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Friday, March 11, 2016

Tijuana: El Tigre operative turns himself in at San Ysidro border

E Tigre operative turns himself in after manhunt

Martel Valencia-Cortes, has spent his life in the trafficking of humans.  Now, his career has come to self imposed end, or maybe just a break, as he turned himself in to authorities, after a months long multi agency manhunt, after he allegedly threw a large rock at a Border Patrol agent, in Jacumba, a known smuggling route, just across the border.  

A desolate, remote region, too remote for the social order of modern society to continue.  Rape, murder, extortion, kidnapping.  'A Lot of Bodies are buried in the desert"  The barren purgatories between Mexico and the US all across the border are subject to few laws, a regression to earlier times, cat and mouse games of dangerous people, intent on their goals, that blur depending on your side.  The Border Patrol will detain, ambush, main, even kill in defense of their laws and their goals, as will the smugglers, who lead people and product to the US.  
Cortes, fell on the smuggling side.  He was an outlaw, not glamorous, but not someone who walked through the freezing terrain himself, with his 'passengers', an expert in the foot paths and routes of the smuggling points, he had been a known smuggler since at least 1999, likely formerly affiliated with elements of Arellano Felix.  Federal authorities describe his career, in the black and white prose of law enforcement, 'known foot guide, load vehicle driver, ailen smuggling facilitator', he has 35 apprehensions by the Border Patrol.  

Currently, in the employ of Jose Soto Gastelum, 'El Tigre', and other Sinaloa/Arelleno cells, that operate from Tijuana, Tecate to Mexicali.  These groups smuggle Brazilians from a contact in Sao Paulo, flown in from Cancun, Chinese, and other immigrants.  The price is 25,000, Mexican nationals are charged roughly 5,000.  Recently detained former CAF member 'Guero Leches', who worked in Tecate, was one of the cells dedicated to human trafficking. 

Cortes was born in Colima, but moved to Tijuana with his family, and lived in Colonia Libertad.  It is a family business of human trafficking, that goes back decades.  Colonia Libertad is teasingly close to the border, and therefore has been a breeding ground of these types of families.  Cortes spent 6 years in notorious Tijuana prison, El Hongo', and was released in 2012.  In the United States he faced 25 years for a human trafficking indictment, but pled guilty, and was sentenced to only three years, he was released in September 2015.  

A federal source describes him as arrogant and distrusting, never trusting anyone to do the job, which explains his numerous arrests and hands on approach.  It may explain why mere months after his sentence was finished, and subsequent deportation to Tijuana, he was again in the Jacumba region, in the slick, dampness after rain desert, leading migrants across the the border.  It was a late November night, sun had been down for about an hour, and Cortes was in his element. 

A Border Patrol agent closed in on them, as 'The Most Dangerous Game' played under the sky, and Cortes threw a softball sized rock at the agent, according to his arrest warrant.  The rock struck the agent in the face, and he fired numerous times from his weapon, afterward.  No one was hit, and Cortes and his passengers escaped.  A federal warrant was issued, and Cortes, no stranger to running, now felt the pressure of US Marshals, ICE, and other agencies.  

Now, he has turned himself in, to face serious charges.  Cortes record and criminal history, plus assaulting a federal officer, or even attempted murder, could easily land him a 25 year sentence.  Unless he cooperates.  Perhaps there is info to be traded on 'El Tigre', if he was close enough, past the proxies, past the radios, and cell phones, and messages passed between emissaries.  It's worth nothing that he only served 3 years in his previous trafficking indictment as as well. 

It's likely the pressure was too much, and he had been demanded, or just simply cut off from his work by his bosses, who didn't like the heat, a federal arrest warrant for injury to an officer brings.  He may have fallen out of favor.  Other members of another smuggling group, who shot and killed a Border Patrol agent was sentenced to life in prison, in 2014, for the 2010 killing of Brian Terry, in similar circumstances to Cortes charges.  

