Apaseo el Alto, Guanajuato: CJNG Kill Meat Restaurant Owner

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Outside of 'Carnitas Robles' meat restaurant and in view of several merchants a man was shot dead; apparently it was the establishments owner.

The victim was outside the building when subjects from a vehicle opened fire on him, who was originally from this municipality.

It was around 2:00 p.m. on Monday when the roar of bullets began to be heard on Independencia Avenue in the Santa Elena Sur neighborhood.

Relatives of the deceased quickly arrived. As well as emergency personnel who only corroborated that the man no longer had vital signs.

The scene of the murder was quickly cordoned off. Shortly after an hour the body was packed and transferred to the Forensic Medical Service (Semefo) in Celaya.

Although his relatives at the crime scene confirmed his identity. They were in disbelief about what happened.  Basic information concerning this male is officially unknown.

Manta reads as follows:

Stop extorting and killing innocent civilians you dirty motherfuckers. Don Gerardo aka Don Veneno, Cholo, Valentín, El Prieto, Irán, Juan, Betuco, and Chucky. Come on out to the confrontation you cheap fucks. Let it be made clear that here within Apaseo el Alto as well as the whole state of Guanajuato, it all belongs to the CJNG. Sincerely, Grupo Elite.

GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW

Sources: Valor por Tamauipas; Periodico Correo

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CJNG Hitmen Behead Alleged CDS Female Kidnapper

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

A new video from the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) has appeared online. For this broadcast several hit men belonging to the CJNG surround a male who is beheading a deceased woman. 

The female is suspected of being a kidnapper for the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS). Among the men the voice of a woman can be heard encouraging the executioner known as Mario. 

Where exactly in Mexico this crime took place is unknown. It’s speculated that this happened in the state of Zacatecas. Video is very graphic in nature.

Video translation is as follows:

Sicario #1: This will be the fate of every collaborator. Herrera, Cabrera, as well as the mob of El Mudo. We’ve come specifically for you assholes, the operatives from Sinaloa. 

You pieces of shit sons of bitches who have deserted. We’ve come for every one of you. And we won’t be leaving without you assholes. This will be how the existence of every piece of shit kidnapper ends. 

You will bear the consequences of your actions. Keep in mind that how you won’t have mercy on us. Nor will we show mercy in return. The Barredora has arrived you sons of fucking bitches. 

Sicarios shout: We are the absolute Cartel Jalisco New Generation. 

Sicario #2: We are the absolute 4 letters you fucks. 

Sicario #3: Start cutting on the other side there son. 

Sicario #4: Don’t be afraid young man. You’ve already achieved optimal fucking success there. 

Sicario #5 That’s it, keep going. Don’t be afraid. Cut her little head off. 

Sicario #4: That’s it young man. That’s fucking it. 

Sicario #6: We are the absolute Cartel Jalisco you assholes. 

Sicarios shout: We are the absolute Cartel Jalisco!

Sicario #5: And have some fucking courage for that confrontation you fucks. Come on out for it. 

Sicario #7: We’re here waiting for that confrontation you bitches. 

Sicario #3: Start cutting away from the top now. Start cutting from the top. Proceed just the way she’s positioned. 

The video has been deleted multiple times from Twitter; the link below is no longer available

Source: Ghost Deviil

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Security Experts Claim CJNG Possesses Multiple M134 Miniguns Within its Arsenal

 "Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel  (CJNG) has an arsenal of up to 10 M134 machine guns nicknamed "Minigun", according to security experts, advanced weapons valued at around a quarter of a million dollars and capable of firing up to 10,000 rounds per minute.

There are two versions of how the Jalisco Cartel was able to acquire these weapons. One report points out that the criminal group was methodically importing parts from the United States to arm in Mexico, from the hand of military advisers, the multi-barrel machine guns.

The other indicates that an adviser to the cartel, a former US marine, is the one who manages the transfer of the weapons.

The Minigun is flaunted not only by the Jalisco Cartel, but also by the Gulf Cartel.

This multi-barrel weapon, operated by an electronic system, is capable of firing 10 thousand rounds per minute, on average 167 per second; the cost of one minute of operation is around 120 thousand pesos in ammunition.

These weapons are generally mounted on helicopters and military vehicles.

In the United States, this model is available for civilian use under certain requirements and not accessible in all states.

