4 Weeks In: Operation “Escudo Titan”

Translated by Yaqui for Orderland Beat from: AFmedios

             PFP announce119 more arrested in the fourth week of the operation ''Escudo Titán''

Extra Material from: El Debate and El Financiero
By: Citlally Vergara Feb 22, 2018

Mexico City: The general commissioner of the Federal Preventive Police, Manelich Castilla Craviotto, announced the fourth progress and results report of the "Escudo Titán" security operation that began on January 29.

Meanwhile, Mexico registered 2,156 murders in the first month of 2018.

Shaken by a wave of violence tied to organized crime 2017 ended with record numbers of assassinations. The highest numbers of murders starting off 2018 are occurring in the Pacific Coast states of Colima, Guerrero followed by Baja California Sur.

The respective numbers of murders per 100,000 inhabitants are: 7.37, 5.63, and 4.20 just for those three states. 

The statistics cannot all be verifiably tied to organized crime, but most are thought to be cartel related. Places once only slightly affected by cartel violence have seen a dramatic uptick in violence thought to be due to the arrests of top capos leading to more splintering of factions, infighting, and rivals seeking control of plazas.

As a result of the deployment and intelligence work of the Federal security agencies, the arrest of an operational coordinator of a criminal group with a presence in the state of Chihuahua was achieved.

Helier Daniel Gutierrez Quintana , "El Chato", a La Linea operations coordinator , arm of the Juarez Cartel. He is one of the main generators of violence in municipalities of Namiquipa, Bachíniva, Gómez Farías, Ignacio Zaragoza and Buenaventura in Chihuahua.

The detainee is accused of his alleged responsibility in clashes with authorities, and rival groups, killings, kidnappings, extortion and distribution of drugs in the area.

The investigations determined that the accused was an active member of the Municipal Public Security Directorate of Namiquipa where he had been working since 2006. It is presumed that the subject used his professional functions to favor his criminal maneuvers.

Other Details of Operation "Escudo Titan":

The operation continues giving important results in the  La Paz and Los Cabos BCS, Tecomán and Manzanillo in Colima, Cancún, Ciudad Juárez and Ocotlán, Jalisco.

This week  74 people were arrested related to crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, extortion and crimes against health. Since the beginning of the operation, 219 people have been arrested and 135 arrest warrants and recapture orders have been completed.

Detention of Juan Francisco "N" in Acapulco, who is linked to a criminal group dedicated to the sale and distribution of drugs, as well as extorting urban bus operators and merchants.

47 poppy fields were discovered this week in Leonardo Bravo, Guerrero.

34 persons arrested alegedly responsible for fuel smuggling throughout the country.

In the states where the operation was deployed, the reporting culture is also strengthened, since 822 calls were identified for attempted extortion, those calls were targeted and the crime was stopped in 90 percent of the cases.

Commissioner Castilla Craviotto also reported that according to the numbers from the Executive Secretary of the National Public Security System, (SESNSP), during the month of January 2018 criminal kidknaps were down by 17.6% compared to Dec 2017 and down 24.24% compared to Jan 2017. In addition the number of  Jan 2018 extortions were down 24.8%compared to Jan 2017.

Important advances, arrests, busts, confiscations, etc :

219 detainees
135 arrest warrants and recapture
188 migrants rescued
209 tons and 39,000 liters of chemical precursors decommissioned
614 Kilos of methamfetamine pills
440 kilos of crystal meth
58 kilos of fentanyl
82 kilos of cocaine
12 Kilos of opium gum
11 kilos of heroin
6,800 Kilograms of marijuana
105 ecstasy pills
34 weapons of various calibers
173 plantations of poppy and marijuana eradicated
52,800 tablets and 3 liters of various controlled medications
520 thousand liters of gasoline
60 thousand liters of diesel
46 clandestine pipeline siphons closed
100 stolen vehicles recovered
144 vehicles secured in the commission of crimes
1 small plane with altered registration
2 million foreign cigarettes
550, 835 pesos in cash
More than a thousand biometric exams allow the tracking and tracing of people with criminal records and current arrest warrants.