Borderland Beat

"MX" for Borderland Beat

A Chinese national pleaded guilty to laundering more than US$4 million in drug proceeds from a large-scale cocaine scheme in the United States yesterday. Xueyong Wu, 40, forged relationships with Latin American drug trafficking organizations and helped them launder their money in the U.S.

According to an indictment issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Xueyong Wu (also known by his alias "Antonio") was involved in cocaine trafficking from 2015 to 2020. The conspiracy included players from Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Belize, China and the U.S.

He was also charged with money laundering, specifically with conducting financial transactions that purposely intended to disguise the illegal origin of the proceeds. His drug trafficking charges were dropped after Xueyong Wu agree to plea guilty to money laundering.

Much of this money was repatriated to Mexico through a complex series of international financial transactions. Wu received a percentage of the money involved in these transactions as compensation for organizing these laundering activities. Much of this money was generated through movement of cocaine or payment for cocaine that took place within the Eastern District of Virginia.

Wu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on September 29. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

On January 17 of this year, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an annual domestic media briefing. At the meeting, Cui Aimin, Director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said would ensure that Chinese national arrested abroad receive humanitarian treatment and a fair trail. However, he emphasized that they would not protect the criminal acts done by Chinese citizens abroad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they strongly support other countries who seriously investigate Chinese national committing law violations abroad. They said they actively cooperate with domestic authorities to strengthen cross-border law enforcement and judicial cooperation to help combat illegal activities.

Xueyong Wu is not the first Chinese national to be linked to Mexican drug cartels. Zhenli Ye Gon was a Chinese-born businessman who worked in Mexico and was suspected of providing Chinese chemicals to Mexican drug cartels and being involved in money laundering since 2005, as reported by Borderland Beat. He is currently imprisoned in Mexico.

Sources: USDOJ; Guancha

Xueyong Wu by MX on Scribd

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Pemex ex-chief Emilio Lozoya Austin is accused of accepting millions in bribes

Emilio Lozoya Austin, the former chief of Mexico's state oil company Pemex, has agreed to stop his extradition fight and cooperate with authorities to return to Mexico. Lozoya was arrested in February in Malaga, Spain, after Mexican authorities issued an international arrest warrant through the Interpol.

He is wanted on money laundering and bribery charges in Mexico following an investigation that showed he was received millions of dollars in bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht and for his alleged participation in the illegal sale-purchase of the Mexican fertilizer firm Agros Nitrogenados.

When the arrest warrants leaked, Lozoya fled Mexico. He remained a fugitive for eight months until he was captured in Spain. Lozoya said he would return to Mexico once his travel arrangements are scheduled.

Early life and career

Emilio Lozoya Austin was born in Chihuahua on 9 December 1974. After graduating from the Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) with degrees in Economics and Law, Lozoya went on to study public administration in Harvard University. Upon his return, he worked as a credit analyst for the Bank of Mexico, the country's central bank.

Lozoya was a close political ally of former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (right)

Lozoya ran Pemex from 2012 to 2016 and was one of closest political allies of former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. During his tenure in Pemex, he was awarded "Petroleum Executive of the Year" for playing a key role in Peña Nieto's historic energy reform, which poised to open up Mexico's oil sector to international investment. This corporation transformation had not been done since the Mexican oil sector was nationalized over 75 years ago.

Corruption case
In 2013, Lozoya was reportedly involved in the fraudulent sale-purchase of Agros Nitrogenados, a plant fertilizer firm and subsidiary of Altos Hornos de Mexico (AHMSA) in Veracruz. According to court documents, Lozoya agreed to purchase Agros Nitrogenados on an inflated price. Investigators also showed that Pemex did not do a fair bidding process or a competitive analysis to determine if Agro Nitrogenados was the best candidate for Pemex's new plant fertilizing efforts.

Agro Nitrogenados had incomplete, damaged and/or unusable fertilizer equipment; most of the machinery was over 30 years old and had not been used for at least 18 years. This in itself should have eliminated Agro Nitrogenados as an option for Pemex's plans. Lozoya bought Agro Nitrogenados for US$275 million.

Spanish officials take Lozoya into custody

In 2014, AHMSA paid millions in bribes to Odebrecht and one of its subsidiaries. The subsidiary acted as a shell company and part of the bribes were shared with Lozoya.

Authorities say that Lozoya allegedly accepted over US$10 million in bribes to allow Odebrecht to work on a Pemex refinery in the state of Hidalgo. Odebrecht later admitted to bribing over US$800 million to officials and businessmen across the Americas to secure lucrative contracts.

Lozoya has denied all the criminal accusations against him. His wife Marielle Helene Eckes is currently a fugitive and has her bank accounts frozen in Mexico. Investigators believe she may be hiding in Germany. Lozoya's sister Gilda Susana Lozoya Austin is also wanted.

Manhunt and arrest
In May 2019, Mexico issued an arrest warrant through the Interpol to capture Lozoya. They also issued arrest warrants to several of his relatives and business associates, and froze their bank accounts in Mexico.

Lozoya (middle) with his wife Marielle Hele Eckes (left) and his mother Gilda Margarita Austin y Solis (right)

Later that month, Spanish authorities arrested Alonso Ancira Elizondo, head of AHMSA and previous owner of Agros Nitrogenados, in Mallorca. On July 2019, Lozoya's mother Gilda Margarita Austin y Solís was arrested in Germany for her connection to the case. Lozoya, however, remained a fugitive for nearly eight months.

He was finally arrested in an upscale neighborhood in Malaga on February 2020. His arrest was described by the international press as a "high-profile win" in Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's fight against corruption.

Sources: LMT Online; Milenio; Infobae; Silla Rota; Mexico Daily News; NYT

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Arley Jesus Aguilar Salgado ("Marcos")

Baja California state authorities arrested Arley Jesus Aguilar Salgado ("Marcos"), a leader of the Ensenada-based criminal cell known as Los Venados, a subgroup of the Sinaloa Cartel. This man is under investigation for the 28 April 2020 murder of lawyer and anti-drug agent Hiram Rivera Lizarraga.

Los Venados are based in Isla de Cedros, an island off the Baja California coast in Ensenada Municipality. Los Venados are responsible for drug sales and drug trafficking, the smuggling of endemic flora, and for fighting a rival gang known as Los Querrerques as well as the Tijuana (CAF) and Jalisco New Generation Cartels (CJNG).

Aguilar-Salgado used the alias "Marcos" to avoid detection from the police. Investigators said that the detainee went to great measures to hide his identity and repeatedly changed his name. The police were able to identify him after he was issued a driver's license with his alias "Marcos". He had been using this alias since 23 August 2019.

The wave of violence in Ensenada has left at least five government agents killed in 2020. The first one killed was the municipal agent Juan Francisco Chávez Ibarra on March 9; followed by firefighter Héctor Murillo Dávila on April 13; the commander in the Valle de Guadalupe, Víctor Manuel Ruiz Ponce, on May 2; Rivera Lizárraga was killed on April 28; and Manuel Avendaño Rojas on May 22.

Murders in Ensenada are also in a record-high, as reported by Borderland Beat. According to National Guard figures, after Tijuana, Ensenada has the highest homicide rate in Baja California with 130 murders; 52 more than those presented in the same period in 2019. Borderland Beat reported earlier this year that port cities like Ensenada are major battlegrounds in Mexico's ongoing drug war.

Murder of Hiram Rivera Lizarraga

Those who knew Rivera Lizárraga remember him as an honest, humble and hard-working drug investigator. "He was a clean, dedicated and relentless", some of his colleagues told Zeta magazine reporters.

