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

Monday, December 12, 2022

A Beginner’s Guide to Mexicali, SLRC, & the Gulf of California

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

A beginner’s guide for anyone who hasn’t been keeping up with the recent happenings in the fight between Chapitos and El Mayo aligned CDS groups in northern Sonora and eastern Baja California. 


If you’ve been following the previous BB articles on this, feel free to skip this one.


The Region 


There is a region of land that lies between the Gulf of California and the US-Mexican border that is highly-prized and hotly-contested by factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.



This region is important to the group because it plays a key role in one of their preferred drug smuggling methods according to leaked Army intelligence and Zeta Tijuana articles. 


This method entails filling up boats with drug shipment in Sinaloa, which then sail up to unloading points like Santa Clara, San Felipe, and Puerto Penasco, located in the northern part of the gulf. From there, the shipments are smuggled up north, either to: 


  1. Ports of entry nearby like Mexicali, Sonoyta, and San Luis Rio Colorado

  2. To a city further away, called Ensenada where they are stored in warehouses

  3. To remote spots along the border, in the desert north of the gulf for unofficial crossing points


Maps of smuggling routes published through the Guacamaya leaks of Army intelligence (their map shown here) show there are also a number of unmarked airstrips nearby, which are used to land small aircrafts carrying drug shipments.








The Sides


The Sinaloa Cartel is divided into two major factions, on one side are groups affiliated with Ismael Zambada, “El Mayo”, and on the other side are those affiliated with the sons of El Chapo, who are known as Los Chapitos. The most well known among the sons is a man named Ivan Guzman. 



Although both factions are technically Sinaloa Cartel, there are multiple states in which they fight each other to the death for control of territory. This region between the Gulf of California and the US border is no exception. 




Mexicali 


Mexicali and its port of entry is controlled by CDS - El Mayo, with Mayo’s son-in-law Carlos Felix Gastélum , alias “El Chavó Felix”, in charge of running the city.



Chavo Felix works closely with a CDS - Mayo group known as Los Rusos, which was started by Jesus Alexander Sanchez Felix, alias “El Ruso”. 



It is (or was) generally believed that the founder of the group, El Ruso, stayed within the state of Sinaloa, in a life of semi-retirement, mentoring his successor Alfonso Peralta, alias “El P1”, who leads Rusos forces in Baja California and Sonora. El P1 is believed to be a direct report under Chavo Felix, who he works with closely. 



Rusos may have had a group break off from them called “Los 80s” within the last year, but little has been heard of them since their first few narco messages. 




SLRC

San Luis Rio Colorado (SLRC) and its port of entry is controlled by the CDS - Chapitos group Los Salazar, led by José Crispín Salazar Zamorano, alias “Tío Pin”. 


Their armed wing Gente Nueva de Altar is currently believed to be split into two sides and the group’s power appears to have diminished significantly in the last year due to multiple big arrests. Salazars also have smaller, local groups like Los Garibays and Los Memos allied under them. 



Last year there were rumors of some tension arising between Salazars and Chapitos but nothing seems to have come from it. 


SLRC has been regularly contested by Los Rusos, who are fighting to take control of the city from Los Salazar. To see a collection of articles which cover Rusos fighting against Salazars, please see the bottom of this story.



Sonoyta 


The port of entry of Sonoyta remains a question mark. A year or two ago, Zeta TIjuana alleged that a Salazar lieutenant named Eduardo Molina Flores, alias “El Zabe”, was operating in Sonoyta. 



Recent rumors allege that Chavo Felix is able to move large drug shipments through the Sonoyta port of entry. It may act as a neutral location, where any CDS group (or maybe even a Caborca Cartel group?) can smuggle shipments as long as they pay a fee to the owner of the plaza. 



The Unloading Locations

The unloading location of Santa Clara is controlled by a CDS Chapitos cell led by Adán Quintero, alias “El 74”.


The unloading location of Puerto Penasco is believed to be controlled by Chavo Felix.