Source: Noventa Grados

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17 Bodies Exhumed From Clandestine Grave in Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua

"MX" for Borderland Beat

The bodies were dumped by cartel members in a mine hole. This has caused a lot of complications in the bodies' retrieval.

The skeletal remains located in the Santo Domingo mine shaft, in Aquiles Serdan, Chihuahua, correspond to at least 17 people, State Attorney General César Augusto Peniche confirmed.

Peniche said the above after almost a year of discovering the clandestine grave. Back in July 2020, he released the names of 12 people who he believed were among the victims.

The death toll rose to 17 this weekend after investigators from Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) helped Chihuahua authorities in the search. The EAAF believes there are up to 20 bodies in this location.

During his press conference, Peniche said that cartel members bumped the bodies in a mineshaft (tiro de mina) that was at least 200 m deep. This made the discovery of the bodies very difficult, he said.

Of the 17 bodies found, only 4 have been given back to their respective family members.

The following bodies have been identified as:

1. Emily Izamara Díaz Morales
2. Pablo Roberto Martínez Moreno
3. Adrián Omar Aldaz Álvarez
4. Martín Refugio Piñón de Luna
5. Ever Iván Muruato Lozoya
6. José Antonio Maldonado Payán
7. Jorge Gutiérrez Trujillo
8. Antonio Mendoza Leal
9. Javier Beltrán Sánchez
10. Jaquelin Almader Carrasco
11. Luis Martín Perea López
12. Gloria Ivannia Perea Prieto

Relatives of the victims denounce not only the fact that the remains have not been handed over to them, but also the doubts they have regarding the identity of their children and the long delays.

A large crew is needed to retrieve the bodies

"They gave me remains from the waist down."

René Muruato, father of Ever Iván Muruato Lozoya, points out that the investigation remains at the same point like in the beginning: no progress. He explains that investigators only gave him Ever's body from the waist down.

However, he questioned the findings when investigators later gave him a foot that was wearing one of the sandals Ever was wearing. Ever's father had already been given two feet remains.

"I started to doubt … how is it possible that they gave me the entire body from the waist down first, and then they come back and give me another foot, claiming it is Ever's?", he asked.

Another of the inconsistencies that the families found was the clothing that the investigators have shown as evidence. The families say that the remains they were given all have the same garments. In addition, despite the fact that some of those garments still had fat in their fabric, no DNA examinations were conducted.

"My life changed completely"

Teresa Payan, mother of Antonio Maldonado Payan, says investigators gave her the bodies of her son. However, she was not allowed to see the remains and was only able to bury them. She said she was not given pictures that proved the remains were those of her son.

"My son disappeared on 14 July 2019 and his body was supposedly found along with Ivannia's. But they gave me the body months and did not let me see it. There are also no pictures in my son's file. How can I be sure it is my son?", she said.

Teresa explained that after her son went missing, she suffered an accident and was physically unable to attend the prosecutor's office to inquire about her son.

"I was unable to walk for four months. When I finally made it to the prosecutor's office, investigators gave me the remains. My daughter asked them to provide evidence showing it was Antonio, but they refused. They are very rude in the prosecutor's office and they never give us an answer. We don't know what they are hiding or what they don't want us to know. My life changed completely because I'm not sure if I even buried my own son".

Sources: El Diario de Chihuahua

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Mayor Candidate in Ciudad Juárez Was Imprisoned for Drug Trafficking in Texas 20 Years Ago

"MX" for Borderland Beat

About 20 years ago, Rodolfo "Rudy" Alberto Benavides Cruz was arrested in El Paso, Texas, on marijuana trafficking charges. In the June 6 elections, he will run for mayor of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua as a candidate for the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM).

Years after his arrest, Benavides became an evangelical pastor and was involved in the religious community in Ciudad Juarez. When he launched his campaign in April 30, several Christian pastors called him a "man of God". At the event, he confirmed his criminal record, but declined to give details, saying that "at some point" he will provide more information on the story. 

El Paso County jail records show that Benavides was arrested on March 11, 1998 on federal charges for transit, possession and importation of marijuana. He was placed at the disposal of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). About ten days later, he was released. However, the records do not show if he was deported and prohibited from future re-entries to the US, common procedures against Mexican nationals captured for drug trafficking.