Lawyer and anti-drug agent Hiram Rivera Lizarraga

He was killed in front of his family on 28 April 2020, a few days after Ensenada lawyer Ruben Arenivar Garza was murdered, as reported by Borderland Beat. Gunmen pulled up next to Rivera Lizarraga's vehicle while he was parked outside his home. Seven shots were fired from close range.

In February 2020, state authorities told Zeta news magazine that Rivera Lizárraga and his family had received death threats from Los Venados. The clan is composed of three brothers: Germán, Jesús and César Ulises Villavicencio.

Both Los Venados and the CJNG wanted Rivera Lizárraga dead after he seized several properties they owned in the area. The death threats were considered serious, and Rivera Lizárraga was forced to leave Isla de Cerdos with other agents who were working with him on the case.

Rivera Lizárraga seized a drug house on 13 April 2020 in Ensenada and arrested drug dealers María de la Cruz Rosales Valdez (aged 69) and Luis Alberto Estrada Fuentes (aged 19) with 100 grams of marijuana and 97 grams of crystal meth. "There are unconfirmed rumors that someone in the State Prosecutor's Office – who was not Rivera Lizárraga – collected MXN$500 to release the detainees and reopen [drug house]," one state agent said.

Sequence of Rivera Lizárraga's murder, as captured by a surveillance camera

Rivera Lizárraga left to Nayarit with his family for two weeks but then returned to Ensenada and was killed. Rivera Lizárraga's colleagues later told Zeta reporters that he did not receive protection from the government despite these threats. "Let's see if [this murder] ... is an act of corruption by municipal police authorities", one investigator said.

Sources: Zeta Tijuana and Borderland Beat archives

"MX" for Borderland Beat; TY to "Itzli"

Armando Gómez Núñez

Mexican federal authorities announced on Monday that they arrested Armando Gómez Núñez ("Delta 1" AKA "El Máximo"), a suspected high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). He is believed to command Los Deltas, an assassin squad based in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

On 21 June 2020, authorities carried out a search inside a house in Jadines del Country, an upscale neighborhood in Guadalajara. The search warrant was authorized by a Mexico City judge specialized in investigation cases. Gómez Núñez was arrested at the house during a joint operation carried out by the Mexican Army, the National Guard (GN) the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and the National Intelligence Center (CNI).

At the scene, investigators seized two rifles, a pistol, ammunition, electronic devices, Mexican currency in cash, two vehicles, as well as various packages of cocaine totaling 519.9 grams (18.2 oz). The FGR informed that the district judge declared the detention of Gómez Núñez constitutional and charged him with drug trafficking and of violating Mexico's Federal Law of Firearms and Explosives.

Since the crimes fall under federal jurisdiction and are considered "serious" in nature, the judge ordered Gómez Núñez to be held without bond for three months while the prosecution continues to gather more evidences against him. He will be imprisoned at a separate facility inside the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 2 ("Puente Grande"), a maximum-security prison in Jalisco.

According to police reports, Los Deltas serves as an armed wing of the CJNG under Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho"). This subgroup was reportedly formed by Martin Arzola Ortega ("El 53"), one of the early members of the CJNG, who was killed in August 2019.

Several items were seized at the house where Delta 1 was hiding

During its initial formation, Los Deltas included hitmen recruited from Puerto Vallarta and southern Nayarit. They have committed a number of high-profile crimes, including the May 2018 assassination attempt against Luis Carlos Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco, former Attorney General of Jalisco.

It is worth mentioning that the CJNG garnered intentional headlines and reactions from the highest levels of the Mexican government after the assassination attempt against Mexico City's police chief Omar García Harfuch last week.

Sources: La Jornada; Infobae; Proceso; El Mural (subscription required)

"MX" for Borderland Beat

The seizure occurred at El Chaparral Port of Entry, south of San Ysidro

Two women from California were arrested on Saturday for attempting to smuggle over US$2.6 million in cash into Tijuana from San Ysidro. They are currently being investigated for their ties to organized crime groups in the area. The women went into Mexico driving their 2019 white Cherokee SUV with California license plates at around 10 p.m. local time.

Mexican border agents sent the two to secondary inspection after they drove through the "nothing to declare" lane. According to Isaias Bertin Sandoval, head of Baja California's secretary of federal public safety, the cash was found hidden inside the vehicle. Per Mexican federal law, anyone bringing more than US$10,000 in cash into Mexico must declare it to border inspectors.

Federal agents said that this cash seizure carried out by the Tax Administration System (SAT), the Mexican Army and the National Guard was "historic". On Monday, Special Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime Investigation (SEIDO) arrived in Tijuana to investigate the case.

News of the seizure was first reported by Agencia Fronteriza de Noticias, a border news outlet in Tijuana. They said that the women smuggled 13 packages filled with cash in several suitcases. There were 87 more packages hidden throughout the entire car. All of the currency was in U.S. dollars.

Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, the head of security research programs at the Center for U.S.-Mexican studies at UC San Diego, said that the drug trafficking organization involved in this cash smuggling scheme is not suffering financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Of all these organizations, some are in better places than others to manage crisis during a global pandemic. Clearly, that route doesn’t have liquidity issues," she said. Farfán-Méndez also said that she did not discard the possibility that U.S. authorities were involved in the seizure.

“Either you have the worst possible luck in the world or there was some info coming from the U.S. that ‘hey, this car may have bulk cash in it,’” said Farfán-Méndez.

In January, Mexican authorities seized US$500,000 in cash from a woman who was smuggling the currency into Tijuana from the Otay Port of Entry.

The two California women were not identified by press time. The Mexican justice system does not permit authorities from releasing the full names of the suspects or defendants in criminal trials. Moreover, they blur the eyes of suspects during their booking photos that are eventually released to the press. Their names will only be revealed if they are convicted of a crime. This is done with the intention of preserving presumption of innocence.

Background

According to Agencias Fronterizas Tijuana, the day the seizure was carried out, Baja California registered 11 homicides: 8 in Tijuana; 2 in Ensenada; and 1 in Tecate. The state government also issued 8 arrest warrants statewide against some of Baja California's most-wanted suspects.

In total, more than 1,300 homicides have been committed in Baja California during the first six months of the administration of Governor Jaime Bonilla Valdez. As reported by Borderland Beat, Tijuana is the city with the highest homicide rate. The rest of the homicides are spread out in other municipalities: Ensenada, Mexicali, Tecate and Rosarito. Authorities say the COVID-19 outbreak has not slowed down drug-related homicides.

Borderland Beat reported in May that Baja California governor Jaime Bonilla Valdez said that violence in his state was out of control. "We cannot control this situation. It has been a very bad start of the year. Although this is happening in other parts of Mexico, what worries us is Baja California", he said.

Since 2015, the state of Baja California has been a major battleground between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel. The local Tijuana Cartel (CAF) is reportedly backing the CJNG to fight Sinaloans in the area.

Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune; AFN Noticias (1); AFN Noticias (2); Borderland Beat archives

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Zhenli Ye Gon in 2007

Zhenli Ye Gon, a Chinese-Mexican businessman suspected of providing Chinese chemicals to Mexican drug cartels and being involved in money laundering since 2005, asked authorities at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 ("Altiplano") to provide him with "better" prison conditions.

He told a federal judge that he suffers from asthma and hypertension, and that he wants to live in the same prison unit with his cousin Ye Yong Qing, who is serving a 25-year sentence and does not speak Spanish. Ye Gon claims to have depression and that is he tired of being secluded from the rest of the inmate population.

