Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Saturday, April 30, 2022

Guadalajara, Jalisco: Sister-In-Law Of "El Mencho", Leader Of The CJNG, Is Kidnapped

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

The revenge of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" seems to be the dynamic that members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Mexican Armed Forces have implemented to achieve the release of their respective members.

After it was revealed that armed individuals identified as CJNG gunmen kidnapped two women who were part of the Mexican Army in Puerto Vallarta last Thursday morning, it has emerged that elements of the Mexican Armed Forces also deprived them of their freedom that same morning a woman in Zapopan, Jalisco.

The person in question is one of the members of the González Valencia family, sister of the members of the criminal group "Los Cuinis" and Rosalinda, the wife of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho", who is the leader of the Jalisco Nueva Cartel. Generation.

According to unofficial sources, González Valencia was abducted around 03:00 hours by about 7 men wearing dark clothing and tactical equipment, presumably members of the security forces.

The officers arrived at the Colomos Patria Residential Complex, where "El Mencho's" sister-in-law lives, a few minutes after Second Lieutenant Tania Quintanar Zarco and Sergeant Ana Laura Olvera Arellano were "picked up" in Puerto Vallarta by members of the CJNG.

Moments later, more official vehicles arrived at the residential area and extracted González Valencia from her home, where her four minor children were, pllaced her aboard one of the units and afterwards left the place.

A 14-year-old girl is the oldest of the minors who remained in the house, she didn’t agree to speak with the municipal authorities who arrived after being alerted by the aforementioned mobilization.

Approximately 16 hours later, soldiers Quintanar Zarco and Olvera Arellano were released alive in the vicinity of the Plaza Fluvial, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, a fact that was notified by senior SEDENA commanders through a statement and subsequent press conference held in the coastal city.

It is rumored that the kidnapping of the two soldiers was ordered by Juan Carlos, stepson of "El Mencho" in revenge for the death of Saul Alejandro Rincón Godoy, "El Chopa", local leader of the CJNG, and the apprehension of his brother-in-law Moisés González Anguiano "El Moy", both registered after an armed confrontation with the Armed Forces on April 22, also in Puerto Vallarta.

KIDNAPPING HISTORY

This is not the first time that the kidnappings of people link both elements of the Mexican Armed Forces with the CJNG.

In November 2021, Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia, wife of "El Mencho" was arrested in Zapopan, Jalisco, after failing to comply with a summons, a fact that within minutes triggered the kidnapping of two elements of the Secretary of the Navy (SEMAR) who at that time they were in the same municipality.

The abduction was attributed to the CJNG, following four days of her whereabouts being unknown, they were finally released a few meters from the military base in Puerto Vallarta.

"They released us here",  say sailors kidnapped in Jalisco

Last December, the journalist Raymundo Riva Palacio, pointed out in his Strictly Personal column, that at that time the condition of the CJNG to release the two marines alive was that the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) unfreeze bank accounts that they had blocked. Rosalinda González Valencia is still imprisoned.

Currently, no authority has made a statement on the arrest of Rosalinda's sister. Not were any negotiations reached with members of the CJNG for the two Army agents who were kidnapped and released in Puerto Vallarta. 

Debate

Another Arrest is Made in the Shootout Death of a North Carolina Teacher that Robbed Cartel Stash House



"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Another arrest has been made in connection with a cartel stash house shootout in 2021 that left a beloved Union County teacher and another man dead.

Santana Monique Stewart, 43, was arrested in March and charged with obstruction of justice. She is Steven Alexander Stewart’s wife, who has already been charged in the shooting. Steven is also Union Academy Spanish teacher and coach Barney Harris’s brother-in-law, who was killed in the shootout.

On April 8, 2021, as reported by Borderland Beat, Harris and Steven Stewart went to a mobile home park on Wyatt Road in Green Level, North Carolina to steal money and drugs from a Sinaloa Cartel stash house. Detectives said Harris and Steven Stewart broke into a trailer and Alonso Beltran Lara, 18, who was an alleged member of the cartel, showed up while they were inside. Deputies said the men questioned Lara about the stash and when he didn’t give them the answers they wanted, they shot him in the head.

Investigators said that after the pair killed Lara, other members of the cartel showed up and Harris was killed in the gunfight that followed. Steven Stewart survived the shooting and was arrested days later on charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree murder, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Gar-yon-ded-weh Stepney, 41, who was wanted for months in connection with the shooting, was also arrested in July 2021 and charged with first-degree murder.

In March, Steven Stewart’s wife, Santana Stewart, was arrested for allegedly providing false statements to investigators, as well as deleting text messages between herself and her husband on the day of the shooting. An arrest warrant said she also picked up her husband after the deadly shootout but told deputies that she didn’t know anything about what happened and was home that night. 

No other details have been released at this point.

Sources WSOC


9 Alleged CJNG Hitmen Arrested in Veracruz

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat


Nine alleged Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) members were ordered to stand trial by a judge on charges of attempted homicide, crimes against public security institutions and drug related offenses after they allegedly shot at law enforcement personnel who were executing a search warrant.



The Raids that Led to Gunfire 

A series of search warrants have been carried out in the municipalities of Jamapa and Medellín within the state of Veracruz, with the first one occurring back on April 19, 2022. These raids have been carried out by personnel from the Specialized Unit to Combat Kidnapping (UECS).

