"Mica" for Borderland Beat.
La Vaca Of Colima Captured. This is a breaking news story by Ivan for Borderland Beat.
Thursday, August 18, 2022
La Vaca Alliance With The Northeast Cartel
"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
Video translation is as follows:
José Bernabé Brizuela Meraz aka La Vaca, leader of the Colima Independent Cartel, made an alliance with the Northeast Cartel to combat his former allies, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. "My countrymen here in Colima we are the absolute mob of La Vaca, absolute mob of Colima, and allies of the Northeast Cartel" quotes one of the messages that have recently been placed in the state capital.
We are the absolute cartel of Colima, at one hundred with the Tropa del Infierno cited another of the messages that began to appear since August 9 of this year. "My countrymen here in Colima. We are the absolute mob of La Vaca. We are the absolute Colima Cartel and are allied with the Northeast Cartel. There is no more. Will they want more? Or should we boil them an egg? We fully support the Hell Troop. We send out our greetings to the commanders here in Colima. And we're all present here within Colima" quoted the message that mentions this alleged alliance which was located today outside a hardware store on Benito Juárez street in Villa de Álvarez.
Another similar message was also located today in the center of Colima. José Bernabé Brizuela Meraz aka La Vaca was in the past allied with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, to whom he declared a narco war due to internal differences that have unleashed violence in the state since the beginning of this year. Colima authorities identified that the fight that arose on January 25 of this year in the local Cereso prison surfaced from the rupture of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel against the faction known then as Los Mezcales led by La Vaca.
That day there were 12 murders linked to organized crime in the entity. 9 of which occurred in the prison center. Days later, the narco messages were displayed that declared the war led by the Independent Colima Cartel under the command of La Vaca. And the terror began in Colima, dismembered corpses, executions in broad daylight, at night or early in the morning, as well as shootings and closures of businesses and schools.
La Vaca identified his enemies as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the brothers Aldrin Miguel Jarquín Jarquín aka El Chaparro or Chaparrito and José Jesús Jarquín Jarquín aka El R32. In the midst of constant battles between the two criminal organizations, more than 1,500 soldiers arrived. In addition to hundreds of Navy and National Guard agents that accumulated to 4,500 security personnel. But the narco war didn’t take place.
Well, the new criminal group promised to control the state and expel the subordinates of Julio Alberto Castilló Rodriguez, son in law of El Mencho. Now presumably this narco war has been joined by the Northeast Cartel with its armed wing La Tropa del Infierno according to the narco messages left in recent days. And while all this is happening, the violence hasn’t stop in the entity.
12 business chambers, private associations and employer unions published a statement to strongly demand that the federal, state and municipal authorities take measures and apply more effective strategies to contain the escalation of insecurity in the entity. They disapproved of the attack on a bar in Manzanillo just to cite the latest relevant case. But there have been many more similar events in past weeks.
They stated that situations of violence such as those that have occurred in Colima almost since the beginning of the year have a negative impact on the social and economic development of the entity. Given the acts of violence, the United States asked its citizens not to travel to 6 states of Mexico due to violence and crime. The United States ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar warned American citizens on Wednesday to avoid traveling to the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas due to the security situations in those regions.
The official explained that the state department asks citizens not to visit these entities since their safety must be guaranteed. And assured that the United States will continue working with partners and friends of Mexico with the aim of building a peaceful future.
Woman Charged With Murder After Allegedly Supplying Inmate With Drugs As They Exchanged Kiss
"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat\
Tennessee woman Rachel Dollard has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge after she allegedly supplied drugs to an inmate who later died, the Daily Beast reports.
Dollard visited inmate Joshua Brown in February this year, during which she allegedly passed a balloon pellet containing at least half an ounce of ethamphetamine. According to the Dickson County Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Department of Correction, Dollard passed the drugs to Brown orally when they shared a kiss. The man later died of an overdose after he swallowed the balloon pellet containing the drug.
“In February, Dollard was observed passing drugs to inmate Joshua Brown as the two exchanged a kiss during visitation at the Turney Center Industrial Complex,” reads the Tennessee Department of Correction statement published on Tuesday. After swallowing the pellet, Brown later died later at a local hospital." Dollard was arrested this past weekend by TDOC special agents and officers from the local sheriff’s department.
She’s currently being held at the Hickman County jail on charges of introduction of contraband into a penal facility, and second-degree murder. “This incident points to the real dangers of introducing contraband into prisons and the consequences that follow,” said David Imhof, Director of TDOC’s Office of Investigations and Conduct. “Our agency will pursue prosecution against any individual who threatens the safety and security of our staff, the men and women in our custody, and our facilities.”