Locations along the gulf, near the city of Obregon, seems to have recently had an influx of Chapitos hitmen arriving, working under the direction of El Gabito. These hitmen seem to be primarily used for contesting areas more to the south which are controlled by the Caborca Cartel, however, it's possible for them to engage in contesting CDS - Mayo groups to the north. 










Sources: See previous BB articles on Sonora and Mexicali

Update 12/14/2022: Upon further review, the location of Gabito's hitmen has been revised to surround Obregon rather than Caborca.

109 comments:

  1. This story is just some background info for the SLRC article I’m writing.

    I’m posting it separately so I don't have to keep repeating this info in future articles, instead I can just link to this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Didn't know salazar and memos are working together. They where beefing for a minute. One of memos daughters is married to a salazar en tamazula durango.

      Delete
    2. Buggs wrote about how Salazars and Memos were seen working together to fight against Los Paez in 2019 - 2020 battles.

      http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2020/07/the-fight-for-sonoran-desert.html

      I wrote about how Memos seem to have been absorbed within Salazars in recent years.

      Some people commented saying that Memos were still a distinct entity but they couldn't name any plaza that was solely owned by Memos. So I'm not sure what to make of it.

      http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2022/09/el-25-from-cds-los-memos-arrested-and.html

      Delete
  2. Great article, thank you very much!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great stuff bro, thank you for your hard work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hearst ain't a bro, bro

      Delete
    2. 12:37 tell him it's a she

      Delete
    3. I am to shy to tell him it's a she, you tell for me please.

      Delete
    4. Okay, sorry, but thank you anyway!

      Delete
    5. Tell Hearst for me, if she will date me tell her I am 20 when I am really 17. But I look older.

      Delete
    6. @10:14 You need more milk boy.

      Delete
  4. How many men work for los Rusos although they are a sub group ,they seem to be skilled and well financed .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know how many guys work for Rusos.

      I'd personally call them a subgroup, similar to how los Flechas is a subgroup within CDS - Mayo.

      Delete
    2. So like flechas and rusos are like anthrax or any of the other enforcement wing ? Basically?

      Delete
    3. Yes flechas are an enforcement wing. Every big cartel has many enforcement groups which fight in their respective areas, Vicente had Los Antrax, in Culiacán Mayo has Flechas in Zacatecas, Beltran's had Mazatlecos, CJNG has Elite in Guanajuato, Delta in Zacatecas, Guerreros in Veracruz, CDG once had Zetas, Juarez has Línea.

      But not every group is an enforcement group, some are actual established groups that operate the area and oversee the drug trade for the main cartel, like for CDS theres Los Memos, los Salazar, these are groups belonging to plaza bosses and they have their own enforcer groups in this case Salazar a group from CDS has it's own enforcer group called Gente Nueva

      Delete
    4. @5:30 I absolutely agree that there is a distinction between enforcement groups and hitmen who simply work for a plaza boss. However, I think that difference can often get blurry.

      Locals would say that Rusos control Mexicali, rather than name one individual guy. They think about them collectively as a the owner of the plaza.

      I wrote a story last year about Rusos engaging in the traditional, plaza boss-like activity of cracking down on independent human smugglers in their territory.

      At the same time, Rusos have been actively battling to win new territory in SLRC for more than a year now. So, some of their hitmen have been acting as a war force in territorial expansion, which is one of the traditional roles of an enforcer group.

      You mentioned that Grupo Elite is an enforcer group, and they are, however some cells of Grupo Elite have been in their region of Guanajuato for five or more years now.

      But, if they've been occupying, dealing, and demanding de piso from an area for five years now, how are they any different then hitmen who work for a plaza boss? I think the distinction is not as cut and dry as it seems.

      Delete
    5. Parra flaco doc chapo abdiel adan ramos very sonorant nicknames keep an eye on RP charly is the one who commands very heavy in the square

      Delete
  5. El Ruso is an ex KGB Spetsnaz agent who started working for CDS. He left the Inteligence Service for the higher pay. He is highly trained in Spetsnaz Sambo USSR martial arts . He is an expert sniper his favorite rifle is the Dagunov SVD. He once wrestled a polar bear in Siberia and eliminated 100 skilled Chechen soldiers with a #2 pencil. Comrade el Ruso is said to have participated in the soviet black operations in afghanistan .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was an interior decorator? His place looked like shit.

