar Montes-Lamas (deceased).

Jaime Cabadas-Barajas, 30, of Chicago, faces one count of state money laundering charges in DuPage County.

If convicted, the defendants charged with federal money laundering face a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $500,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the charged offense.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter M. Flanagan and Ryan P. Fayhee, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Minnie D. Yuen.

The public is reminded that complaints contain charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

   SInaloa Cartel Gold for Cash Money Laundering Scheme 32 defendants-Chivis Martinez

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Legislators call for investigation of ex-governor of Oaxaca Murat for misusing public funds

February 13, 2015, 7:23 pm

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José Murat Casab (Illustration by Michael Hoeweler )

 Borderland Beat posted by DD. Material republished from TheNewsMx.
DD Note: Some members of the Mexican Congress must either read the New York Times or Borderland Beat.  Tue. Feb10 The Times  as part of  series of investigative reports about corruption called "The Towers of Secrecy", published a story entitled "Mexican Political Family Has Close Ties to Ruling Party, and Homes in the U.S.".  The next day, Wed. Feb11, Borderland Beat reporter Lucio posted the Times story here on Borderland Beat. Today the President of the Senate called for an inquiry into ex-Governor Murat and opposition members were asking why they had to read about the potential scandal in the newspapers and why Mexican intelligence agencies had not discovered the millions of dollars of condos apparently acquired  while a public servant.

MEXICO CITY – Authorities must investigate former governor of Oaxaca, José Murat Casab, for potential misuse of public funds to buy six apartments in New York City through “front” companies, Senate President Miguel Barbosa Huerta ruled Monday.

Deputies from the National Action Party (PAN) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) also demanded an investigation into the origins of Murat’s fortune, while the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) came to his defense, saying he should have the opportunity to explain his situation.

Although there is still no formal national anti-corruption system, there is a legal framework which allows for the establishment of guilt in such cases, said Barbosa Huerta.

 There is no new national anti-corruption system, but there are existing laws and the legal framework which allows us to apportion blame against any public servant who has diverted public resources for personal gain. That is the current law, and it is sufficient to prosecute any public servant,” he said.

PAN spokesman Juan Pablo Adame Alemán, and his counterpart in the PRD, Miguel Alonso Raya, said in separate interviews that this is a matter which should be investigated by the new secretary of public service, Virgilio Andrade.

Virgilio Andrade with his close friend Enrique Pena Nieto

Virgilio Andrade must review the legality of the funds and the buying of said properties, because, if he is guilty of a crime, Murat should receive the full punishment of the law, said Adame.

Row House Mx.City Murat lived in when elected to office

NYTimes identified condos with ties to Murat  near or fronting Central Park, NY City

The PRD’s Miguel Alonso questioned the work of Mexican intelligence agencies, saying that U.S. newspapers should not have found out about the corruption before the Treasury Intelligence Unit.

Tamaulipas: total six dead in 24 hours

February 14, 2015, 9:24 am

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Borderland Beat posted by DD republished from ElDiario de Coahuila

Friday, February 13, 2015

Three suspects were today killed in a shootout against federal forces in the city of Rio Bravo. With this added the total killed in less than 24 hours in Tamaulipas was six.

.

The Coordination Group Tamaulipas, revealed that the suspects who have not yet been identified, were killed in two different events on Friday February 13. The attacks against federal forces in Rio Bravo have been constant.

 

The first incident occurred at 01:33 hours on Avenida Francisco I. Madero with Gap 108, where elements of the Federal Police were carrying out patrols and ran into a Chevrolet Silverado, without license plates and whose crew started attack them with firearms.

 

The federal police repelled the attack and killed two of the suspects, whose ages ranged from 25-30 years. From inside the van two rifles, supplied chargers and cartridges of various calibers ensured.

 

The second incident occurred at 02:15 hours in Guanajuato Avenue near the corner of Maple Street, Ribera del Bravo colony where Tamaulipas state police forces were attacked by armed civilians who were traveling aboard a vehicle without license plates Volkswagen Jetta Sport circulation.

 To repel the aggression they shot dead a suspect who were between 18-20 years old. Inside the vehicle a rifle, a handgun, one fragmentation Granada three chargers supplied nine strikes out-wheels and a cell phone said.