Last week, Ye Gon told the same federal judge that he was subject to "discrimination" from prison authorities. Unlike other inmates, Ye Gon claimed that his cell was not cleaned up and sanitized as part of the COVID-19 pandemic measures.

He also said that it has been very difficult to communicate with his lawyer and that he suffers from physical and psychological torture. Prison authorities responded to the complaint by saying that Ye Gon had indeed received all the sanitary measures like the rest of the inmates.

Background

Ye Gon was born in China in January 31, 1963 and became a naturalized citizen in 2002 under the presidency of Vicente Fox. The President himself awarded him his citizenship status; at that time, the Mexican government thought that Ye Gon was a promising pharmaceutical investor and entrepreneur.

But Ye Gon was reportedly working as a chemical provider for Mexican drug cartels. He was suspected of importing chemicals from a Chinese firm and selling them to gangsters in Mexico to create crystal meth.

In 2007, Mexican federales busted his mansion in Lomas de Chapultepec, one of the most-exclusive neighborhoods in Mexico City. In his mansion they found US$205.6M dollars in cash pilled in several rooms. At the time, DEA agents stated that the money seized at Ye Gon’s mansion was the "biggest cash bust" seen anywhere in the world.

Part of the currency seized in Ye Gon's mansion (2007)

"I was not in Mexico when the events of this operation happened. At home I had cash, dollars, Mexican pesos, euros and other foreign currency," Ye Gon said in his defense.

He argued that all his assets were legal and that he had invoices with their corresponding import taxes to prove it. Ye Gon said that he kept his money in his house because he did not trust banks and because at that time he was not allowed to open a bank account using U.S. dollars. In the past, he told reporters that the money was going to be used to finance political campaigns in Mexico.

Ye Gon was in Las Vegas when his house was raided and denied any wrongdoing. Authorities found it suspicious that he spent millions of dollars in Las Vegas casinos, often in a single night. American prosecutors tried to frame him for importing crystal meth, but his charges were later dropped.

He remained in U.S. custody until 2016, when he was extradited to Mexico. He is currently imprisoned at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 ("Altiplano"), Mexico's maximum-security facility.

Charges in Mexico

After his extradition to Mexico, Ye Gon sent a letter to a journalist stating that there were US$275 million in his house when it was seized in 2007. However, he argued that the Attorney General's Office only declared that there were US$205.6 million dollars. Ye Gon said that Mexican authorities also seized more assets, included works of art, piano collections, exclusive wines and gold bars, which he claims were never reported.

U.S. visa issued to Ye Gon

The court stated that from February 16 to September 19, 2005, Ye Gon (as legal representative and shareholder of Unimed Pharm Chem México) received a US$9.4 million dollar transfer that he knew came from illegal origins. At least US$900,000 of this total amount came from a source that has not been identified yet.

Mexican prosecutors stated that the US$9.4 million dollars in question are different than the US$205.6 seized in his mansion, thus eliminating double jeopardy.

Sources: Siglo de Torreon; Milenio; e-Consulta; Ioan Grillo's book; El Financiero; Infobae

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Los Aztecas gang member Luis Ernesto Castro ("El Alaska") in police custody

Chihuahua state authorities confirmed last week that they arrested Luis Ernesto Castro ("El Alaska") in Ciudad Juárez. According to investigators, he is involved in the kidnapping and murder of 12 people, including a former municipal policewoman. He dressed some of his male victims in women's clothing and dumped them in public as a form of humiliation.

In addition to masterminding several murders, El Alaska is one of the lead gun suppliers for Los Aztecas, a gang based in the El Paso–Juárez border area. State authorities say he is one of the "principal generators of violence" in Ciudad Juárez.

"He's only 23 years old but he has a long criminal history in Ciudad Juárez. He participated in violent acts including abduction and 12 murders in addition to ordering others to commit crimes," Deputy Chihuahua Attorney General Jorge Nava Lopez told reporters in a teleconference. Nava-Lopez said he was going to share El Alaska's gun smuggling activities to U.S. authorities in hopes of cracking down more gang members in the area.

Background

Los Aztecas, sometimes referred to as Barrio Azteca (Azteca Neighborhood), was formed in El Paso, Texas, in the 1980s. It was initially a prison gang but over the years it involved outside prison walls. In the context of the Mexican Drug War, Los Aztecas formed an alliance with the old Juarez Cartel in 2008 and gained more strength by working under the traditional power broker family in the area, the Carrillo Fuentes.

Los Aztecas worked very closely with La Linea, the armed wing of the old Juarez Cartel. At that time, the Juarez Cartel was in an intense war with the Sinaloa Cartel for control of the El Paso–Juárez border plaza. During the late 2000s, Ciudad Juárez ranked among the deadliest cities in the world. Officials said that most of the victims were members of rival drug gangs, but civilians and members of security forces were often targeted or caught in the crossfire.

Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua) borders El Paso (Texas) and it is a lucrative drug corridor

Much of the old Juarez Cartel was wiped out as the Sinaloa Cartel made major pushes into their turf. Violence began to decline in 2011 as the Sinaloa Cartel gained control of this border plaza. However, the fast-rising Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in western Mexico helped La Linea's ascension in the area. Security forces believe that La Linea receives money and weapons from the CJNG to fight off the Sinaloa Cartel and their Chihuahua-based enforcer group Gente Nueva.

La Linea is now a much larger criminal network and directly hires members of Los Aztecas as "contract enforcers".

Murders

Chihuahua State Police officers suspect that El Alaska is linked to at least 12 murders. He is also wanted for his participating in multiple kidnappings and gun smuggling activities. He was one of the high-level targets this year for the state police.

Municipal policewoman Jacqueline Gonzalez Mercado (aged 23), murdered by El Alaska

On 10 May 2019, former Ciudad Juárez Municipal Police officer Jacqueline González Mercado (aged 23) went missing while organizing a Mother's Day event for her mom. In an interview, her mother told reporters that Jacqueline joined the municipal police out of inspiration from her father, who served in the police force for many years. She said that Jacqueline's brother called her mobile phone the day she went missing and overheard people in the background yelling to force her in a vehicle.

The following month, Jacqueline's corpse was found in a clandestine mass grave in Ciudad Juarez. Investigators initially suspected that her murder was stemmed from issues she had with her husband Julio Alejandro, but they later discovered that El Alaska was behind the killing. The motive for the murder has not been established.

El Alaska is also wanted for the discovery of three bodies in a clandestine grave in Colonia Fronteriza in Ciudad Juarez. He was arrested through a warrant issued by a judge that charged him with the abduction of two people on 15 May 2014. The pair were taken by El Alaska and his men to a home where others stole their auto parts and vehicles.

El Alaska had a trademark killing style for his male victims. Chihuahua officials say that he dressed some of them in women's clothes as a "final insult" before dumping their bodies in public. He is currently imprisoned at a penitentiary in Ciudad Juarez.

Sources: El Paso Times; KRQE; El Heraldo de Chihuahua (1); El Heraldo de Chihuahua (2); La Verdad Noticias; KTSM; El Heraldo de Mexico

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: AFNTJ / Jornadabc

A total of 1,456 kilograms of drugs, distributed in 65 packages, were found near San Quintín, Baja Ca by personnel from the entity's different security institutions in the Municipality of Ensenada.

The elements of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), Secretary of the Navy (Semar) and National Guard, who participated in the operation, detailed that there were 588 kilograms of marijuana, 810 kilograms of synthetic drugs and 8 kilograms of marijuana seeds. Everything was presented to the Attorney General of the Republic based in the port of Ensenada.