Escobedo, Nuevo León: The Murder Of Debanhi Susana Escobar Balzaldua

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Little by little, the veil of mystery has begun to lift from the case of Debanhi Susana Escobar Balzaldua, that 18-year-old girl who was studying law at the Faculty of Law and Criminology at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León who was reported missing on April 8. And found dead inside a Motel cistern, on Thursday 21, in the municipality of Escobedo, located in the State of Nuevo León.

According to new results of investigations provided to this news outlet, Debanhi was the victim of a couple of "narco juniors" who attended the same party as her, who was invited by her "friends" Jehieli Sarahi López and Ivonne Alejandra Ramírez whom she met on Facebook only five months earlier. They didn’t meet each other frequently but they did have long talks through said social network and even exchanged cell phone numbers to stay in contact, at any time.

During this period, that "friendship" grew to the point that Jehieli and Ivonne even began to propose to Debanhi that she exploit her physique "by making money from rich guys" and that together they could start a good business without the need for their families to find out.

Unfortunately Debanhi Susana took the bait and in order to experience new things, she agreed to work with her "friends" and waited for them to notify her of any event that would take place within High Society in the municipality of Escobedo and in San Pedro Garza García in the City of Monterrey.

And so it happened at some parties attended by the three girls in San Pedro Garza García, where they charged for their services those young clients who hired them at that time.

According to police officers in charge of the case, they continued to work like this, until that fateful day came when Debanhi and her two friends went to a farm located in the Nueva Castilla neighborhood, which apparently is owned by Juan Cisneros Treviño alias "El Juanito" current leader of the Northeast Cartel, attended by several young people who are children and relatives of powerful drug traffickers who operate in the northern part of the country. Many of them are based in San Pedro Garza García, Monterrey and in the Nueva Castilla neighborhood.

During the gathering, the three girls drank alcohol in addition to trying some toxic substances and it was then that they began to offer their sexual services and when the first clients "fell", they agreed to leave the party to go to the Nueva Castilla Motel which is owned by José Fernández Pérez and José Barros Janeiro, both of Spanish nationality and who for more than 30 years have been dedicated to the business of tourist and “transit” hotels.

In a telephone conversation that they had with the author of this column, the businessmen assure that the Castilla Motel used to have a tourist twist and over time they decided to change it to its current functions, since it didn’t pay them enough for its maintenance or for the salaries of their workers.

“It is the first time that this type of situation has happened to us, here no crime had ever been committed nor had any problems arisen, we have installed security cameras at strategic points to monitor every movement that is recorded in the building. And there are indeed videos where the girl is seen walking into the Motel and heading towards the office, employees told her that some clients were already waiting for her. 

The owners of the Motel assure that they don’t know if their employees have any type of connection with members of groups that are dedicated to human trafficking, a situation that is already being investigated by the authorities. Although it was a reason for said property to remain seized until the conclusion of the investigation. 

However, there are other videos that were captured by the security cameras where the moment is observed when Debanhi enters the Motel, goes to the reception and receives an indication from one of the employees that they are already waiting for her, she heads down a hallway and into a room.

There, two young "narcojuniors" were waiting for her -whose identity has not been provided- to satisfy their sexual needs under the influence of alcohol and drugs. It should be noted that both subjects entered a red Mini Cooper car whose plates cannot be distinguished and "curiously" they were not asked to register as guests.

Informants say that Debanhi's surprise was that when she entered that room there were two guys instead of one, so she got upset and didn't want to agree to offer her services and tried to get out, but her victims prevented her from doing so. They began to wrestle with her.

The young woman tried to scream but one of them knocked her down on the bed, began to choke her, while the other tried to remove her clothes, but as she defended herself with kicks and scratches, she unexpectedly received strong blows to the head with the butts of a long weapon they were carrying, which caused her death.

Once they committed her murder, those criminals, who surfaced were already known to the Motel reception employees, took the girl out towards their car and took her away. It is not known at the time where they kept her hidden for 13 days, but when the body began to decompose, they chose to return in another car and, under the supervision of the same reception employees, passed through an area where they could not be be seen through the cameras and went to the back of the building, removed the body from the car that was wrapped in sheets and put in a black plastic bag.

Once they unwrapped it, they placed it in a cistern that was no longer in use, which hours before had no water, only mud whose thickness was not even fifty centimeters thick. But at that time, "coincidentally" it was already filled with water. Once this action was committed, the alleged perpetrators withdrew from the scene.

Hours later, it was when the same employees who participated in the "planting of the corpse" called the police to report that they had noticed a fetid odor emanating from the back of the hotel and that when they approached they could see that there was a corpse inside one of the tanks.

The investigations continued and the Nuevo León Attorney General's Office assured that Debanhi Susana's death was accidental due to a deep bruise on her skull. Debanhi's family wasn’t satisfied with their expert opinion.

In statements to the media, Debanhi's father, Mario Escobar questioned the actions of his daughters friends after leaving her alone at her party. (although that wasn’t the case, as explained above). He also assured that she was the victim of sexual harassment by the "trusted" driver Juan David Cuéllar, which is why she got out of the vehicle in the middle of the road. Which was not the case either, because we insist, Debanhi went to fulfill a service that she had already scheduled by "friends of hers", who in fact also do the same thing.

It was said from the beginning that Juan David worked as a driver on the Uber and Didi platforms, but both companies have already denied the fact and assured that he had never been registered to offer their transportation services either. After this data, several photographs began to circulate on social networks showing that this subject is very close to Mariana Rodríguez Cantú, wife of the governor of Nuevo León, Samuel García Sepúlveda, which, "curiously" were deleted from the internet, so that the investigations were diverted and couldn’t be concluded.