It's the end of sun drenched desert, glistening stars in the night sky, thousands of dollars blown on banda music in bars in Tijuana, Cortes will be in a small cell in MCC, San Diego, and sentenced to likely a decade or more in some remote federal facility in California.  Ironically, the facility will be likely in the same terrain in which he spent his life, though he will only be able to catch a glimpses and scents from the desert....

Sources: LA Times, NBC San Diego, Zeta Tijuana

50 comments:

  1. El chapo is a snitch he has no friends

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  2. Well, at least he will have survived as many years as he us given in prison, people do not look like they live long there, or like they have a nice life or a nice life style.
    Also it illustrates the fact that pedradas are very effective, only problem is how was he identified?
    --You can't just go around assigning blame on the most famous. ..

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  3. This guy is a hero. He brought the american dream to thousands of people. Plus he endorses Donald Trump ( Your EGO )

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    1. 10:09pm He helped people reach a geographical location. The american dream was "brought" by the economy.

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    2. Yea and sacrificed himself . All this work he done for free and then turned himself in . A true self sacrifice . A true Mexican hero . I bet all the "little people" he helped would like to erect a monument for him . Hats off for a few moments of silence .

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  4. Smart dude got away with it 35 times. He must be a ghost

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    1. Actually, he got caught 35 times. Others never get caught.

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    2. Back in the day when I was a young man , I made HUNDRED of trips . Never got a case on me . My record used to read obstruction of justice but was never charged or convicted . Wasn't gang related just independent with a few other accomplices. Knew some crossings and trails and was caught a couple times but never charged because of lack of cooperation from all parties . Been clean of it for over 30 years .But doing it was like addictive to me Back then I was rock solid and would have never cooperated and sold anybody out . As I get older I see the reality of the criminal life . I doubt there was a single one who wouldn't have sold me out to save themselves . I used to feel the pull off of it wanting me back or me wanting it back . I have nothing from those days to show for it. Left it with no grudges and none against me . Been done with it 30 years . Don't feel the pull anymore.

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    3. 7:42 if you are so sorry, give back the money...

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    4. 7:42

      One of the few that played by the old rules.

      I'm surprised you are around to speak on it.

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    5. 742 you never got caught because your a snitch and if you would try to cross thru t.j now you would have to pay the people in the hills just charging cause they can

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    6. 8:50 . What would you know about 7:42 claims ? He maybe just making it up and never been to the border. But that's likely the case with you. "People in the hills just cause they can" you may or may not still be a keyboard warrior 30 years from now but these guys your taking about seem to die young. Hope for your sake you are just a keyboard warrior cause if not , you don't have a bright future. If any of those guys in the hills age any good I hope they grow up or wise up .

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  5. Out of all the bad things he's done it's kinda funny that a rock will finally do him in

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    1. Never underestimate the power of the rock. That's what took out Goliath. - El Sol Perdido

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    2. How is that funny, you can throw rocks at officers in mexico and you will get an ass kicking if caught. If not case forgoten. but u.s wants justice

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    3. Sol Perdido, but this man was no Goliath.

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  6. Replies
    1. No we are not.

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    2. 3:23 a güebo, anque se tape el guater, a la chingada con la buñiga...

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  7. Someone above him got tired of the heat he was creating. If I was doing classification I would put him in a prison as far away from the border as possible. Every six months transfer him so he will not get comfortable in one place. Just to F@#$ with him.

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    1. Martel valencia cortez is worth now 500.00 dollars a day to cca, correctional centers of amerikkka...
      --rehabilitation? Never, not at any price, ever...

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    2. CCA is not involved. He has a pending federal criminal process. CCA is mostly for immigration cases. CCA are run by ICE deportation supervisors. Martel Valencia (AKA jackass)is at MCC part of the BOP (Bureau of Prisons. Once he gets sentence he will be move to another federal prison.

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    3. 11:04 I guess the $500.00 a day per prisoner stands...
      --The stock prices of the private corrections corporations keep going up and up and up, after they induce people to drugs and crime...