      Delete
    2. 11:25? I can confirm. I go to the strip club with El Ruso all the time and the bitches spoon feed him pure cocaine straight from Medellin Colombia 🇨🇴 right in the middle of the motherfucking club. For real

      Delete
    3. I think he's little too young to be involved in anything Soviet. Lol

      Delete
    4. 6:05 I though I was on reddit for a minute

      Delete
  6. Great graphics and article

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great article!, HEARTS, best on BB

    ReplyDelete
  8. No se olviden de el cheko a la orden desde años

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. El checo desde hace años está en Culiacán ya no anda en Mexicali

      Delete
    2. That's a negative chief

      Delete
  9. Mientras el 03 y las 4 letras bien asentados en tecate tijuana y rosarito. Les combiene a los chinolas aser pacto pa combatir al señor mencho y sus fuerzas especiales lideradas por el 03 y el Apa cordinando de jalisco a la baja

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pues hay rumores que las cuatro letras quieren pactar tregua con los chinolas en Zacatecas.. por que será ?

      Delete
    2. 12:52 tu lo dijiste "Rumor" y si es rumor lo mas seguro que es un mitote de los meros mitoteros, CDS

      Delete
    3. No existen son mamadas las que dices

      Delete
    4. 12:52 Ningun cartel en su sano juicio haria un pacto con los Sapos del CDSapos, eso seria como ponerte tu solo la cuerda para que te ahorquen, esos gueyes van a terminar traicionandote, en todo caso que deveras el CJNG quiere reunirse con ellos es para ponerles un 4, asi como los cds acostumbran, seria una cucharada de su propio chocolate

      Delete
    5. Los del Cjng no es ningún cartel son unos sicarios nomas yo no se porque le dicen cartel la verdad ni toneladas mueven el único que mueve toneladas es el cds

      Delete
    6. 5:58 toneladas de SAPOS jajajaja

      Delete
    7. 10:21 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 💯 true! And the court papers show it

      Delete
    8. Toneladas de perico el único cartel que mueve esa cantidad es el cds

      Delete
    9. 2:27 no guey, todos estamos de acuerdo son toneladas de sapos 😂😂😂😂😂

      Delete
  10. Hearst - you continue to impress with your detailed breakdowns

    ReplyDelete
  11. Off topic; SLP also has been penetrated by OP-MZ there's videos circulating were large convoy of MZ are arriving. It looks like they're staying aswell, since the beds of the trucks seems to carry personal belongings of the sicarios. Like they're setting up camp or something.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All of there belongings tarps and blankets if your lucky

      Delete
    2. Off topic
      Will there be Christmas party at Hard Rock Cafe Tijuana, with the BB staff?

      Delete
    3. De off topic
      Will the Christmas parade happen in Downtown San Diego this year?

      Delete
    4. Vamos a festejar en el bar la nueva pachanga allá por la Coahuila en tj.

      Delete
    5. Off Topic but I'd the BB Christmas party at La Coahuila or the Hard Rock Cafe?
      Is Sol going to be dressed all pimped out, is yanqui bring her Burros?
      Why not have it in San Diego it's a lot safer.

      Delete
    6. 12:42 off topic

      But will it be raining today?

      Delete
    7. Barak, y que tal se pone el ambiente alli

      Delete
    8. Off topic mejer El party, en El rancho de yanqui, aya no hay narcos.

      Delete
    9. Sol ese lugar queda catalogado en entre más corriente más ambiente.

      Delete
    10. Barak no es por nada pero prefiero lugares así que lugares lujosos. Por lo menos se que todos somos iguales allí y nadie se mide por lo que tienen o no tengan. Lo sencillo es lo mejor.

      Delete
    11. Así es sol ,saludos y sigue hechandole chingazos a esta página.💪👍

      Delete
    12. 8:33 what you like is the grey burras, you animal...