The gossipmongers involved in this investigation say that Mariana Rodríguez Cantú, a businesswoman and former model, in the past dedicated herself to "running" attractive young women to offer them to her wealthy friends and that she charged them between 5 and 10 thousand pesos for each service, depending on the physical characteristics of each girl, and that it was at that time that she met Juan David Cuéllar "the trusted driver", who was dedicated to taking them to the places where they would have their sexual or company encounters.

Mariana married the governor, and apparently withdrew from that sort of activity, but Juan David continued within that circle, met Jehieli Sarahi López and Ivonne Alejandra Ramírez, Debanhi's "friends", who are now the objects of investigation by the Nuevo León authorities.

The strong media pressure of the case has reached the Presidency of the Republic and the prosecution authorities are beginning to "get their act together".

It is known that Jehieli Sarahi is a psychology student at a private university, while Ivonne Alejandra is not currently studying and doesn’t belong to Debanhi's circle of close friends.

This was corroborated during the funeral of the young university student when consulting her friends from high school who reported that the friendship with these young women was recent and had told them little about who they are. By the way, since the beginning of the investigation, Mario Escobar, the young woman's father, has criticized the actions of the two young women. He hopes that the corresponding authorities find the whereabouts of the real murderers of Debanhi and that they don’t try to using scapegoats. As they are trying to do with the owners of the Hotel Nueva Castilla, hold them responsible for the case.

punto por punto

Friday, April 29, 2022

Premier of British Virgin Islands Arrested By DEA

"HEARST", "Socalj", and "narcomappingmx" for Borderland Beat 


The leader of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Fahie, was arrested by DEA agents after he was caught organizing and facilitating cocaine being smuggled to the US. 


Premier Andrew Fahie believed a Mexican drug trafficker from the Sinaloa Cartel was paying him to temporarily store shipments of around 3,000 kilograms of cocaine that were on their way to be sold in the US.  However the supposed Mexican drug trafficker he was working with was actually a confidential source working for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 


What is a "premier" anyways? In the British Virgin Islands, the premier is the leader of the country’s executive branch and the position is won in a manner similar to the UK's system of government, where the leader of the majority party becomes prime minister.


Andrew Fahie has been the representative within the House of Assembly since he was elected in 1999, when he was only 28 years old. He became the head of the Virgin Islands Party in November 2016, but at the time the Virgin Islands Party was the minority party within the house. In the 2019 general election, Andrew Fahie’s party became the majority party and Fahie subsequently became the Premier of the Virgin Islands. 


Puente Grande, Jalisco: José Luis Gallardo "El Güero" Dies Serving A Sentence For The Death Of Kiki Camarena

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Kiki Camarena's kidnapper "El Güero" dies in Puente Grande

José Luis Gallardo Parra, alias "El Güero" has died inside the Federal Center for Social Readaptation (CEFERESO) number 2 "Occidente", located in the community of Puente Grande, Jalisco.

Unofficially it has been announced that the prisoner died a few hours ago due to a sudden cardiac arrhythmia. However, this has not yet been confirmed by the prison authorities.

Gallardo Parra was fighting a sentence of 86 years in prison in the prison popularly known as Puente Grande for the death of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar, an agent of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As well as that of SARH pilot Alfredo Zavala Avelar.

Kiki Camarena was kidnapped by "El Güero" on February 7, 1985 outside the Consulate of the United States of America in Guadalajara. And was brought before the founders of the Guadalajara Cartel who wished to interrogate him: Ernesto Rafael Fonseca Carrillo "Don Neto" , currently also a prisoner in Puente Grande, and Rafael Caro Quintero, who ordered his death two days later, remained in prison for 28 years, was released in 2013. He is currently accused of leading the Caborca ​​Cartel criminal group.

In 2014, the group of lawyers of "El Güero", identified as the mastermind of the kidnapping of Kiki Camarena, requested the Fifth Unitary Court of the Third Circuit the benefit of early release after being imprisoned for almost 27 years in the Puente Grande prison. However, this protection was denied and a magistrate confirmed the refusal.

Today, the death of José Luis Gallardo Parra was finally made known. He had been imprisoned since March 25, 1987, initially in the Guadalajara Preventive Prison and later in the Puente Grande prison, the place that was his last resting place since 1990 until this April 29, 2022.

Debate

A New Investigation Folder Is Opened Against 'El Güero' Palma In Jalisco

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat


On March 1, the lawyers of the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel went to the FGR in Jalisco after being notified of the existence of the investigation folder.

The Sinaloan drug trafficker, Héctor Luis Palma Salazar, El Güero Palma, imprisoned for 26 years, faces another criminal trial. This time in Jalisco, which fades his chances of leaving prison.

On March 1, the lawyers for the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel went to the Attorney General's Office (FGR), Jalisco delegation, after being notified of the existence of the investigation file FER/JAL/GDL/0004405/2021 against Héctor Luis Palma Salazar.

However, the Public Ministry agent denied them the possibility of having access to the document containing the new accusation against the old partner of El Chapo Guzmán.

This was how in previous days, in the Ninth District Court in Amparo Matters with residence in Zapopan, a trial of guarantees was promoted against the refusal of the Public Ministry.

The investigation and litigation unit of the FGR in Jalisco is mentioned as responsible authorities in the request for protection. So far the new accusations facing the capo are unknown.

