182 lbs of cocaine found on tour bus traveling from T.J to L.A. County

Members of a federal task force found 182 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a charter bus that traveled from Mexico to Wilmington, California authorities said Tuesday.

There were no passengers on the bus when the bust – conducted by the Department of Justice’s L.A. IMPACT task force – took place.

The drugs were found about 9 a.m. at an auto body shop after investigators tailed the bus from the San Ysidro border crossing about 4 a.m., said task force deputy director Carlos Mendoza.

The 83 kilos of cocaine were encased in foil in a 15-foot long hidden compartment above the left rear tire, blocked by the bus’ radiator, Mendoza said. The drugs went undetected during a sweep by border officers, he said.

Husband of Alan Pulido's cousin ordered the kidnapping

Lucio R. Borderland Beat

Velázquez García,

Authorities are reporting that the husband of Alan Pulido’s cousin was arrested and identified as the mastermind of the kidnapping of the player.

Osvaldo Velázquez García, 29 years old, initiated gunfire against elements of the Federal Police to avoid arrest ,that resulted in an injury to his right shoulder sustained in the confrontation.

The capture , he said, Quintanilla is the result of the investigation that was opened by the  confession of Daniel Morales, the subject who was overtaken by Pulido when they was alone in the safe house.

There has been speculation that someone at the party Piludo attended just prior to the kidnapping, alerted  kidnappers when Piludo exited the party. That person was Velázquez, who attended the same party. He alerted the abductors of the exact moment that Piludo and his girlfriend left, and the type of vehicle he was traveling in.

House Piludo was held in

The Sex-Abused Children Lining the Cartels’ Pockets

Posted by DD Republished from The Daily Beast

 They go from one hell to another, from the nightmare of sexual abuse, to living with hate, ending up part of organized crime as eager, angry children ready to do anything

 ACAPULCO, Mexico — Elena met Rafita a few years ago on the malecón, the breakwater along the port of Acapulco. His shyness and his eyes like the eyes of an injured puppy stole her heart, she remembers.  Tourists were throwing coins off their boats and yachts and they were amazed to see him prance along the dock, then nail a dive that seemed almost impossible in order to retrieve their money.

At night, his body went through a different kind of test, used by rickety gringos or Canadians who paid a pimp to do with it what they wanted.

At the time, Rafita was eight.
 

He was like many others Elena has seen. He had come from the neighboring state of Morelos to this one, Guerrero, which, by 2015, had the highest homicide rate in Mexico, with 54.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. (By contrast deadly Chicago—“Chi-raq”—has a murder rate of 15.09.) And he had wound up in Acapulco.

Here, the violence has grown steadily worse. Last April 24, the main avenue of the port, the Costera Miguel Alemán, became a battlefield contested for more than two hours by Mexican federal forces and the organized crime cells that control the non-tourist zones of the municipality.

“We Became War Photographers Without Ever Having Gone To Syria”

By: Rodrigo Hernández | Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

Violence against the press in Mexico, as told through Veracruz photojournalists

Three men come out of an old building in the neighborhood Narvarte, a middle class neighborhood in Mexico City.  They had just finished raping, beating, and killing four women, Nadia Dominique Vera Pérez, Yesenia Quiroz Alfaro, Milla Martin, and Alejandra Negrete Virginia, in one of the apartments.  It’s August 2015, and according to reports from various organizations, their objective was a fifth person also found dead in the same place: Rubén Espinosa, a young photographer who had taken refuge in the Mexican capital in the face of threats that he suffered.

Although authorities speak of “clean areas of drug trafficking”, for some time the deaths by organized crime know no boundaries within the country.  The hole left by a 9mm bullet in the head of Rubén attests this.  His crime was being a journalist in one of the most dangerous states of Mexico: Veracruz.

The riddled body of a youth on a bus in Veracruz.  The battle between the Zetas and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel had led to an increase in violence.  Félix Márquez.

Veracruz: Camera Shots

An old snack bar near the harbor is the meeting place of photographers and reporters to take a break from the day.  Worn out walls and plastic tables are witnesses of the changing conversations among local journalists.  Some have spent decades telling what happens in their state, but the violence makes them observe every day more, and to count each day less.  Others are youths with miserable wages, and they live awaiting a national press or an international agency to take notice of their work.  Rubén Espinosa and one of his best friends, Félix Márquez, belonged to that group.

