Lucio R. Borderland Beat-Posted by Texan24 republished from Animal Politico
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In the past year, the Juarez cartel appears to have defeated the Sinaloa group, and is being restructured with new criminal leaders who seek to restore corrupt connections by the local police a state intelligence officer confirmed.
A red jeep dodged the heavy morning traffic, speeding as much as possible down Technological Avenue, the major thoroughfare in the golden zone of Ciudad Juarez, where the US consulate is located, as well as shopping centers and the city's most exclusive residences.
A Chevrolet Cavalier sedan was in pursuit of the Jeep. On board were two gunmen with powerful automatic weapons. After half a kilometer, the jeep crashed into a metal fence near a federal court in Ciudad Juarez.
Dead in the front seats were Gilberto López Mendoza and Omar Antonio Ochoa, 39 and 37, respectively, both drug traffickers.
Venezuelan stripper 23, Gabriela Figueroa, lay dead on the rear floor of the car, where she apparently tried to hide. The murderers were sharpshooters. Only 11 bullets were necessary to kill the three victims from a moving car.
Dead in the front seats were Gilberto López Mendoza and Omar Antonio Ochoa, 39 and 37, respectively, both drug traffickers.
Venezuelan stripper 23, Gabriela Figueroa, lay dead on the rear floor of the car, where she apparently tried to hide. The murderers were sharpshooters. Only 11 bullets were necessary to kill the three victims from a moving car.
It was the morning of October 23, 2014, and Juarez was horrified.
Just two weeks later, not far from the crime scene, the Governor of Chihuahua, Cesar Duarte, gave his approval for a meeting of officials and civic leaders from 15 Mexican cities. These officials, like others before, visited the border city to learn how peace was achieved, in a place that at one time was the world's capital of crime, where drug-related violence killed 11 thousand people in just four years.
Governor Duarte said he was proud that other cities would replicate the experience of Juarez, whose focus was to clean up corruption in the police force.
Duarte insisted that all the police forces of their city are now free of corruption.
Duarte insisted that all the police forces of their city are now free of corruption.
"We face the challenge," he told the audience. "There must be a few who think they can get away with it, but with good intelligence work, we will stop them."
The miracle of Juarez?
Between 2008 and 2012, a war between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels, resulted in massive bloodshed in the streets of the city.
The recruitment of members of the police forces as combatants in the criminal battle, aggravated the situation.
In 2010, the homicide rate reached 300 per month. At that time, a rare coalition was created to save the city:
In 2010, the homicide rate reached 300 per month. At that time, a rare coalition was created to save the city:
Leaders of civil organizations and businessmen, a senior police chief to be hired from the city of Tijuana, five billion dollars that the Federal Government invested and protected witnesses working for the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA, its acronym in English), together they quashed criminal violence in Juarez and cleaned the municipal police and state police.
Mexico claimed victory
But the enticement of the billion dollar drug trade is back and presents a new reality that could truncate the optimism expressed by the Governor Duarte and others have declared that peace has come to this city.
The bone of contention are the routes of drug trafficking located throughout the farm belt of the Juarez Valley “Valle de Juarez” parallel to the Rio Grande area.
After the terrorist attacks in New York September 11, 2001, the U.S. mandated stringent changes in border entries and beefed up federal forces along the south border. Trafficking through the Juarez-El Paso border came to a standstill.
The Juarez cartel created makeshift traffic routes on the outskirts of the city, and the Juarez Valley became critical. During the battle for the city, several parallel struggles took place in the territorial strip.
Eventually in 2010, the Sinaloa cartel took control of these multi-paths, allegedly with the support of military forces.
This is the territory that the Juarez cartel has regained, according to intelligence reports.
The Juarez cartel created makeshift traffic routes on the outskirts of the city, and the Juarez Valley became critical. During the battle for the city, several parallel struggles took place in the territorial strip.
Eventually in 2010, the Sinaloa cartel took control of these multi-paths, allegedly with the support of military forces.
This is the territory that the Juarez cartel has regained, according to intelligence reports.
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| "Chuyin", leader of La Linea with family |
The murder last October in the Golden Zone was the beginning of a wave of violence related to control of the drug routes. Since then, Juarez has seen a series of murders and shootings that show how La Linea -the armed wing of the Juarez cartel- has returned to the streets of the city.
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would attempt a retake of power. Meanwhile, the arrest of Sinaloa leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman last year, left his men in the Juarez Valley, tentative, without good direction.
Ochoa, one of the victims found in the red Jeep, operated a chain of strip nightclubs, including the "El Museo Bar" where the Venezuelan stripper worked. The business ensured strong police protection.