On June 16, 2016, El Güero Palma was extradited to Mexico after completing his sentence in a California prison for cocaine trafficking.

On May 4, 2021, El Güero Palma left the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico after being acquitted of the crime of organized crime.

However, he was re-apprehended and held in custody for almost 80 days, then he was taken back to prison accused of the murder of the deputy commander of the judicial police in Nayarit, Antonio Contreras, and his escort, José Cruz, events that occurred on May 18, 1995. .

In the legal labyrinth facing El Güero Palma, he had found a loophole to leave prison, after a judge denied the order to initiate a second proceeding, arguing that two key witnesses in the case had not been found.

Milenio

Laisha Oseguera, Daughter Of "El Mencho", Can Be Apprehended, Denied Suspension Of Protective Order

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Laisha Michelle Oseguera and her romantic partner, Christian Fernando Gutiérrez Ochoa, allegedly executed the kidnapping of two elements of the Ministry of the Navy (Semar).

A federal judge rejected the request to suspend an arrest warrant against the daughter of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho, Laisha Michelle Oseguera González, accused of her alleged involvement in the kidnapping of two sailors in Zapopan, Jalisco, which occurred after the arrest of Rosalinda González, wife of the drug lord.

The magistrate of the Fourth District Court of Amparo in Criminal Matters rejected the legal appeal filed by the defense of Laisha Michelle, since he had previously obtained a similar appeal.

"Laisha Michelle Oseguera González is denied the definitive suspension against the act and authority that were specified in the first result of this resolution, by virtue of the reasoning set out in the single recital," the court's decision said.

Although the authorities have not reported on the nature of the arrest warrant against her, it has surfaced that it has to do with the kidnapping of two elements of the Armed Navy, who disappeared after the capture of Rosalinda Valencia, wife of the leader of the CJNG.

Laisha Michelle had already processed similar legal appeals on previous occasions, as her defense managed to obtain suspensions against arrest warrants before local and federal courts and tribunals, which granted immunity against the completion of arrests against her.

In December 2021, the woman paid an economic guarantee of 5,000 pesos to prevent her from being captured for crimes that don’t merit pretrial detention, an agreement that was published by the Council of the Federal Judiciary (CJF) and was processed in November 2021.

Laisha Michelle Oseguera and her romantic partner, Christian Fernando Gutiérrez Ochoa, allegedly executed the kidnapping of two elements of the Ministry of the Navy (Semar), who were inside an official vehicle at the time of being abducted. 

On November 17, 2021, a corporal driver and a second infantry master, attached to the Eighth Naval Zone of Puerto Vallarta, went in the company of a Navy command to a Wal-Mart store located between Aviación Santa Margarita Avenues in the Valle Real neighborhood in Zapopan, Jalisco.

A day after the disappearance of the uniformed personnel, the unit in which they were traveling was found in the same entity in which they disappeared, the white Jeep Wrangler  with JLS-1552 plates was located on the corner between Santa Anita and Agua Escondida streets in the El Campanario de Zapopan neighborhood.

Four days after their disappearance, both elements of the Navy were found on a highway in Puerto Vallarta, about 300 kilometers from the place where they had been kidnapped.

According to official reports, a couple of municipal policemen located the stranded uniformed men with their faces covered. They came to their aid, before which both identified themselves as elements of the Semar and were later released.

For their part, the federal authorities reported that the uniformed personnel didn’t have life-threatening injuries, but the man had blows on various parts of his body.

In a statement, Semar announced that "when they were located, the National Guard informed the Naval Command through the C4. Immediately the security and naval health personnel went to the designated area, where the Municipal Police were already carrying out actions.

vanguardia.mx

Urique, Chihuahua: Kidnapped Victim Rescued, Arsenal, Drugs, And Weapons Seized

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

The state prosecutor's office announced that in two interventions carried out with SEMAR, they rescued an abducted person and seized an arsenal, drugs and vehicles in the municipality of Urique

The seized arsenal is made up of: 81 weapons (65 rifles and 16 pistols, 14 40-caliber grenades, 5 grenade launcher attachments, 240 magazines of different calibers, 17,871 cartridges of different calibers, cocaine, opium gum, crystal meth and poppy seed ; also 6 vehicles, two with armor and one with firing attachments.

This is the official statement

Due to the intelligence work of the Secretary of the Navy, with the support of the State Attorney General's Office, two interventions were carried out in the municipality of Urique; in the first, it was possible to rescue an abducted victim and arrest the alleged perpetrators. While in the other action drugs, tactical equipment and vehicles were seized.

These operations were carried out as part of the search efforts to capture one of the main generators of violence in that area, where, according to the analyses, his presence has been documented. As well as the mobilization of people who under his command carry out unlawful acts.

The first intervention took place at the exit from Bahuichivo to Cerocahui, where the agents located three pick-up vehicles, which were manned by heavily armed men.

While following them, they tried to flee. However, two of them were caught, achieving the rescue of an abducted person, who was brought in one of the units.

The detainees respond to the names of Juan de Dios S. G., 29 years old and the minor with initials C.A.C.L. 16 years old. Seized also were 2 long AK-47 weapons and a short weapon.

The other intervention was carried out after a tour of the town, where state and federal forces located a warehouse, assuring the following:

• 65 long weapons of different brands and calibers.

• 16 handguns, of different brands and calibers.

• 14 40 caliber grenades.