 

Note that just yesterday, members of the Secretariat of National Defense were attacked by a group of armed civilians clash that also left a balance of three suspected criminals killed.

The clandestine flights of "El Chapo"

February 16, 2015, 11:49 am

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Zeta tijuana Special Report by Otis B Fly-Wheel

Zeta Investigations.

A judge of the twelfth district granted a formal injunction against the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, "El Chapo" Guzman, for flying and landing an aircraft clandestinely in Baja California Sur in 2012. The indictment does not specify if the aerial activities were criminal in nature.

An alleged prostitute claims that Guzman commanded her to be flown to a villa in Punta Ballena, in exchange for sexual favors he paid for her to have liposuction at a hospital in Guadalajara. On at least two occasions the drug dealer was present in the same location.

In 2012 when the G-20 summit was held in Los Cabos, Joaquin Guzman Loera "El Chapo", landed in Baja California Sur. With information from the DEA from the United States of America, Federal Police carried out an operation to capture him on that occasion, but he got away.

In this case, they found only the prostitute by herself, which the capo would meet on the beaches of Baja California Sur.

Because of this operation, an investigation was launched which later led to the capture of the Sinaloan Capo in February of 2014, in June of this year, his detention was decreed with a formal arrest warrant for the crime of clandestine flights, and providing the means for an aircraft to take off and land clandestinely.

However in the First Unitary Court of the 12 Circuit, Judge Sergio Antonio Alvarez granted an amparo to the drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to reverse the order of detention that was processed in a Court of Law in Baja California Sur, for his alleged responsibility for the operation of clandestine flights, facts derived from the escape from Los Cabos in February 2012.

The granting of the amparo is not to release him, but to restore the judicial procedure, so that wrongful conduct is punishable. The authorities have to prove that the clandestine flights had as their objectives illicit activities, an essential element they failed to analyse before the Judge of the Unitary Court of the 26th District, and a Judge of the Second District of Baja California Sur, both resident in the city of La Paz at the time of processing the capo.

So the Baja California Sur Court must leave the Court Order and issue a new resolution, that proves or not that the reasons for the flights were for illicit purposes.

The ruling of the amparo will be notified via warrant in the next hours to Joaquin Achivaldo Guzman Loera, who for almost a year has been held at the Centre for Social Rehabilitation No.1 Altiplano, in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico State.

The Visits of El Chapo to BCS

At midday on 15th February 2012, service personnel from the Cabo golf course, reported to the Navy of Los Cabos, a clandestine landing of small single engine plane, which was white with blue stripes.

The Aircraft landed in the area of a stream which lies parallel to the paved road that leads to the substation of the Federal Electricity Commission. The site adjoins the Canon del Tiro golf course, located at kilometre 19.5 of the transpeninsular highway, section San Jose de el Cabo, Cabo San Lucas.

Witnesses testified that the plane landed from North to South on a dirt road on the area of the stream, where were waiting two Chevrolet Suburban vehicles of white and gray color near the road. There were people moving in the vicinity of the plane and vehicles and after a few minutes the vehicles sped off toward the highway, while the plane took off towards the North.

The witnesses could not identify any of the people, make out vehicle registration numbers or if a load was transferred as the suspect were at a great distance.

After advising the authorities, a group of about 20 Navy personnel with a Naval Officer, were seen on the dirt road adjacent to the golf course. At the site were three wheel tracks of tires of the type used on planes which showed the exact landing, turning, and take off.

Authorities gathered the testimony of private security agents and their supervisor, trainers and professionals of the golf course, maintenance workers and other witnesses, of both Administratix Cabo Real, and Questro Security Group. But the identity of the passengers and crew were not identified, all that could be proved was the existence of the fact of the clandestine flight landing and take off.

To avoid future use of the clandestine landing strip, the marines destroyed it.

Unsuccessful Hunting

In the following days, and coinciding with a visit from the ex first lady of the United States, Hillary Clinton, it transpired that the event of the clandestine flight was linked to the presence of drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in the area of Los Cabos, specifically in the area of Punta Ballena.

