By Agent Steve Duncan for Borderland Beat
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Murder of Zeta Editor, Cardinal and inside look at the Tijuana Cartel Family
“Hi Chivis. While reading Yaqui’s article on the assault of ZETA Editor, Jesus Blancornelas, it reminded me that there is still interest in the stories of brave men and activists like Blancornelas. He was a large part of the downfall of the Arellano-Felix Organization (AFO). He, like his partners Gato Felix and Francisco Ortiz-Franco, endangered their lives to expose those evil brothers responsible for thousands of deaths. I would like to add a few things that many folks may not know.”
I received this note from Steve Duncan, The agent who wrote the foreword to Martin Corona book (see right column)who offered to send me material to create a post. I encouraged him to write the post himself, and he graciously agreed. Inside information and photos and a very interesting post was the result. Read below...
Reflections by a Special Federal Agent
Agent Jack Robertson
In April 1993, a young DEA Agent, Jack Robertson, who was in "DEA Group 1", a group solely composed of DEA Agents, crossed the hallway and entered our team office. Jack would later go on to expose Lance Armstrong causing him to be stripped of his Tour D France medals. His last case before retiring from the World Anti-Doping Agency was exposing the Russian Olympic Track Team and their government sponsored doping program. His Group Supervisor, Michelle Leonhart, later would become the DEA Administrator.
In April 1993, a young DEA Agent, Jack Robertson, who was in "DEA Group 1", a group solely composed of DEA Agents, crossed the hallway and entered our team office. Jack would later go on to expose Lance Armstrong causing him to be stripped of his Tour D France medals. His last case before retiring from the World Anti-Doping Agency was exposing the Russian Olympic Track Team and their government sponsored doping program. His Group Supervisor, Michelle Leonhart, later would become the DEA Administrator.
Warning: Graphic photos on second page
At the time, I was a Deputy Probation Officer with the County of San Diego. In 1992, the DEA Narcotics Task Force established Team 5, a team devoted to investigating gang member involved in significant drug distribution. Our team was represented by the San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff Office, DEA and ATF. I was picked to be a member of the team based on my expertise in San Diego gangs and Jack was about to hook me into a case I would never let go.
Jack briefed me on his case. He described five brothers from the same family, the Arellano-Felix Family. Benjamin and Eduardo made the organizational decisions; Ramon was the chief enforcer; Francisco was the oldest and least violent who almost solely distributed marijuana; and Javier the youngest brother who was pulled from school in Guadalajara in 1992 after they began a full-scale war against Joaquin Guzman-Loera (“Chapo”) and the Sinaloa Cartel.
Jack told me that the many members of the Logan Heights Street Gang were being recruited as escorts and assassins with David Barron as the lead recruiter and head enforcer for the AFO. Jack said that one of the enforcers from Logan Heights had been shot several times in Logan Heights by some of the other enforcers for “talking too much about what they do for the AFO.” He asked me if I knew anyone from Logan Heights named “Cracks” that had been shot recently. He said some of the enforcers who knew the family of “Cracks” went to pay them some money for his funeral after shooting him seven times. The victim’s mother said “God Bless, He’s Still Alive!” Jack said the gunmen would finish him off unless we got to him first. Jack and I hopped in his G-Ride and went straight to the hospital.
During my career, I maintained strong ties to local law enforcement fighting gangs and they were quick to encourage me to take a close look at the Logan Heights Street Gang who was unusually quiet lately, but rumors were they had access to assault rifles and grenades. Some murders taken place in different parts of San Diego were “cartel-type” hits. The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Gang Detectives Jorge Sanchez and James Herganroether or “Hergy” were notorious crime fighters and smelled trouble in Logan Heights. “Hergy” had called me in April 1993 and told me he was guarding, Jose Cruz, aka “Cracks,” at the local hospital as he was shot numerous times near Chicano Park and was barely alive. Cruz told “Hergy” he was shot by a rival gang.