Brown was serving an 11-year prison sentence on drug-related charges, and was set to be released by 2029 at the latest. As a result of the incident, the Tennessee Department of Correction will place body scanners at all relevant facilities
FBI & LAPD Gang Task Force Nets 28 Members of Playboys Street Gang on Narcotics Trafficking & RICO Charges in Los Angeles
"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
The arrests stem from six indictments, one of which alleges a racketeering scheme and includes allegations of narcotics and weapons trafficking and the extortion of local businesses. “This case is the culmination of years of work by our agents and prosecutors, alongside our local law enforcement partners, to remove violent gang members from our streets and dismantle the criminal organizations that fuel violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland of the Justice Department. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for violent gangs that sow fear and terror in our communities, and we will continue to use every tool we have to stop them and bring them to justice.”
The lead defendant in the RICO indictment is Eliseo Luna, 47, of South Los Angeles, who acted as the overall “shot caller” for the gang, according to the indictment. Luna – who used a number of monikers, including “Chilo,” “Crazy,” “Toca” and “El Abogado” – allegedly oversaw the Playboys’ drug trafficking activities, gave orders to Playboys’ general leadership and membership, and authorized the assault and murder of members in bad standing with Playboys.
The 110-page RICO indictment alleges that four of the defendants participated in a March 2020 home invasion robbery of a marijuana dealer at a residence in Woodland Hills. In a subsequent conversation with Luna outlined in the indictment, one of the alleged robbers described the home invasion robbery, including the restraint of the victim, the theft of up to $50,000 in cash and approximately 10 pounds of marijuana, and a gunfight between the robbers and the victim, which resulted in one of the robbers being shot in the stomach by the robbery victim.
The RICO indictment outlines numerous conversations about criminal acts and specifically alleges that several gang members possessed approximately 3.3 kilograms of heroin at one point. One defendant also allegedly participated in the attempted murder of a Playboys member who was stabbed in the head and torso multiple times for betraying the gang.
A second indictment unsealed today names 17 defendants, all of whom are charged with participating in a narcotics-trafficking conspiracy. One of the defendants – Elvis Arreguin, 31, of San Pedro – allegedly maintained a laboratory in Long Beach where fentanyl and methamphetamine were processed.
“On July 7, 2021, defendant Arreguin and a co-conspirator drove together to a UPS store in Long Beach, California, where the co-conspirator dropped off a package containing approximately 10.007 kilograms of fentanyl that were packaged in one-kilogram bundles and covered in mustard,” the indictment alleges.
Another indictment charges four defendants with participating in a scheme to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. The lead defendant in this case, Francisco Soria, 29, of South Los Angeles, an alleged member of a Latino street gang in Watts with close ties to the Playboys, is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute approximately 12 ounces of fentanyl, 20 ounces of heroin, and more than an ounce of methamphetamine. Soria also allegedly possessed two firearms – one of which was a 9mm “ghost gun” – in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The other three indictments unsealed today charge individual defendants with drug trafficking offenses, including Rene Paul Romero, a.k.a. “Capone,” 45, of Whittier, who allegedly knowingly distributed approximately 436 grams (nearly one pound) of methamphetamine.
“I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our LAPD officers, the FBI, and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs on such a demanding investigation,” said Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore. “Organized street gangs prey upon our communities with violence, intimidation, and fear. Their tradecraft is furthered by the trafficking of dangerous firearms and narcotics. As in this case, and others, with strong federal partners and the support of our communities we are able to remove the distributors and root cause of such violence from our neighborhoods.”
The RICO conspiracy and Hobbs Act robbery charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The narcotics and firearms offenses carry a range of potential sentences, including a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in prison. The defendants arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Today’s arrests are the result of an investigation that was opened approximately four years ago by the FBI and the multi-agency Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs. The investigation, dubbed Operation Down the Rabbit Hole, utilized an array of tactics, including wiretaps and surveillance, to uncover evidence of extortion of businesses, violent robberies, burglaries, narcotics, and firearms trafficking, and violence against their own members as “discipline” for violating gang rules and norms.
Operation Down the Rabbit Hole was led by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which is comprised of the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; DEA; U.S. Marshals Service; the Joint Regional Intelligence Center; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; U.S. Bureau of Prisons; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Los Angeles County Probation Department provided considerable assistance.
 |
| 28 members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Eastside Playboys street gang were arrested today on federal racketeering, narcotics, and firearms charges. |
The arrests stem from six indictments, one of which alleges a racketeering scheme and includes allegations of narcotics and weapons trafficking and the extortion of local businesses. “This case is the culmination of years of work by our agents and prosecutors, alongside our local law enforcement partners, to remove violent gang members from our streets and dismantle the criminal organizations that fuel violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland of the Justice Department. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for violent gangs that sow fear and terror in our communities, and we will continue to use every tool we have to stop them and bring them to justice.”