The information was already in the possession of the Marina, but the office of the PGR received an anonymous call on the 21st of February 2012 of a complaint indicating that a villa in Cabo San Lucas, where suspicious movements of armed men and Surburban cars were observed, possibly it was where Guzman was hiding.

The PGR, through SEIDO ordered a deployment of Federal Agents up to the peninsula. More than a hundred Agents arrived at an ostentatious residence, where after breaking into the site the authorities arrested two men and two women. They were a driver, gardener, cook and another woman. Chapo was not there, he had left a few minutes earlier.

At the site the Agents secured, two Chevrolet Surburbans colored white and gray, one Nissan Quest vehicle, a carbine rifle in 5.56 calibre, a 40 mm grenade launcher, three grenades for the launcher, seven Blackberrys, eight Nokia cell phones, a portable computer from Sony, and a plastic bag with 100 grammes of the drug Ice.

The detainees were the pilot Angel Jorge Lopez Urias, and his co pilot Omar Hinojosa Villegas, the Sinaloan cook Maria Luisa Macias Amarillas, and a young woman named Agustina, presumably a casual partner of the narco trafficker Guzman Loera, and provisionally a man who attended to the garden. The pilot Angel Lopez had a criminal record since 2009, when he was apprehended in possession of 20,000 dollars apparently from criminal activities. The charges were not successful and the money was returned to Lopez in 2010.

From Pilot to errand boy

Omar Hinojosa said that the firearms and grenades discovered in the house, in a bedroom, must belong to "El Chapo" and that he was unaware of their existence. A professional Pilot, Hinojosa said he was Co-Pilot to Angel Lopez, he stated that their roles were carrying of food and running errands for the owner of the house, a property that was commissioned by El Chapo.

The witness said that in December 2011 a lease had been signed with an option to buy for 350,000 dollars. With plans for its final acquisition in the amount of 1 million dollars, the arrested would take a commission when the sale of the residence was concluded.

Hinojosa said that his friend Lopez Urias asked him to get a place to land in Los Cabos, so he agreed, and located the ideal place between San Jose Del Cabo, and Cabo San Lucas, a kilometre towards the hill where the Hilton Hotel is located on the transpeninsular highway. He said that when they received their passenger on the plane for take off, a Cessna 206, he realized that the passenger was the drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera together with a bodyguard.

Hinojosa Villegas made the airstrip towards the rented house. He says the capo and his bodyguard stayed for a week and a half then flew back in the same aircraft. He added that for making the landing strip he received 50,000 pesos, when his guests returned two weeks later he received another bonus of 50,000 pesos.

Joaquin Archivaldo and his secretary always carried three cases, without knowing the contents, the Pilot presumed that they kept the firearms and grenades in them. About the cook that was detained with him, it turned out that she had been hired two days earlier from the Plaza Puerto Paraiso in Cabo San Lucas and her only function there was to prepare food.

The detainee said that he had picked her up at the airport of San Jose Del Cabo on the instructions of his Pilot friend and took her to the house, where she stayed for approximately one week and was apparently she was the girlfriend of El Chapo Guzman. About the gardener, he added that he had always worked at the house, and was paid a salary of 2,500 pesos a month. His job entailed cleaning the garden, and to fumigate the house inside and outside.

In addition to the 100,000 pesos which the Co-Pilot received as a reward, they gave him 5-10,000 pesos in cash to purchase food and supply gasoline for the two surburban vans. One white and one gold colored, models 2007 or 2008. He noted that the white van was only used to move El Chapo Guzman and the other for running errands.

The payment of a liposuction

The villa at Punta Ballena consists of two levels, with an eye catching façade in salmon color, with a black door and perimeter garden. It has a red tile roof and a carport for two vehicles. At the bottom of the construction can be seen a dome with a sort of bell tower, highlighting the exterior formed from rustic style stone.

There are four bedrooms, the main is on the second floor, where Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera stayed. The other three were on the ground floor. Guzman's bedroom had exercise equipment bought from El Sams club. Any guests were confined to their rooms when staying at the house, except Guzman and the woman who was collected from the airport, Guzman's bodyguard stayed on the ground floor. The witness was required to stay at the house occasionally and did so on the ground floor, where the person spent their time internet surfing and checking email.

