2 Alleged Puente Grande prison guards executed in Jalisco

Borderland Beat

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Two security agents, believed to be prison guards at the Maximum Security Prison of Puente Grande, were executed near the New Guadalajara Bus Central in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco.

The attack took place today (January 30th) shortly before 1 PM, at the moment the officers were off duty and awaiting a bus in a place known as Portales del Calzado. According to witness reports, several men travelling in three vehicles arrived at the scene and shot the men.

The assassins fled in different ways using the highways near the are, including the Mexico City Highway and Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas.

The hitmen left several threatening banners over the bodies of the guards (unofficially identified as Carlos Alejandro Gutierrez Resendiz and Ricardo Vergara Garcia)

In an interview with local network Notisistema, Ivan Barba, operations director for the Tlaquepaque Police said "It looks as they are people who work in the Federal Prison, it´s not official yet and it was a direct attack, they were waiting for their bus".

Besides local and state authorities, members of the Federal Police and Federal Attorney´s General Office arrived at the scene to make verify if the victims were indeed workers at the Federal Maximum Security Prison #2 "Occidente" (Tijuano´s Note: Formerly known as Puente Grande or "Puerta Grande" since that´s the prison from which El Chapo Guzman escaped, this is the same prison where Rafael Caro Quintero was held before he was set free by the current federal administration).

SOURCE : ZETA TIJUANA

The detention of " El Lico " provokes highway blockades in Tierra Caliente

Translated for Borderland Beat from a Michoacan 3.0 article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

Morelia Michoacan

This Thursday morning , elements of the Mexican Army detained Frederico Villegas Garcia alias " El Lico " and another two men for crimes that have not been revealed in an official manner.

These actions provoked anger among the residents of Atunez , who maintain blockades of the Cuatro Camino - Apatzingan highway to demand the release of the three captives.

During the operation the three men were arrested around 1 am when they were in their respective homes , prompting dozens of neighbors to come out and defend them.

Trickery in the normalista assassin's perp walk-Handcuffed? Nope, water-bottled!

written by lucio: Thanks out to Pepe for the images

                                                               Image 1

Even by Mexican standard of ethics, truth and transparency, this is one of those stand out gems.

The guy who appears to be handcuffed above is 'El Cepillo', the suspect arrested 2 weeks ago. This is the assassin of the missing students, and the guy who Mexico's attorney general placed his faith in to go along with the script, to provide the  truthful testimony that closed the case of the normalistas of Iguala.

In the first image, it is not in your face evident, that something is awry, but after you view the third image you will see what is up.

In the second image, the “most dangerous of assassins”  loses his concentration, forgetting he is supposed to be handcuffed, his right hand seems to have been unconstrained.

                                                     Image 2: loses concentration

In the third image it is self-explanatory, what is going on, there are no handcuffs for this “madman killer of students”.  He is gripping a water bottle. (image on next page)

In my post of January 25^th, I wrote the following;

“Officials said Friday that they had detained a ”leader of the Guerreros Unidos” criminal group that prosecutors believe killed 43 college students, then burned their bodies in a case that began about four months ago.

There has been an arrest of Guerreros Unidos “leader”, Felipe Rodríguez Salgado, alias ‘El Cepillo’, who  is being detained and “interrogated."

Government officials are hoping the suspect may add details to the theory that the authorities have outlined.”

New Indictments Against Sinaloa Cartel in the Wake of Flores Twins' Sentencing

AP Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast

In the wake of a 14 year prison sentence being given to the Flores twins, who were first indicted in 2009, came the announcement that United States officials in Chicago had issued an eighth superseding indictment to that initial 2009 case targeting the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as three new indictments.