The Secretary of the Navy (Semar) managed to intercept a boat that was transporting more than a ton of various drugs, while sailing near the Bahia Falso and Punta Azufre, in Cabo San Quintín, Baja California.

The riverside vessel was located thanks to intelligence work by the San Quintín Regional Coordinator, the Second Naval Region and the 67th. Infantry Battalion of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), which deployed an operation by air, land and sea to intercept it.

This deployment forced the crew to run aground on the beach and abandon the boat with the outboard motor and cargo, as well as to flee on foot.

After securing the boat, Semar elements found that it was carrying 65 packages that contained 588 kilograms of marijuana, 8 kilos of marijuana seed, and 810 kilograms of synthetic drug.

There were no detainees and the seized drug was presented to the state delegation of the Attorney General of the Republic, to integrate the corresponding investigation folder.

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Infobae / MND

These are the new planes with which drug traffickers in Mexico transport drugs to the United States. A common practice for pilots working for the cartels is to set planes on fire once drugs have been successfully transported.

Organized crime in Mexico has not stopped using small and propeller planes, however, they now also use Gulfstream, Learjet, and Hawker brand turbine planes (Photo: Ministry of National Defense of the Guatemalan Army)

Mexican drug traffickers have changed the way they transport drugs by implementing the use of more advanced and faster planes: the most notable change is in the transition from propeller planes to turbine planes , assured Armando Ruiz Ayala, head of the area of operations of the Integrated Air Surveillance System (SIVA) of the Mexican Air Force (FAM).

On average, Mexican authorities detect three irregular flights each month on the country's southern border (Photo: Twitter @ SEDENAmx)

Ruiz Ayala told El Universal that a plane seized by the Mexican Army in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, in January of this year, was carrying around a ton of cocaine . In addition, he had the ability to avoid FAM radars and fighter jets .

Organized crime in Mexico has not stopped using small and propeller planes, however, they now also use Gulfstream, Learjet, and Hawker brand aircraft to transport weapons, money, and drugs from South America to Mexico and, finally, to the United States.

The drug traffickers, according to the SIVA chief of operations, are " modifying the way they operate . Before, they used small, propeller planes, but currently they use planes with turbine engines, with a higher speed and greater load capacity ."

However, he added that the federal government has the necessary technology, such as radars and fighter jets, to detect illegal aircraft . For example, a fleet of three planes can form a shield that forces pilots, who work for cartels, to land in Guatemala or Belize and not in Mexico.

“Mexico has an air shield that allows it to detect any irregular or suspicious flight . When they find out, they don't dare enter Mexican airspace because they know they will be detected and intercepted, which is why they land sooner, ” he said.

On average, Mexican authorities detect three irregular flights each month on the country's southern border . Most of these come from Venezuela. However, a larger number has been recorded since January this year: nine illegal aircraft were identified in that month alone.

The drug traffickers, according to the SIVA chief of operations, are "modifying the way they operate. Before, they used small, propeller planes, but currently they use turbine-powered planes, with a higher speed and greater load capacity" (Photo : Instagram @ _aviation)

Since the six-year term of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador began on December 1, 2018, the government has registered 630 irregular flights , of which 80 were classified as illegal.

The López Obrador administration has seized weapons, planes, and drugs with a value of approximately 3,500 million pesos.

According to Ruiz Ayala, the Mexican Air Force and the federal government have identified the flight and landing routes used by organized crime groups. The most common route is Venezuela-Nicaragua-Mexico , and most of these flights land in the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and Quintana Roo using clandestine airstrips , illegal airfields, and alfalfa fields.

A common practice for pilots working for the cartels is to set the planes on fire once the drug load has been successfully transported.

The López Obrador administration has seized weapons, planes, and drugs with a value of approximately 3,500 million pesos (Photo: Ministry of National Defense of the Guatemalan Army)

The national air space is protected by the Comprehensive Air Surveillance System (SIVA), the technology to detect satellite aircrafts without flight permits that carry drugs and illegal money.

It has 80 elements of its staff that work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They carry out control, computing, communications, intelligence, reconnaissance actions and allow real-time decisions to be made in Mexican security operations.

This center allows detecting all the aircraft that fly over the country and are suspected of illicit activities. Thanks to their actions, more than seven tons of drugs, weapons and millions of pesos have been seized so far by this administration.

Amounts of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine and heroin are frequently seized on flights , according to a report by the Air Force Comprehensive Surveillance System. Most flights are detected in Sinaloa and Durango , as well as on the southern border.

“Upon detecting an irregular flight, we seek to identify it with the cooperation of national and international civil and military agencies. If it’s an illicit aircraft, we deploy interceptor planes to visually identify the registration [and] the type of aircraft,” Ruiz said, adding that attempts are also made to establish communication with the crew.

One of the radar-equipped aircraft used by the army to locate narco-planes.

“If the plane still isn’t identified, we go to the third stage. We order it to land in the nearest airport; if it doesn’t, it’s followed until it lands,” he said.

A specialized Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) team is then deployed to the landing site by helicopter with the aim of making arrests and seizing both the aircraft and prohibited goods.

The Sedena team has confiscated planes, drugs, weapons and cash with a combined value of 3.5 billion pesos (US $187 million) since President López Obrador took office, and the army has also collaborated on operations in Guatemala and Belize that have resulted in an additional 3.5 billion pesos worth of seizures.

The army seized drugs and weapons from two planes that landed in Quintana Roo in January. More than 600 kilograms were confiscated from the first plane, which landed on a highway near Chetumal early Monday. The army also arrested two men but not before one soldier was killed and three others were wounded in a gunfight.

The second plane was forced to land at the airfield in Mahahual, where two Bolivian citizens on board were arrested. Military personnel seized about a ton of cocaine with an estimated value of 224.6 million pesos (US $12 million).

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Infobae

"He will fall before he dies of old age", Mike Vigil's warning to Caro Quintero, "the Narco of Narcos"; also known as RCQ and Rafa. The Mexican drug trafficker is pointed to for the recent violent events in Sonora, a place that would be challenging other criminal organizations.

Rafael Caro Quintero, the "Narco de Narcos" , is the trafficker for whom the United States Government offers a higher reward, well above that offered by other drug traffickers, such as Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, CJNG's Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes "El Mencho" and that of the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

For the US, his head is priced at USD $20 million, but, in addition, it also means a kind of trophy, since he is accused of the murder of former DEA agent Enrique Kiki Camarena Salazar, in 1985, a crime for which he was imprisoned in Mexico for more than 29 years.

One of the US agents who has not stopped the persecution of Caro Quintero is Mike Vigil, former director of the DEA and a personal friend of Camarena.

Vigil in his time as an undercover agent in Latin America

Vigil describes the "Narco de Narcos" as a man with little education, but very intelligent , and that despite having been in prison for almost three decades, he has the ability to make marijuana trafficking a business again, and even more so for the criminal organization that he was allegedly leading from Sonora, along with his brother Miguel, who in 2019 was deported to Mexico after serving a sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.

"Caro Quintero was a hit man, bloodthirsty, cunning, he has no education, but he is intelligent and the thing that he knows, the most important aspect that he has, is that he can manage between cartels, he knows how to deal with leaders, and they respect him in the cartels for the death of Kiki Camarena, ” Vigil said in a telephone interview with Infobae México .

He assured that despite the fact that the use of marijuana in the US is legalized in different states, for consumers it is an expensive product , since a cigarette in states like North Carolina can be priced at $ 150, while Caro Quintero could sell the kilo between USD $300 and $400.