Agustina the mysterious woman with the amorous connection with the Sinaloan narco trafficker, said that in January of 2012, she met a boy when she was with some friends in "Kuwa" nightclub located on the La Isla, Culiacan, and she told him of her intention to have liposuction to reshape her body. The boy said that he lived with someone who would pay for the operation.

The next day the surgery was quoted at 50,000 pesos, and was performed on the 24th January in a luxurious hospital in Guadalajara, where Augustina spent several days recovering from the operation. Agustina added that all the time she was in contact with an intermediary of the operation, and who advised her that in February she would be pay back her mystery benefactor.

 The man she met at the bar, took her to a runway in Mazatlan, where she boarded a private plane and was blindfolded until they reached their destination which was Cabo San Lucas. They took her to a house where she stayed for a week waiting to meet her mystery benefactor, when he did arrive at midnight, he entered her bedroom, took off her blindfold and kissed her.

Agustina now knew that the benefactor was "El Chapo", he asked about her health since the operation, she answered that she was well, Guzman asked her if she was ready to have sex, she replied yes, but after a while of chatting, Guzman said that he would meet her again in a few days. The witness said he could hear them touching, but that the man left and Agustina went to sleep, and slept until midday the next day.

He went to the ground floor for breakfast, then the Federal Agents stormed the property and arrested everyone there, but Guzman was not present he had escaped.

The Crime of clandestine flights and landings

The penalties for criminal activities using or allowing the use of an Aerodrome, Airports, Heliports, Runways or any other facility for air transit that are owned or under the responsibility of their care. Sentence shall be imprisonment of two to six years, fines, and confiscation of any equipment, objects or products of criminal activity. If the facility is clandestine the penalty shall increase by 50%.

The same penalties will be applied to those who make clandestine flights, or provide the means to facilitate the landing or take off of aircraft, or those who refuel or maintain the aircraft used in the above mentioned activities. If the criminal activities mentioned above are related to offenses against health, Jail and fines will be doubled.

Those that build, condition or put into operation buildings and facilities referred to above, without having the observed award, notice, or permission notice contained in the respective legislation, shall be sentenced to three to eight years in prison, and fines.

The sanctions provided for in this article shall be imposed without prejudice to the measures required by general law of means of communication and of the penalties that apply, where appropriate for other crimes.

Original Article in Spanish at Zetatijuana

Found dead the presumed leader of the Sinaloa Cartel in Chihuahua

February 16, 2015, 12:00 pm

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Proceso article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

The Location of the corpse of Froilan Mata Sarmiento "El Nan"

The presumed leader of the Sinaloa Cartel in the Center South Zone of Chihuahua, Froilan Mata Sarmiento "El Nan", was found dead near a highway breach, that goes to San de Diego de Alcala.

The discovery of the body was made on local media communication this past Saturday 7th of February, but the posting was removed due to threats made by strangers to the poster. At that time the body had not been identified.

According to the portal radiza.com, the body had been transferred to a regional hospital, to establish the cause of death through autopsy.

The central prosecutors office confirmed the discovery of the body but did not know the identity of the victim.

Froilan Mata, 35 years of age, had been reported missing since 4th of February. His body was found on the night of 6th, with puncture wounds the apparent cause of death.

According to the official version of events, anonymous callers alerted the Ministerial Police that there was a body, in a highway breach, around Kilometer 11 of Federal Highway 4.

Mata Sarimiento was the owner of five clubs in the city of Delights, among them La Revancha, El Foro, and Sport. Sport is a unique establishment in its area, as it has authorization to close at 5 am, even though the law establishes that in the state business can only open until 2 am.

According to spokesman for the State and Municipal Authorities, "El Nan", replaced his boss Juan Carlos Lopez Lopez, who was apprehended in June of last year, as a boss of a cell of Gente Nueva, operators of the Sinaloa Cartel in the region.

Original article in Spanish at Proceso



62 Caballeros Templarios Properties Seized bringing total seized to 161

February 16, 2015, 2:38 pm

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Lucio for Borderland Beat material from Excelsior and TresPuntoCero

Authorities seized 62 Michoacán properties belonging to member of Caballeros Templarios cartel operating in the coastal region of the state, in the municipalities of Aquila and Coahuayana.