• 5 40 caliber grenade launcher attachments.

• 240 magazines of different calibers.

• 17,871 rounds of different calibers.

• 36 ballistic vests.

• 14 tactical vests.

• 22 chest rugs. 

• 5 ballistic helmets.

Regarding the seized drug, the following was reported:

• 3 kilograms (approximately) of Cocaine Hydrochloride.

• 450 kilograms (approximately) of opium gum paste.

• 44 pounds of crystal meth.

• 1 pound of poppy seed.

The vehicles recovered with a report of theft are the following:

• Dodge brand pickup, Ram line, red, model 2020, equipped with a rifle attachment, reported stolen in Chihuahua on December 2, 2020.

• Ford brand pickup, F-150 line, red color, model 2019, reported stolen in the state of Arizona on March 16, 2020.

• Pickup brand GMC, Vigus line, white, model 2020, reported stolen in Chihuahua on February 08, 2022.

The insured vehicles are the following:

• Pickup, Dodge brand, Ram line, gray, model 2022, equipped with armor.

• Pickup, Ford brand, Lobo line, gray, 2015 model, equipped with armor.

• Wagon, Jeep brand, Wrangler line, red color, 2020 model, with license plate from the state of Sinaloa.

The Secretary of the Navy participated in the actions with the deployment of two helicopters. As well as with the support of the State Investigation Agency of the FGE.

The detained persons were placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry for the crimes of kidnapping, illegal possession of a firearm for the exclusive use of the Army, and possession of a vehicle with a report of theft.

Meanwhile, the weapons, the tactical equipment, the drugs and the seized vehicles will be consigned to the corresponding authority.

La Opción

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco: Kidnapped National Guard Women Are Released

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Early this Thursday, a criminal group kidnapped two military women while they were taking a vacation in Puerto Vallarta.

Women from the National Guard kidnapped in Puerto Vallarta are released

The women were found alive in the Plaza Fluvial, in Puerto Vallarta. 

This afternoon it was announced that two women, elements of the National Guard, kidnapped by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in Puerto Vallarta, were released.

The victims were located in the "Plaza Fluvial" shopping center, thanks to the immediate reaction of the armed forces, federal and local authorities.

It was early this Thursday that the two women were abducted in Puerto Vallarta, by a criminal group from the area, according to information from the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena).

It is presumed that the kidnapping occurred in retaliation for the arrest of Saul Alejandro Rincón Godoy aka El Chopa, which occurred on April 22. And as a means of pressuring the authorities to release the wife of "El Mencho", Rosalinda Gonzalez, arrested on November 15, 2021.

Por Esto

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco: CJNG Kidnaps Two Females From The Mexican Army

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

CJNG abducted two military women in Puerto Vallarta

Two women who are part of the Mexican Army were kidnapped early this Thursday morning by armed individuals in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

The victims are Second Lieutenant Tania Quintanar Zarco and Sergeant Ana Laura Olvera Arellano, active elements of the Mexican Army in said port.

The fact was confirmed by the Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA) who issued an official statement this morning to publicize the abduction committed by an armed group against the two female elements.

Unofficially, it has been mentioned that the men belong to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) criminal group, led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes "El Mencho" and that Saúl Alejandro "N", alias "El Chopa", recent lieutenant, commands the region, shot down by the Mexican Armed Forces in Puerto Vallarta. In addition to being one of the persons implicated in the assassination of the former governor of Jalisco, Aristóteles Sandoval.

The photographs of Tania Quintanar Zarco and Sergeant Ana Laura Olvera Arellano have been released by military authorities so that civil society can report their whereabouts if they have information about them.

Meanwhile, since dawn, elements of the Mexican Army and the National Guard have implemented an operation by land and air, with the help of helicopters, in order to find the whereabouts of the uniformed women and their kidnappers.

It is estimated that in the next few hours, 400 more members of the Mexican Army will arrive in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, to reinforce surveillance operations throughout the northern coastal area of ​​Jalisco, which borders the southern coast of the neighboring state of Nayarit.

Debate

Salvatierra, Guanajuato: CJNG Threatens School, Classes Canceled Until Further Notice

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat


Video translation is as follows:

Also in Guanajuato, a school located in the community of Urireo in the city of Salvatierra suspended classes, due to reports of threats. 

Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel closed the school, leaving a cardboard and graffiti with their initials on the door indicating that the school will be closed until further notice. 

As a result of this parents and the school filed their corresponding complaints with the State Attorney General's Office.

Milenio

3 Orange County, California Mexican Mafia Members & 28 Associates Indicted on Federal Racketeering, Murder and Drug Trafficking Charges

"Socalj" For Borderland Beat

A 33-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges 31 members and associates of the Orange County Mexican Mafia with racketeering offenses, two murders, six attempted murders, and related drug and gun charges.

Officials say the gang, known as “La Eme” preyed on vulnerable communities using fear and violence, controlled the majority of street gangs throughout Orange County, and received “taxes” paid by those gangs to allow them to deal drugs in that area. The reputed head of the Orange County branch of the Mexican Mafia, key leaders in the street gang, and multiple other associates have been named in a federal racketeering indictment unsealed Wednesday that alleges murder, attempted murder, drug dealing, and weapons charges.

The federal indictment incorporates two cases involving reputed Orange County Mexican Mafia chief Johnny Martinez, 46, that have lingered in Orange County Superior Court and encountered legal roadblocks that jeopardized the prosecutions. One murder case against him was thrown out by a judge, and another was on the verge of dismissal based on a new state law requiring more active participation by a co-defendant in a killing.