"Kiki" Camarena, the DEA agent killed in 1985 (Photo: file)

In addition, he has the knowledge of how to produce the drug in the desert , which for him and his criminal organization would imply lowering costs.

Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested in 1985 in Costa Rica, accused of the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar, who had managed to infiltrate the then-powerful Guadalajara Cartel, founded by him, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo.

In August 2013 he was released after alleged flaws in his process were found, since then he is considered a fugitive from Justice, both in the United States and in Mexico.

The drug trafficker was released in 2013 (Photo: Cuartoscuro)

And although in an interview he gave to journalist Anabel Hernández in 2016, he stated that he was retired from the world of drugs, Vigil stated that “it is the only business he knows, he is not going to get involved in legitimate work. The only way he can sustain himself is with the drug traffickers.

Obviously he is already very old, and he is not going to be the great capo that he was when he was one of the leaders of the Guadalajara Cartel, but he can make a lot of money, he knows the marijuana business very well, he knows the routes, and in a while You can have nothing in the United States buyers. "

Vigil assured that the "Narco de Narcos" and his brother would be operating in Sonora thanks to an alleged negotiation with Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada , of the Sinaloa Cartel, who considered that it was dangerous to have him in Sinaloa, since it was probable that the authorities could reach him if they tracked Caro Quintero.

His departure from Sinaloa, Vigil added, was also due to differences with Los Chapitos, sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, who in addition to being related to the group of Los Salazar, in Sonora "do not want Caro Quintero to get in, because they do not need another person to fight with. Somehow they think he can take over because Mayo Zambada is old and sick with diabetes, and they think Caro Quintero can be a threat, they don't want to see him in a big position, they can see him as a partner, but not as a leader".

Questioned about the recent bloody events in Sonora, which is attributed to a criminal organization calling itself the Caborca cartel, allegedly headed by Caro Quintero, he replied that in the 1980s he was "more bloody than Ernesto Fonseca and Félix Gallardo".

He assured that until now there is information that he has been seen in both Sinaloa and Sonora, and since his head has a million dollar price, it is a fact that he will be arrested, "with that reward he will fall before he dies of old age."

His departure has not escaped the eyes of the United States government, even a record by the court of the Southern District of New York ensures that the drug trafficker , originally from Badiraguato, Sinaloa, is one of the business partners of the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro , who is also accused of drug trafficking.

Among other accusations that Rafael Caro Quintero faces, one that he himself refers to, has been maintaining the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel since 1980 , even from prison, which would have generated hundreds of millions of dollars.

"MX" for Borderland Beat; TY to "Parro"

On Sunday afternoon, Sinaloa authorities stumbled upon a gruesome discovery: two men were kidnapped and stuffed inside a bag and a suitcase while they were still alive. The victims were not dismembered. They were forced in their bags and left to die. The autopsy confirmed that both of them died of asphyxia inside their bags.

Their bodies were found in a dump yard in northern Mazatlan after several eye-witnesses called the police. One of the victims was placed inside what appears to be a travel bag. His body was wrapped with a rope to prevent him from breaking free. The other victim was placed inside a suitcase. The identities of the victims have not been fully identified, but investigators say they could be foreign nationals.

The victims could be Oscar Fabian (aged 30) from Chile and Cristian Ignacio (age 29) from Argentina. Their surnames were not released to the press. Both men arrived in Mazatlan on June 20 to promote an investment network about cryptocurrencies.

Borderland Beat noticed that a person based in Santiago, Chile, posted a comment using their Facebook account in one of the Sinaloa news outlets. The individual claimed to be Oscar Fabian's cousin and said that she was looking for more information about the case. We reached out to her for an interview but did not receive a response by press time.

Mexican drug cartels often dispose of their victims in public by putting them inside bags. However, this case is particular because the autopsy confirmed that the victims were actually alive when they were placed inside the bags. In most cases, victims are dismembered and killed before they are disposed. In the Mexican narco lexicon, these victims are referred to as embolsados (English: sacked up).

Background

Mazatlán is a coastal town in Sinaloa and a popular tourist attraction for national and international visitors. The city has a 21 km long beach, an aquarium, amusement parks, and tours around its historic center. In 2019 alone, over 3 million vacationists visited Mazatlan. Nearly 30% of those who visited were internationals.

Both victims were found in these two bags

However, Borderland Beat reported last year that Mazatlan was one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico. Though most of the homicides occur outside of the popular resort areas, Mazaltan had 102 homicides in 2019. June (13 murders), August (15 murders) and October (10 murders) were the months with the highest homicide rate.

In the first 15 months of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)'s presidency, 144 tons of narcotics have been seized in 22 Mexican port towns and cities. At least 80% of them were seized in Mazatlán alone, as reported by Borderland Beat. Port cities like Mazatlan are strategic drug corridors for organized crime groups and are major battlegrounds in Mexico's ongoing drug war.

Sources: El Debate; Luz Noticias; Viva La Noticia; El Sol de Mazatlan

"MX" for Borderland Beat; TY to "leChef"

Mexican authorities arrive at the scene and cordon the area

Gunmen stormed into an unregistered drug rehabilitation center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, and killed at least 28 people. The police said that the attackers burst into the rehab center with the intention of killing everyone inside since no one was abducted.

Eye-witnesses said that the gunmen arrived at the scene in a red vehicle and ordered everyone to lay down on their stomach next to each other. Photos circulating on social media show that the victims were lying down when they were sprayed with bullets. Twenty-four people were killed at the scene but four more died while receiving medication attention.

No motives were given by press time, but investigators say that the attack was likely drug-related. Guanajuato is Mexico’s most violent state this year and is the battleground of a bloody turf war between the local Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CJNG) and the rival Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW

Irapuato Mayor Ricardo Ortiz posted on Twitter that the “devious attack” would not go unpunished and called for Mexican authorities to work together to bring tranquilly back to his city. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) said the attack was very serious and said that federal, state and municipal authorities would work together in Guanajuato to restore peace.

Background

Attacks in rehab centers are not unusual in Mexico’s ongoing drug war. Drug cartels have killed suspected street-level dealers who are reportedly sheltered in rival gang facilities. This attack in Irapuato is one of the deadliest rehab center shootings. In 2010, gunmen killed 19 people at a rehab center in Chihuahua.

Most of the rehab centers in Mexico are privately run but are poorly funded. The Mexican government spends very little on drug rehabilitation and unregistered centers are often the only viable option for those who cannot afford the treatment. There are have been many instances of abuses committed against recovering addicts in privately funded facilities across Mexico.

In addition, drug dealers and addicts who are in danger often seek refuge in private facilities, which makes them target of attacks from rival drug cartels. Drug gangs have also recruited from these facilities and threatened to kill those who do not cooperate.

In Irapuato alone, drug cartels have attacked at least four rehab centers since December 2019. That month, gunmen kidnapped 20 people from a facility. In February, they stormed another facility and kidnapped 4 people before setting the place on fire. In June, 10 people were killed inside a rehab center.

Irapuato has 265 rehab centers but only 30 of them are officially registered with the government.

Sources: La Jornada; Milenio; LA Times

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Excelsior

Scene outside the Massacre in Irapuato this morning

The month of July began with 92 people killed, of which 33 cases occurred in the state of Guanajuato. Photo: Dark Quarter

The month of July began with 92 people assassinated, of which 33 cases occurred in the state of Guanajuato , 30 percent, according to the report of victims reported for the crime of homicide (State Prosecutors and Federal Dependencies).