The superseded indictment lists nine defendants:

• Joaquín Archivaldo "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, who is currently in Mexican custody 
  
• Jesús Alfredo "Jags" Guzmán Salazar, 31 years old, a son of "El Chapo"
  
• Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia
  
• Heriberto "Capi Beto" Zazueta Godoy, 54 years old
  
• Victor Manuel "El Lic Vicc" Felix Beltran, 27 years old
  
• Jesus Raul "Trevol" Beltran Leon, who is in Mexican custody, 31 years old
• Hector Miguel "Mv" Valencia Ortega, 33 years old
• Jorge Mario "Choclos" Valenzuela Verdugo, 32 years old
• Guadalupe "Don Julio" Fernandez Valencia, 54 years old
  

The Capture of La Tuta is our priority : General Gurrola

Translated for Borderland Beat from a Proceso article by Otis B Fly-Wheel
Morelia Michoacan

General Gurrola and  Michoacan Governor Salvado Jara Guerrero

After the installation of the Group for Coordination in Michoacan in its capital Morelia , the General of the Division Felipe Gurrola Ramirez affirmed that the capture of Servando Gomez Martinez , La Tuta , and six more leaders of the Knights Templar Cartel , would be the priority in his anti-crime strategy.

The General said that the Cartel no longer holds hegemony in the state , but accepted that they still operate from stronghold and isolated pockets.

For his part , the Governor Salvador Jara Guerrero announced that the Group for Coordination , will work with element of society , businessmen , farmers, intellectuals , among others to carry out consultation forums throughout the state. Also forums will be held in Municipalities where regional issues will be addressed.

MX attorney general says 'Chapo' will be extradicted to U.S.... in "300 or 400 years"

Lucio; posted by Pepe republished from The Big Story

Captured Sinaloa drug cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will not be extradited to the United States anytime soon, Mexico's top prosecutor said Tuesday.

Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam [aka #YaMeCanse] said he was expecting to receive a formal request later in the day from Washington, which also wants to prosecute Guzman on drug trafficking charges. But U.S. authorities will have a long wait.

"I could accept extradition, but at the time that I choose. 'El Chapo' must stay here to complete his sentence, and then I will extradite him," Murillo Karam told The Associated Press in an interview.

"So about 300 or 400 years later — it will be a while." 

Murillo Karam later clarified that he was referring to the time that it would take for Guzman to complete his sentences, "given all the crimes he's being prosecuted for." 

Guzman was arrested by Mexican marines last February in the Pacific Coast tourist resort of Mazatlan, ending years on the run as Mexico's most wanted man after a daring prison break in 2001. He is being held at a maximum-security prison near the capital.

Murillo Karam said sending Guzman to the United States would save Mexico a lot of money, but keeping him here is a question of national sovereignty.

He also dismissed concerns that Guzman could escape a second time. That risk "does not exist," Murillo Karam said.

U.S. congressional leaders have called for Guzman's extradition, but a formal request had not been made.

At least seven U.S. federal courts have pending complaints against Guzman accusing him of masterminding operations that smuggled drugs into the country.

Tortured then thrown to the Crocodiles

Translated for Borderland Beat from a Notinfomex article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

He was identified as Venancio Soberanis Pantoja , a youngster who was thrown to crocodiles in Larazo Cardenas, after being tortured and executed.

The body was on the point of being completely devoured by the crocodiles in the Santa Anna bar. However tourists and locals reported the situation to authorities , then elements of civil protection among others , attended the site and managed to snatch the body from the jaws of the reptiles.

The situation occurred around Midday just at the height of the bridge of Santa Ana , in the Boulevard of the Municipality of Lazaro Cardenas. The police suspect the killer or killers threw the body off the viaduct , and subsequently the reptiles ate his left leg.( Otis : id say that is his right leg )

The chicago Twins who betrayed Chapo sentenced to 14 years

Republished by Lucio from The Chicago Tribune written by Jason Meisner

Lucio's note:

Minutes ago, the Flores twins were sentenced to 14 years each

Security at sentencing in the federal courtroom in Chicago was tight,  extra security checks outside courtroom doors and a bomb-sniffing dog sweeping for explosives. For their security, neither of the twins' attorneys was named in court.