Now the reputed gang boss faces an assortment of federal allegations detailed in the 106-page indictment that names 30 other defendants. Federal prosecutors allege the racketeering conspiracy began in 2016 and continued through this year. The indictment alleges multiple murders, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking. Local authorities say Martinez rose to power following the 2018 death of Peter Ojeda in prison, where he was serving a 15-year sentence.

Like Ojeda, Martinez is accused of running the gang from jail and prison, ordering hits on rival gangs and drug dealers in and out of custody who fail to "pay taxes" through various means of communication such as smuggled contraband phones and using girlfriends and wives to convey messages on the outside.  During the yearslong investigation, dubbed “Operation Night Owl,” authorities conducted undercover purchases of meth and heroin from O.C. Mexican Mafia associates who were allegedly selling the drugs on behalf of Johnny Martinez and the gang.

In addition to these alleged violent acts, law enforcement investigated the OC Mexican Mafia’s methamphetamine and heroin trafficking activities on the streets, as well as in the prisons and jails. Authorities conducted multiple undercover purchases of methamphetamine and heroin from OC Mexican Mafia associates who were selling narcotics on behalf of Johnny Martinez and the OC Mexican Mafia.

An image taken from a doorbell-type video camera before a homicide involving the Orange County Mexican detailed in a federal indictment is seen in a photo provided by the FBI.

Acting on behalf of Martinez, Gregory Munoz, who was in prison at the time, is accused of ordering a robbery that led to the death of 35-year-old Robert Rios in Placentia on Jan. 19, 2017, the indictment alleges. Ysrael Jacob Cordova, Ricardo Valenzuela, and Augustine Valazquez, who was convicted of murder in the case in state court, were allegedly ordered to carry out the robbery that turned deadly.

Charles Frederick Coghill, who was also charged in state court in connection with Rios' murder, was a key witness for the prosecution in Velazquez's trial. Coghill was not named in the federal complaint.

Coghill drove Cordova, Velazquez, and Valenzuela to Rios' residence in the 900 block of Vista Avenue, state prosecutors said in Velazquez's trial. Velazquez was shot in the leg as Rios fought back, and Coghill later dropped Velazquez off at his home, where he called a friend to give him a ride to a hospital in San Diego, prosecutors said in the trial last year.


Munoz had a subsequent falling out with the gang and he was stripped of his shot-caller status in March 2017, the federal complaint alleges. Sources have said that Munoz and Martinez had a personal falling out when Johnny Martinez failed to tell Munoz his girlfriend was cheating on him, and Martinez felt disrespected by Munoz's griping about it. On March 28, 2017, Martinez directed the gang to attack Munoz in Calipatria State Prison, the federal indictment alleges.


Munoz was slashed with shivs by gang members on April 6, 2017, the complaint alleges. Meanwhile, Martinez and others named in the indictment set up methamphetamine and heroin deals, but unknown to them, two of the dealers were confidential informants, according to the complaint.

In August 2017, Martinez, Omar Mejia, and Robert Martinez -- no relation to Johnny -- conspired to kill Munoz, who was then out of custody, the indictment alleges. Robert Martinez and Frank Mosqueda attacked Munoz, with Mosqueda shooting Munoz multiple times in the back, according to the indictment. But Munoz somehow survived the ambush.

On Aug. 20, 2017, Martinez ordered the killing of Richard Villeda "for stealing money and drugs from defendant Martinez," the indictment alleges. Villeda was shot to death just after midnight on Aug. 21, 2017. in the 800 block of East Culver Avenue. Defendants Kevin Trejo, James Mendez, and Mike Escobar "lured" the victim into a vehicle with Escobar behind the wheel, the indictment alleges.

The indictment also details confrontations with a tire shop owner for dealing drugs out of the business without permission and running protection rackets for marijuana dispensaries. Defendant Robert Aguirre was accused of "greenlighting" one unnamed man for an attack in October 2017. The victim was shot as he ran from gang members on Oct. 24, 2017.

The indictment alleges that on one occasion in November 2017, defendant Luis Heriberto Vasquez handed over $1,625 in street taxes from local gang members to Martinez, who presided over the transaction from a smuggled-in cell phone. That same month, Martinez and defendant Dennis Ortiz arranged to smuggle contraband cell phones into Salinas Valley State Prison, which were sold for $1,000 apiece, the indictment alleges.

On Dec. 1, 2017, a Theo Lacy Jail inmate was slashed at the direction of the gang, the indictment alleges. That same month, Ortiz allegedly ordered another man "be killed for warning other gang members of violations that were pending against them," the indictment alleges.

Another Mexican Mafia-directed attack was carried out on Christmas Day, 2017, the indictment alleges. On New Year's Day, 2018, Martinez and Mejia allegedly used the Signal app to discuss killing another defendant, Michael Cooper, while in custody at Calipatria State Prison, the indictment alleges. Cooper's sin was ordering an attack on another gang member that wasn't authorized by Martinez and for "being suspected of causing a police raid against" the gang, according to the indictment.

Cooper was attacked with shivs on Jan. 5, 2018, but survived the assault, according to the indictment.