In the document, prepared by the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP), it is established that the other entities with the most homicides on Wednesday were Michoacán and Puebla, with 8 victims each.

The daily average of 92 homicide victims, with which July opens, exceeds the 80.4 with those that closed June, month in which 2,413 cases of murdered people occurred.

The massacre of 30 people in a rehabilitation annex, in the municipality of Irapuato, increased the number of murders in Guanajuato, an entity in which more than 2,100 people were victims of intentional homicide in the first half of the year.

In the first semester of 2020, the murder of 14,641 people occurred, a figure that is 2.9 by the way higher, compared to 14, 210 cases in the same period of 2019.

According to the SESNSP report, in this year March was the most violent month, when 2,585 cases of murdered people were registered, and in June the mark of the day with the most intentional homicides was established, on the 8th, with 117 victims in the country, a figure that exceeded 114 victims in three cases as of April 20.

"MX" for Borderland Beat; TY to "leChef"

Jose Angel Casarrubias Salgado

Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR) apprehended Jose Angel Casarrubias Salgado ("El Mochomo") in Metepec, State of Mexico, last weekend. He is a high-ranking member of the Guerreros Unidos criminal group, which was involved in the infamous case where 43 students went missing in September 2014.

Casarrubias-Salgado was imprisoned at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 ("Altiplano"), a maximum-security prison in the State of Mexico. However, hours after he was processed, another federal judge ordered his release after determining that there were not enough evidences against him for the organized crime charges the prosecution presented.

After setting foot outside of the penitentiary, he was re-arrested by police officers. His lawyers told reporters that they was not notified of the new charges. There could be a chance that he is released a second time if the charges are deemed insufficient by a judge.

Background

Casarrubias-Salgado's release and re-arrest is likely a combination of corruption and sloppy police work. Mexican prosecutors have historically struggled to gather evidences against suspects. Prior to the adoption of Mexico's New Criminal Justice System (Nuevo Sistema de Justicia Penal, NJSP) in 2016, the judicial system allowed for authorities to keep suspects under preventative arrest (known in Mexico as arraigo) for up to 80 days while the prosecution gathered more evidences and built a case to present before a judge.

This was banned once the NJSP was made official nationwide because critics stated that it could be abused and lead to arbitrary detention and human right violations. Now prosecutors need to have the cases ready even before the suspect is arrested. Any errors in the case can get the suspect walking out of prison within hours. Police investigators are still not very adjusted to this change and often hurry to put cases together. Lawyers are now looking into these things very carefully.

Guerreros Unidos was formed circa 2009 as a splinter group of the Beltran Leyva Cartel. They are based in central Mexico and in the state of Guerrero. The group has been involved in extortions and kidnappings, but they are also responsible for drug trafficking operations to the U.S. They are known for their aggressive tactics and public displays of violence, which have attracted international headlines and attention from security forces.

One of the group's founding members was Mario ("El Sapo Guapo"), brother of Casarrubias-Salgado. Other founding members included Cleotilde Toribio Renteria ("El Tilde"), former operative under Edgar Valdez Villarreal ("La Barbie"), as well as other Beltran Leyva Cartel sicarios.

Mass disappearance case

Guerreros Unidos's involvement in the 43 missing students’ case in Iguala, Guerrero, catapulted the fame of this gang to the international spotlight. According to Mexican government's version of the story, referred by Mexico's former FGR chief as the Verdad Historica (English: Historical Truth), Guerreros Unidos mistook the students for rival gangsters and killed them.

People stand under portraits of 43 college students as part of an art installation by Ai Weiwei at the Contemporary Art University Museum in Mexico City (Source: AP)

The incident started when the students hijacked several buses in the area before a protected. As they travelled back from Iguala to Ayotzinapa, where the school is based, they were intercepted by the police. Some of the surviving students claim that the bus drivers had agreed to give them a lift. After the shootout with the police, municipal police officers arrested and handed them over to Guerreros Unidos. Their bodies were then reportedly disposed in a garbage dump and burned in a large fire.

However, several independent investigations have cast doubts on the official report's findings. Independent investigators said that the investigation was "deeply flawed", starting by the fact that many of the detainees were confirmed to have been tortured to confess.

In addition, they claimed to have satellite images on the day of the students' disappearance that showed there had been no fire that night. At least two student remains have been positively identified, but critics say that they are not sure their remains were found at the rubbish dump in question or planted there by authorities.

Casarrubias-Salgado clan

As reported by Borderland Beat, Jose Angel Casarrubias Salgado ("El Mochomo") is the brother of Guerreros Unidos members Mario, Sidronio and Adan Zenen. Sidronio was arrested in October 2014. In a police confession, he signed that he was a leader of Guerreros Unidos and that his gang was involved in the missing students’ case. However, he later confessed to have been subject to torture and had his forced disappearance charges dismissed. He remains in prison for organized crime charges.

Casarrubias-Salgado brothers Sidrionio, Mario and Adan Zenen (left to right)

His brothers Mario and Adan were arrested a few months after the students went missing. Mario was found guilty of organized crime involvement and is serving a 10 year sentence. Adan was sentenced to 12 years in prison for illegal possession of firearms. But none of them are serving time for the missing students’ case.

In 2015, federal authorities issued a MXN$1.5 million bounty for Casarrubias-Salgado's capture. According to reports from several cartel members who participated in the mass disappearance of the 43 students, Casarrubias-Salgado was one of the Guerreros Unidos members who directly ordered to have them killed.

Authorities have yet to charge Casarrubias-Salgado with forced disappearance. His recent arrest was for organized crime charges.

Recent events

FGR chief Alejandro Gertz Manero confirmed yesterday that the Mexican government had issued 46 arrest warrants to municipal officials in Guerrero who are linked to the missing students' case.

There is still an international search for Tomas Zeron de Lucio, former chief of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) who was heading the case. Investigators say he fled Mexico and may be hiding in Belize, Spain or the U.S. He is wanted on torture and force disappearance charges.

Sources: Milenio (1); Milenio (2); BBC News; InSight Crime; WP; Borderland Beat archives

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Excelsior / fgjcdmx.gob.mx

55 years in prison is the sentence of 5 subjects for organized crime and human trafficking:

The five, 3 men and 2 women, are accused of trafficing undocumented immigrants from Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico to the United States. A trial judge sentenced five people for organized crime offenses in order to commit the crime of trafficking in undocumented immigrants and for trafficking in persons.

The District Judge issued a sentence of 55 years in prison and two million 963 thousand 588.23 pesos of fine against Jesús “H” , alias “El Padrino”, of 38 years six months and two million 26 thousand 710.47 pesos against Benigno "H", alias "Güero" and 16 years six months and 13 thousand 593 days fine against Alma Delia "J", Norma Nidia "M", José Dolores "A".

Jesús Herrera Rodríguez aka "El Padrino"

- Benigno Herrera Rodríguez aka "El Güero"

- Alma Delia Jiménez Rodríguez

- Norma Nidia Muñoz Guijarro

- José Dolores Aguilar Lira

The five people are part of a band of smugglers of undocumented immigrants, who are attributed to smuggling undocumented immigrants from Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico to the United States, mainly minors, adolescents and women.

The SEIDO Specialized Unit for Investigation of Traffic in Minors, Persons and Organs (UEITMPO) will provide the evidence, the Fourteenth District Court for Federal Criminal Proceedings in Mexico City, determined the aforementioned penalties.