When they started working as photojournalists a decade ago, Veracruz was a tourist town.  There was poverty and contrasts were seen, but the bloodletting of drug trafficking was focused at that time in northern Mexico.  This was a passageway for drugs and for thousands of migrants traveling to the United States.  “When we started, we were used to shooting accidents and brawls, but suddenly we began to photograph dismembered bodies and shootouts.  It was a very fast and hard change,” Félix recalls while walking along the pier of the city.  A few years ago, tourists and locals were concentrated in this area at dusk.  But now, the last rays of the sun have become a warning: the streets at night long ago ceased to belong to the people of Veracruz.

From this place, the real cause of this nightmare that the region is living through can be seen.  A treasure becoming the reason of so much death.  The port.  With it, Veracruz became a strategic area: in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, in the east of the country and with maritime access for drug output from Latin America to points such as Europe or the United States.  Many containers were loaded with cocaine, and sometimes, they came full of weapons.

Los Zetas

“We see dead.  It looks like a car accident on the road towards Jalapa.”  It was a normal message that a journalist wrote in the mobile messaging group that is shared by many reporters.  It was August 2008.  Félix took his camera and came with another colleague to the place.

Pulido Kidnapping: There were ransom demands, the soccer player was his own hero

Lucio R. Borderland Beat

pic.twitter.com/WoUz83LW1F

— PULIDO 1️⃣7️⃣ (@puliidooo) May 30, 2016

Above Pulido takes to his Twitter account thanking everyone for prayers and the authorities for their assistance. Scroll down for previous posts on this story.

In the past 24 hours, rumors spread on social media and mainstream news networks alike about the Alan Pulido abduction in Cd. Victoria Tamaulipas. Rumors were quick to blame Ileana Salas, Pulido’s girlfriend’s past relationship with a member of Cartel del Golfo. A rumor that was diminished, when no one ever provided a name of the ominous CDG member.

Click on image to enlarge

The girlfriend, Ileana Salas, 23, from Cd. Victoria, now lives and works in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, as a psychotherapist.

It was Grillonautas blog, that first reported a ransom demand, early yesterday, no mainstream outlets published that aspect of the story. It was also social media and blogs that first offered the account that now is being widely reported as fact.

And the authorities can repeat a million times how successful the “operation” was to rescue Piludo, but the fact is they had nothing to do with the rescue.

About midnight, a full day after his abduction, Pulido found himself alone with only one of his captors. The physically fit athlete, was quick to seize on the opportunity. He jumped on the man, wrestled away the captors handgun and cell phone and called the emergency line, 066 for help. 

Colombian Cartel Operatives Detained In Coahuila

Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

A code red was activated this weekend by members of the PGJE in Saltillo after two Mercedes Benz refused to come to a stop after coming out of the residential development San Alberto.

Minutes earlier, neighbors from the residential development had reported a white Mercedes, circulating in a ‘suspicious’ way along with a car of the same make.

Security forces were placed at the entrance to stop the vehicles, but they didn’t stop, it was then that a chase began that continued along Pedro Figueroa Boulevard, the road where they were intercepted by members of the Elite Group of the Municipal Police. 

After a routine inspection, the officers found that under the license plate of Coahuila FKG-5757, there was another license place of Coahuila EJN 2779, which proceeded to the questioning of the three suspects (two men and a woman), who assured that the vehicle had been rented in Torreón.

It is presumed that the group, of Colombian origin, allegedly worked for a drug cartel of that country.  After being arrested, members of the attorney general, requested the cell phones of the detainees, and after reviewing the three devices, they found a message received minutes before 15:00 hours, notifying them that the registration number had successfully concluded.

Judging by the authorities, they also found messages with Colombian cartel leaders, which they had received indications of a drug that would be transported, as well as weapons and cash.

The detainees were initially identified as Guadalupe Hernández Espinoza, 38, who said he was from Mexico City; Felipe Emiliano Quintana Cortez, 38, of Tabasco, and Samuel López García, 43, also from Mexico City.