Robert Martinez, along with defendants Robert Amezcua and Mher Darbinyan, aka "Hollywood Mike," attempted to kill Cooper again, "stabbing him in the face and neck area" with a shiv, the indictment alleges. Another inmate in Theo Lacy had his throat slit and was "stomped" on July 29, 2020, at the behest of Johnny Martinez for "threatening to discuss the Mexican Mafia with law enforcement," the indictment alleges.

The attempts by Orange County District Attorney's Office prosecutors to make cases against Johnny Martinez and the others in the Robert Rios murder and attempted murder of Munoz have been beset with problems. After charging them, prosecutors went to a grand jury for an indictment in 2018, but it was thrown out for procedural errors in the presentation of evidence.

The defendants were charged again and were ordered to stand trial following a preliminary hearing. But Orange County Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue granted a motion preventing prosecutors from mentioning Johnny Martinez or the conspiracy to order the hit on Rios because the judge determined that a gang expert from the Orange County Sheriff's Department lied about his training as part of a wide-ranging evidence-booking scandal in the department. Later, Donahue threw out the murder case against Martinez for lack of evidence, and defense attorneys have been seeking similar motions in the Rios case.

With those cases faltering, the first indication that the U.S. Attorney's Office was stepping into the fray came on April 4, when county prosecutors moved to dismiss an attempted murder case against Robert Martinez -- knowing he was being named in the federal indictment.


The indictment alleges that the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme, was comprised mostly of senior members of Latino street gangs who came together to control and profit from the activities of other Latino gangs operating in Southern California and within the California penal system. It is alleged that the Mexican Mafia members divided control of various areas in Southern California, with the member in control of a specific area controlling the criminal activities in that territory and receiving “taxes” paid by gangs to allow them to deal drugs in that area.

In addition to this widespread “tax” collection, it is alleged that the OC Mexican Mafia directly engaged in drug distribution in and out of prisons and jails. The indictment also alleges that the OC Mexican Mafia maintained authority over Latino street gangs through murder, attempted murder, and violent assaults with weapons including firearms.

“Cases targeting criminal enterprises like the Mexican Mafia require close collaboration with our local and federal partners and employ a variety of sophisticated techniques to overcome their evasive tactics,” said Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The Mexican Mafia in Orange County controls the majority of local gangs and rules by threatening violence and exacting violence on their enemies or against their own members who don’t follow strict rules. This indictment is the latest in our continuing joint efforts to target gangs and drug networks that fuel the violence in our communities.”

The indictment alleges that in or around 2016, and continuing to at least in or around April 2022, defendants Johnny Martinez, Robert Aguirre, and Dennis Ortiz were the OC Mexican Mafia members in charge of criminal activities in Orange County and within Orange County jail and prison facilities. Defendants Omar Mejia, Miguel Jose Alvarado, Luis Heriberto Vasquez, Michael Cooper, and Abraham Guajardo held positions of shot-callers or mouthpieces for Martinez, Aguirre, and Ortiz. Defendant Robert Martinez held a position of authority within the Orange County Jail as Johnny Martinez’s representative. Defendant Brenda Vanessa Campos Martinez served as a secretary for Johnny Martinez, and defendant Danielle Canales served in a similar capacity for Johnny Martinez and Cooper. 

Violent crimes alleged against the OC Mexican Mafia include:

The Jan. 19, 2017, armed robbery and shooting death of R.R.;
The Aug. 21, 2017, shooting death of R.V., who was shot seven times in the back of the head and body, and left dead on the street in Orange;
The Aug. 5, 2017, attempted murder of defendant Munoz, who had fallen out of favor with the OC Mexican Mafia and was shot seven times;
The Dec. 1, 2017, attempted murder of D.D., a representative of a Latino street gang, who was allegedly abusing his power and authority within the OC Mexican Mafia enterprise;
The Dec. 12, 2017, attempted murder of E.O., an OC Mexican Mafia associate incarcerated at Calipatria State Prison, who was believed to have violated the OC Mexican Mafia’s code by warning individuals that they were targeted for violence by the OC Mexican Mafia, and who suffered multiple injuries, including puncture wounds to his torso;
The Dec. 25, 2017, attempted murder of R.M. for showing disrespect to defendant Johnny Martinez;
The July 29, 2020, attempted murder of F.B., a member of an Orange County Latino street gang incarcerated at the Theo Lacy Facility, who was targeted because he purportedly claimed that he would speak to law enforcement about the Mexican Mafia, and whose throat was slit; and
The two murder attempts on Jan. 5, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2019, of defendant Cooper, who had fallen out of favor with defendants Johnny Martinez and Aguirre, and who in one incident was stabbed multiple times in the head and back area, and in the second was cut in the throat and face.

“The Santa Ana Police Department is committed to working alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure that violent, career criminals are incarcerated and are brought to justice,” said Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin. “Today’s operation was a result of years of dedicated investigation into some of the most dangerous gang members that plague our communities.”

“Today’s arrests are the culmination of a multi-year investigation that IRS-CI is proud to be a part of”, said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner. “The subjects of this investigation engaged is some of the most horrific acts imaginable, and we are glad to have done our part to help end their corrupt influence over our community.”

Out of the 31 defendants charged in the indictment, 21 were already in custody, and nine were arrested last night and this morning. Those arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana, and those already in custody will make initial appearances once each defendant is in federal custody.

The RICO statute provides for a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment for acts performed as part of the criminal organization. The VICAR statute provides for a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for murder, a maximum sentence of 20 years for assault with a dangerous weapon, a maximum sentence of 10 years for attempted murder, and a maximum sentence of three years for attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. The charge of possessing, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of/during and in relation to a crime of violence carries a maximum sentence of life, with a mandatory sentence of at least five years and up to 10 years. 