“The indictments unsealed today charge a gang accused of plaguing South Los Angeles for 50 years through repeated acts of violence, drug trafficking, extortion of local businesses, and weapons violations,” said Acting United States Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen for the Central District of California. “Today’s coordinated law enforcement action targeted the Playboys street gang because of its alleged widespread criminal conduct, as well as the fear and intimidation its members imposed on our community.” Those arrested today are among 41 members and associates of the gang named across the six indictments. Three of the defendants were already in custody, and law enforcement continues to search for 10 defendants.
RICO Charges
One of the indictments alleges that the gang is a criminal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. This indictment outlines the structure of the gang, its allegiance to the Mexican Mafia prison gang also known as La eMe, and how it generates revenue through, among other things, the sale of narcotics and firearms.
The Playboys 13 was originally a car club called, "Southern Califas Latin Playboys Car Club." Cliques from the West Side moved to Burbank, California in the 1980s and have spread out to North Hollywood and other cities in the San Fernando Valley. Eastside Playboys started in 1975 on 49th street in Los Angeles, California and the Southside Playboys started in 1982 in Bell Gardens and South Gate, California. In the beginning, they were all Hispanic, but in recent years, even though it is rare, other ethnic groups have been able to gain membership making them multiethnic. However, the Playboys remain predominantly Hispanic in all their cliques from Latin America to the United States.
As part of the overall racketeering enterprise, some defendants engaged in large-scale drug trafficking, including sending kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl through the United States Postal Service, FedEx, and United Parcel Service. Some defendants also allegedly distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, and counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
“Members and associates of this gang have built a criminal enterprise by trafficking in guns and deadly drugs, by extorting business owners, and by terrorizing victims with violent assaults and robberies,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Amir Ehsaei of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our local partners to identify the gangs wreaking havoc on our communities and to use federal tools to hold major offenders accountable for their crimes.”
As part of the overall racketeering enterprise, some defendants engaged in large-scale drug trafficking, including sending kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl through the United States Postal Service, FedEx, and United Parcel Service. Some defendants also allegedly distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, and counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
“Members and associates of this gang have built a criminal enterprise by trafficking in guns and deadly drugs, by extorting business owners, and by terrorizing victims with violent assaults and robberies,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Amir Ehsaei of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our local partners to identify the gangs wreaking havoc on our communities and to use federal tools to hold major offenders accountable for their crimes.”
Seizures of Narcotics, Cash and Guns
During this investigation, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs seized from the Playboys and their associates approximately 47 firearms, 199 kilograms of methamphetamine, 13.6 kilograms of fentanyl, 27 kilograms of cocaine, 7.6 kilograms of heroin, 283 kilograms of marijuana, and $140,000 in cash. The RICO indictment further alleges that members of the racketeering enterprise operated two unlicensed marijuana dispensaries.The lead defendant in the RICO indictment is Eliseo Luna, 47, of South Los Angeles, who acted as the overall “shot caller” for the gang, according to the indictment. Luna – who used a number of monikers, including “Chilo,” “Crazy,” “Toca” and “El Abogado” – allegedly oversaw the Playboys’ drug trafficking activities, gave orders to Playboys’ general leadership and membership, and authorized the assault and murder of members in bad standing with Playboys.
The 110-page RICO indictment alleges that four of the defendants participated in a March 2020 home invasion robbery of a marijuana dealer at a residence in Woodland Hills. In a subsequent conversation with Luna outlined in the indictment, one of the alleged robbers described the home invasion robbery, including the restraint of the victim, the theft of up to $50,000 in cash and approximately 10 pounds of marijuana, and a gunfight between the robbers and the victim, which resulted in one of the robbers being shot in the stomach by the robbery victim.
The RICO indictment outlines numerous conversations about criminal acts and specifically alleges that several gang members possessed approximately 3.3 kilograms of heroin at one point. One defendant also allegedly participated in the attempted murder of a Playboys member who was stabbed in the head and torso multiple times for betraying the gang.
A second indictment unsealed today names 17 defendants, all of whom are charged with participating in a narcotics-trafficking conspiracy. One of the defendants – Elvis Arreguin, 31, of San Pedro – allegedly maintained a laboratory in Long Beach where fentanyl and methamphetamine were processed.
“On July 7, 2021, defendant Arreguin and a co-conspirator drove together to a UPS store in Long Beach, California, where the co-conspirator dropped off a package containing approximately 10.007 kilograms of fentanyl that were packaged in one-kilogram bundles and covered in mustard,” the indictment alleges.