Yaqui for BorderlandBeat from: Excelsior / El Sol / LaJornada

''El Alacrán'' falls, implicated in the murder of Judge Villegas Ortez:

Uriel Villegas Ortiz, who handled drug trafficking and other organized crime cases, and Verónica Barajas were shot and killed in front of their two daughters, aged 3 and 7, and a domestic worker.

The gunmen fled the murder scene and remain at large. Upon arrival at the judge’s rented home, the murderers feigned interest in a pickup truck he was selling him before opening fire, the newspaper Reforma reported, as we did here on BB.

A person identified as Jaime "T", alias "El Alacrán", hitman of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) , was arrested for his involvement in the murder of federal control judge Uriel Villegas Ortiz, and his wife, which occurred on Tuesday, the 16th June in the city of Colima.

According to the investigations, Jaime Tafolla Ortegaa CJNG's hitman, is also related to the disappearance and feminicide of the deputy Anel Bueno Sánchez.

From the investigations, it appears that "El Alacrán" would have acted in revenge, because Judge Villegas imposed an informal prison measure on four of his relatives related to the murder of a deputy on June 7 last.

According to investigations, the alleged material perpetrator of this murder is also related to the disappearance and feminicide of deputy Anel Bueno Sánchez , whose body was located on June 3, after a 34-day absence in a clandestine grave.

From the investigations, it appears that as part of the investigations into the murder of the local Deputy Francis, and her remains found in a clandestine grave on June 7, a search was carried out, where Heliodoro "T" was arrested, Eustolia "O" Heriberto "T" and Danna "F" (father, mother, brother and sister-in-law respectively of the "Alacrán"), who were detained with firearms for the exclusive use of the army and drugs, the Colima Delegation of the FGR started a Research folder.

In addition, there is another person who is under arraignment, related to these events, detained along with Jaime “T”, who was identified as David Ulises Lara Ramírez, another CJNG sicario, ie hitman.

The Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) reported that the arrest of "El Alacrán" was carried out during an operation to complete an arrest warrant, in coordination with the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico, in the city of Cuauhtémoc in the state of Colima.

For the murder of Judge Villegas Ortiz , and his wife Verónica Barajas, an arrest warrant was also executed , in secrecy, against Ayard "B", alias "El Canelo".

The arrest warrant against Jaime "T" was issued by a Judge of the Accusatory Criminal System, of the Second Judicial Party of the state of Colima, based in Tecomán.

The Colima Public Ministry secured firearms for the exclusive use of the Army and drugs, which is why the Colima Delegation of the FGR was given jurisdiction, where the investigation folder began.

When the file was judicialized, it was up to the Control Judge Villegas Ortiz to determine the precautionary measure of informal preventive detention for relatives of the accused, which occurred on June 14, two days before his murder.

The Colima Prosecutor's Office requested the corresponding collaboration, for the search, location and completion of the arrest warrant, against "El Alacrán" for the probable commission of the crimes of disappearance committed by individuals, feminicide and crimes related to the disappearance of people.

The FGR stated that Jaime “T”, after his arrest, was placed at the disposal of a Control Judge to determine his legal situation.

The federal control judge based in Colima, Villegas Ortiz, and his wife, Verónica Barajas, were killed on the morning of Tuesday, June 16, inside their home located in the Real Vista Hermosa neighborhood, in the Colima capital.

The victims were with their two daughters, 3 and 7 years old, as well as the domestic worker who worked with them, who were unharmed.

In January, Judge Villegas Ortiz was re-enrolled from Jalisco to Colima and, according to information from the Federal Judicial Council (CJF), had rejected the personal protection service with escorts.

In his work as Control Judge, he was responsible for solving criminal matters related to drug trafficking and organized crime, some related to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), as one of the main lines of investigation into the events.

According to the versions, on June 16, at approximately 11:15 am, the assassins entered a house of Judge Villegas Ortiz to carry out the double homicide.

Yaqui for Borderland beat from: MCSO / rvit.org /army.mil

On June 24, 2020 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Mendocino County Major Crimes Task Force, Mendocino County Probation, the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, the California National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force Unit/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) members, and the Round Valley Indian Tribal Police Department each served two search warrants in the 77200 Block of Crawford Road in Covelo, California on adjoining properties.

The warrants were issued for the properties based upon probable cause showing the illegal cultivation of commercial marijuana. At the location 8 persons were detained on site with one having fled the scene. An observation helicopter spotted the fleeing person who entered a white SUV, a short distance away, and a high risk car stopped was initiated, and three more persons were detained.

The investigation found a total of 14,383 growing marijuana plants, ranging in height from 1 foot to 6 feet, being grown in an open field and in 32 “hoop” style green houses. An estimated 1754 pounds of drying marijuana bud and two firearms were also discovered, a shotgun and an AR15 style assault weapon.

During the investigation officers were contacted by Douglas Lincoln, 63 years of age from Covelo, who claimed responsibility for 1 portion of this growing operation. Also detained were suspects; Jorge Sanchez-Zamora, 19 years of age, from Michoacan Mexico, Jose Humberto Barragan-Leon, 36 years of age, from Modesto CA, Sergio Faria-Silva, 34 years of age, from Michoacan Mexico, Anthony David Soto-Farias, 18 years of age, from Vancouver WA, Dagoberto Rumbo-Coria, 58 years of age, from Michoacan Mexico, Alfonso Castaneda, 21 years of age, from Galt CA and Victor Alfonso Garcia-Lopez, 31 years of age, from Galt CA.

Three persons were determined to not be involved in the criminal activity and one 17 year old Hispanic female was found to have been transported to the location the day prior and dropped off to “help trim marijuana”. This person was taken into protective custody as she knew no one on the property and had no relatives nearby who could assure her safety. She was transferred to the custody of the Mendocino County Child Protective Services Department until she could be reunited with her family. An investigation was initiated into the possibility of any sex or labor trafficking of this minor.

Located on the second, adjacent, property were two “hoop” style greenhouses containing 765 growing marijuana plants. This marijuana was also eradicated and no suspects were located at this location.

This incident is under investigation and a complaint will be filed with the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office for a review of the listed charges against the listed suspects. Anyone with additional information about these marijuana growing operations is encouraged to contact the MCSO Tip line at 707-234-2100.

82(a)(1) [Conspiracy]
30605 PC [Possess Assault Weapon]
11361 H&S [Hire/employ minor prepare marijuana for sale]
11358 H&S [Cultivate Marijuana]
11359 H&S [Possess Marijuana for Sale]
300 WIC [Protective Custody of a Minor]

In Another Incident on the same day, June 24, 2020 from MCSO

On June 24, 2020 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Mendocino County Major Crimes Task Force, Mendocino County Probation, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, the California National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force Unit/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) members, and the Round Valley Indian Tribal Police Department served a search warrant in the 23700 Block of Biggar Lane in Covelo, related to the illegal cultivation of marijuana.

The warrant was issued for the property based upon probable cause showing the illegal cultivation of commercial marijuana. At the location four males fled into the brush and one adult female was detained. In a search of the wooded area two adult males were detained and two could not be located. Two minor children were also located who were visiting a relative.

These two minor children were later turned over to the custody of the Round Valley Indian Tribal Indian Child Welfare (ICWA) representative to be driven to their legal guardian’s home. Detained at this location were; Angel Esquivel, 56 years of age, out of Covelo, Herberto Valencia-Guzman, 32 years of age, from Eureka, CA, Juan Godine-Martinez, 38 years of age, from Guatemala.

The investigation found a total of 9346 growing marijuana plants, ranging in height from 1 foot to 6 feet, being grown in several open field locations and and in 35 “hoop” style green houses.