The charge of causing death using a firearm carries a maximum sentence of life. Distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin carry a maximum sentence of life, and a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years and up to 10 years. Felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acapulco, Guerrero: Five Bodies Are Left Inside A Vehicle

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

Five bodies were abandoned inside a vehicle at the entrance to the town of La Venta, in Acapulco. In another act of violence that was signed by the same subject who claimed the human head abandoned in the Primero de Mayo neighborhood last Tuesday. 

The five bodies were found inside a recent model Nissan Sentra vehicle at the entrance to the town of La Venta. Authorities reported that they were handcuffed and had signs of torture.

A message was left on the windshield of the car saying "This is going to happen to all carjackers and motorcyclejackers, from Acapulco to San Marcos," it was signed "Comandante 18."

This same subject is to blame for the human head that was abandoned last Tuesday in the vicinity of the market in the Primero de Mayo neighborhood.

Municipal and state police personnel, as well as expert elements, went to the scene to carry out the corresponding procedures.


Victor A. Obando      Replica Guerrero

Matlapa, San Luis Potosí: State Police Seize Tactical Equipment And High-Powered Weapons

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

* After confrontation with a criminal cell in the southern Huasteca

The Secretary of Public Security of San Luis Potosí informs that as a result of an operational incursion by the State Police in order to pacify the Huasteca Zone, the seizure of weapons, tactical equipment and trucks took place in which alleged members of a criminal cell was confronted by law enforcement.

The event was recorded in the community of Pizotello, as part of the security strategy that is implemented in this region through the installation of intermittent checkpoints.

As part of these tasks, there was visual contact with the occupants of two white vehicles, who upon noticing the police presence begin to flee. By which time an exchange of gunfire ensues. A few minutes later about 8 individuals descend and flee on foot, managing to get disappear in the undergrowth.

At the scene of the events, they leave the vehicles abandoned, a Honda CRV, two long weapons, a 50-caliber weapon and a grenade launcher attachment lying next to the two long weapons.

Derived from this fact, tactical equipment such as bulletproof vests, camouflage pants, knee pads, helmets, boots and magazines are also secured.

This action is part of the comprehensive security strategy aimed at attacking criminal incidences in the four regions with the full force of the State.

Zunoticia

Los Rusos Tells Governor: "Release Goldi From Custody In One Month Or Else"

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 



Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Rusos left a banner in the city of Mexicali which told the state governor and the head of the Attorney General’s Office that they have one month to release “Goldi” from custody, or they will kidnap them. 




Los Rusos Banner One


At approximately 7:26 am on the morning of April 26, 2022, the emergency phone line received a call which reported that a narco banner had been discovered within a small park on Monterrey Street, near the intersection with Independencia Avenue, in the city of Mexicali. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Laredo, Texas: 15 Convicted In $11M Cartel Drug Conspiracy

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Several individuals residing in South Texas and Mexico have pleaded guilty for their roles in a conspiracy to transport large quantities of marijuana forCartel del Noreste (CDN), announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Gustavo Alberto Duenes-Perez pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. Fourteen others previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the same conspiracy.

“The arrests and convictions serve as a significant blow to the cartels who were trafficking massive amounts of marijuana into the Laredo area for years and using our communities to make profit,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. 

“These individuals were a thorn that has now been ripped from the city of Laredo and surrounding areas thanks to the continuous hard work and commitment of federal and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors who brought these individuals to justice.

“We are pleased to be an integral component of a complex and successful investigation which led to conviction of these 15 individuals,” said Laredo Police Department (LPD) chief Claudio Treviño. “Through our close collaborations with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we have been able to maintain enforcement and safety in our border community despite our proximity to the Mexican border. LPD lauds our Narcotics and Vice Unit for their dedication and tireless efforts towards their investigation and the seamless teamwork with our partner agencies. 

We are committed to enhance their efforts with future collaborations to disrupt and dismantle these criminal transnational organizations in order to maintain peace and safety for the citizens of Laredo.”

In March 2019, authorities learned CDN provided $4,500 for the purchase of a white utility truck. The organization planned to use the vehicle to pick up a marijuana load from a warehouse on San Mateo Drive in Laredo.

Law enforcement continued the investigation and monitored the vehicle over the next several months. Duenes-Perez was often the driver. On April 17, 2019, the truck was involved in a smuggling event that occurred at a ranch near State Highway 359 and Botello Road in Laredo.

There, several people loaded a Lincoln Navigator with bundles of marijuana which was driven to a local stash house. Law enforcement seized approximately 1,168 kilograms of marijuana from the ranch and an additional 969 kilograms from inside both the Lincoln Navigator and the stash house.

In total, authorities have seized approximately 11,240 kilograms of marijuana valued at approximately $11.6 million as part of the case.

All 15 co-conspirators are scheduled for sentencing before District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo in June 2022. Duenes-Perez and others could face up to life in prison and a $10 million maximum possible fine. Other convicted in relation to the investigation face up to 40 years. Duenes-Perez has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

This case was part of the Blue Indigo Task Force and brought as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Noreste. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. 

Its mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

The DEA and LPD conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Border Patrol; Customs and Border Protection; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. National Guard; Webb County District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Constable’s Office Precincts 1 and 4; and Texas Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting this case.

justice.gov