Another indictment charges four defendants with participating in a scheme to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. The lead defendant in this case, Francisco Soria, 29, of South Los Angeles, an alleged member of a Latino street gang in Watts with close ties to the Playboys, is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute approximately 12 ounces of fentanyl, 20 ounces of heroin, and more than an ounce of methamphetamine. Soria also allegedly possessed two firearms – one of which was a 9mm “ghost gun” – in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The other three indictments unsealed today charge individual defendants with drug trafficking offenses, including Rene Paul Romero, a.k.a. “Capone,” 45, of Whittier, who allegedly knowingly distributed approximately 436 grams (nearly one pound) of methamphetamine.
“I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our LAPD officers, the FBI, and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs on such a demanding investigation,” said Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore. “Organized street gangs prey upon our communities with violence, intimidation, and fear. Their tradecraft is furthered by the trafficking of dangerous firearms and narcotics. As in this case, and others, with strong federal partners and the support of our communities we are able to remove the distributors and root cause of such violence from our neighborhoods.”
The RICO conspiracy and Hobbs Act robbery charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The narcotics and firearms offenses carry a range of potential sentences, including a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in prison. The defendants arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Today’s arrests are the result of an investigation that was opened approximately four years ago by the FBI and the multi-agency Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs. The investigation, dubbed Operation Down the Rabbit Hole, utilized an array of tactics, including wiretaps and surveillance, to uncover evidence of extortion of businesses, violent robberies, burglaries, narcotics, and firearms trafficking, and violence against their own members as “discipline” for violating gang rules and norms.
Operation Down the Rabbit Hole was led by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which is comprised of the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; DEA; U.S. Marshals Service; the Joint Regional Intelligence Center; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; U.S. Bureau of Prisons; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Los Angeles County Probation Department provided considerable assistance.
Annother OXXO Convenience Store Torched By Armed Criminals In Ojocaliente, Zacatecas
By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat
This morning, an armed criminal group burned an OXXO convenience store in Ojocaliente, Zacatecas. Some nota roja pages have claimed that the building was torched after a shootout nearby, but this has not been confirmed.
Local witnesses say they heard gunshots around the time of the fire, but authorities confirmed that no one was injured in the attack.
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These attacks occur one week after the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) burned over two dozen OXXO stores after the attempted capture of two of their leaders, as reported by Borderland Beat.
While many have conjectured that OXXOs have been targeted for other reasons, it is most likely due to their abundance in Mexico, with 17,400 across the nation.
Earlier this week, the United States Department of State added Zacatecas to its "Do Not Travel" advisory list due to increased risk of crime and kidnapping.
Sources: El Universal, US State Department, Borderland Beat Archives
Take This Before You Leave My Friend
"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
A small time thief finds himself laser focused on the task at hand. The robbery of a working woman’s money from her cash register. His adrenaline filled rush during the undertaking has narrowed his field of view with tunnel vision.
Little does he know that the broad is quietly biding her time. She’s waiting for the opportune time to strike out against him with her only line of defense, a fixed knife next to the cashbox.
Finally, the cutting tool rises in the woman’s right hand into the air. And is swung across his face in one gloriously swift motion. Just as quickly the injured, failed robber, runs out of her business establishment. It’s just another beautiful day in Mexico where citizens fend for themselves due to the constant threat of insecurity.
Bournes Brothers Possibly Tied to the Execution of Five in Rosario, Sonora
"HEARST" for Borderland Beat
Five men, with hands tied behind their back and gunshot wounds, were found dead in Tesopaco Rosario, Sonora.
Some claim two narco brothers, who work for Cartel de Juarez and who haven't been heard from in over a year, were behind the executions.
The Five Bodies in Rosario During the early morning hours of Sunday, August 14, 2022, motorists heading down a remote mountain road that connects Paredones Ranch and El Nogal spotted a pile of dead bodies in the brush nearby. They called the emergency phone line to report what they had seen and officers were sent to check on the report.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Nayarit Prosecutor's Office Will Challenge Edgar Veytia's Amparo Against Extradition To Mexico
"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Best
In Mexico there are six arrest warrants against him for abuse of power, improper exercise of functions, kidnapping and dispossession of property.
Edgar Veytia, former Nayarit prosecutor.
In Nayarit, the authorities of the Attorney General's Office seek to challenge the amparo against extradition of the former prosecutor, Edgar Veytia, arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison in the United States for drug trafficking, for conspiring to distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana.
Despite the fact that on August 11, 2022, in Mexico City, a federal judge granted an amparo to the former prosecutor to avoid being sentenced in Mexico, the Nayarit Prosecutor's Office announced that they are preparing a legal strategy to challenge the procedure in conjunction with the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR).