Apparently, he was linked to the Sinaloa cartel, and his murder was ordered by Jesus Salas Aguayo -
aka "the Chuyin" - the new leader of La Linea, to send a warning/message to the police working with the Sinaloa cartel.Aguayo Salas was arrested in late April 2015, but that does not mean that the takeover of territory by the Juarez cartel is over.
Four of his followers were on point to take the lead.
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| Vicente Carrillo Fuentes |
Case study
For Mexico, Juarez may be a case study, not a complete victory. The apparent resurgence of La Linea can mean that recent murders is a return to business as usual, although the cartel boss Vicente Carrillo Fuentes-alias "Viceroy" - was arrested by police Federal last October.
According to various sources, Carrillo, despite remain the designated leader of the cartel, was away from the daily operations of the criminal group.
According to various sources, Carrillo, despite remain the designated leader of the cartel, was away from the daily operations of the criminal group.
Juarez observers have long contended that big part of the problem, is that the authorities concentrated its target when ending violence, rather than disbanding drug trafficking organizations.
"The intention of the current government is to protect public safety and control crime, but does not put an end to drug trafficking," said Tony Payan, director of the Mexican Center at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at University Rice.
The analyst Eduardo Guerrero says the factor of success in the fight against organized crime is dynamic. "We can dismantle them for a while, but if you do not keep your eye on the situation, things can revert and then we are talking about a failure. For example, a corrupt police force can re-emerge."Guerrero said.
The Juarez cartel has deep roots in the city, and it was anticipated that the heads of the organization
Other leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, as Ismael Zambada Garcia, alias "El Mayo Zambada" sent new troops known as "Emes" for the letter M of Mayo, to fight La Linea.
But if the Juarez cartel has regained some territories it is thanks to key lieutenants within the territory of Juarez who worked for Sinaloa but have switched allegiances and joined La Linea, intelligence sources say.
Similarly, although the alliance between La Linea and the Mexican gang known as Barrio Azteca gang fractured, there are reports that La Linea is working with members of other U.S. gangs.
The Aztecs still control parts of the city and street crime in several working class neighborhoods where they recruit young people at risk.
Two other gangs that were at one time partner of Sinaloa, Los AA’s and los Mexicles, still have some influence in local neighborhoods but do not work for the cartels.
Three years have passed since the violence subsided and the homicide rate dropped from 300 to 30 per month.
In fact, in March and April 2015, the number of homicides in the city was at the lowest point since 2005. But analysts say the situation may change because the judicial system was too lax with some of the criminals.
In fact, in March and April 2015, the number of homicides in the city was at the lowest point since 2005. But analysts say the situation may change because the judicial system was too lax with some of the criminals.
Between 2010 and 2012, US authorities sent leaders of La Linea and Barrio Azteca to prison for life.
In Mexico, the murderers of 11 youngsters and four adults in the neighborhood of Salvacar also received long sentences. But many other gang members received short sentences. Some are free, or soon will be.
In Mexico, the murderers of 11 youngsters and four adults in the neighborhood of Salvacar also received long sentences. But many other gang members received short sentences. Some are free, or soon will be.
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| Reyes Gamboa |
One is Saulo Reyes Gamboa, who according to the DEA, until 2007 was the man who handled the money for the Juarez cartel. (the former police chief received only 8 years in U.S. Federal Prison)
Head of the municipal police between 2004 and 2007, Reyes Gamboa ended up in jail in 2008, when he tried to bribe a US customs officer to assist him in smuggling truckloads of marijuana through the international bridges of El Paso .
Gamboa recently emerged from a minimum security prison after serving seven years in prison.
Total
Bribing the police is not sufficient for a criminal group thrive. But when the criminal group hires a police chief that increases the chances of striking gold.
Between 2007 and 2011 in Ciudad Juarez, the ministerial police-the research arm of the state Attorney worked under the orders of Jose Antonio Acosta Hernandez, alias "El Diego" a former commander of police operations, who became chief of operations for the Juarez cartel.
Between 2007 and 2011 in Ciudad Juarez, the ministerial police-the research arm of the state Attorney worked under the orders of Jose Antonio Acosta Hernandez, alias "El Diego" a former commander of police operations, who became chief of operations for the Juarez cartel.
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| El Diego |
Since its inception in the 90s, the Juarez cartel used successful bribery of police chiefs to operate freely. But when El Diego climbed to the pinnacle of the cartel, he created an inseparable and crucial alliance between the cartel and police units.
These police units operated in some cases, fully for the criminal group. Diego and his men protected local and international drug transport networks in Juarez, one of the most important transshipment points on the border of US and Mexico.
It was a key moment in which the supremacy of the Juarez cartel.
end of part one
It was a key moment in which the supremacy of the Juarez cartel.
end of part one