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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Monday, April 9, 2012

A Plaza Divided


A Plaza Dvided
"A Deal of corporate vision"

Stories containing an in depth look at organized crime in Tijuana, are seldom without a quote from Victor Clark Alfaro, anthropologist and director of the Bi national Center for Human Rights. Alfaro, is considered an expert in cross border crime and violence, as it relates to cartel activity in Tijuana and San Diego, California. For many years his area of expertise was the Arellano Felix cartel, (CAF), whom were the exclusive owners of the Tijuana plaza, since their arrival in the mid 1980's. The 25 year sentence handed down to the Arellano Felix patriarch, Benjamen Arellano last week in San Diego, was symbolic of the end of an era, as well as the beginning of a new one.

In an interview with AFN Tijuana, Alfaro discusses this new era, and what it means for Tijuana, past, present, and future. Alfaro contends that the plaza is now shared, by two groups, who have come to an (narco) 'enterprise agreement', to work in the city, without competition, or violence from on another. According to Alfaro, the Sinaloa cartel started making it's way into the city, about five years ago, roughly 2007. This makes sense, considering Javier Francisco Arellano, and his lieutenants, were arrested in international waters, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. After this, the reins were passed to Fernando Sanchez Arellano, which caused a rift in the cartel, which wouldn't fully be recognized until 2008, Tijuana's bloodiest year. In the midst of this, the Sinaloa cartel began infiltrating the city, by purchasing real estate, and relationships with the authorities.

Alfaro discusses that the pact reached by Fernando Sanchez Arellano, and the Sinaloa cartel, is to share the square, and work in accordance, or without interference, to one another. Small groups, consolidated under Sanchez Arellano, or Sinaloa, are now the preferred way to operate, as opposed to the heavy top down hierarchy of earlier years. The pact, or agreement, must include members of the authorities and politicans of all levels, in the city. Alfaro does not exclude branches of the Mexican military from this analysis, ""I do not have doubt that where there is illegal activity it is because there has to be a joint network of corruption with officials in the city"

The Sinaloa and CAF cells are working in agreement, a relationship of business and convenience, to avoid bloodshed, and increase profits for all. But, Tijuana is not an 'open plaza', La Familia Michoancan, cells have been detected and stopped, and further investigation indicated they were paying taxes to operate in the city. Los Zetas, have not been detected in the city, but Alfaro indicates, their presence would not be welcome, due to the conflict between the two.

The details of this agreement are not known, mostly experts, or those interested, can make educated guesses, and assumptions. Murders and kidnappings sometimes appear to paint a picture of impending conflict, a Sinaloa cell will be alleged to be fighting an Arellano cell, but then the calm will resume, the violence and blood washes away, and the uneasy tranquility will continue.

Alfaro is not optimistic about the future of this agreement, and is concerned that violence will again reign in the city. Violence, is now down, subdued even, but Alfaro cautions against too much comfort from those facts, stating that high impact violence is down, but in the residential, impoverished neighborhoods, the violence and murders continue. Though, they lack the gruesome 'flair', of other violence stricken areas of Mexico, and years previous in Tijuana.

"When you say that violence has declined, I agree but only in the residential area, there is an apparent calm, but I think we're sitting on a volcano because these groups have made arrangements for reasons of ambition or control found in other countries, (they) are very fragile agreements. For me at any time, the volcano can explode"


Sources AFN Tijuana (The translations for the quotes don't always translate right, so I paraphrased a little, regarding the quotes of Victor Clark.

The quote below the title, is also of Victor Clark.

30 comments:

  1. Thats right know you got the sinaloa cartel opereting in tijuana its just a matter of time that they take control of the plaza and the afo group is done

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  2. That 2former rival groups have reached an agreement to share the plaza. Somthing that hasnt been before.

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  3. Anyone know what happened in Sinaloa yesterday with the guy dismembered and the narco manta left with it? Was it CDS or Zetas who did it? The picture on blog del narco was pretty graphic.

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  4. It still catches my attention that some countrys are dominated by crime, that drugs are a main steam issue, that a much larger proportion of people in many countrys participate in criminal activitys, that the social fabric of the western world is in such decline? What does the future hold??

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  5. @5:05 The point would be information. Is there another point that's supposed to be there besides info?

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  6. Great! Now do the same with Juarez, Nuevo Laredo and all the other plazas. This is exactly how drug-trafficking worked in Mexico twenty-five years ago.

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  7. Shouldn't the tile be "A Plaza United"?

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  8. what? harsh words didn't work against the cartel savages?
    then why the hell has the mexican government disarmed its people? wake up!!!

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  9. La unión hace la FUERZA Carteles Unidos

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  10. Sinaloa has been in control of the plaza and Baja for a few years now. AFO is no longer significant in any way in Tijuana. El Ing is a joke amongst his own people let alone the bigger drug trafficking organizations.

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  11. This sounds almost as if it was written in stone. I seen some post like don't hold your breath but if there is a chance for peace it may never come again. I mean I think we can all agree that it is very sad all that has happened but some wars cant be won, especially wars driven by Greed. There is more Power and Prosperity in being United. By any means.