Tamaulipas: soccer player Alan Pulido rescued himself

Lucio R. Borderland Beat

It is reported in Mexican press that Pulido was able to execute a phone call , and give an alert to his location. (emergency line 066)

BREAKING NEWS Mexican soccer star Alan Pulido has been rescued in Cd Victoria. At least one of his captors was wounded and has been arrested. In the video below, a reporter shots out to Alan asking how he is, despite looking shaken, he replies “fine, thank God”, he was transferred to the hospital for medical care.

Although authorities are patting themselves on the back….(yet another version) it is reported, is that Piludo, took advantage of a careless gunmen guarding him, and was able to take the gun away and shoot the gunman.  He then broke a window to escape, prompting a second guard to flee.  It was then he contacted authorities of his whereabouts.

In yet another account, Pulido did overpower the captor and took the gun, and began beating the kidnapper. He dialed the emergency number, police told him to shoot so they could locate his precise location, but there were no bullets in the gun.

Whatever happened, saving the footballer had nothing to do with authorities, even though they are trying to capitalized on the situation.

From the photo at top, and comparing it to a the party photo, it reveals scrapes on nose bridge, chest, arms and swollen and cut right hand, which is bandaged in the bottom photo.  He is wearing the same clothing he wore to the party, and when being abducted. But he looks in good physical condition.

Authorities are saying he was kidnapped by Los Zetas, but did not say if it was CDN or Old School Zetas.

Special thank you to new Borderland Beat forum user “40Months” for keeping on top of the story.

Tamps: Reports of ransom demand in the footballer kidnapping-Old School Zs blame CDN

Lucio R with C.E. Martinez for Borderland Beat
Previous BB article on the kidnapping link here

This is not confirmed by authorities or the family, however Grillonautas was the first of the blogs to report that a ransom demand has been made in the kidnapping of footballer Alan Pulido in Cd. Victoria Tamaulipas.

Other blogs have followed. Mainstream outlets have not reported this as yet. As of 9:30 pm EST el pais reported no ransom demands had been made.

Grillonautas also reports that a narco message has been sent via social networks from the Zeta faction, “Vieja Escuela Grupo Bravo” (Old School) who are accusing CDN (Cártel del Noroeste) of being responsible for the kidnapping Pulido.  Take this for what it is....Unconfirmed

What is known is that he was taken from an ejido area of Victoria, which is a stronghold of Zetas, dotted with narcofosas and safe houses.

Narco Message Translated by BB’s “40Months”

“First taxi drivers, then bus drivers, taxi drivers again and now soccer players. fucking fags of CDN  we are  going to hunt you down like animals. That’s all you know how to do, kill, kidnap, rob and rape the innocent, while the government watches your back. But that doesn’t matter now, bitch kiko Treviño, your time will come and to the dumb ass of el Tiki Tiki, they’re only using you to rob and kidnap, it’s the only thing you know how to do. That’s what that pig head handed you down; you guys are such close friends that you fuck his wife. 

Mexican Military most efficient killers in modern warfare history?

Posted by DD partially republished from NYT Read full story here

In the history of modern war, fighters are much more likely to injure their enemies than kill them.  In many forms of combat between armed groups, about four people are injured for each person killed, according to an assessment of wars since the late 1970s by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Sometimes, the number of wounded is even higher.

 

But the body count in Mexico is reversed. The Mexican Army kills eight enemies for every one it wounds.

For the nation’s elite marine forces, the discrepancy is even more pronounced: The data they provide says they kill roughly 30 combatants for each one they injure.

According to the government’s own figures, Mexico’s armed forces are exceptionally efficient killers — stacking up bodies at extraordinary rates.

The Mexican authorities say the nation’s soldiers are simply better trained and more skilled than the cartels they battle.

But experts who study the issue say Mexico’s kill rate is practically unheard-of, arguing that the numbers reveal something more ominous.

Soccer player Alan Pulido kidnapped in Tamaulipas

Lucio R. Borderland Beat

Photo from Pulido's Twitter page

Mexican press is reporting that soccer player Alan Pulido, was kidnapped in Tamaulipas.  This was confirmed by his brother Armando, “yes it is true, he disappeared since early this morning.”

A state official said that Pulido was kidnapped near his hometown of Ciudad Victoria on Sunday after leaving a party.

Other sources report, Pulido and his girlfriend attended a party in Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, where he left around midnight, with his girlfriend who was not harmed.