Stated Judge Castillo when handing down the sentence;

"Even though I am not going to sentence you to life, you are leaving here with a life sentence.  Each time you start your car (when they are released), you are going to be wondering, is it going to start, or will it explode." 

 

Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 10 years.  Noting, because of the twins' cooperation they were able to issue  indictments of Guzman and more than 50 others. (3 new names were added today)

Castillo said the twins were the most significant traffickers ever in his court. Adding he had never seen drug traffickers at the height of their power and wealth, come forward to offer to assist the government and provide information, as the Flores brothers had.

And that day of freedom is much sooner than people think. 14 years, with 6 years served, and 2 years factored in for "good behavior, 54 days each year is the max allowed, these deductions mean the brothers could be released in 6 years. In the first video, the federal prosecutor talks about the case and sentencing, including the cooperation by the brothers, and the wiretapping of their conversations with Chapo.   

Today was the first public appearance of the brothers in 6 years.The American born twins appeared very uneasy walking to the podium to speak.

"I'm ashamed. I'm embarrassed. I'm regretful," Margarito said. “I’ve put my family in harm’s way, and I will never forgive myself, there is no excuse."

Pedro seemed on the verge of breaking down as he said, "I wanted to thank the United States (and federal agents) ... for allowing the opportunity not to spend my life in prison.”[Lucio]

Tribune article:
For a couple of drug dealers from Chicago's West Side, twin brothers Pedro and Margarito Flores had hit the big time by November 2008, negotiating a heroin deal over the phone in Mexico with none other than Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the notorious Sinaloa cartel boss who at the time was the most wanted man in the world.

Pedro did the talking, convincing Guzman to drop the price on a freshly delivered shipment of heroin and also arranging a new deal that would bring about 40 kilograms a month of the cartel's narcotics into the Chicago area, court records show. Half an hour later, Flores' cellphone rang again. El Chapo handed his phone to an underling who gave instructions on how and where to make the $1 million cash payment.

What Guzman couldn't have fathomed was that U.S. federal agents were listening in on the calls that night. The heroin had been picked up in Chicago by an undercover officer posing as a courier. The Flores brothers had flipped.

Enlarge by clicking on image

Frenchwoman freed from Mexico jail sues former president calderon and others for 36M

Republished by lucio from Associated Press

Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman who became a cause celebre in her country, after she was jailed for kidnapping in Mexico, is suing a former Mexican president among other former officials and a major TV network, her lawyer said Monday.

Jose Patino Hurtado, Cassez's attorney in Mexico, told Noticias MVS radio that the civil suit filed on Friday seeks $36 million for suffering and "moral damage."

The lawsuit seeks "above all to vindicate Florence Cassez, which is the most important thing," Patino said in an interview with Noticias MVS host Carmen Aristegui.

It names ex-President Felipe Calderon, former Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna and other officials, as well as the Televisa TV network and journalists including the prominent anchor Carlos Loret de Mola.

A Televisa spokesman said the company had no immediate comment. Calderon called the lawsuit "absurd" in an interview with journalist Joaquin Lopez Doriga on Radio Formula.

Cassez was arrested in 2005 and sentenced to 60 years on charges of aiding a kidnapping ring allegedly led by her Mexican boyfriend, in a case that soured relations between Paris and Mexico City.

She acknowledged living with the boyfriend at a ranch where kidnap victims were being held, but professed her innocence, saying she was unaware of their presence. One victim identified her as a kidnapper, but by voice only rather than by sight.

Torture and Corruption in the Municipal Police

Translated for Borderland Beat from a Zetatijuana Special Report by Otis B Fly-Wheel

Official documents that were sent anonymously to ZETA, carry accounts of confessions given by corrupt Municipal Police. Dishonest, confessing to serving cells of criminal organizations, addicted to drugs and or alcoholism , having problems with depression and authority. Others have been narco-traffickers, or have criminal records ( antecedents ) in the USA, whilst others move and dispose of bodies for criminals. The cases are from the commission for police improvement in Tijuana, the secretary Alejandro Lares Valladares, but there are no results, the majority of these police men are still working for the corporation.

