Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
.

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Gulf Cartel Boss 'El Meme Loco', Former Lieutenant Under Osiel Cárdenas, Released From Prison

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat (formerly "MX")
Víctor Manuel Vázquez Mireles
Earlier this month, a Mexican media outlet reported that Víctor Manuel Vázquez Mireles ("El Meme Loco"), a former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel under Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, was no longer in prison and had resumed his organized crime activities. El Meme Loco is likely one of the most prominent Gulf Cartel bosses released from prison in recent years.

He joined the cartel in the 1990s as one of Osiel's bodyguards, and eventually rose through the leadership ranks of the cartel. He was arrested in March 2003 in Veracruz but remained without a sentence for nearly a decade.

Last year, Borderland Beat reporter "MX" reached out to the Mexican government requesting information on El Meme Loco's status. We were only able to confirm he was sentenced for organized crime involvement, though officials did not provide any mention on when this sentence was handed or if he remained behind bars. In this report, Borderland Beat will cover his extensive criminal career and his current status in the cartel.

Throwback Series: María Antonieta Rodríguez Mata, the Crooked Tamaulipas Cop Who Rose to Lead the Gulf Cartel

 "Morogris" for Borderland Beat (formerly "MX")
María Antonieta Rodríguez Mata
The names of some of Mexico’s most famous drug lords are well known by many: Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho". Aside from their profession, they also have one thing in common – they are all men.

But those following the evolution of Mexico's drug cartels over the years have noticed demographic changes: women rising to leadership positions along these powerful men. One of them was María Antonieta Rodríguez Mata ("La Generela"), a former Tamaulipas State Police officer and convicted Gulf Cartel kingpin.

On the last day of Women's History Month, Borderland Beat will cover the life of Rodríguez Mata, a woman who led a sophisticated drug trafficking network from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, that extended to elsewhere in Mexico and into South and Central America. Roles of women like her are often overlooked in Mexico's criminal landscape, but she surely won't be the last. 

Los Viagras Regional Boss 'El Señor Del Sombrero' Arrested in Michoacán

"MX" for Borderland Beat
Salvador Oliveros Reséndiz, eyes blurred by Mexican officials
Salvador Oliveros Reséndiz, also known by his aliases "El Señor del Sombrero" and/or "Don Chavita", was arrested by state authorities in Gabriel Zamora, Michoacán.

He was one of the priority targets of the federal and state government and is wanted for murder, kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking. Authorities stated he was the regional boss of Los Viagras in Charapendo, a community in the municipality of Gabriel Zamora. He worked closely with Gildardo Sánchez Aguilar ("Don Gil").

A week ago, residents from the rural community of Múgica attacked the Mexican Army and forced them to leave the area. In the attack, they released three people, including Los Viagras regional boss Don Gil. Los Viagras is a spin-off group of the Knights Templar Cartel and is currently competing against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) for control of Michoacán.

Monday, March 30, 2020

Letter from El Chapo's mother to the Mexican President-She wants her son in a Mexican prison

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat   Reforma




Humanitarian Visa Application was denied by the U.S.

After asking him for help to repatriate her son and to process a humanitarian visa that would allow him to travel to the United States, Consuelo Loera Pérez, mother of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, sent blessings to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whom she called "Dear brother in Christ".

Letter from El Chapo's mother dated March 20,2020

"In the hope of continuing to count on your support, I wish that our Lord Jesus Christ illuminate you and fill you with blessings in this task that the people of Mexico have assigned you," says the letter that was delivered yesterday to the federal president, during a visit made in Badiraguato, Sinaloa, the birthplace of the Guzmán family.

In the letter, dated March 20 of this year, the mother of the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel requests the help of the Federal President to facilitate her son serving his sentence in a Mexican prison.