Pulido’s vehicle was stopped and boxed in by several trucks.Armed men exited one or more of the trucks and forced Pulido into one before fleeing.

A short time later, frantic relatives of the player dialed the emergency 066 line reporting he had been kidnapped. By 2 a.m. residents reported seeing helicopters circling the area. The area where Pulido was abducted, is a known area controlled by Los Zetas where numerous narco-fosas (clandestine graves) have been discovered and Zetas safe houses.

Pulido played several seasons with the club Tigres of Monterrey.  Pulido left Tigres in 2014 to play in Europe with the Olympiakos of Greece, however, he has been in a dispute with the Mexican club about whether his contract there continues to be valid. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio recently said Pulido has the talent  to be on the squad, but was omitted due to the legal dispute. As of 2:30p.m. there has been no word from his captors or Alan.

Men linked to Sinaloa cartel arrested at Hooters with over 53 pounds of meth

The five men showed up at the Hooters parking lot in Ontario. But they weren’t there to eat chicken wings served by scantily clad waitresses.

Authorities said the men were associates of the Sinaloa drug cartel who were there try to sell 53 pounds of methamphetamine wrapped in 42 clear plastic bags.

The men, who were arrested Thursday by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation’s Inland Crackdown Allied Task Force, are accused of trying to sell meth to undercover officers, authorities said.

The five were arrested outside of Hooters on suspicion of transporting methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for sales and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, KABC-TVreported. They were identified as Benjamin Machado-Morales, Heriberto Coronado-Martin, Eric Villareal-Aguilar, Eduardo Ruano-Alvarez and Hector Marroquin.

Officer Killed Covering Son during Shootout

Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

Nezahualcóyotl, México.—Arturo Flores Martínez, a member of the state commission of public safety (CES), was killed after being shot by a stray bullet during a shootout.

It was his day off and he was only going to the store with his son when they least imagined that they would be in the middle of a shootout between criminals and members of the Bank & Industrial Police Department (PBI), in Mexico City.

Gunmen tried to steal a delivery unit that was being guarded by a member of the PBI.

Suddenly, peace was lost when five men entered the store in which the member of the CES was in with his son.

They asked for directions and before receiving a response, they drew out a pistol and threatened the PBI members.

One of the police reacted at the same time, drawing out his gun to defend himself, as the shootout began.

The officer who repelled the attack managed to wound an assailant but was also grazed by a bullet in the head.

Meanwhile, the member of the CES, who was on his day off, was immersed in the crossfire with his son.

Narcos back to the old days. CDG recorded the confession of alleged kidnappers before killing them. (Video)

Members of the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros interrogates an alleged group of kidnappers and extortionist who will kill their victims to leave no evidence. They were at the end killed with a shot in the head.

On a video uploaded to several social network sites specialized on warning people of danger in Tamaulipas, armed men can be seen in military uniforms questioning six alleged kidnappers who are tied and blindfolded.

The video begins with the image of a large narco banner ensuring that the  "Old School CDG" is not involved in any of all the robberies, kidnappings and extortion's that have arisen lately in this plaza.

"We will not tolerate or allow such atrocities in our group," the statement said.

The six alleged kidnappers, who were recorded kneeling with a blindfold and their hands tied behind their backs, responded to the interrogation of suspected members of the CDG.

They confess to have engaged in kidnapping and extortion and they identified the ringleader as "Pancho".

Take a Bite of This! Smuggler Busted With Meth-Stuffed Burrito, Feds Say

Posted by DD Republished from The Smoking Gun

MAY 24--An Arizona woman tried to smuggle a methamphetamine-stuffed burrito into the U.S. from Mexico, but was thwarted when federal agents sniffed out her scheme, investigators report.

As detailed in a U.S. District Court complaint, Susy Laborin, 23, sought to enter the U.S. Saturday afternoon via a pedestrian gate at the border crossing in Nogales, Arizona.

Laborin, seen above, was “carrying a plastic bag containing burritos,” according to the complaint. But when a Customs and Border Protection officer examined the grub, the investigator discovered a bag of meth “concealed in the shape of a burrito.”

 The meth-stuffed burrito is seen in the below CBP evidence photo
 

Laborin, the complaint notes, admitted that she knew the burrito was stuffed with meth and said that she “was supposed to be paid $500 to transport the drugs via shuttle from Nogales to Tuscon where she would deliver them to an unknown third party

The meth, which weighed about a pound, is valued at more than $3000, CBP officials said.