The state prosecutor, Petronilo Díaz Ponce, pointed out that in Mexico there are six arrest warrants against him for abuse of power, improper exercise of functions, kidnapping and dispossession of property.
“The request for the extradition of former prosecutor Veytia to try him in Mexico was activated since 2020, we sent notifications to the state of New York court so that when he finished serving his sentence he would be handed over to the Mexican authorities and consequently to the authorities of Nayarit. We will be waiting for the resolution to start with the corresponding procedures, "said prosecutor Díaz Ponce.
The Secretary General of the Government, Juan Antonio Echeagaray Becerra, described as inconceivable that the former prosecutor, through his lawyers, processed an amparo to avoid his extradition to Mexico.
“It is unfortunate, when there is sufficient evidence to proceed against him. We will be working in coordination with the federation so that justice is finally applied,” Echeagaray said.
On March 27, 2017, agents from the Customs and Border Protection Service detained the former prosecutor at the border bridge that connects the cities of Tijuana, Baja California and San Diego, California, while he was trying to enter this country.
On September 26, 2019, the former prosecutor was sentenced by the United States government to 20 years in prison and five more on "probation ", after on January 7 of the same year he pleaded guilty to participating in an international conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana in exchange for receiving large bribes.
The conviction was issued by Judge Carol Bagley, who presided over room 10 D of the Federal Court for the Eastern District of New York.
However, of these crimes charged in the United States, in Mexico investigations are still continuing into the disappearance of people from 2017 to 2020, the date on which 29 clandestine graves were located with 143 bone remains in the municipalities of Tepic, Xalisco and San Blas, dispossession of property and abuse of power, crimes that are being attributed to the former prosecutor.
The Truth Commission, through its spokesman, Rodrigo González Barrios, assured that from the offices of the Justice Prosecutor's Office in the government of Edgar Veytia, people were tortured, people who were against the interests of the former prosecutor were ordered disappeared.
In Nayarit, in addition to the former prosecutor Veytia sentenced to 20 years in prison in the United States, the former PRI governor, Roberto Sandoval Castañeda, is under trial in the El Rincón federal prison based in Tepic, Nayarit for the alleged crime of operations with resources of illicit origin.
El Salvador Government Strikes At Gang Logistics
"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
Authorities in El Salvador continue their actions against gangs to put an end to extortion of commerce and other sectors of society.
The government announced the seizure of 1,188,374 dollars obtained from criminal activities, more than 1,000 weapons and 500 vehicles from these groups, as a result of the offensive deployed under the State of Exception.
The actions of the military authorities also included the seizure of 543 vehicles, 11,367 cell phones and 241,310 dollars obtained from drug trafficking, mainly cocaine, marijuana, crack and methamphetamines.
These actions are protected by the Territorial Control Plan and within the framework of the exception regime still in force in the country and which was legalized by the National Assembly as a way to face the growing climate of violence and criminality which reached its peak at the end of March of this year.
Government reports indicate that the National Civil Police (PNC) in joint operations with the Armed Forces of El Salvador (FAES) seized 1,283 firearms of different calibers, including 622 pistols, 259 revolvers, 26 machine guns, 211 shotguns and 7 grenades, among others.
In this scenario, the arrest and imprisonment of almost 50,000 alleged gang members and collaborators of these groups labeled by the government as criminals stands out.
According to the Presidential Press Secretariat, the homicide rate decreased in the country after the application of the State of Exception and positive statistics are registered on an increasing number of days with zero homicides.
On the other hand, public transportation and commercial sector businessmen thanked the Government for the results of the Security Plan which resulted in a decrease of criminal typologies such as extortion by 95%, for example, in public transportation.
Meanwhile, and in spite of criticism from affected sectors, the Minister of Defense, Francis Merino Monroy, emphasized that the exception regime will be maintained until the last gang member on the street faces justice.
Son Of Celaya Mayor Gunned Down In Celaya, Guanajuato
By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat
Guillermo Mendoza Suárez, the son of Celaya mayor Javier Mendoza Márquez, was killed by gunmen while sitting in his car this afternoon. He was ambushed by several attackers around 3 p.m. on the corner of Madero and 2 de Abril streets.
A tight spread of bullet holes is visible in the passenger side window, which could indicate that the shooter was accurate and well trained, or that they were standing nearby when firing.
Photos posted on Twitter by local journalist @ReneFuat
In the hours following the assassination, screenshots of a threat, allegedly from the killers, circulated online. The message threatens the family of the mayor, saying that his family will be killed until he upholds his end of an existing agreement with the criminal group.
It is important to remember that this message is not confirmed to be real.
Video of the aftermath shows government forces posted around the cordoned crime scene.