Included in the seizure where 4 hotels,  3 beach front tourist resorts, three large ranches, a banana orchard, two gas stations, cattle, were among several homes and luxury residences, complete with swimming pools, secret compartments and exits.

Some of the owners named; Antonio Mendoza Campos, Enrique Mendoza Campos, Federico González Medina, Carmelo Núñez Vargas,  Jesús Cruz Virrueta and Víctor Lucas Rivera.

According to data collected by Michoacán TresPuntoCero to date a total of 161 properties have been seized from members of the Templarios, among them leaders: Nazario Moreno González, Enrique Plancarte Solis, Francisco Núñez Galeana and Servando Gómez Martínez .

“El Barbarino” Killed in Culiacán

February 16, 2015, 7:13 pm

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Lucio Borderland Beat with material from Rio Doce and  El Debate

Francisco Aceves Uriah, alias "El Barbarino" was identified as a subject gunned down Monday in the city of Culiacan.

Aceves was a famous old school sicario, of the Sinaloa cartel and close friend of Joaquin Guzman Loera, alias "El Chapo" Guzman and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. 

Aceves, 55, had his residence in municipality Mocorito, in the central area of the State of Sinaloa. "El Barbarino" was fired upon at 12:50 hours in the parking Cayenna restaurant, located on the Francisco Labastida Ochoa Boulevard, in the Tres Ríos Urban Project, northern Culiacán.

The victim arrived on the scene with his family aboard a silver Nissan Tiida vehicle bearing Guanajuato state license plates DRZ-1308.The family entered the restaurant and at which time Aceves Uriah parked the car and spotted the gunmen, Realizing what was about to happen, he exited the vehicle  and attempted to flee, only managing a couple of yards before gunmen open fire killing Aceves in his tracks.

At the scene police found more than 30 spent 9MM and AK47 shell casings.

In 1993,  the  Procuraduría General de Justicia of Sinaloa, accused Aceves of leading a command that assassinated the  sub director of the Municipal Police of Culiacán, Ramón Eduardo Verástica Valenzuela.

The fallen police chief had struck hard against cartels, with arrests, destruction of marijuana plants, and taking down so called safe houses.

No one has been brought to justice in the case.

Aceves worked under the direction of ‘El Chapo’, and the corrido below, ‘Regalo Caro’, was composed in honor of El Barbarino’.

La lealtad de un pistolero

se le aplaude y se le admira,

por que son hombres completos

no se andan con la mentira

y traen en su intinerario

a los que traen en la mira.

Cuando cumple años el jefe

siempre salen los regalos,

unos le traen cementales,

otros traen carros del año

unos arriesgan su vida

y el regalo sale caro.

Se dio cuenta Barbarino

de un acerrimo enemigo

era el que mas estorbaba

y el emprendio su camino

iba a rifarse su suerte

al buscar aquel bandido.

Tu le estorbas a mi jefe

y matarte lo he planeado

toda la gente del Shaka

donde quiera te ha buscado

esta vez vengo por ti

tu eres mi regalo caro.

Se agarraron a balazos

Barbarino tuvo suerte

en la frente del bandido

se le dibujo la muerte

y lo subio a su marquiz

para llevarserlo al jefe.

No tengo mucho dinero

para regalarle un carro

disculpeme usted señor

estos presentes son caros

abra la cajuela jefe

este es mi humilde regalo.

Mexican drug cartels recruit thousands of students in Texas to traffic drugs and arms

February 17, 2015, 12:00 pm

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Sinembargo article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

The Mexican drug cartels have managed to recruit thousands of youngsters, in primary, secondary and preparatory schools in Texas, to form gangs under their control, in order to strengthen the flow of narcotic drugs to all of the United States.

This is clear from a National Gang Report from 2014, released by the Department of Public Safety for the State. In Texas there are about 100,000 Gang members and in El Paso approximately 5,600, distributed among 307 criminal organisations, according to information.

In accordance with the document "Texas Gang Threat Assessment", the Cartels of Sinaloa, Juarez, del Golfo, and Los Zetas, recruit students using the internet and prisoners to become involved in illicit activities.