.” 

Laborin, a Nogales resident, was charged with narcotics possession. A federal magistrate yesterday ordered her detained pending trial on the felony charge.

Shootout between Armed Groups and Feds: 5 Dead

Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

Armed commandos aboard three trucks ambushed federal police on Tuesday, passing through a vehicle in order to open fire.  Five gunmen were killed and the rest of the attackers managed to escape.

This new attack of violence occurred along a local road that connects the communal land Vergeles, located in the municipality of San Fernando, along a gap seven kilometers east of a road checkpoint known as the “Y”, located at kilometer 202 of highway Ciudad Victoria–Matamoros.

In that area, the gunmen passed through a Chevy Cheyenne over a gap and shot up the convoy of the federal forces.  After several minutes exchanging gunfire, the other two trucks with several gunmen on board escaped.

The occupants of the Cheyenne were gunned down; one inside the truck, two in the truck bed, and two more were left scattered in a field of sorghum.

In the agricultural area, an impressive operation was carried out by air and ground in order to locate the two other trucks, but the operation was unsuccessful.

The five bodies were taken to a funeral home in the seat of the municipal government of San Fernando.

Michoacán: 6 decapitated-dismembered bodies discovered in Jalisco taxi

Thank you Daily Reader-Lucio R. Borderland Beat-info from SDP, Sveb noticias, Cambio Mich

A grisly discovery inside a taxi was found this morning in the Michoacán municipality of  Venustiano Carranza.

Six bodies, which had been decapitated and some dismembered were in the taxi abandoned at kilometer 10 on the LaBarca-Sahuayo Hwy.

The municipality is within minutes driving time to the Jalisco-Michoacán border.

The site was immediately guarded by police authorities, who confirmed the discovery of the decapitated bodies of three people in the back of a taxi with local Public Service 49-60-LCY plates and dismembered bodies of three others whose limbs were found in the trunk of the vehicle, along with the heads of the decapitated victims.

The office of the attorney general of Michoacán, reported that agents were on tour in Briseñas, when detecting a public transport vehicle entering Michoacán from  the municipality of La Barca (Jalisco), followed by a dark vehicle.

Realizing they were being tailed by police, the taxi was abandoned, and the dark vehicle was used for the escape through Ibarra, before returning into Jalisco through La Barca.

click on image to enlarge

VERY GRAPHIC IMAGES ON FOLLOWING PAGE---NO FURTHER TEXT

Suspect is directly involved with deaths of Adriana Coronado, father, police say

Lucio R. Borderland Beat republished from Click2Houston

14 y/o girl watched her father being killed, before being  
sexually assaulted, shot to death

Sheriffs executed a search warrant at the home of a man police called a person of interest in the brutal deaths of Katy, Texas  teen Adriana Coronado and her father Cesar Coronado.

Police found Jose Solis Jr., 34, to be directly involved with the murders of Adriana and her father. Adriana was found shot to death after her father’s body was found burned inside a pickup truck in March.

Solis is accused of helping to transport 16 kilograms of cocaine on commercial buses from Laredo to Houston. He's charged with possession with intent to distribute and conspiring to distribute cocaine.

The faces of a devil and an angel, Solis and Adriana

He was arrested Thursday on a federal drug charge, which is not related to the teen's death or her father, Cesar Coronado. Investigators have not revealed how or why he may be connected to their deaths.

A handcuffed Solis was escorted into the courthouse Monday by several U.S. marshals wearing bulletproof vests, days after agents raided his Magnolia home Thursday and confiscated property to be processed.

Several law enforcement agencies are investigating the teenager’s death and are looking at all possible motives, including illegal drug activity.

Solis and another man, Ramon Sanchez, are considered persons of interest in the case, and they have been linked to a drug trafficking ring.

The federal complaint states Solis and Sanchez worked for a drug trafficking organization and that DEA agents had Sanchez under surveillance since February.

After his arrest, "El Peter" reveals CJNG structure in Tijuana

Lucio R. Borderland Beat-material from Reforma and Facebook

The Ministry of Public Security of Baja California announced the arrest of Pedro Stanley Herrera Jelinek.  The ministry also reported that El Peter revealed  hierarchical order of members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Tijuana.