Mexican President AMLO defends his greeting of El Chapo's mother

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat  Reforma


President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that he did say hello to Consuelo Loera, mother of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, on his tour of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, as she deserves all his respect and will help her so the United States allows her a visit with her son in prison. (she previously stated she obtained the visa)

"Yes, I greeted her, our adversaries, the conservatives, also made it into a scandal.  I went to inspect  a road from Badiraguato to Guadalupe and Calvo, it is a very important road that will cross the Sierra Madre Occidental, it will benefit more than one hundred marginalized communities.

"And until now the road is under construction in front of La Tuna, (Chapo’s hometown) and the lady lived there and she went to where I was. They told me it was there, that she wanted to greet me, I got off the truck and I greeted her, she is a 92-year-old lady. The fatal plague is corruption, not an older adult who deserves all my respect, regardless of who her son is, "he said in a conference.

The President said that he will arrange with the US authorities for Consuelo Loera to travel to that country and see her son, who is being held in a maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado, for humanitarian reasons.

Video: Mexican President AMLO greets mother of El Chapo with a handshake, in Sinaloa

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

Ioan Grillo: Mexican President Lopez Obrador is doing himself no favors. He just seemed to be getting serious on coronavirus when today, a video emerges of him in Sinaloa, shaking hands with the mother of jailed drug lord El Chapo.

Chivis:
President of Mexico Lopez Obrador travelled to El Chapo territory of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, where he met with the mother of el Chapo, Maria Consuelo Loera as she was a passenger of a vehicle.  Loera’s vehicle was parked on a unpaved mountain road outside Badiragiato. The president cheerfully approached the vehicle and extended his hand for an enthusiastic handshake. 

Charges Dropped Against Man Linked to Former Tamaulipas Governor Tomás Yarrington

"MX" for Borderland Beat
Tomás Yarrington

Earlier this month, a judge in the State of Mexico dropped an arrest warrant request against Alfredo Sandoval Musi, the former Sub-Secretary of Expenses in Tamaulipas. The judge stated that there were no evidences of his involvement in money laundering under Tomás Yarrington, the former Governor of Tamaulipas. Sandoval-Musi's charges were dropped and he is no longer a fugitive, a status he held for nearly three years.

Yarrington was the Governor of Tamaulipas from 1999 to 2005. During his governorship, he was accused of protecting the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas by taking millions in bribes. Among his formal charges include racketeering, drug trafficking, money laundering and bank fraud. After fleeing Mexico, Yarrington was arrested in Florence, Italy, in 2017 and extradited to the U.S. the following year. He is currently awaiting trial in Brownsville, Texas.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Comandante "Pin Pon" of Tropa del Infierno killed in Nuevo Laredo

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat  



After a confrontation with the State Police in Nuevo Laredo, Hugo Alejandro Salcido, known as El Porras or Pin Pon, chief operating officer of the CDN, died last night.

The dawn of this Sunday, died, after a confrontation with state police in Nuevo Laredo, Hugo Salcido alias 'El porras' or 'El Pin Pon' , operational head of the Tropa del Infierno Hell Troop , belonging to the Northeast Cartel.

According to official information, the confrontation took place between state police officers and a group of armed men who manned several trucks.

Cabo20: Operator of Arellano Félix arrested in Querétaro

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat   Reforma

 Detienen a 'Cabo 20', operador de los Arellano Felix, en operativo ...

The Navy detained an operator of the Arellano Félix criminal organization in the city of Querétaro.

David "N", alias "Cabo 20", was captured in the Torre Levant Diamante housing complex, in an operation that also involved the National Guard, the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and Baja California State agencies.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Over 80 Environmentalists Killed in Mexico Since 2012

"MX" for Borderland Beat
People gather to protest the murder of environmentalist Samir Flores Soberanes
The Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) informed in a recent publication that 83 environmentalists were killed in Mexico between 2012 and 2019, making Mexico one of the most dangerous countries in the world for environmentalists.

In 2019 alone, the CEMDA registered 39 violent acts against environmentalists; 15 of them were homicides. Between 2012 and 2019, the CEMDA reported 499 violent cases and 83 homicides.