A Round Valley Indian Tribes, cultural monitor, was requested to respond as there was clear indication of Tribal Archaeology site disturbances found.

A complete report documenting the extent of any damage to the sites was requested. Also discovered were two areas of de-forestation of the local oak trees in what appeared to be an attempt to open the tree canopy for to allow more sunlight on some of the open field grows. These areas were within the riparian zone of Mill creek, a steel-head and salmon spawning tributary of the Eel River.

This incident is under investigation and a complaint will be filed with the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office for a review of the listed charges against the listed suspects. Anyone with additional information about these marijuana growing operations is encouraged to contact the MCSO Tip line at 707-234-2100.

NOTE: For anyone interested in an incredible history of Mendocino County Indigenous Peoples check out this lengthy treatise:

"Mendocino: race relations in a northern California county, 1850-1949." by Linda Pacini Pitelka

https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/1214/

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat Source and Milenio

Survivors of the attack detailed that when armed subjects broke into the property, they shouted that "they were from El Marro"

José Antonio Yépez, better known as ' El Marro ' and leader of Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima operating in Guanajuato was identified as the mastermind of the murder of 28 people in the rehabilitation center of Irapuato.

According to authorities consulted by Milenio, the survivors detailed that when armed subjects broke into the property, they shouted that "they were from El Marro."

The reason for the attack would be that within the center there were young people who allegedly belonged to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación(CJNG).

According to the first investigations, there were four subjects who, with heavy-caliber weapons, shot everyone present when they were unable to identify the members of the rival group.

"MX" for Borderland Beat; TY to "Chava"

UIF chief Santiago Nieto Castillo

Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) confirmed yesterday that they froze 127 bank accounts owned by people linked to the assassination attempt against Mexico City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch carried out last week.

30 of them were owned by the would-be assassins; the remaining 97 were owned by family members or people who worked closely with them. The total monetary amount frozen was not publicly released to the press but the UIF said they were working together with the banks to determine the exact amount.

The UIF confirmed that they carried out this measure after Jose Armando Briseno (El Vaca), the suspect mastermind of the attack, told investigators that he paid each sicario MXN$100,000 to participate in Garcia Harfuch’s hit.

The UIF traced El Vaca’s bank accounts and froze his accounts and all accounts he deposited money to. UIF chief Santiago Nieto Castillo told reporters that they froze the accounts so that the family members are unable to use the money the attackers were paid.

Assassination attempt
Borderland Beat reported last week that heavily armed gunmen attacked and wounded Mexico City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch while he was heading to a meeting with mayor Claudia Sheinbaum. Three trucks blocked Garcia Harfuch's SUV and opened fire in what authorities described as an "unprecedented" incident in Mexico City.

Two people from Garcia Harfuch's security detail were killed. The third was a women who happened to be driving by when the gunmen opened fire. On his way to the hospital, Garcia Harfuch tweeted that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was responsible for the attack.

"This morning we were attacked in a cowardly way by the CJNG. Two colleagues and friends of mine lost their lives. Our country must continue to confront organized crime groups," he said.

Over the course of a week, Mexican authorities carried out a large manhunt to arrest those responsible for the crime. Within a few hours, they arrested 21 people who directly and indirectly participated in the attack. This latest measure by the UIF is part of crackdowns by security forces to weakened the CJNG.

Background

The UIF was formed in 2004 to combat money laundering and illegal financial activities in Mexico. Its role in Mexico’s ongoing drug war has increased drastically under Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO).

In 2019, the UIF froze four times the number of accounts that were frozen the year before. Some of the investigations conducted by the UIF have uncovered important money laundering operations owned by Mexico’s major drug gangs, including the CJNG.

However, many cases also deal with political and business corruption and not with drug cartel activity. Some critics have said that the UIF is not politically independent and its powers may be abused if the government does not figure out a way to create a checks and balances system within it.

Financial measures against the CJNG
Last month, Borderland Beat reported that the UIF froze nearly 2,000 bank accounts owned by the CJNG. They did not disclose the amount in these frozen accounts, but officials said they noticed suspicious transactions totaling US$1 billion.

Several high-ranking CJNG members had their accounts frozen. One of them was Juan Manuel Abouzaid ("El Bayeh" AKA "El Escorpion"), who Borderland Beat identified last week as a close associate of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho"). Another important individual was Ana Paulina Barajas Sahd, who operated several businesses on behalf of her husband Ulises Gonzalez Valencia, a member of Los Cuinis.

The accounts owned by the brothers Carlos Alberto and Genaro Cedano Filippini were also frozen. Mexican authorities say they head group called the Tabasco Cartel (Spanish: Cartel de Tabasco), which has close ties to the CJNG.

In addition, Mexican officials froze the bank accounts owned by Telesforo Baltazar Tirado Escamilla, founder of a business known as Farmaceutica Collins. In 2009, U.S. authorities identified him as a high-ranking member of the Colima Cartel (also known as the Amezcua Contreras Organization).

Mexican authorities say that this man is one of the main precursor drug suppliers for the CJNG. They are also investigating the following individuals: María Teresa Díaz Castro, Rolando Tirado Díaz, Liliana Guadalupe Tirado Díaz, Baltazar Tirado Díaz, Luis Alfonso Tirado Díaz and María Teresa Tirado Díaz, all linked to the CJNG.

Sources: Proceso; La Razon; Milenio

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat Milenio

It was supposed to be a set up in the capture of El Marro.

A phone call intercepted by federal authorities, which revealed he planned to visit his daughter for her birthday last weekend, led to an operation in which they failed at capturing him but it did cost his mother, sister, and his cousin, their freedom.

According to information confirmed by MILENIO with first-rate sources, it was on Friday when the National Intelligence Center detected a telephone conversation in which José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, El Marro had contemplated his possible presence at the celebration.

Authorities hoped that the Huachicolero (fuel theft) leader to spend Father's Day behind bars.

But once again, they failed.

From Mexico City, in a matter of hours, an operation was orchestrated in which no other authority would be informed to avoid leaks. They left on Saturday morning heading to Guanajuato and they had detected a ranch in the rural community of Celaya where it was assessed, that the party would be. Without further details, the Guanajuato State Attorney General's Office asked for rapid approval for searches and thus avoid stumbling blocks, as happened with the capture of El Marro wife, who had to be released due to lack of basic legal paperwork.

The “party” that the National Intelligence Center heard about, turned out to be payroll payment to the base of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel. Most of them women and several minors who served the hired killers for no more than three thousand pesos.

Although the Army preferred to act alone, they had to ask for help from the state government. They met three trucks on the way, from which 20 people descended, stoning them so they would not approach, and others began to jump the fences to join the attacks against the soldiers. (these are obstructionists that work for Marro to create chaos in stoning, fires, roadblocks) In total, 300 elements of the state forces came to the support so that the federal troops could advance.

EL Marro was not where they expected. There was no party, nor was his daughter present. But there was María, the mother of the criminal who at first appeared under a different name and whose identity the soldiers did not know until it was confirmed by state authorities.

Until now, it has not been possible to confirm that Maria has acted illegally, but rather was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

At the ranch was a suitcase with two million pesos to pay the collaborators of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, there were stolen weapons, drugs and vehicles. María ended up behind bars just like her husband, while her son continues to challenge the authorities.

El Marro did not visit his daughter to celebrate Father's Day, nor could he congratulate his father in prison. The only thing left to do was to flee, with the little he still has and the rage of having taken her family to prison.

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El Marro didn't show up at his "daughter's birthday".....and evaded capture