"El Peter" was captured in an operation by the State Preventive Police and military, he was with  Pedro Herrera Estrada, the latter in charge of trafficking drugs from the south  to the border area.

Stanley Herrera was in charge of ordering the executions, and the logistics of drug planes  from the south.

Currently the organized crime cell is directed by Jesus Felipe Olea Sepulveda, alias "El Felipón" who collaborated closely with the captured Alfonso Lira Sotelo, alias “El Atlante”.  During the investigation it was revealed that hitmen were recruited and paid 15,000 a hit,  (815 usd) pesos for killing members of rival groups, especially in the west region of Tijuana.

Click on image to enlarge

El Chapo threatens to sue Netflix/Univision for his life story... he wants his cut

Lucio R. Borderland Beat

(Univision)

One would think Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka “El Chapo”, has bigger fish to fry without worrying what Netflix and Univision are doing, but today his attorney Andres Granados reported to The Associated Press, that if the studios film and air the planned series of Chapo’s life…they will be sued.

It is not that he is opposed to such a project, he just wants his piece of the pie.  He has even offered his services, where for the “right price” he would be willing to assist by providing information that could “make the project better.”

Chapo’s attorney says the networks must pay to use his name and nickname, "If they air this, they are immediately going to be sued.”  His contention is that permission must be obtained from Chapo, because he is not dead.

However, they are “willing to, and it would be a pleasure to, negotiate with them.”

You may recall that Chapo signed exclusive rights to his life story to Kate del Castillo, Chapo’s attorney says, that Castillo would also negotiate with them.

If he is successful in getting paid, it is ironic it will be the first time he has earned legit money not procured through organized crime activities. Albeit, it would be legit money from a project highlighting his illegal activities.

Neither Netflix or Univision has rendered a comment.

Drama has surrounded the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, since his recapture last July.  It was shortly after the arrest that his family and attorneys began a campaign on his behalf of several grievances.  His wife, who until now has rarely been seen, began a PR onslaught which included dozens of interviews, some televised. 

Veracruz: 5 dismembered Zetas with messages from CJNG, and 6 Killed in bar

Lucio R. Borderland Beat; material from Facebook, CostaVeracruz and Plumas Libres

Veracruz continues being hit with violence not seen for years.  CJNG is making another attempt to gain control of Veracruz from Los Zetas, resulting in the showy mass killings and dismemberment's common in 2011-2012. Slaughters are appearing from both sides.

Inside plastic bags, were found the dismembered bodies of several people, on the Mexico-Veracruz highway at kilometer 300 below the bridge on the stretch known as Rancho Trejo.

The corpses were accompanied by at least 2 cartulinas with the following messages;

We CJNG are here to clean Veracruz, ‘Marino’ ‘Chuky’ ‘Cachorra’ ‘Pechuga’ ‘Estrella’ and the scum that follow, here is your trash.

Other points in the messages:

This happened to me for coming here (Z going to Veracruz)

To you double RR, here is your garbage and authorities that follow an "X for a clean Veracruz"

We will clean Veracruz of all the Z scum

6 killed and 13 injured in bar attack

This finding comes off the heels of a massacre at a gay bar in Xalapa, Veracruz.  On Sunday the assailants entered the interior of the nightclub and began shooting from the DJ booth. (images above left and top)

The victims began calling for help via social networking and chat, giving the account of how the attack had happened.

Los Zetas control the plaza of Xalapa, the capital city of Veracruz, but both CDG and CJNG are present, fighting for control.

If the above photo was disturbing to you I would strongly advise not clicking on the next page.  

The images are horrifically graphic.  There is no further text.

Heavy drug shipment falls in Ensenada

Heavy drug shipment falls in Ensenada

Less then a week after the arrest of rival cell leader in Ensenada, El Mass de Los Aquiles and El Tres Animales de CAF, a shipment worth millions was seized by Los PEP, the same agency that made these arrests, and similar arrests in Tijuana in recent weeks. 

A single 24 year old man was arrested in connection, and possession of the shipment, Solomon Rafael Arriga, of Culiacan, Sinaloa.  Though, seeing that a single man could not even transport 1/3 of this lost product, it should be assumed others were involved.  Circumstances of the arrest and seizure were not available, but the figures are impressive.  