      Delete
  12. Can you provide som insight on NogSon areas, there’s been a lot of infighting there but not much talk about what’s really going down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I personally know these guys, MZ crew led by El Gigio and El 20 controls most of the city, especially to the east part of Nogales and I was told that Chapitos work on west side of town. Yes they are still fighting each other. Each and every colonia in town has drug dealers selling drugs to the mexican people, you can get anything you want, fairly cheap, quality varies

      Delete
  13. Wasn't Gigio in the Tubutuma shootout 12 years ago? or that was El Gilo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Are you saying El Wilo?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Lets not forget The Ghost of Macho Prieto -he had this 'cell' under his wing when he was very much active in Puerto Penasco/Rocky Point corridor.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Its only low level sicarios :-(

    ReplyDelete
  17. Very good article. And how do people find out this much info about the different routes and logistics?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zeta Tijuana articles and Army intelligence maps of the routes, leaked by Guacamaya.

      Delete
    2. I wonder how they find out so much info. I mean it’s obvious they have to have protection from the army or else you’d think they’d bust everyone.

      Delete
    3. 7:55 army, intelligence, politicos, businessmen, own the drug trafficking and the pinchis narcos, once in a while some get.out of line for per$$$onal reasons, and then all hell breaks loose, Manlio Fabio Beltrones used to own Sonora, was a young PRIISTA, member of DFS, where he used to sit on the knees of the mero fernando guriérrez Barrios, ex army captain founder of DFS, and went on to governor, congressman and senator where he and ex-governor of tamaulipas manuel cavazos lerma got to be dropped from the US government list of most wanted drug trafficking money launderers in exchange for cooking EPN's "reforma energetica" BS...
      Pinchis guacamayas need a lot of help and some granny glasses, they like ioan grillo have it for the narcos, and AMLO, but the shit goes higher and better places all over the world.

      Delete
  18. Los michoacanos la mera neta son de negocio mazizo. Aqui en san luis peñasco tecate pagan su cuota a quien sea pero a como mullen jale mazizo. Y no gente del viejillo de las gallinas sino muchas celulas de los templarios que quedaron independientes trabajando por su cuenta.lo que es gente del gallito .. celulas de like plancarte y el cenizo Renteria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Mullen"? Dirás mullir pinches coyotas jajajaja

      Delete
    2. 10:25 I suppose your guy was trying to say:
      "Como mueven jale macizo"

      Delete
  19. I am guessing a lay of the land primer on Cd Obregón is in the works, given the recent happenings there?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you - or anybody really - gives me names and good information, then I would happily make it.

      I've struggled to find good articles and names for Obregon. I can't do it unless I get some information from you guys.

      Delete
  20. Looking at these maps reminds me of Gonzaga Bay. 3 separate airfields in 3 different directions in a beach community of 50.

    A lot of private American pilots made a shit ton of money out of those runways in years past.

    History has a way of repeating itself.

    Unmanned long range, low flying drones is the future.
    Drones don't talk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 7:17
      Pardon me Mr, but but but, may I ask who will be financing the Drones, equipped, with heat sinking missiles, night vision Flir system, extra close 32 megapixel camera recording.
      Lastly may I ask, would the government of Mexico allow it? After all most of the bribes come from the cartels themselves.

      Delete
    2. Marine air station El Toro and Mena airport in Arkansas used to handle more trafficking, and the Contra base in Sanchez Taboada Veracruz, also the American citizen owned rancho in Costa Rica.