The sector that observed the most attacks was the energy sector with 20.5 percent. Violence spiked in 2013 after President Enrique Pena Nieto pushed to reform Mexico's energy sector. In December 2013, the Congress of Mexico made several amendments to permit private and foreign investment in this sector for the first time in decades.

Mexico City Gang Enforces 'Protection Payments' Despite Coronavirus Outbreak

"MX" for Borderland Beat


Street merchants in Mexico City's markets Tepito and La Merced
Gangsters from La Unión de Tepito, a Mexico City criminal group headed by Alberto Fuentes Castro ("El Elvis"), warned merchants that they will continue requesting protection racket payments from businesses during the coronavirus outbreak. Many of the businesses in these areas are temporarily closed and have suffered economic losses during the outbreak.

La Unión de Tepito controls the sale of counterfeit goods in Mexico City. The coronavirus outbreak has caused La Unión de Tepito to suffer millions in losses since businesses are unable to acquire Chinese merchandise to resale. La Unión de Tepito buys the merchandise in China directly by sending representatives and then resells the products to vendors in Mexico and/or charges a fee to those who sell Chinese merchandise in their turf.

Gangsters have warned merchants that they do not care about the virus outbreak and will continue to request their monthly fee. In previous weeks, merchants had warned gang members that they would stop paying them if they did not receive their Chinese merchandise. Business owners said La Unión de Tepito will kidnap and kill them if they do not comply.

Accused Mexican money launderer loses bid for refugee status in Canada

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat  TY MMD778  Vancouver Sun
Mansur looking over Duarte right shoulder----From Reforma


It was August 2016 and wealthy Mexican businessman Moises Mansur Cysneiros was in Vancouver, exploring whether to move his family here for “a different cultural experience.”

He got a call from his Mexican tax lawyer, Jose Juan Janeiro Rodriguez, urging Mansur to fly to Toronto “to discuss certain tax matters in person.”

When Mansur arrived in the Ontario capital, he was surprised to learn that the newly elected governor of the Mexican state of Veracruz — Miguel Angel Yunes — had flown in on a private jet for the meeting.

Yunes wanted dirt on his predecessor, Mansur’s close friend Javier Duarte, who had embezzled millions in state funds, then pumped it into shell companies that were used to buy luxury properties for himself.

At the Toronto meeting, Yunes gave Mansur “handwritten notes, indicating his request for him to cooperate in bringing down Duarte,” according to a recent Canadian immigration board ruling obtained by The Vancouver Sun.

Friday, March 27, 2020

Nearly 2,000 kg of Marijuana Heading to Tamaulipas Seized in Michoacán/Guanajuato Border

"MX" for Borderland Beat

The marijuana was hidden in boxes
Members of the National Guard and the Mexican Army seized approximately 1,638 kg (3,611 lbs) of marijuana hidden inside two vehicles. The seizure occurred in Pénjamo, a municipality in Guanajuato that borders Michoacán. Four people were arrested in the operation. According to security forces, the marijuana had a market value of over MXN$3,193,444 (US$136,364).

The vehicles were coming from the state of Nayarit and were heading to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, a city in northeastern Mexico and considered a stronghold of the Gulf Cartel. Nayarit is about a 14-hour drive from Matamoros. As they drove through a highway that connects Pénjamo with the Michoacán municipality of La Piedad, they were stopped at a law enforcement checkpoint for a traffic violation. Both drivers were not wearing their seat belts.

Morelos, Mexico: El Señorón Warns All Thieves, Kidnappers, Extortionists, and Rapists

A video is circulating on social media networks where they interrogate two subjects who apparently are the two who were kidnapped yesterday in Jiutepec and today were discovered in black plastic bags on the Mexico-Cuernavaca highway.

The video shows heavily armed individuals in tactical uniforms questioning the two young men who were engaged in the robbery of vehicles, motorcycles and self-service stores.

The criminal leader known as El Señoron warns those individuals who love things that don’t belong to them that he’s now coming after them along with extortionists and rapists.