634 kilos of crystal, 48 kilos of cocaine, and 80 kilograms of heroin, white or black is not specified. The crystal likely straight from Sinaloa is worth an easy 2 million, at roughly 1500 a pound.  The cocaine would be around 20/kilo in Culiacan, and 24 in Tijuana, is another million, in the upper 20's upon importation.  The heroin, which has flooded through Southern California, and the United States in recent months, and years, is around 30,000 a kilo in San Diego.  Likely 15,000 or so at cost price, after the purchase of opium, and the conversion process into black tar heroin.  (Anyone wants to weigh in with purchase price of opium, plus converting into tar)

* I made an error, calculating the meth kilos, as pounds.  I've corrected that.  

The 1100 kilos seized of the three drugs are worth an easy 2 million at a conservative estimate, far from the kind of staggering loss in the tunnel found late April in Tijuana/Otay Mesa, but a heavy loss nonetheless. The shipment was likely being bound over for transport through Ensenada and up to Tijuana, to be held briefly, and crossed in smaller loads.  Some of the crystal and heroin may be sold to retail outlets in Tijuana.  

The role of plaza bosses is to coordinate and assist in the transport of product  that comes through their city, by using their local contacts to ensure the loads safety.  Product that falls, reflects badly on the plaza bosses, and many are dismissed (with prejudice) after one too many accidents.  The loads are often seized when rivals inform, bribes are not paid, or larger bribes by rivals are paid.  

The chatter will read CJNG, but, the shipment is so closely aligned with other Sinaloa shipments, it's much more likely it belonged to a group operating within that structure.  Also, the recent arrests of two people who would have some knowledge of a shipment like that, isn't likely a coincidence.  Note the markings on the kilos, 'Machin', or 'heavy' as in 'working heavy'.....

Sources AFN Tijuana 

Tijuana: Cartel Tijuana Nueva Generacion member arrested

CTNG member arrested in Tijuana

In a knockoff Michael Kors shirt, carrying firearms and crystal, another cell leader falls in Tijuana, a cliche at this point.  In the latest of a series of actions and seizures, SEDENA and elements of Los PEP arrested Pedro Stanley Herrera, 'El Pedro'.  'El Pedro' is wanted for the 2013 killing of Hacho Kayolan, 'Hacho' was the first office manager of the municipal sports institute in Tijuana.  

Hacho's death made headlines across Tijuana, as authorities and journalists could not find an explanation for his murder that made much sense.  It was a targeted killing of a seemingly innocent, or innocent enough city employee.  Los Aquiles and his people were blamed, and a theory of a personal feud over a woman was eventually offered, which never seemed to fit. 

Over the last 3 years various low level sicarios, and cell leaders were arrested, and blamed for Hacho's death, but never was any more explanation or context given.  The latest arrest links El Pedro with Arturo Giovanni Herrera 'El Gross' and 'El JP', who are responsible for much of the violence in Colonia Sanchez Tadoaba, and other areas.  Gross and JP are who opened the door for the presence of Jalisco in Tijuana, as far as narco mantas and operators, traffickers from Jalisco have worked in Tijuana forever, with the consent of various other groups.

Pedro is said to operate in western Tijuana, in charge of retail drug dealing, and enforcement activities against the rivals of the CTNG/CJNG alliance, which includes Los Aquiles and Los Uriartes.  This comes a week after 51.5 kilos of cocaine were seized in the city, said to belong to CJNG.   Arrests in other areas against CJNG/CTNG members were said to have taken place, but no details released, though weapons and drugs were seized.  

El Teo enjoyed about a year and half before he was detained in La Paz, in a role similar to CTNG, a Tijuana local/operative, who flipped to let in a rival group.  Teo killed dozens, if not hundreds, of people in his crusade to drive Fernando Sanchez Arellano from the city.  He received support from elements of Sinaloa, including weapons and product, in the form of large crystal meth and marijuana shipments.  Gross is a former Aquiles cell leader, and likely a Tijuana native.  El JP formerly of Los R's, aligned with Tigre also of Sinaloa.  

JP and Gross have a dozen or so corridos, championing them as saviors of the city, and warriors amongst men, their preference for beautiful women and expensive taste, their bravery in the face of sure death.....

Sources: AFN Tijuana