Without confirming the amount of marijuana he was transporting and the criminal process he faced, Benavides claimed that he was deceived by cartel members. He also said that while he was arrested, the cartel was able to smuggle a larger load into the US since his arrest served as a distraction.

He said he does not remember the amount of drug he was transporting and that he was only behind bars for a short while.  "Only 10 days", he said.

"I was very, very young. It was more than 23 years ago. Today I am here, grateful to God mainly for this great opportunity to be able to serve society and to be able to participate in these 2021 elections towards the municipal presidency of Ciudad Juárez," he added.

He assured that the PVEM nominated him knowing he had a criminal record in the United States.

The Political Constitution of the State of Chihuahua establishes that to be elected as a member of a city council it is required, among other things, to be a Mexican citizen, a resident of Chihuahua, to be from the secular state, and not have been convicted in the last 10 years of any crime other than political ones.

A local newspaper newspaper documented that Benavides was also arrested in Ciudad Juárez in December 2017. He was charged with fraud in a scheme that involved up to MXN$40 million pesos and 80 people.

Benavides said that he was a victim of deception and betrayal by the accountant Mario Alberto Vázquez, as well as abuse of authority and intimidation by the former local National Action Party (PAN) deputy, Gustavo Alfaro. Benavides explained that for these events he was imprisoned one day. During the trial, it was found that the only person responsible was Mario Alberto Vázquez Zapata.

Benavides is well-known in the Christian community of Ciudad Juarez. He served as an evangelical pastor at the Linaje Real Family Center, but had to leave his religious position to run for office.

Sources: Noroeste; La Silla Rota; La Verdad de Juarez; El Heraldo de Chihuahua

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Héctor 'El Güero' Palma Under Interrogation in Mexico City; His Legal Status Will Be Determined on Saturday

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Hector 'El Güero' Palma in 2016

After he was released from prison and re-apprehended, Sinaloa Cartel founding member Hector "El Güero" Palma (age 80) was sent to Mexico City for his future legal proceedings. He is currently under questioning by the Specialized Attorney's Office for Organized Crime (SEIDO). His legal situation will be determined this upcoming Saturday.

Sources from the Attorney General's Office (FGR) indicated that Palma will be placed before a judge by the Public Ministry of the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Health Crimes (UEIDS). That judge will determine if Palma should be placed under preventative detention (Spanish: arraigo) or released.

The SEIDO has 96 hours to review all investigations and possible charges that could implicate Palma with other crimes. It is very likely that UEIDS will ask the judge to grant the SEIDO a 40-day preventative arrest to gather more evidences against Palma.

As determined by Mexican law, a person detained under arraigo may be held without formal charges for up to 40 days with a judge's approval, or up to 80 days with further judicial approval, just as long as the detainee is suspected of organized crime involvement.

Last Saturday, a district court in the state of Jalisco ordered the immediate release of Palma, who spent 26 years imprisoned in Mexico and the United States.

Who is Héctor 'El Güero' Palma?

Palma was born in La Noria de Abajo, municipality of Mocorito, Sinaloa, where he met Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, ('The Godfather'), who recruited him as a hitman. He eventually met Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán and both became business partners.

In 1995, he was arrested while heading to a wedding on his private jet. While flying his jet suffered engine problems and he had to do a forced landing near the Jalisco and Nayarit state borders. His arrest confirmed what many Mexicans had long known: in Mexico, the police are for sale and drug lords are purchasing them. When Palma was arrested, most of his entourage were active members of the Federal Judicial Police (PJF).

Palma was imprisoned at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 2 ("Puente Grande"), the infamous prison where El Chapo escaped in 2001. In Mexico, Palma won several appeals and had his charges dropped multiple times.

However, in 2007, Palma was extradited to the U.S. and sentenced for his drug trafficking involvement. He was deported back to Mexico in 2016 and was re-arrested by Mexican authorities who were waiting for him at the border crossing. He was released from prison this past weekend and re-apprehended for charges that have not been revealed.

Sources: La Razon; Zeta Tijuana; 

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Raw Videos From Recent Ambush in Los Aldamas, Nuevo León, Circulate on Social Media

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Note: Images are graphic and may cause distress. Discretion is advised.

Screenshot of the video recordings below

Two videos from the recent Northeast Cartel (CDN) ambush against the National Guard (GN) in Los Aldamas, Nuevo Leon, are circulating on social media. 