The gang members, who are supporting any of the Cartels, receive orders to locate children, who accept money, fame, women and drugs in exchange for activities related to drug trafficking, human trafficking or sexual trafficking.



According to information in the report, the ease of recruitment is great, because when one of these youngsters are detained, they can easily be replaced, and will continue to bolster gang numbers inside prison, once convicted.

In the document, they identify the Barrio Azteca gang, La Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos, and the Latin Kings, that serve the Juarez Cartel, headed by Vincente Carillo Fuentes until his detention on 9th October 2014.

In the case of the Sinaloa Cartel, the report identifies Tango Blast, Latin Kings, the Mexican Mafia and Los Surenos 13. The last in the list are considered the second most dangerous organisation in El Paso. The number one spot being attributed to Barrio Azteca.

Once students are recruited, they are put to work carrying out the following activities, sale of drugs, sale of weapons, collection of money, transit of drugs, murder, extortion, kidnapping or theft of vehicles, later to be sent to Juarez and used in violent crimes.

A unique series of events positioned the Sureno 13 gang as one of the most viable criminal gangs in El Paso, Texas. A review of events leading up to this, identifies three reasons how a gang based in California, is now one of the most influential in El Paso, and the implications for Texas in the future, said the text.

Adding that this movement had been a process over years, and that already members of said organisation has had time to relocate to other locations. As well as the gangs mentioned, others exist in different states of the country, and also have relations with Mexican Cartels.

Among them are Barrio Locos 13, Vista Home Boys, United Blood Nation, Brown Pride, Border Brothers, East Side Bloods, East Side Locos, Gangster Crips, and others.

One of the most important detentions of gang members in El Paso, happened last year, where authorities of the DEA, FBI and other diverse agencies, achieved the capture of 35, the majority of which were members of Barrio Azteca, who had formed a Bi-National network of heroin traffickers.

The members of this gang, known only as "Aztecas" in Juarez, were accused of racketeering under the RICO act.

Diverse Crimes

The report states that the gangs operate under the arm of the Mexican Cartels, they have been instructed to expand their illegal activities to include sexual trafficking and illegal alien smuggling.

The gangs most involved in these types of crimes are, Tango Blast, the Mexican Mafia, the Bloods, the Crips, and Barrio Azteca.

Some of these groups of organised criminals in Texas, regularly support the operations of the Cartels in human contraband, facilitating the transport of groups of illegal aliens, to cross the frontier between Juarez and El Paso.

One of the cases revealed the participation of members of the organised crime group of Charles Marquez alias "El Puerkote" the leader of a sexual trafficking network in El Paso.

Marquez was arrested in 2012 and declared himself innocent, but was found culpable of seven charges that included sexual trafficking of minors, conspiracy to force or seduce undocumented immigrants to engage in sexual activities, as well as importation of illegal immigrants.

The prosecution said that Marquez recruited the women, through classified ads in Juarez Newspapers, who were then forced into prostitution with customers in hotels in the city and state of New Mexico.

Also it was said of Marquez that he the women including minors that he recruited, were kidnapped  with ransom demands of £200 per person.

Original article in Spanish at Sinembargo

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CDG and its Different Factions

February 17, 2015, 3:03 pm

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Valor por Tamaulipas article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

The CDG and its distinct active factions.

CDG group operatives.

Group Lacoste

Dragones - take order from "La Sheyla", D70, D80 and D36 they dispute Tampico against Los Fresitas

Nitros - Operative group under orders of Commander Many, Nitro 22 and Nitro 8 in San Fernando

Bravos - Operative group under orders of Kaliman 24, and Kaliman 17 in Tampico.

Panteras - Operative group and the most trusted of Mario Pelon X 20, commanders pantera 11 Juan Perros Jr, pantera 12 Commander Aleman, pantera 16 Jefe Viento, pantera 53 Whica.



Jaguares - Group under the orders of X 20, halcones in Rio Bravo, and personal bodyguards.

Alphas - Operative group in Matamoros, some Alfas work with Los Ciclones.