      Delete
    3. SIR you would love to research the cover up involved the murders revolving two kids who stumbled on to that Arkansas operation in the 1990s

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  21. Jesus chairez the singer used to cross weight in El Valle

    ReplyDelete
  22. The one thing not stated in this article was the main reason for the fighting.. that would be human smuggling. Since the beginning of this year the tax has been 1k just to jump over and up 10k to be smuggled to Phoenix or riverside..millions and Millions and being made….human cargo is never ending..what’s going to happen is that it will be split in half like nogales and Tijuana.. half mayo half chapo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 9:56 that's already happened according to BB articles published a while ago

      Delete
  23. 3:06; i wonder if this conflict in the area of SLRC between chapos-mayos factions is going to affect the border town of Nogales which is controlled by the same chapos-Mayo organization. Interesting to see what the future prepares

    ReplyDelete
  24. Y el Gabito donde anda…

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A nadie le importa, ese tacuache nomas porque tiene un corrido todo tarado se cree una verga, pero es un pinche drogadicto,secuestrador mata mujeres como todo un buen Sinaloa 🤣🤣🤣

      Delete
    2. 9:47 asta en su corrido da a entender que le tiene miedo al topon, mejor por la espalda 😂😂

      Delete
    3. 1105 Gabito is trash. So is his ignorant, artificial looking ugly wife. No one cares for them in Rosario. His go to spots are tacos de camaron and crepas.

      Delete
    4. 11:05 El Gabito se la ha de andar chaquetiando abajo de una troca, como buen sinaloense y miembro del cartel

      Delete
    5. si el gabito saco a los mazatlecos de esos lugares.

      Delete
  25. Ese no es El Ruso...no mam3n

    ReplyDelete
  26. This was great, great breakdown and info. Having lived in Yuma for so long kinda unbelievable how crazy it has got down there this shit never used to happen or it was super rare.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How is Yuma, Arizona is it true time goes slow there? I am in San Diego.
      Almost close to Tijuana border where there's always something going on.

      Delete
    2. Forget about getting any pussy in SLRC or Algodones man, stick with TJ. You are being monitored.

      Delete
    3. 10:23 WTF does SLRC stand for?

      Delete
    4. 11:26 thanks Sol now I know.

      Delete
  27. There’s been 6 deaths in Colonia Puebla in Mexicali. it’s the 6th murder in the past three days. Chapitos definitely stirring up problems in the capital

    ReplyDelete
  28. If only Chapo Guzmán was free none of this will be happening. He was the best leader any Cartel can have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would still be happening Mijo.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    3. And Jesus Christ wouldn't have been crusified

      Delete
    4. Wow, great timing @Hearst

      This site is so much better than YouTube and Reddit. I just heard about the punk bitch ass Chapitos and their meth head rats Chapizzas got slaughtered after they tried to blow up El Ruso with JAVELIN, NASAMs, and HIMARS they bought from the CIA in Amsterdam after they picked up a load of MDMA crystals to make fentanyl laced smiley face X pills with

      Delete
    5. 8:51 you got a good imagination.
      You been watching too much Rambo movies lol.🤣🤣😂😷

      Delete
    6. 8:51 all you need to be happy...
      Gases from your own pedorro.

      Delete
  29. No talk of CJNG controlling any part of the border. They’re too busy playing dress up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They still got parts of TJ & most of Tecate. They good with los metros & la Línea so they don’t need to fight any border city

      Delete
    2. Tijuana belongs to AFC.
      CJNG has no foot hold.

      Delete
    3. 11:38 sure bud, like when they use to say cjng had no precense in Baja

      Delete
  30. Great job as usual Hearst! I needed this.

    ReplyDelete
  31. In rocky point the chavo felix does not command the one who commands he is nicknamed Mr. Charly is also known as desert eagle it is a very discreet war horse an az under the sleeve of the tight male

    ReplyDelete
  32. I had to greet several two that three in bar the stately bar chabelas I remember nicknames like the flako the doctor the chapo the red the parrita all of them organization charly control boulder

    ReplyDelete
  33. They have everything under control in Puerto Peñasco. Hotels, streets, bars, restaurants, boardwalk, everything doesn't miss anything. I think that's why the government doesn't move them from square to Mr. Charly. A straight person serves the state in an area as prestigious as Rocky Point. I think I want to think that's how he and his people have good control

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated, refer to policy for more information.
Envía fotos, vídeos, notas, enlaces o información
Todo 100% Anónimo;

borderlandbeat@gmail.com