The attack occurred last week when one GN member and at least 15 more were wounded in a coordinated when they were patrolling Los Aldamas. 

In the first video recording presented below, two elements of the GN (a man and a woman of approximately 20 years) are seriously injured lying on the pavement. Their colleagues give them words of encouragement and tell them "not fall asleep" while they give them medical attention.

In the second video presented below, several GN members are shown hiding under a vehicle to shield themselves during the ambush. One of the GN members asks for help since he says that one of his colleagues (presumably the one in the video above) is injured.

"Element injured!", "They are shooting at us!", "Assistance!", the GN member yells throughout the video.

One GN member is heard saying to a colleague that their injured comrade is bleeding too much. "Everything is leaking out of this guy", he said.

During the shooting, the officers requested more reinforcements from the GN and the Nuevo Leon State. It is unknown if anyone was arrested in the aftermath of the attack. The injured elements were transferred by helicopter to receive medical attention.

Two days after the ambush, CDN members shot at a police helicopter and injured the pilot while he flew over Los Aldamas. State authorities issued a statement indicating that the aircraft was giving support to the Mexican military in the area by transferring its elements.

Despite the attack, the aircraft had to continue its journey to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, to get to safety and request medical attention to attend to the injury.

In images that circulated on social networks, various bullet holes can be observed in the front of the aircraft. The pilot's blood stained the control panel and his seat. Upon arrival, the pilot was transferred to the hangar at the Mariano Escobedo Airport, where he received first aid. He was later transferred to a hospital in Monterrey.

Last February, the CDN tried to shoot down a military helicopter in Doctor Coss, Nuevo Leon, but were unsuccessful. During the gunfight, the military killed 5 sicarios, as reported by Borderland Beat.

Blood on the control panel

Bullets went through the front windshield

Borderland Beat Analysis

Los Aldamas is located approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Monterrey, the largest urban area in northern Mexico. This town is on the highway that connects Monterrey with Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas, just across the US-Mexico border from Roma, Texas.

The shootout occurred close to La Frontera Chica (also known as La Ribereña), a border stretch in Tamaulipas. In the context of the Mexican Drug War, it is a lucrative drug corridor currently under dispute by the Metros faction of the CDG and CDN.

The CDN, based in Nuevo Laredo, is trying to expand east into La Frontera Chica, which has historically been controlled by the CDG. The CDN has tried to make incursions into La Frontera Chica from Nuevo Leon. It is likely that this shootout in Los Aldama may be a result of a CDN cell that was planning to push north into Tamaulipas.

Reports say that the CDN commanders in the area are Ricardo Chapa ('El Ricky') and another individual simply known as 'El Amarillo'. These individuals report to the CDN boss Juan Gerardo Treviño Chavez ('El Huevo').

The CDG commanders in the area are Cesar Morfin Morfin ("El Primito") and his brother Alvaro ("R-8"). The CDG in La Frontera Chica has the backing of the Nuevo Leon cell reportedly headed by Comandante Cubano.

Sources: El Universal; El Norte; Epocaviolenta; TH3PR3D4TH0R Mxx (Video 1); (2); Borderland Beat archives

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Mexican Court Approves US Extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Former Guadalajara Cartel leader Rafael Caro Quintero (left) and US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (right)

The long battle to extradite drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero is finally over, should he be arrested.

A Mexican tribunal court approved Caro Quintero for extradition after denying a motion he had issued to prevent Mexican authorities from sending him to the US. Caro Quintero's defense team argued that being extradited to the US meant he would face double jeopardy.

In Mexico, Caro Quintero was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 1985 murder of US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena Salazar and the Mexican pilot Alfredo Zavala Avelar. In the US, Caro Quintero is also wanted for Camarena's murder, and the US government has publicly express over the years that he will be tried for his death should he be extradited. Caro Quintero argued that this was double jeopardy.

According to Article 15 of the Extradition Treaty between Mexico and the U.S., the Mexican government will not extradite a Mexican national unless multiple conditions are met. Among them include that the Mexican national does not face double jeopardy (i.e. being charged for Camarena's murder in Mexico and then in the US).

However, the tribunal court responded by denying Caro Quintero's motion and explained that although the US extradition request does contain the Camarena murder charge, it also includes other charges like drug trafficking and money laundering, which in itself makes the extradition request legitimate.