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    4. Wtf cca is fed dumb ass

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  8. U.S officials shoot over border and kick mexicans asses when they catch them but theres no justice, They throw a rock at a u.s official now they want jus that justice.. smh

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    Replies
    1. That's because Mexico has no juctice and US does.He should have stayed south side of the border if worried about US justice.As far as US shooting across border Mexicans should take it up with their authorities but they don't care.

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  9. His bosses in mexico put a green ligth on him that explains why he turn himself in , when you work for low life cartels like Cjng ,arellanos you cant even spent you money cause you end up dead or either you have to work 24/7 or the boss will turn on you

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  10. ... He Was A Low Level Player ... There Are 50 + Runners, Ready & Laced Up With Carpet Shoes As They Have Been Doing For Decades ... No Pasa Nada

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  11. I didnt know the italian mafia had cartels in mexico. are they violent?

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  12. Lucky Luciano would make El Mencho look like a school girl.

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    1. I read Lucky Luciano's autobiography, he was ruthless and cunning but wouldn't last in Mexico. Mencho is no joke he's chapo's lufe in chapos fake corridos lol

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    2. 7:38, quite the contrary, luciano had no sophysticated electronics going against him, or such expensive patrones as the mexican and the US government using and extorting him as el mencho...
      --The Jewish gangsters still were hiding behind lucky and the mob, i'll give you that, today they openly own the US government as part of their industry of milk cash cows

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    3. A dead guy? Lmfao. Okaaaay.

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    4. If the mobsters in the states could buy 90 % of the police and most politicians it would be the US of Mexico. Every gangster kills with no compassion and only cares about money

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    5. Chapo makes mencho look like paletero

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    6. 9:56 LOL , Mexico might not make it in Mexico . Hell the UN might take it over . There has hot to be some of the most degenerate mad dog insane maniacs on the planet living in Mexico . Not sure what causes it . Many say its poverty or lack of opportunity . I'm sure it is a contributing factor . Then you have to look at the mindset . Farmers that consider themselves honest hard workers cultivating and producing narcotics that cause devastating effects of the population .
      Their rational is that most is going to the evil USA . The USA has been very kind to its foreign visitors and residents . I know everybody has their way of seeing it but in truth the US could expel every non citizen and some citizens . Not saying it should but could . The US is very kind. You get robbed here , as a rule , the police will try to bring the guy to justice . Some places , as a rule , the police are the robbers . As it stands the usa is the best place on earth to live . If it weren't everybody would be wanting to go some other place.

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  13. Perdonen mi canto pero esque se fueron tantos y no los vi regresar quedaron en esa guerra pero jamás se enteraron porque fueron ha luchar Perdonen mi canto pero esque he deseado tanto que permanezca La Paz que lastima que mi canto no tenga la misma fuerza la de una bomba nunclear

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  14. Coward turned himself in because they were going to kill him...seems like this is every drug traffickers way out...pretty pathetic!

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    Replies
    1. What would u have done? Take one to the head? Have your head cut off?

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    2. You he should have buried his face in a pile of coke and went out in a hale of gun fire like Tony Montana cuase he had "big balls". But this guy had a option at the time. This piece of shit probably made the best move he had

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  15. Chapo snitched again, shame on you!

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  16. What a bizarre story. The prose reads like poetry. If you're facing time like that why not just try and enjoy yourself till they catch you? Breath the fresh air, eat good food, chill on the beach. Why on earth would you choose to start 10 year or more bid earlier than you have to? There must be more to this story. But I do agree that he is a commendable person for bring people across so they can start the life they want. My old friend was this super idealist anarchist and from what I hear he now donates his time to helping people cross and hooking them up with basic shelter and food and connecting them with a support structure of other immigrants and groups that help them. I also believe that it is a human being's right to be able to walk across a "line" if they are in danger or are desperate to be able to eat or provide for their family.

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  17. Not without paying a coyote along the line or becoming refugees on a shelter for profit or whatever.

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  18. back in the day my cousin made alot off these runs and did not had to pay nobody. he made money and got out off the business because the cartels wanted some of the share with out moving a finger


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