Video posted by Twitter user @ningunalore
On their Twitter account, the Guanajuato Attorney Generals Office extended their condolences to the mayor and notified the public that they are investigating the murder.
The state of Guanajuato is currently the most violent state in Mexico by homicide count, with 1,566 recorded so far this year, just over 10% of the nation's total. This homicide count is driven by conflict between criminal groups.
Sources: Platino News, Informe de Seguridad julio 2022, @ReneFuat Twitter, @ningunalore Twitter, FGE Twitter
Cartel de Sinaloa Gunmen Send Their Greetings
"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
Novice gunmen for the Cartel de Sinaloa send out their greetings and salutations for Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada on video. As assassins for CDS the men find themselves in a euphoric state following their delivery of fresh provisions.
It is with these essential supplies that are regularly transported into their encampment that the armed enforcers sustain themselves out in the field where the paved roads cease to exist.
The clandestine camp was purposely placed far removed from all civilization so as to not draw attention to their unlawful activities. This wide open country range will be the temporary living quarters for hired killers employed by a cartel.
Video translation is as follows:
Sicario #1: Mayo!
Sicario #2: Long live El Mayo!
Sicario #3: We are the absolute mob of who?
Sicarios cheer haphazardly: Long live El Mayo!
Sicario #4: All of our personnel are here. Our armed criminal cell.
Sicario #1: Who are we sending a shout to?
Sicario #5: Mayo!
Sicario #1: We are the absolute mob of who?
Sicario #6: Our enemies can suck our dicks. Hit them hard gentlemen. Show them that it’s not easy to come against the Operativa MZ.
FGE Confirms The Capture Of Detainees In Sinaloa For Torched Vehicles In Baja California
"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
The detainees are Luis Enrique Galindo Coronado alias "El Ñoño" and alleged criminal leader of the gang; Juan José “N”, 34, Jonathan Raymundo, 29, Víctor Aldair Córdova Ramírez, alias “El Gusano”, 18; Jorge, 32, and Sara Isabel, 24; some of them with past criminal records.
Ricardo Iván Carpio Sánchez, Attorney General of Baja California, issued this Tuesday, August 16, a message to publicize the arrest of six of those responsible for blocking burned vehicles last Friday, August 12, in the state.
“With intelligence and strategy, operational actions were carried out that led to the arrest of six people for Federal crimes at a hotel in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, who are being investigated for their participation in the violent acts that have disturbed our society. ”, reported the Attorney General
Among the detainees are Luis Enrique Galindo Coronado, alias "El Ñoño", 35, who was identified as the leader of the criminal group in charge of carrying out the attacks last Friday; Juan José “N”, 34, Jonathan Raymundo, 29, Víctor Aldair Córdova Ramírez alias “El Gusano”, 18; Jorge, 32, and Sara Isabel, 24, who, according to the Prosecutor, were in possession of illicit substances and two vehicles in which they were fleeing from Baja California to western Mexico.
This information had already been mentioned by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on the morning of this August 16.
“Many of those who participated in these acts have already been arrested. Yesterday the arrest of those who participated in Tijuana was carried out, two or 3 leaders and apparently the bosses were arrested in Sinaloa, between Mochis and Culiacán. And the arrests will continue,” the president had commented.
As reported by various local media in Sinaloa, on Monday, August 15, the Secretary of Public Security (SSP) of the State of Sinaloa confirmed the arrest of at least five men in a motel located on the north exit of Culiacán, after the report of a woman’s abduction, who was taken for a witness testimony before the Public Ministry.
The five subjects arrested were initially accused of the abduction of the aforementioned woman, in addition to the fact that the authorities seized two vehicles and various drug packages, following an operation in which elements of the Army, the Guard National and State Police participated.
"Driving around", is what the detainees said they were doing in Sinaloa, when four men from Tijuana were arrested in Los Mochis on suspicion of having participated in the burning of cars and blockades made in Baja California.
They assured that they had arrived in Sinaloa on Saturday, August 13, "I have family in Los Mochis" and was going to visit them, said Jesús García Arredondo; "I'm going to La Trinidad... I'm going alone," said Luis Enrique Galindo Coronado, alias "Julio García Coronado," 35, arrested in Tijuana for damage to private property in 2009, in 2011 captured with 4.8 kilos of marijuana, and the December 16, 2013 as part of a group that had kidnapped a woman in a business of the Infonavit Army Trigarante housing unit, in the same city, he also has an amparo trial for another crime from 2018, under file 223/2018 .
Old Video of Kidnapped Police Being Interrogated By Pajaro Sierra Gains Attention
"HEARST" and "Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
An old video of municipal police officers, who were held at gunpoint by Pajaro Sierra members, shows them admitting to working for the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) when they were interrogated.