In addition, it is worth nothing that the murder charge Caro Quintero would face in the US is different than the one he was convicted for in Mexico. In Mexico, he was convicted of murder at the state-level with no aggravating factors.

But in the US, Caro Quintero is facing a federal violation of 18 U.S. Code § 115. This code covers a specific type of murder: whoever kills or attempts to kill any officer or employee of the United States. This aggravating factor in the murder charge was enough for the court to rule it is not double jeopardy.

Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, was freed from a Mexican state jail on a legal technicality in 2013, but an arrest warrant was issued by federal authorities a few months after his release. He is currently a fugitive and is believed to be in hiding in Mexico.

Sources: El Sol de Mexico; El Economista; El Financiero; LII; Borderland Beat analysis

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Aguililla, Michoacán: CJNG Leaves a Message From El Mencho; "I Am Going to Stay"

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Videos and pictures have surfaced online of a narco message from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho"). His directive disseminated in the town of Aguililla, Michoacan.

Just as well they were also found among other communities such as El Limón, Charapo, El Aguaje, El Naranjo, Chila, San José, and El Cajón. 

The Michoacán government tried to suppress his communiqué. But his sicarios made sure to publish his words on film. 

Manta translation is as follows:

To all the townspeople of Agüilla. The submission in which the threats, extortions and other things that a free people doesn’t have to suffer is over. Do not be afraid to claim what corresponds to you, which is freedom.

This problem of ours isn’t with the citizens or with the government, it’s with the scumbags that are depriving them of their freedom. It’s time to raise awareness for all of our people from the municipalities of Limón, Charapo, Aguaje, Naranjo, Chila, San José, El Cajon, and other towns that cannot move freely because of vermin.

That is now over. I didn’t come here because I can, I came because I am going to stay. Have courage my citizens. We will not leave you alone. This is all being done for an unrestricted Aguililla and Michoacán. Sincerely, Mencho. We're not some cheap fucks like those damn scumbags.

Sources: Jalisciense1c; TH3PR3D4TH0R Mxx

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Gunmen Abduct and Kill Policeman Involved in CJNG Operation in Chapalita, Guadalajara, that Left 4 Dead, 30 Arrested

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Police officer Mario Alberto Villa Arce was a driver during the operation.

Mario Alberto Villa Arce, a municipal policeman who participated in the recent law enforcement operation against a Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cell in Chapalita neighborhood in Guadalajara, Jalisco, was kidnapped by armed men. He was confirmed dead a few hours ago.

His colleagues have received death threats and said that their superiors have not provided them with appropriate security measures.

The police officer was kidnapped on his day off when he was walking with his son on Rafael Ochoa Street, at the intersection with Álvaro Alcázar Avenue in the Jardines Alcalde neighborhood. At least eight individuals aboard two trucks - one Blue Honda CRV and a gray Hyundai - forced him into a vehicle at gunpoint.

The policeman fired at the assailants but they shot back and quickly overwhelmed him. His son was shot on the left leg while trying to defend his father.

The incident occurred very close to the headquarters of the Center for Justice for Women, where there is constant state police surveillance.

Two officers from the Guadalajara Municipal Police have been kidnapped in less than a month. On April 3, Virginia Muñoz González was abducted in front of her children. Her whereabouts are unknown.

Operation in Chapalita

For a detailed breakdown of the event, please click here

On April 19, 2021, Guadalajara authorities receive an anonymous call reporting that kidnapping victims are being held captive at 1285 Chapalita Avenue in the city of Guadalajara.

When security forces arrived at the house in question to investigate, a woman came out to answer the door. She soon realized that they were police officers and quickly closed the door. Police officers noticed that several people were escaping through the yard's back wall and through the property's roof. Several of them then tried to struggle with one of the officers and two suspects were shot dead.

A gunfight broke out and extended to other parts of the neighborhood. As reported by Borderland Beat, authorities are certain that the house was used as a safe house by the CJNG. Inside the property, authorities found a dead person and several firearms. Six more people who were in captivity by the CJNG were rescued.

Jalisco state prosecutor Gerardo Solís Gómez told reporters that 30 people were apprehended: 27 are men and 6 women. Two of the detainees were minors.

Sources: Proceso; (2) El Occidente

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