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  12. THIS IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE TRUTH cds PAY DERECHO DE PISO EVIDENCE PROVES IN THE FACT THAT IF cds IS SO POWERFUL WHY NOT REMOVE LA GRAN FAMILIA INSTEAD OF SHARING THE MOST PROFITABLE BORDER IN THE DRUG WORLD IF EL CAF IS WEAKEND AND FINISHED WHY NOT REMOVED THEM WHY MAKE A DEAL THAT MAKES LA GRAN FAMILIA RICHER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT AND TO TOP IT OFF EL CAF HAS VERY POWERFUL TIES TO LOS GRAN ZETAS AND LOS BELTRAN AND EL SENOR CARILLO FUENTES YEAH cds ARE SO POWERFUL THEY COULDNT REMOVE THE WEAKER CARTEL AND MAKE A DEAL THIS DOESNT EVEN MAKE ANY FUCKEN SENCE

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  13. BYE THE WAY LA FAMILIA MICHOACANA HAS PERMISSION TO WORK IN BAJA AND THEY PAY PISO AND THEY ARE VERY USEFULL IN THERE CRAFT AND CAUSE NO TROUBLE THEY EVEN ARE LARGE IN NUMBERS AND LET EL CAF THE EXACT AMOUNT THERE PRODUCING AND THEY LAY LOW SO WERE THE FUCK MR ALFARO DID YOU GET THIS RETARDED INFORMATION WHEN YOU PRINT THIS KIND OF INTELL PEOPLE GET KILLED CAUSE OF UNDECATED POST LIKE THIS

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  14. so is it safe to go to the zona roja again?

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  15. I'd say it's safe, but use a lot of caution, people are definitely still going there, (Hong Kong, Adelitas, the usual)

    I don't think Inge is considered weak by his people, did you see the Zeta article in December, listing the cells loyal to him in Tijuana? There was at least 15. Or, read the indictment filed in San Diego in 2010, with 43 defendants in his service?

    They would make the deal, because it's in their mutual interests not to fight.

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  16. GENTE DE TIJUANA It is funny how you say you belong to La Gran Familia and here you are saying that El CAF has powerful ties to Los Zetas, Los Beltranes and Los Carrillo Fuentes. How can that be? When they are allowing loads from Sinaloa and La Familia Michoacana to reach the U.S.

    By the way, please stop with your killing bull shit, is getting old. You keep on saying that you will kill this and you will kill that and blah blah blah.

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  17. Brings to question whether Julián Leyzaola really completed his job as the police's top boss in Tijuana. Probably, he was somehow involved in this agreement.

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  18. I dont think cds pays the caf chapo takes it as offensive when they ask him for that its what happened in juarez vicente carrillo told the cds they had to pay to use the juarez plaza thars what started the war i think in tijuana cds and caf made the agreement to share the tijuana plaza with cds not having to pay caf they both have the right of passage

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  19. april 10 2012 10:51 anonima once again why you so afraid to put youre name you fucken cowards HAVE THE BALLS TO BE WHO YOU ARE OR ARE YOU EMBARASSED OF WHAT YOU ARE ON THE LOADS THAT YOURE TALKING ABOUT YOU DUMB FUCK THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE 80'S WHEN ALL THEM EXECUTIONS HAPPEN WAS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERENT PAYING A TOLL YOU FUCKEN MORAN MY NAME IS EMILIANO BRISENO FELIX ME DICEN EL 5-7 LLA ME PRESENTE YO PENDEJO COMO TE LLAMAS TU PAREJITA Y CHINGA TU MADRE OH QUIEN SEA DEL CAF SON GENTE DE TIJUANA SO MIDE TUS PALABRAS MUY BIEN CHIQUITA AQUI MANDA LA GRAN FAMILIA Y EL SENOR AQUI ESTA Y EL CAF SIGUE CRECIENDO SO CHINGATU PUTA PERRA WANGOTA MADRE

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  20. RAZA GE TIJUANA I don't know why you like to talk to much shit, everyone know how you people work, you always hunt people in groups, never one on one, so who is the coward? About your name (EMILIANO BRISENO FELIX), who you think you are lying to? I have been reading your bull shit since March 2011 Mario Alejandro aka Tiburon.

    Ademas ya todos saben que eres joto y te gustan los hombres, así que para que mientes pinche marica. Ten en cuenta que la Gran Familia te va a venir encontrando por divulgar cosas.

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  21. EL TB SI LO CONOSCO SI LE ESTAS DICIENDO JOTO A EL ANONIMA ESTAS MUY EQUIVOCADO QUE TE HACE PENSAR QUE PUEDES HABLAR ASI DE ALGIEN SIN CONSEQUENCIAS Y LO QUE ESTA DICIENDO LA DEA YA LO SABE ESTUPIDO QUE DIOS TE BENDIGA PAREJITA Y MI CLAVE SI TE LO DI HAY TE VEO PAREJITA APRIL 11 2012 4:45

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  22. Adelitas? Isn't that the one with the sign out front that has a couple of chicks in shorts holding rifles? From the outside it looks like a narco's wet dream.