Jimmys - Like the name says the commanding founder and free boss of operations in Altamira Jimmy or El Paisano, his second in command is El Chive, together with J18 El Chiskis and J15.

Metros - One of the first trusted group of Osiel, noted members include Don Goyo "El M2", Samuel Flores M3 of Reynosa, M4 Hector Delgado Santiago, the second generation of noted members include, M32 Salinas, M103 Panochas, M70 Panillo, M24 El Simple or Wero Cumbias, M88 Manuelito, M20 El Tampico, M 60 Polimenso, M23 El Gato.

X Gente - with the trust of Costilla (El Coss), noted are X2 commander Rayo, X20 Mario Pelon, X56 la Chabela ( brother of Jimmy ), X15 Commander Guerra, X5, X81 Many, X70, X29.

Tigres - Operative group under orders of El Tigre ( Kaliman 12 ) in Tampico, Tigre 19

Kalimanes - Operative group with the trust of commander Sierra in the south zone, notables are K14, and K12

Fresitas - Operative group under orders of El Chive (J2).

XW - People of commander XW or El Wicha

Ceros - Support group operationally under command of commander Cortez C1 and C2 Jnr Cortez, who is now dead.

Sierra - Immediate reaction force under commander Sierra in Tampico

Ciclones - Under the command of Ciclone 7 in Matamoros, and his commander/founder JR or 900, C70

L - This group was under orders of El Karis, hermano of Don Goyo M2, noted in this group are L98 Juan Carrizalez.

Original article in Spanish at Valor por Tamaulipas

Link to BB reporter Itzli in depth article on CDG

Refined oil halted through pipelines, as Pemex concedes to narco oil theft

February 18, 2015, 3:47 pm

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Posted by Pepe republished from Proceso 

Announcement comes amid an annual increase of 70 percent in the number of illegal pipeline connections operated by organized crime 

 

"This is a great admission of vulnerability by Pemex," says George Baker, an industry analyst

In a bid to curb the theft of fuel through its pipeline network across the country, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) announced it will stop using the pipelines for the transportation of refined fuels.

"In order to strengthen security in the transport of fuels, Pemex will use its pipelines only for unrefined gas and diesel, which is unfit for use in vehicles and industrial plants," the oil giant said in a statement.

Henceforth, the final mixing of such products will be made directly at the 77 Pemex storage terminals in the country, prior to delivery to automotive vehicles and industry.

"Users are advised to ensure that the fuels they are buying are from Pemex terminals, and warned against buying gasoline and diesel from any other facilities or stations not part of the Pemex distribution system, warning such fuels can harm engines," the statement added.

It was also stated that customers should request proof of payment at the gas station.

Pemex has a network of 14,282 kilometers of oil and gas pipelines through which it now will only carry unrefined gasoline and diesel.

This change in strategy began in Tabasco, but the goal is to be applied gradually throughout the country.

Last year the oil company suffered loses from illegal extraction of fuels through 3,600 illegal taps.

Below is an excellent full length video byVice about fuel theft and its affect on Mexican society

Los Rojos manta about the 43 dissapeared students

February 19, 2015, 12:22 am

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Michoacán 3.0 article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

One of the Mantas hung in Morelos

Santiago Mazari Hernandez alias "El Carrete" marked for participation in the disappearance of the 43 Students of the normal rural of Ayotzinapa, blames the son of singer-songwriter from Guerrero Joan Sebastian.

Mantas were placed in several locations, all public places of the municipalities of Acatepec, Jojutla, Amacuzac, Tetecala, and Chautia, in Morelos, Mazari said these do not belong to Los Rojos, he also blames Federico Figueroa of having bought everything so that nothing goes out to the light.

The mantas were taken down by State Police, they also had a message for the parents of the disappeared students, where they exhort the parents not to believe what the Government says, and remove their blindfolds.



Felipe Rodriquez Salgado alias "El Cepillo", head of sicarios of Los Guerreros Unidos, declared before the PGR that on having interrogated a normalista he said that "El Carrete" of Los Rojos, ordered them to "equalize", who in turn had paid money to the Director of the Normal of Ayotzinapa.