Jack and I visit Cruz in the hospital the day he escaped
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Jack and I left the hospital and Hergy remained with Cruz. Later that evening while Hergy took a quick break, Cruz unhooked all medical equipment and left the hospital. Cruz disappeared and relocated in the Santa Barbara area. In 1997, I located Cruz at the California Mens Colony in San Luis Obispo. SDPD Gang Detective Brian Szymonik and I paid him a visit. He looked much better physically, but was beaten down emotionally. He finally admitted to us that he was shot by his fellow gang members: “Pato,” “Sniper” and “Gizmo.” Cruz was serving a 10-year sentence for rape and was deported upon his release from prison.
Jack and I visit Cruz in the hospital the day he escaped
As Jack and I were escorted to Cruz’s hospital room, “Hergy” was sitting in the room watching the nurse remove the tracheotomy from Cruz’s neck. Cruz was missing his right eye but his other eye lit up when he saw me because I was his camp counselor when he was serving time in a juvenile honor camp in 1988. We exchanged hellos. I introduced Jack to “Hergy” and Jack explained to “Hergy” the real reason for the assault on Cruz and that there were assassins trying to locate him to finish him off.
Jack approached Cruz and asked what happened. He explained the story he had recently told “Hergy.” Jack paused as the nurse gave Cruz some liquid medicine. When the nurse left the room Jack said, ”You are full of shit. You work for the Arelllano-Felix Brothers and your mother told some of their hit men who wanted to pay for your funeral that you are still alive. You’re lucky we beat them here.” Cruz became upset, began shaking and spit up some of the medicine. Cruz told us we had to get him out of there immediately. Jack told him he had to cooperate with the government and he would see what he could do. Cruz refused stating “you know who they are and what they will do.”
Jack asked me if I would help him with his investigation and told me to handle the San Diego gang members who were recruited by the A-F Brothers to act as their enforcers. Jack explained about “Chapo’s attempt to ambush the Arellanos at Christine Disco in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, in November 1992. After the dust settled, Benjamin tasked Barron to establish a large security force with tough guys like him. In November 2002, Tijuana was flooded with street gang members from Logan Heights whom were paid $500.00 per week and taught to kill.
After agreeing to help Jack, I began investigating the Logan Heights Street Gang. On April 24, 1993, about 15 Logan Heights gang members, on a mission to kill Chapo, accidentally killed Catholic Cardinal Jesus Posadas-O’Campo at the Guadalajara Airport. One of the assassins, “Gori,” was detained in Guadalajara and provided a list of names to the Mexican Police. However, the “Gori” only knew the street gangsters by their street names or “placasos:”
Placaso Current Status
Spooky Dead
Puma Puente Grande Maximum Security Prison-Mexico
Cougar Out of Custody
Pato Out of Custody- Mexico
Zig Zag Deported
Gordo Deported
Gizmo Dead
Popeye In Custody - Mexico
Tarzan Out of Custody
Night Owl - Logan In Custody - US
Big Happy Dead
Little Happy In Custody - US
Big Smokey Deported
Little Smokey Deported
Pee Wee Dead
Trigger - Logan In Custody - US
Sniper Deported
Casper Puenta Grande Maximum Security Prison-Mexico
Dopey Out of Custody
Roach Out of Custody
Cracks Deported
Boo-Boo Dead
Lalo Reyes Out of Custody - Mexico
Lepo
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Barron killed during an assassination attempt on Zeta Magazine editor
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Night Owl – Posole In Custody - US
Trigger – Posole Out of Custody
Assassinations of Gori's father and wife
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| -Click to enlarge- |
The Government of Mexico (GOM) issued provisional arrest warrants for then above gangsters and submitted the list of placasos to the US Government. Jack and I quickly teamed up with “Hergy” and the SDPD and put names to every placaso. Beginning in May 1993, we detained those gang members in the US and deported, expelled and extradited them to Mexico. Jack had me immersed in the case and I never looked back.
On March 7, 1997, Barron, Araujo, Quinones and their assassins murdered the father and wife of “Gori” as they were leaving their humble home to go to work. The family was is hock and terrorized as it happened in front of their community. With the blessing of the Mexican Government, we brought “Gori,” who was in Altiplano, and his extended family from Tijuana, to the US. I remember about 30 family members coming across the border and being housed in an extended stay hotel until the US Government could make more permanent arrangements.