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  23. raza de tijuana baja californiaApril 12, 2012 at 5:16 PM

    otra cosa prejita lo anonima no te va servir esta ves llamado la anonima que abre el ocico pensando que eso lo protegara suerte parejita april 11 2012 4:45pm

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  24. ALL YOU CATS ARE HILARIOUS. AS I STAND IN MY BALCONY IN SIDRO SMOKING A BLUNT OVERLOOKING EL CHARCO (TIJUANA) TO ME ALL YOU GUYS ARE NONSENSE. SPEAKING ON WHAT YOU READ ONLINE IS BEING AN OPINION BELIEVER. LET'S GET OFFICIAL .
    HAVING A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER IN THE TIJUANA JUDICIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO HAS THE FINAL WORD AND KNOWS IMPORTANT PEOPLE FROM EVERY ANGLE OF NOT ONLY TIJUANA BUT FROM EL PUERTO TO MEXICALI THATS CALLED STEP INTO MY OFFICE.
    A MAFIA EMPIRE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 80s AND INFILTRATED THE CRIMINAL ROOTS OF LA BAJA AND CALI, INVESTED STACKS IN LEGITIMATE HIGH END BUSINESSES SCATTERED NEXT TO YOU, BUT MOST IMPORTANT BENJAMIN AND RAMON MADE SURE THEY LEFT EDUCATED ALUMNIS FROM THAT SCHOOL OF HARDKNOCKS . THESE CAF WISE GUYS WALK AMONGST YOU IN THE STREET AND YOU DO NOT NOTICE. THE FAMILY STILL GIVES ORDERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER. MANY IMPORTANT PEOPLE FROM TGE COMPANY NEVER DIED OR GOT ARRESTED BUT RELEASED. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR ORDINARY "QUE PEDO PAREJA" KIND OF MEN. THESE ARE CONTEMPORARY MODERN DAY GANGSTERS.
    . THIS IS NOT MEDIA SHIT OR THE ZETA PAPER CONTRADICTING ITSELF IN EVERY OTHER EDITION.
    BESIDES LACKING STREET PROFESSIONALISM, ALL YOU DUDES TALKING OUT OF YOUR UNKNOWN MOUTH DO NOT KNOW SHIT
    BUT JUST SAY BIASED STUPID OPINIONS.
    I'M GOING BACK INSIDE MY APARTMENT.

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  25. SIDRO CONOSCO MUCHA RAZA DE ALLI MI PAREJA GRACIAS AL APOLLO DE SIDRO LA GRAN FAMILIA CUENTA CON MUCHA RAZA DE LEALTAD Y D ALTO RANGO UNA PREGUNTA COMO ESTA MARY WUELE MAL PERO TE HACE SENTIR BIEN DISFRUTALO PAREJA Y SALUDAME AL MOI SI ERES DE SIDRO SI LO ASDE CONOCER PAREJA

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    Replies
    1. Que hay compa. Yo aqui vivo en Sidro pero soy de Chula Vista. No la verdad toda esta gente ni sabe lo que dice. Yo se desde adentro de la fuerza politica de tijuana. Mi pariente familiar tiene titulo solido alli adentro. Conocio al Colores ya que era el que andaba mas en el charco. El Fabian fue a una pisteada con mi pariente tambien. Esa epoca eran los 90. Anos como esos ya no van a volver a ver. Pero una cosa si digo. El CAF sigue mandando en TJ

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  26. april 18 2012 5:53 como esta pareja tienes mucha razon primo los 90s era cuando se podia aser lo que uno queria pero los tiempos cambian pero gente como yo fue dificil el cambio pero mi lealtad nunca pense en cambiar de bandera y sabes primo cuando se dio la bronca con el marano del teo lo que mucha raza no sabe es que su gente de el y la muletina ms del 65% corrieron AL SENOR a decirles que no sabian de las intenciones del teo y que les perdonaran la vida y como sabemos mi primo no fue asi empezo la liempia de la frontera frontera norte y la orden era haber quien demuestra lealtad y mas del 15 porciento DEL CAF DEMOSTRARON RATAS Y CHAPULINES PERO LO QUE QUEDO FUE GENTE DE HONOR Y TODO YA SE RECUPERO AL 200% PRIMO I SI ES CIERTO LA GRAN FAMILIA MANDA PESE AQUIEN LE PESE AL RATO PRIMO SOY EMILIANO BRISENO FELIX PURO TIJUANA BAJA CALIFORNIA

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  27. EMILIANO BRISENO FELIX .
    Saludos senore,for not being a bitch like a lot who run their mouth,and speak on things that they really don't know about.Anyway,it makes a change,someone throwin their colors up with no shame or guilt,fuck em all.
    Ten cuidado hermano.

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  28. june 12 2012 5:19 mucho gusto en conocerlo por estas platicas pues espero que un dia de con usted para hecharnos unas frias y plebitas de primera cualidad mi chavo se DESPIDE EL 5.7 ALRATO MI CHAVOY TAMBIEN DE LAVAVADA ARIBA TIJUANA Y LA GRAN FAMILIA

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  29. IS IT POSSIBLE TO GO OVER THERE AND JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME, AND MEET SOME GOOD PEOPLE?

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