This past 26th of September 2014, were disappeared 43 students of the Normal Rural of Ayotzinapa, according to the official version they were killed and burnt in the municipal dump of Cocula. The criminal organisations Los Rojos and Guerreros Unidos were supposedly involved.

The Mantas had the following text:
Don't believe the journalists, Normalistas are not created by the Government, don't be fooled in the first place, "El Carre" is not a Rojo and is unknown to the guy who paid to send the students, its a lie that it was Los Rojos.

I am free to talk with every one of the parents affected by the students, to take off their blindfolds, so they know the real truth that the Government is culpable for all the injustices in the states of Guerrero and Michoacán, I will continue fighting for the same cause, defending my state, helping the people and going to finish these injustices.

I ask on the contrary for your support so that we can put an end to what is happening to the family and the Government of Mexico. If the families really want to know, ask Federico Figueroa, who is an adviser put in front of some leaders and puppets to control public policy at his whim.

I care that the Government is not working in accordance with the Law and if it were just me Santiago Mazari Hernandez would clarify publicly all their doubts, but as with the Graco Government, everything is bought by Federico Figueroa

Original article in Spanish at Michoacán 3.0

United States applies sanctions to businessman linked to Sinaloa Cartel

February 19, 2015, 1:03 am

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Translated for Borderland Beat from a Proceso article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

Gastelum Serrano Drug Network

The Mexican businessman Fransico Javier Gastelum Serrano was designated a significant narco trafficker, by the Government of the United States, and they have applied sanctions against the business Andiamos Dalmine, with its base in Federal District.

Gastelum Serrano is accused of utilising his business and three subsidiaries to store narcotics and then export them to the United States for the Sinaloa Cartel.

"With these actions against Fransisco Javier and his company, we are once again acting against the Gastelum Serrano network, a powerful cocaine trafficking organisation, responsible to give support to the Sinaloa Cartel," it said in a communication from John E Smith, internal Director of the Office of Foregin Control (Ofac).



This past December, the Department of the Treasury announced as significant narco traffickers networked to the Sinaloa Cartel, the four brothers of Francisco Javier Gastelum Serrano: Cesar, Alfredo, Jaime and Guadelupe Candelario.

The Department of the Treasury maintains that Fransisco Javier provides criticial support in drug trafficking activities, including his brothers the most active of which is Cesar.

According to a supervisor in charge of narcotics, Fransisco Javier is responsible for managing money on behalf of his brothers, from the sale of drugs, underlined the Treasury Dept.

Regarding Andiamos Dalmine, Ofac has determined that Fransisco Javier has presided over this company since 2004, and that he is responsible for legal contracts for the company with the state of Jalisco.

With this measure, it is prohibited for any citizen or entity of the United States to have any relation with the accused, violation of this law involves sanctions.

Original article in Spanish at Proceso  by J.Jesus Esquivel

3 La Mochomera banners appear in Acapulco, Ex-Gro Governor bank accounts frozen "money laundering"

February 19, 2015, 9:37 am

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Lucio for Borderland Beat

As if Guerrero didn't have enough problems, three narco banners (mantas) were placed in various areas of Acapulco, one at a bridge in colonia  Benito Juarez, one on the bridge of colonia Garita, and the third on a bridge in colonia 20 de Noviembre.

The three banner messages are directed at entrepreneurs and local taxi drivers, ordering them to stop paying “piso” (narco tax/fee) to Victor Aguirre Garzon, the message is signed 'La Mochomera'“and El Jefe de Jefes” (the now deceased Arturo Beltran Leyva).

The message also declares Victor Aguirre Garzon,  alleged cousin of the now resigned governor Angel Aguirre Rivero, as being identified as one of the leaders of the Independent Cartel of Acapulco (ICAD). Aguirre Garzon  allegedly was instrumental, in the successful governorship campaign of the former governor.

 

According to the publication El Universal, Victor Aguirre was linked with Arturo Beltrán Leyva and is presumed to be an ally of ‘Los Guerreros Unidos’, drug traffickers who are  responsible for kidnappings and extortion in Guerrero.

The former governor received other bad news today, the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), through the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), asked the Attorney General's Office to freeze the bank accounts of  the former Governor, Angel Aguirre Rivero, on suspicion of money laundering.