The Footage
A video, which was reportedly first published weeks ago, has now caught the attention of social media users and major news outlets. It reportedly depicts a number of municipal police officers - two men and four women - who were just captured and being held at gunpoint by members of the cartel group Pajaro Sierra.
Pajaro Sierra is a CJNG defector group that now fights against the CJNG in a western region of the state of Jalisco, near Lake Chapala, as well as in the municipalities right across the border in the state of Michoacán. For more details on who they are and why they split with the CJNG, please see this previous story.
The video allegedly took place within the municipality of Concepción de Buenos Aires, to the west of other hotspots of the fighting like Mazamitla and Tizapan el Alto.
However, the town of Concepción has been hit with its fair share of the violence due to the warring cartel factions. On February 28, 2022, the town council asked citizens to avoid leaving their homes due to a recent spike in violence. The advisory was later lifted. Then at the end of May, federal investigators found 2 kilos of methamphetamine, 2 firearms and 2 grenades within an apparent stash house on Nery street in Concepción.
A group of alleged Pajaro Sierra members were said to have intercepted at least one police patrol car, disarmed them, ordered them to get on their knees and then recorded the following interrogation.
A woman can be heard crying in the background. A man is asked by the group about who in the police force is on the payroll of the CJNG. The following video contains no graphic content, only an interrogation is shown.
Video Source: Catrin
They say the following, as translate by Sol Prendido:
Policeman: My name is Luis Ubaldo and I’m working for…
Interrogator: What are the names of the individuals who support the 4 letters cartel?
Policeman: The name of the directors are Mary Martinez and Joel Mora.
Interrogator: Where are these directors from?
Policeman: Joel Mora is from Manzanillo (Manzanillo, Colima). And Mary is from Concepción de Buenos Aires (Concepción de Buenos Aires, Jalisco).
Interrogator: Are they the ones who send you guys out as point men at all the intersections?
Policeman: Yes, this is true. We only do this whenever the government is coming through the area.
Interrogator: So, this only happens when the Verdes (Government Personnel) passes through?
Policeman: Yes, that’s how it goes.
Previous Events in the Pájaro Sierra vs CJNG War
Sources: Informador, Diario de México, SPD Noticias, Vanguardia, Uniradio Informa
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
They Lifeless Body Of Journalist Juan Arjón López Found
"Mica/DrivingMSSQL" for BorderlandBeat.
The body of Juan Arjón López, the 14th journalist to be killed in Mexico in 2022, was identified by tattoos in the border city of San Luis Río Colorado.
Prosecutors in the northern border state of Sonora said on Tuesday that tattoos on a body found in the border city of San Luis Río Colorado matched those of journalist Juan Arjón López.
In March, volunteer searchers found 11 bodies in clandestine burial pits in a stretch of desert near a garbage dump in San Luis.
State Officials: "We have just learned that the finding indeed coincides in the lifeless person with some of the tattoos that we had documented of the journalist," said the Sonora Prosecutor, Indira Contreras.
At the beginning of August, a journalist was among four people killed inside a beer shop in the central Mexico state of Guanajuato.
Authorities said it was unknown whether that attack was related to the journalist’s work, his role as a representative of local businesses in the planning of an upcoming fair, or something else.
While organized crime is often involved in journalist killings, small-town officials or politicians with political or criminal motivations are often suspects as well.
Mexico is considered the most dangerous country for reporters outside a war zone.
The Guardian
Riodoce
LeBaron Family & Madres Buscadoras Request the UN Recognize Mexico as an Internal Armed Conflict
"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
Recent days of violence in states such as Guanajuato, Jalisco, Baja California, and Chihuahua, among others, have caused a great impact on Mexican society. Whether due to the deaths and injuries that have been reported in civilians, to situations of curfews and suspension of activities, the attacks in recent days, perpetrated by members of organized crime, have undermined the tranquility of citizens.
This has led to extraordinary measures being taken from civil society itself, in order to trigger possible changes that reduce aggressions and attacks throughout the national territory. Such was the case of a statement addressed to the Security Council of the United Nations in Mexico and to Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón. The document was drafted to ask the UN Mexico to formally recognize the situation of violence and insecurity in the country as an internal armed conflict.
The letter was signed by Bryan Carlos LeBaron Jones , Renata Villarreal (from Marea Verde México), Cesilia Flores (from Madres Buscadoras Sonora), Arussi Unda (Brujas del Mar), Kenya Cuevas (Casa de las Muñecas Tiresias AC), who recognized each other as “some of the victims of the armed conflict”.