Ultimately, Mexico acquitted the gang members for the murder of the Cardinal and, in 1995, they trickled back into the US. Mexico did not inform the US of their release. I started seeing them again on the streets and reported it to Jack. Jack spoke to the US Attorney and we began our own case against the Logan Heights Gang Members recruited by the AFO. In our federal kingpin case, we indicted 10 gang members for violent and drug acts in furtherance of the AFO. Barron was our kingpin. Our main overt act of the conspiracy was “The Murder of Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas O’Campo.” It was this case that caused me to rethink my career and become a drug investigator. In 1996, I was hired by the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.
On February 14, 1996, Barron was married to a second wife, Karina. The reception was held at Baby Rock. In the wedding photos were: “Pato Quinones” and wife Marissa Barron; Gustavo Rivera-Martinez and wife Cruz Elena Herrera-Rosales; Arturo Paez-Martinez (“Kiti”); Arturo Granados (“Chi-Chi”); Adolfo Perez-Zambrano (“Sammy”); Raymundo Corona-Bartolomei (“Coach”) and Federico Sanchez-Valdez (“Gordo’ or “G-1”).
In June 1997, the federal government indicted David Barron and nine other enforcers he recruited from the Logan Heights Gang in Operation Snow White. The indictment was sealed until Barron was captured. Our strategy was to arrest Barron before unsealing the indictment because we feared he would kill or threaten our witnesses against him. We paid particular attention to those individuals closest to Barron. It deserves mentioning, that the agents wanted to indict all of the enforcers, but the Assistant US Attorney only wanted 10 and she got her way. Needless to say, the ones not indicted went on to kill hundreds of people in the US and Mexico. Left off the indictment was Hector Viillegas (“Lepo”), who we pleaded the AUSA to indict as he was a suspect in several San Diego murders. In 1993, Villegas was arrested with an AK-47 used in the murder of a young woman, Mimi Barraza, earlier in 1993. The AUSA’s excuse was the complications of indicting a juvenile in the federal system. Viilegas was 17 when he and his fellow gang members killed the Cardinal in Guadalajara.
Barron’s sister, Marissa Barron-Quinones or whatever she calls herself these days, was married to Marcos Quinones-Sanchez. Marissa, like all of the Barron Family, was involved with aiding and abetting David Barron’s enforcement and drug distribution responsibilities for the AFO. In 1997, Marissa was stopped at the San Ysidro Port-Of-Entry driving a vehicle registered to David Barron’s new wife. Among the documents were drug ledgers and lists of duties she was to carry out in the US for David, Quinones, Alfredo Araujo-Avila and other enforcers.
Araujo-Avila was married to “Pato Quinones’” sister, Teresa. We also saw that Marisa was in the process of becoming a naturalized US Citizen. I flipped! We reached out to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and informed them that they were processing a member of the AFO. Guess what? They did nothing and Marissa is now a US Citizen. The wife of “Pato” Quinones, the sister of David Barron and an active member of the cartel went on to commit felonies related to money laundering and drug distribution and is still a US Citizen living in the US. She is now a convicted felon. Teresa Quinones remained loyal to her fugitive husband and even landed an internship position at the San Diego District Attorneys Office. When we brought this to their attention, the quickly did an audit and let her go. Their son went on to become an enforcer with “Pato.”
Barron’s cell of the AFO was a family affair, and we had to develop a flow chart of the families and their involvement. Barron had 6 sisters and each of their husbands or boyfriends were members of the AFO or had done illegal favors for them to include murder, money laundering and drug trafficking. At minimum, they harbored a mass-murdering monster and fugitive.
Barron killed during an assassination attempt on Zeta Magazine editor
On November 27, 1997, Barron was killed during an attempt to kill a Mexican Newspaper Editor, Jesus Blanco-Ornelas who was writing negative press about Barron.
It was Thanksgiving Day and the Barron-Corona Family and Gustavo Rivera-Martinez were waiting for David and “Pato” to join them for Thanksgiving Dinner in Barron’s Tijuana home. According to a family member present, “Pato” came to the house crying and holding his face. He had been cut by flying glass and told the families of David’s death and how they had to leave him behind. Rivera and “Pato” spoke with Benjamin Arellano and Barron’s crew were split up between Rivera and “Pato.”