They leave 2 bags in the Paso Express of Cuernavaca

Part II: Los Zetas and the Treviño's Personal Laundering Network

"redlogarythm" for Borderland Beat           Use this hyperlink for Part I

Note from redlogarythm: This is the second and final publication of a series about the money laundering network Los Zetas had in place in the U.S. between 2008 and 2012 when they operated a Quarter horse breeding business. I would like to thank Borderland Beat contributor "MX" for supplying some of the info used here.

Chart displaying the horse quarter laundering front managed by Los Zetas
As discussed in Part I of this series, Los Zetas ran a successful Quarter horse business from 2008 till 2012 in the U.S. It was one of the most sophisticated money laundering schemes done by the cartel to date.

Los Zetas laundered cocaine proceeds made in the U.S. and sent the money back to Mexico where it was laundered and funneled back into the cartel's network in creative ways. The network was owned by the siblings Miguel Angel and Oscar Omar Trevino Morales, and it included an array of strawmen, legitimate businesses and bank accounts.

In this Part II, we will cover how the horse purchasing process worked and how Los Zetas managed their assets. In addition, we will look at the different disguising methods they used to hide the illegal nature of their assets.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Venezuelan leader Maduro Charged by DOJ for Narco-Terrorism

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat


Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Narco-Terrorism Charges Against Nicolas Maduro, Current And Former Venezuelan Officials, And Farc Leadership

Venezuela’s Vice President for the Economy and Others Separately Charged with Evading OFAC Sanctions In Connection With Maduro’s 2018 Presidential Campaign.

William Barr, the Attorney General of the United States, Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Brian Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, Uttam Dhillon, Acting Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Alysa D. Erichs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Acting Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced the unsealing of two separate indictments charging current and former Venezuelan officials and FARC leadership. 

United States v. Genaro Garcia Luna: requests bail to avoid exposure to coronavirus

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat   TY GUS  from pacer gov website
Another high profile prisoner with means, asking for bail in order to be protected against Coronavirus

Genaro Garcia Luna, has filed a request for bail, pending trial.  He points to the coronavirus for the reason.  The defense proposed a bail package of  a million dollar secured bond, that wold be co-signed by 7 individuals.
On February 28th a hearing was conducted to determine if his original request for bail would be granted.

It was denied.
However, the court indicated that it was denied as it needed to be “more robust.

Read letter below from his defense and filed with the court, click on hyperlink to enlarge documents:

Huetamo, Michoacán: CJNG Discover An Abandoned La Familia Michoacána Blockade

The Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación has produced a video online of their incursions into enemy territory within the state of Michoacán. On this film sicarios belonging to CJNG are openly mocking the inferior hardware found at a supposed La Familia Michoacána narco blockade. This broadcast is deemed safe for all to see.
VIDEO HAS NO GRAPHIC IMAGES



Video translation is as follows:
Sicario #1: And so here we find ourselves inside our enemies blockade. This is our spoils of war. These sons of bitches like to run away like hares. I’m tired of chasing after these dumb asses. 

The only thing these pitiful worthless fucks eat are bullshit sardines. Damn look at this. And yet these guys think that they’re so tough. Just take a look at how they’re being fed. Poor dumb asses. As a consequence we have seized their belongings. And this here are their crappy bombs. 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Colombia Colombian death squads exploiting coronavirus lockdown to kill activists

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat  TY BB reader  Source


Death squads in Colombia are taking advantage of coronavirus lockdowns to murder rural activists, local NGOs have warned.

When cities across the country introduced local quarantine measures last week, three social leaders were killed, and as the country prepares to impose a national lockdown on Wednesday, activists have warned that more murders will follow.

Marco Rivadeneira, a high-profile activist, was murdered in the southern Putumayo province, Ángel Ovidio Quintero was shot dead in the western Antioquia region, and Ivo Humberto Bracamonte was killed on the eastern border with Venezuela.

Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for activists and community leaders, who often fall foul of armed groups fighting for territory.

Since a historic peace deal was implemented in early 2017 with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a leftist rebel group, 271 activists have been killed. Now, with the government focused on the pandemic, activists say they are even more at risk.