The purpose of the petition is, they assured, to attract the interest of the international community so that it accompanies, promotes, monitors, and cooperates with the application of Mexican laws against criminal groups so that it can "achieve internal stability and prevent further human loss through local action and international support”.
The recognition of this internal conflict, they pointed out, would allow the UN Security Council in Mexico to apply instruments to investigate, recommend and send support from the Armed Forces in order to achieve peace.
“I regret the pain of the victims and I share the feeling of seeking justice; but I want to make it clear that I am NOT a victim of an ARMED CONFLICT, as referred to in the said document. I do not share the content of it, "she wrote on the social network to accompany the letter in which he clarified the facts.
"I inform that I DID NOT AUTHORIZE my name to appear on such a document [...] My case is CORRUPTION and INFLUENCE PEDDLING in which the Governor of Oaxaca, Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, and the Attorney General of the State, Arturo Peimbert Calvo, are involved ", added María Elena Ríos in the statement.
So far, the reasons why the activist would have been included among the list of signatories are unknown, since the rest of those involved have not spoken about this detail.
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| Activists have submitted formal documents to the United Nations to formally recognize the violence in Mexico as an Internal Armed Conflict. |
Recent days of violence in states such as Guanajuato, Jalisco, Baja California, and Chihuahua, among others, have caused a great impact on Mexican society. Whether due to the deaths and injuries that have been reported in civilians, to situations of curfews and suspension of activities, the attacks in recent days, perpetrated by members of organized crime, have undermined the tranquility of citizens.
This has led to extraordinary measures being taken from civil society itself, in order to trigger possible changes that reduce aggressions and attacks throughout the national territory. Such was the case of a statement addressed to the Security Council of the United Nations in Mexico and to Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón. The document was drafted to ask the UN Mexico to formally recognize the situation of violence and insecurity in the country as an internal armed conflict.
The letter was signed by Bryan Carlos LeBaron Jones , Renata Villarreal (from Marea Verde México), Cesilia Flores (from Madres Buscadoras Sonora), Arussi Unda (Brujas del Mar), Kenya Cuevas (Casa de las Muñecas Tiresias AC), who recognized each other as “some of the victims of the armed conflict”.
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| Cecilia Flores, president of Madres Buscadoras, was one of the signatories of the letter. |
Recognition of an Internal Armed Conflict in Mexico
The United Nations defines Internal Armed Conflicts as:Armed conflicts are defined as political conflicts where the use of armed force by two parties of which at least one is the Government of a State results in at least 25 battle-related deaths.
The content of the request deals with the growing presence of “illegally armed” criminal groups, who directly oppose and confront the Mexican State. “They have diversified, they have been increasing their arms, economic and social power over time, and have taken over a large part of the territory that comprises the Nation,” can be read in the letter. In this sense, the signatories assured that they live in the absence of the Mexican rule of law.
The content of the request deals with the growing presence of “illegally armed” criminal groups, who directly oppose and confront the Mexican State. “They have diversified, they have been increasing their arms, economic and social power over time, and have taken over a large part of the territory that comprises the Nation,” can be read in the letter. In this sense, the signatories assured that they live in the absence of the Mexican rule of law.
The purpose of the petition is, they assured, to attract the interest of the international community so that it accompanies, promotes, monitors, and cooperates with the application of Mexican laws against criminal groups so that it can "achieve internal stability and prevent further human loss through local action and international support”.
The recognition of this internal conflict, they pointed out, would allow the UN Security Council in Mexico to apply instruments to investigate, recommend and send support from the Armed Forces in order to achieve peace.
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A portion of the document was delivered to the UN Mexico. |
In the version of the petition that was delivered to the UN, what would be the name of another person who could have been involved in drafting it appears crossed out. The name that appeared there was that of María Elena Ríos, the human rights activist who was the victim of attempted femicide in September 2019. A saxophonist attacked in 2019 with acid, still does not have sufficient protection measures. She, however, had nothing to do with the document.
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María Elena Ríos was included in the document without her consent. |
Through her personal Twitter account, the social fighter clarified the situation and stated that her name had been included in the document without any notification. Consequently, she had not given her consent to it either.
“I regret the pain of the victims and I share the feeling of seeking justice; but I want to make it clear that I am NOT a victim of an ARMED CONFLICT, as referred to in the said document. I do not share the content of it, "she wrote on the social network to accompany the letter in which he clarified the facts.
"I inform that I DID NOT AUTHORIZE my name to appear on such a document [...] My case is CORRUPTION and INFLUENCE PEDDLING in which the Governor of Oaxaca, Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, and the Attorney General of the State, Arturo Peimbert Calvo, are involved ", added María Elena Ríos in the statement.
So far, the reasons why the activist would have been included among the list of signatories are unknown, since the rest of those involved have not spoken about this detail.
