Off-Duty Police Commander and Agent Gunned Down in Chihuahua; Cartel Members Are the Main Suspects

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Police commander Jesus Zamarron Estrada (left) and his younger cousin Carlos Manuel Espino Zamarron were killed over the weekend (photo credit: Diario de Juárez)

The two members of the Cuauhtémoc Municipal Police force, commander Jesús Zamarrón Estrada, and his cousin Carlos Manuel Espino Zamarrón, were killed by unknown assailants on Friday afternoon. These incidents mark the first fatalities documented against law enforcement officers in Chihuahua state this year.

Carlos Espino had been with the corporation for slightly over a year, whereas Jesús Zamarrón had dedicated more than a decade to serving in the Municipal Police.

As per information disclosed by the Municipal Public Security Directorate, the deceased officers were in the process of transporting furniture to a residence situated on Cuitláhuac Street when the attack occurred. One of the officers was assisting the other in relocating to a new residence, and both were off-duty at the time.

The vehicle utilized in the attack, a Ford Escort, was discovered abandoned several blocks away. It is probable that the assailants left the vehicle there before making their escape in another getaway vehicle. Investigators indicate that this particular vehicle has been associated with other murders in Cuauhtémoc.

The local Prosecutor's Office stated that it is making progress in investigating the family, social, and work aspects of the deceased officers. However, there were no leads on the individuals who attacked the agents, the criminal group to which the assailants belonged, or the motive for their killing. A source outside law enforcement, with direct knowledge of the case, confirmed to reporters that the attack is linked to a local cartel.

Law enforcement members say that Edgar Gamboa Sosa, alias "El 11" or "El Tigre Blanco", is head of the local Gente Nueva cell in Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua (photo credit: HEARST from Borderland Beat)

Background

As reported by Borderland Beat, the criminal organization operating in Cuauhtémoc municipality is Cartel del Tigre and/or Gente Nueva del Tigre (GNT), a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by Édgar Alfredo Gamboa Sosa, commonly known as Edgar Alfredo G. S., and also referred to as "El 11" or "El Tigre Blanco." He is recognized as one of the instigators of violence in that particular region of the state.

The GNT has been competing against La Linea for control of Cuauhtemoc for the past few years, as reported by Borderland Beat. The obvious frictions between the layers of authority (state and municipal police forces) who support La Linea or Cartel del Tigre add another dimension of violence in this area.

A segment of Gamboa Sosa's security team, which included former military member Jorge Luis "El 107" and Jesús Manuel "El 104", were apprehended in 2019 during an extensive military operation. Nevertheless, Gamboa Sosa narrowly evaded arrest.

Gamboa Sosa is the sibling of the deceased César Raúl Gamboa Sosa, known as "El Cabo," who worked alongside Julio César Escárcega, also known as "El Tigre", arrested in 2017.

In the past year, as per security records, 21 state and municipal agents were killed within the state of Chihuahua. Only one was recorded in Cuauhtemoc municipality. Most of these killings remain unsolved.

Sources: Diario de Juarez (1); (2); (3); Reporte Cuauhtemoc; Heraldo de Chihuahua; Borderland Beat archives