Víctor Zapién Venegas, Close Collaborator of 'El Mencho', Is Extradited to the US

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Víctor Zapién Venegas; eyes blurred by Mexican officials

On Monday, Mexican authorities extradited Víctor Zapién Venegas ("El Domingo"), a high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), to the United States. He was wanted by U.S. officials for drug trafficking and money laundering. The transfer was done at the Toluca International Airport, where he was handed over to U.S. authorities.

El Domingo was a close collaborator of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho"), the CJNG's leader. The accused was responsible for coordinating international drug trafficking shipments for the CJNG from Colombia, Peru and Mexico into the U.S., as mentioned in a 2016 indictment issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Part I: Los Zetas and the Treviño's Personal Laundering Network

"redlogarythm" for Borderland Beat                     Use this hyperlink for Part II

Note from redlogarythm: This post is part of a series on the money laundering network Los Zetas had in place in the U.S. between 2008 and 2012 when they operated a Quarter horse breeding business. I would like to thank Borderland Beat contributor "MX" for supplying some of the info used here. 

Every illicit network needs a constant flow of money for three reasons: the first one is to continue to fund their criminal operations. The second one is to accumulate reserves/investments to use them in times of need. The third one is for pure personal benefit (i.e. increase personal wealth). According to the type of illicit network and the activities engaged by it, the structures, channels and laundering strategies will be different.

Al Qaida, ISIS or the Tamil Tigers used Hawala (or Hundi/Fei Chien scheme) for transferring funds to outside operatives. The Basque terrorist organization ETA used local cooperatives in the French border to launder the ransoms and contributions obtained by the financial cells in Spain. The Provisional IRA controlled a dozen pubs in Dublin's downtown and at least one taxi company until the 1990s. Colombian drug traffickers use the Black Market Peso Exchange (a complicated compensation payment mechanism) in order to obtain pesos and leaving the dirty cash in the U.S. to local businessmen. The examples are almost endless.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Cell Operatives in Chihuahua and Sonora States

By Buggs for Borderland Beat


Mexican State authorities have blamed La Línea, the armed wing of the Nuevo Cartel de Juarez as the criminal group responsible for the execution of six children and three women from the Mormon community LeBarón on November 4, 2019. After the LeBaron massacre, violence erupted in Chihuahua, particularly in Ciudad Juarez. Public transportation buses were being burned in the streets of Juarez by Los Mexicles (Street gang allied with CDS) in daylight hours, sometimes with people inside, in attempt to heat up the plaza (no pun intended). This is a cartel tactic "calentando la plaza," meant to put heat on La Línea, who control Ciudad Juarez. The Mexicles, a street gang that has presence in the streets and prisons of Juarez started targeting members of La Línea. Ten members of La Línea were executed in el cereso (jail) in Juarez during the same time.

I was fortunate enough to be able to take a tour of hot spots in the streets of Juarez and el cereso during these times of violent activity. Word on the streets was that El Mayo Zambada (old school boss of CDS) was not very happy with the increase of violence in the neighboring state of Sonora and the attention the LeBaron massacre was generating, in particular the direct intervention by the US. This might have been the cause in increase of violence in Ciudad Juarez, the epicenter of La Línea, who were being hunted down

But now that things have settle down some, La Línea has continued with their criminal activities, literally in the whole state of Chihuahua.


Even in the municipality of Namiquipa, Chihuahua, no businesses are saved from having to pay a fee (pago de piso) And it is La Línea that has exponentially increased extortion of businesses in these towns, mostly in rural regions.

Out of fear, most business owners pay, although the payment of this fee does not guarantee anything. La Línea hitmen executed a couple from Bavispe, Sonora, who moved to the Chihuahuan municipality of Janos to buy gasoline and resell it in their town.

I have seen this practice in this region before, as the Sonoran mountain towns that border the state of Chihuahua there are no gas stations. It is the local people themselves who supply the fuel, even to the vehicles of the municipal police.

