By:Paris Alejandro Salazar | Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat
(July 26, 2016)—Los Tequileros are an organization that operate in the Tierra Caliente region in the state of Guerrero. It has a hallmark of threating and extorting mayors in the region, and they do it through an armed cell called Fuerzas Especiales Tequileras.
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| Raybel Jacobo de Almonte “El Tequilero” |
Guerrero’s District Attorney’s Office has identified Raybel Jacobo de Almonte “El Tequilero”, as the leader of the criminal group that bears his nickname. There are 15 arrest warrants against him for crimes such as: extortion, kidnapping, and homicide.
The criminal organization, Los Tequileros, emerged as one of the armed wings of the Guerreros Unidos Cartel in northern Guerrero. It seeks to dispute the control of the Tierra Caliente region with La Familia that borders the State of Mexico; La Familia is supported by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
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| Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga “El Pescado” |
La Familia, led by Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga “El Pescado”, and Los Tequileros, led by Raybel Jacobo de Almonte “El Tequilero”, are disputing for the control of the drug corridor that connects the sierra and the Tierra Caliente region of Guerrero with Michoacán and the State of Mexico.
San Antonio de la Gavia, in the municipality of San Miguel Totolapan, is considered to be the center of operations of Los Tequileros.
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| Juan Mendoza Acosta |
On August 4, 2015, a video was circulated on YouTube where the then-elected mayor of San Miguel Totolapan, Juan Mendoza Acosta, held a meeting with members of Los Tequileros and while they were drinking alcoholic beverages, he expresses support for this criminal group.
“Ponte verga, cocho, just like how we made you win, prick, gives us your hand and it’s not worth it” a man tells the mayor, the mayor answers: “When will I fail you? So tell me, when will I fail you assholes?”
In another part of the video they ask “are you going to work with us? You know you’re with us, yes or no?” and he responds “We will! I will never work with other cochos” says Mendoza Acosta.
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| Juan Vargas Macedo “El Garfield” |
A month later, on September 21, 2015, state police detained Juan Vargas Macedo “El Garfield”, an alleged member of the Fuerzas Especiales Tequileras criminal group. Local authorities noted that the Fuerzas Especiales Tequileras controlled part of the state’s Tierra Caliente region and that they were linked with the Guerreros Unidos Cartel.
Juan Vargas Macedo “El Garfield” was the right hand man of Raybel Jacobo de Almonte “El Tequilero”.
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| María Félix Jaimes, kidnapped and executed on June 16, 2014 |
The leader of Los Tequileros is credited with the crime against former governing PAN member of San Miguel Totolapan, María Félix Jaimes, who was kidnapped and executed on June 16, 2014, along the road to Ajuchitlán.
She had gunshot wounds on her head, along with her body was a message that said: “this will happen to all who pass information to ‘El Pescado’.”
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| Carlos Salanueva de la Cruz |
This homicide was in response to the kidnapping and dismemberment of the PRI leader in San Miguel Totolapan, Carlos Salanueva de la Cruz, who was found dismembered on June 15, 2014, and who had amessage that read: “this will happen to all those who support La FM (Familia Michoacana). Atte. El Tequilero.”
An armed commando entered the home of the councilor of San Miguel Totolapan,Roberto García García (PRD member), and executed him with three gunshots on November 3, 2015, a month after taking office. The crime was also attributed to Los Tequileros.
Los Tequileros are attributed with the kidnapping of 21 men in the municipality of Arcelia in January 2016. They are also attributed with the armed attack in San Antonio la Gavia, with an outcome that left two people dead.
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| Ambrosio Soto Duarte |
Intelligence reports indicate that Ambrosio Soto Duarte, the municipal president of Pungarabato, maintained ties with criminal groups. He was also murdered on July 23, 2016.
“He (Ambrosio Soto Duarte) was detected at a meeting in the ranch of the so-called ‘JP', ‘Don José', ‘José Pineda', or ‘Rodolfo Maldonado Bustos', chief of drug trafficking in the Tierra Caliente region of Guerrero, who would be staying in a ranch in the municipality of San Lucas or Huetamo, Michoacán,” the report says.
It adds that “it is known that after the municipal elections, when the federal electoral court confirmed its victory on July 31, 2015, Ambrosio Soto Duarte summoned several mayors from the Tierra Caliente region of Guerrero in order to take them with Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, “El Pez” or “El Pescado”, leader of one of the last cells of La Familia Michoacana.”
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| Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga ‘El Fresa’ |
The report states that “El Pescado” and “Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga ‘El Fresa’, have been committing kidnappings and shootouts against the criminal organization known as Los Tequileros.”
The expansion of Los Tequileros has also reached the municipalities of Arcelia, Ajuchitlán del Progreso and Pungarabato, leaving its personal seal: the threat to authorities.
Source: La Silla Rota