Several hundred thousand dollars in US currency at the house, was also divvied out among the Barron Family who smuggled it into the US.
In San Diego, our team devoted to the Cardinal Case, hit the streets. The police in Tijuana had provided the license plates of the two vehicles used in the Blancornelas assault. One was stolen from a parking lot in San Diego. The other was purchased by Peter Jansen in San Diego Auto Trader. We quickly discovered the Peter Jensen was, in fact, Ronald Brill.
Brill, an East County mechanic, had aided and abetted both Barron and Rivera in years past by providing police equipment, boats and armored vehicles used for drug distribution and enforcement. We put him in the grand jury where he lied and minimized about his relationship with Barron and Rivera. Brill had come on our radar numerous times in the AFO Investigation and, like Marissa, was never held accountable. He later purchased a boat used by Barron and Rivera to smuggle one ton of cocaine into the US.
Flawed report from Mexico Gob on the Blancornelas Assault
The Mexican Governments report on the Blancornelas’ Assault was flawed. We knew of four enforcers who were definitely present and who participated in the assault - Barron, Quinones, Michael Jarboe (“Pee-Wee”) and Ignacio Meza, aka “Wolfy,” a gang member from Oceanside, California. Melvin Gutierrez-Quiroz (“Casper”) was probably involved. Quinones’ crew later killed “Wolfy” as they believed it was a round from his assault rifle that accidentally killed Barron. Rivera personally murdered “Pee-Wee” years later for some screw-up. Others mentioned by the Mexican reports were in custody or not involved. The reports based some of their evidence on those that we had indicted or suspected might be involved.
The weekend following Barron’s death, my FBI partner, Mexican Crime Fighter Jose “Pepe” Petino, the SDPD Gang Suppression Team and I drove through San Diego County contacting Barron’s family. It had been 3 days and nobody had shown up at the morgue to claim his body in Tijuana. They were obviously aware of his death but they were fearful of the consequences. Their strength, identity and financial support were gone. To those of us who tracked him, it was “Divine Intervention.”
The US failed miserably in the US Case against the AFO.
On February 5, 1998, the indictment was unsealed. Three of the nine remaining subjects were arrested in San Diego. Facing long prison terms, they cooperated. After intense debriefings, it became clear that we needed to indict more subjects, some of whom were more culpable that these three. Martin Corona was identified as a subject who was successfully murdered many enemies on behalf of Barron and the AFO. Although the prosecutor promised to indict more, she became alienated by the investigators who wanted her to prosecute harder and to prosecute more gangsters. She refused to work with us (and me especially) any longer. This is why Corona and all those who committed murders with him are still free. And, this is why many people since have been murdered.
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| TO READ INDICTMENT USE THIS HYPERLINK |
Later on in my career, I was summoned to the US Attorney’s Office and told they would not extradite any of the remaining defendants in the Cardinal Case including “Pato,” “Lalo Reyes,” and “Puma.” It is easy to point at the Government of Mexico and all of their shortcomings, but we here in the US failed miserably in the US Case against the AFO.
Since Barron’s death, the relationship between the Logan gang and the AFO continued with several becoming top lieutenants. May of them have suffered violent deaths, others are in custody and many have cooperated. The latest casualties from Logan and the AFO are Jose Hernandez Garcia-Martinez (“Sailor”) and Benjamin Gutierrez-Quiroz (“Kecho”). Both of their families supported their criminal careers and remain in the US.
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| DISMISSAL OF CORONA'S INDICTMENT AFTER DEATH |
I follow the Mexican Press as much as I can to keep abreast of our drug war and the escalating violence. I continue to see those violent criminals, who we could have and should have prosecuted or given life sentences, continue to kill for the drug trade. I keep a list of every gang member that has been trained to kill by Tijuana Cartel. I share this list with fellow law enforcement in the hope of educating them on the danger we are exposed to and ultimately to protect our community and save lives. There is absolutely nothing honorable about the AFO.
Just ask the thousands of victims left in their wake including their own family members.