Cali Cartel Capo: Ailing drug lord cites coronavirus threat in bid for ‘compassionate prison release’ from Miami judge

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat   TY-GUS!  Source



One of the world’s most infamous drug lords — former Colombian cartel leader Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela — is hoping the potential threat of the novel coronavirus to his life will bring an end to his 30-year sentence in federal prison.


Rodriguez-Orejuela, 81, who has survived bouts with cancer in prison but maintains his health is “extremely fragile,” is trying to build momentum around the public health crisis for his “compassionate release” by a Miami federal judge who is considering his bid for freedom.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are concerned that when such a virus spreads to the facility where he is incarcerated, it will be a death sentence to Mr. Rodriguez-Orejuela,” the inmate’s defense attorney, David O. Markus, wrote in a court filing this week, in which he cited a recent news story on a judge’s release of hundreds of non-violent inmates from a county jail in Ohio because of the coronavirus scare.

Regional Mexican Music Singer Abducted and Killed in Veracruz

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Michel Gómez Santos (age 30), murdered
Last week, Regional Mexican music singer Michel Gómez Santos (age 30) was kidnapped and found dead an hour later in the municipality of Cosoleacaque, Veracruz. According to police reports, gunmen abducted him from his home and took him to a different location where he was shot dead. The assassins remain at large and no motives have been established.

Gómez Santos was the owner and lead singer of the local music band Grupo HEGO, and had played for various other music bands in the past. The area where he was killed is a major battleground for the rival forces of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and Los Zetas. Extortion, kidnappings, and murders against civilians are common in the area.

The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador asked the population not to stop their outings

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat


At the end of his tour of Oaxaca, AMLO assured that his government "is ready" to face the Covid-19 pandemic.

Given this, he asked the population "not to be scared" and take to the streets to "eat with the family", this during phase 1 of the contingency measures.

The statements were made from minute 8 of the following video found on this hyperlink

Mexico: 251 cases, 48 are new cases, 2 deaths. Includes: 35 cases in Mexico City, 4 in Jalisco, 4 Michoacán, 1 Campeche  

Massacre in the Valle de Juárez; 6-year-old girl and two women executed, other children seriously injured

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat TY GUS  Herald de Juarez and Tiempo


A settling of scores


A shooting in a house in El Sauzal left two women and a small girl dead as well as nine other people with injuries this morning.

Two women and a six-year-old girl lost their lives,  while nine other people, including three children between the ages of 3 and 8, were injured,  they were transferred to receive medical attention.

The shootings were recorded at the intersection of Sauzal and Mina streets, located in El Sauzal in the Valle de Juárez.

 The events were reported in the early hours of the morning, assassins broke into the home while a social gathering was taking place.

Zirándaro, Guerrero: La Nueva Familia Michoacána Executes a Wounded CJNG Sicario

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
From the depths of the depraved Mexican underworld a new film has surfaced. In this video sicarios from the cartel of La Nueva Familia Michoacána kills without mercy a wounded and dying Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación sicario.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

REDIM Documents Cases of Forced Recruitment of Youth for Organized Crime


Since the middle of last year, the Network for Children's Rights (REDIM) documented three cases of forced recruitment of young people by criminal groups in Guanajuato, as reported by Juan Martín Pérez García, director of the organization.

"They come and pick them up, the documented ases we have take place in the late evening. These are obviously young men from 15 to 17 years old and are linked at the moment in wars of the State against criminal groups," warned the academic and human rights defender.

He explained that in each case complaints were filed with the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) and with the Guanajuato State Attorney General (FGE), but in the latter, the investigation has not progressed.

Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz: La Tropa del Infierno Execute a Taxi Driver Inside a Bus Terminal

WARNING! GRAPHIC VIDEO
Inside an ADO (Autobuses de Oriente) bus terminal the Tropa del Infierno have just assassinated a taxi driver. The whereabouts of the culprits are unknown at this time. The only established facts are the deceased male lying in a pool of blood while the public goes about their daily lives. And the manta left behind as a warning for the enemies of said aggressors. 

Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua: Gente Nueva del Tigre Member Arrested


Edgar Arturo H.R, 33 years old, aka "El Garo", was arrested in possession of various doses of drugs, on 12th and Oaxaca streets of the Reforma neighborhood in the city of Cuauhtémoc.

The arrest was carried out by elements of the State Security Commission (CES), an arrest that was carried out when state troops were making patrols of the Reforma neighborhood, when they observed the detainee acting suspiciously. And when conducting a review, 20 cellophane paper wrappers were found of different metallic colors labeled with the images of a tiger. Of which contained inside a dry and fragrant green herb with the characteristics of the drug marijuana. It had a total weight of 300 grams.

Iguala de la Independencia, Guerrero: El Cartel de La Sierra Announces a Purge and Curfew

A new video has surfaced from the Mexican underworld. In this broadcast El Cartel de La Sierra sends out a venomous message for the townspeople of Iguala and it’s surroundings. This film contains a mandatory curfew that has been imposed on everyone. Just as well their message for the masses speaks of the coming purge and threats of violence for all enemies. 
NOTE VIDEO IS SAFE FOR ALL VIEWERS

Video translation is as follows:
This communication goes out to everyone in Iguala and it’s surroundings. Starting tomorrow there will be a mandatory curfew beginning at 9 in the evening. This plaza now has an owner. Ownership has recently changed. It’ll no longer be the old scum as before.

There will no longer be anymore murderous abductors of children or women. And for all these individuals: Van Dan, Colin, Machetadas, Guicho, Balia, and Burro. Just as well for those scumbags who aid or keep supporting them. The gang of cowards made up of government personnel, transit police also.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Jessica Johanna Oseguera González, daughter of El Mencho, has requested bail citing coronavirus danger

Chivis Martinez for Borderland Beat


Jessica Johanna Oseguera González, daughter of El Mencho, has requested bail due to the coronavirus.

She has no known underlying illness and is not in a high risk category.

From the filing:
Circumstances in the United States have radically changed since Ms. Gonzalez was detained on March 3, 2020. Since that date, COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic and national health emergency. COVID-19 poses an immediate and absolute danger to Ms. Gonzalez and to the community. Detention facilities, such as the facility in which Ms. Gonzalez is currently incarcerated, pose an even more substantial danger, given the sheer number of inmates sharing close quarters, without the ability to stay away from one another and stop the spread of the virus.

Police Chief in Veracruz Killed for Refusing to Support the CJNG

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat
Raymundo Elmer Prior Reyes (left); his vehicle after the attack (right)
Raymundo Elmer Prior Reyes, the municipal police chief of San Juan Evangelista, Veracruz, was murdered by suspected members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal group based in Jalisco but with presence in several states across Mexico, including Veracruz. 

According to police reports, Raymundo was killed as he drove his Ford pick-up truck through a highway near La Cerquilla rural community. A group of armed suspects tried to force him to a stop, but the police chief sped up to lose trace of them. He eventually lost control of his vehicle after it drove off the highway. The gunmen finished him off on the side of the road. His bullet-ridden body was found inside the vehicle.

There has been a wave of assassinations of people linked to the municipality of San Juan Evangelista in recent months. Last year, the police chief who proceeded Raymundo was killed. A few days later, the town's ex-mayor was killed too. Investigators suspect Raymundo and others were killed for refusing to support the CJNG, who holds a stronghold in San Juan Evangelista.

Zamora, Michoacan: La Nueva Familia Michoacana Interrogate Jesus Alonzo Rodriguez

A new video has surfaced from the Mexican underworld. In this broadcast a former addict is disclosing the brutish recruitment tactics that the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación has been employing. Their stratagem involves threats of murder against those who refuse to join the cartels ranks. The peril also extends to immediate family members.


Video translation is as follows:
Sicario: Give me your complete name.
Jesus Alonzo Rodriguez: Jesus Alonzo Rodriguez.
Sicario: Where are you from
Jesus Alonzo Rodriguez: Panindícuaro (Panindícuaro, Michoacán).