The sins confessed by Municipal police agents in Tijuana , merited a procedure to dismiss them from the Police, but most of the 154 agents  that failed the examinations of evaluation and confidence are still working to “ serve “ the public.

The categories of offenses confessed are :

• Trafficking drugs in united states
• Robbery in California 
• Using drugs 
• Giving information to narco traffickers 
• Moving corpses for criminals 
• Receiving money to free criminals from custody

One more is for torturing detainees to gain false confessions, collection of extortion , participating in robberies , taking drugs against police policy , not having the required education and falsifying entry certificates to enter the Tijuana police force.

Of the 154 Municipal Policeman , whose names are in the Commission of Police Development, some from the year 2013 , because they were not officially approved by the center for evaluation and control of confidence ( C3).

Who is the new head of security in Michoacan

Translated for Borderland Beat from a Michoacan 3.0 article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

General Pedro Felipe Gurrola Ramirez

Discrete, with little operational experience but known as a user of intelligence information. The General Pedro Felipe Gurrola Ramirez, in December, left the command of the Sierra Madre task force, in Badiraguato, Sinaloa, to take command of the 8th Military zone in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

Gurrola left the cradle of narco trafficking, where he had a controversial presence in command of his troops accused of shooting a beauty queen, to reach one of the most explosive cities in the country.

One afternoon in 1997 , Colonel Pedro Felipe Gurrola Ramirez arrived at the office of the Secretary of National Defense, General Enrique Cervantes Aguirre. Colonel Gurrola served that year as Deputy Secretary of the head of Sedena, and hours earlier had fruitlessly tried to get a message to his boss.

Hours later Cervantes Aguirre gave him a call to find out what he wanted that morning. Gurrola said that his brother, also a Colonel, came to his office to tell him about his friend who was in Military Intelligence, Colonel Pablo Castellanos Garcia , had some confidential documents in his office at the Defense College, which was a file relating to an individual identified as " Pedro " who was under investigation, Gurrola said his brother had the file because he wanted to know what its contents were.

They were not investigating it , but the fact that those intelligence reports with information reserved on the drug trafficking in the country , were out of the office of the Secretary of Defense itself constituted a leak of information.

abducted Veracruz journalist found dead, the 11th during Duarte administration

by Lucio R.

                                   Veracruz Journalists murdered during Javier Durate governorship

Mayor ordered his death, former police confesses to the killing 

Moises Sanchez was a Veracruz journalist who reported on corruption and organized crime for the newspaper La Union. On the second day of the New Year, gunmen invaded his home and abducted the reporter.

His body was found on Saturday in the municipality of Medellin de Bravo, there were signs of severe torture.

On Sunday, the attorney general of Veracruz, Angel Luis Bravo, reported  the capture of Clemente Noé Rodríguez, a former municipal police, who said the murder was "commissioned" by  Medellin mayor Omar Cruz Reyes.  The confessed murderer revealed Sanchez was killed the same day as his abduction.

Although the PGR agency reported a "positive" identification, those results were based on fingerprint comparison.  Sanchez' son, Jorge Sánchez, mistrusts those results because of the poor condition of the body.  The body had been decomposing for 22 days when discovered.    The PGR agency has ordered DNA studies.

Because the mayor has immunity from prosecution, he has not been arrested.  A legal process is being conducted to impeach  annul  immunity.  The same process was conducted in the case of Mayor Jose Abarca of Iguala.  It was during that time that Abarca and his family fled.  

Since 2010 eleven Veracruz journalists have been murdered

From the date in 2010 when  Javier Duarte de Ochoa took office as governor of Veracruz, there have been 11 journalists murdered.