Friday, March 20, 2020

Mexico frighteningly unprepared for Coronavirus, as president AMLO seems unfazed clutching "Good Luck" charms

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

Mexico continues to insist they have only 1 death from the virus-Mexico’s president says he’s putting trust in good-luck charms, as he continues to give his famous hugs.................
Mexico continues to hold massive events, this from last week


It is extremely difficult to glean coronavirus stats from Mexico.  Official these are the numbers, suspect as they are:

The Ministry of Health confirmed 25 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 164 infected in Mexico.

He explained that there are 314 suspected and 787 negative cases registered.

In addition, it reported that of the total of confirmed cases, 2 percent is serious and 7 percent stable.

According to the report, 71 percent of the patients have been treated in the Ssa and 23 percent in private hospitals.

Ciudad Juárez, Mexico: An American Attempts to Smuggle Over 100K into Juárez


Video translation is as follows:
Edgar: Another 19 year old was detained at the border. He came to Juárez with more than 100,000 dollars in cash. The money was attached to his body. Go ahead with the details Everardo.

Everardo: And so it goes Edgar. They arrested an American who tried to cross more than $ 100,000 to Ciudad Juárez. This is a 19-year-old man who was carrying the money strapped to his body when he was detected at the Ysleta-Zaragoza international bridge.

The events were recorded this Tuesday at 12:35 noon ater CBP officers conducted an inspection at the border crossing exit area. This incident justly triggered the seizure of money which represents a heavy blow to organized crime.

Gangsters Targeting Cops in Ciudad Juárez in Apparent Revenge-Driven Attacks

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Police officers from Ciudad Juárez investigating a crime scene after an attack
Mexican authorities are under high alert after gangsters attacked policemen in several parts of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, this entire week. Close to a dozen attacks were reported by security forces in multiple locations, including near their local headquarters, at a gas station, and outside a school and hospital. Two policemen and two gangsters were killed. These attacks are part of a violent saga dating back to late 2019.

Investigators stated that the attacks showed that criminal cells operating in Ciudad Juárez were weakened and trying to intimidate them. However, others suggested a crude reality: the spike in violence is driven by vengeance. In recent months, authorities have arrested multiple cartel leaders and seized their drugs and weapons, but these measures have angered gang members and driven them to attack police officers indiscriminately. 

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Coronavirus Squeezing Finances of Mexico's Criminal Groups

Note: This report was written by Chris Dalby from InSight Crime. We are able to share this material under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0). Here is the link to the original publication. Special thanks to "Parro" for sharing the story.

Much of the fake jewelry and clothing sold in markets in Tepito, Mexico City, comes from China
Contacts in China provide Mexican criminal groups with everything from counterfeit luxury goods to chemical precursors for making fentanyl. But with the spread of the coronavirus, shipments from China have dried up and the cartels are feeling the pinch.

In February, it emerged that La Unión de Tepito, which controls much of the sale of counterfeit goods across Mexico City, was facing pushback from businesses who said they could not make extortion payments as they were no longer getting shipments of illegal merchandise from China, MVS Noticias reported.

Since at least 2010, a group within La Unión de Tepito, known as “Los Marco Polos,” has been in charge of going to China with thousands of dollars in cash to secure counterfeit clothes, jewelry and accessories to be sold in the shops and markets of central Mexico City, according to La Silla Rota. This activity is as important economically to La Unión Tepito as drug trafficking, according to MVS Noticias.

Top Sinaloa Cartel Operator Extradited to the US Along With Four Other Suspects

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat
Heriberto Zazueta Godoy ("El Capi Beto")
Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR) extradited five people to the U.S. One of them was Heriberto Zazueta Godoy ("El Capi Beto"), identified as a high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel member and close confidant of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. He is wanted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for money laundering and drug trafficking.

According the U.S. federal indictment filed against him, between May 2005 and December 2014, El Capi Beto coordinated drug trafficking activities for the Sinaloa Cartel. He was charged with importing large quantities of narcotics from Mexico, Central and South America.