CJNG Claims Responsibility for Terrorist Explosion at Zacatecas Fair Concert, Calls Out Government Support of Sinaloa Cartel

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

CJNG claimed responsibility for the large explosion at a public event in the city of Zacatecas that occurred over the weekend resulting in 20 people injured and several police cars damaged. While local authorities claim it was a faulty tank being used by a vendor, audio from police radio channels has been released claiming that it was actually a grenade attack outside of a concert.

It was reportedly a message to the State Governor, accusing his support of allowing the MZ (Mayo) Sinaloa Cartel faction into the region.

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Significant Other Of Gerardo Gonzalez Ramirez “El Geras” Or "El Apa" Shows Off The Romantic Side Of The Feared CJNG Leader In Nochistlán, Zacatecas

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This article was translated and reposted from dominio público

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024 

In one of the stories that El Geras' partner shared on the Meta platform, the woman shared one of the corridos that have been made to El Geras: “Comandante G, del grupo recluta” (Commander G, from the recruiting group).

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High School Students Film Mock Narco Threat Video In Valparaiso, Zacatecas

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Videos have surfaced showing students posing as narcos and making joke threats towards other students at a high school in Valparaiso, Zacatecas. The videos are a reference to narco comunicados, violent videos released by organized crime groups in Mexico featuring threats, executions of rivals, and torture. They are a tragic reminder of the effect the hyper violent environment is having on Mexico's youth.

In the video, the students pose with musical instruments as weapons, wear masks, and yell mock threats at students at another high school in the area.

The Violent Context

News site NTR Zacatecas reported that the mayor of Valparaiso, Eleuterio Ramos Leal, lamented the normalization of violence that has affected young people. 

According to Mexico's defense ministry, Zacatecas has become violent because of its geographical value to criminal groups, who seek to control it's highways and transportation routes north. Zacatecas ranks 10th by homicide count this year, with 861 deaths, amounting to a homicide rate of 53 per 100,000, according to a government security briefing in September. While these figure are alarmingly high, the homicide rate was actually twice as high the year before, the highest in the nation, at 107 per 100,000.

The conflict is between a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, as reported by Borderland Beat. As the security situation spirals, publicly placed bodies, narco messages, and shootouts have become commonplace. As of March 2022, there were at least 10,000 internally displaced persons in the state, according to Zacatecas senator Geovanna Bañuelos.

Source: NTR Zacatecas, Portal Valparaiso, El Financiero, INEGI Homicide 2021, Regeneracion, SwissInfo, September 20 security briefing

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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. 

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

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Social Media Reports On Shootouts in Nochistlán, Zacatecas

Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

Dozens of citizens and neighbors of the municipality of Nochistlán de Mejía, located at 224 kilometers south of the capital of Zacatecas reported on a violent shootout through various social networks that lasted for several hours during the early hours of Wednesday without the authorities having so far issued an official communication in regards to the incident.

Various videos and messages of the citizenship recorded the events where strong machinegun bursts can be heard throughout various parts of the area where the presence of armed groups in the area has been denounced.

The “magical town” of Nochistlán has been a disputed area of alleged members of organized crime who are fighting for the drug trafficking corridor bordering both the north and northwest with the municipality of Jalapa, south with Yahualica in Jalisco, to the east with Apulco, to the west of the municipalities of Juchipila and Apozol, to the north and northeast with Teocaltiche in Jalisco and finally to the south bordering with the municipality of Mezticacán, also located in Jalisco.

Neighbors of the area alerted on the presence of trucks with armed men on board moving throughout highways and roads as well as in the urban area of Nochistlán.

Source: ZHN

“Video 2: Shootout some moments ago in Nochistlán, the following video shows the northern outskirts of the municipality as the two convoys of armed subjects attacked each other.”

Additional Videos:

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Zacatecas: Narco-mantas Hung in Calera Announce War for Plaza

Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

April 5, 2016- During the beginning of this week, narco-mantas (narco-banners) were hung on a pedestrian bridge. The message was directed between organized crime groups.

The Cartel Del Noroeste (CDN) confirms the war that had been launched previously by their opponents, the Gulf Cartel (CDG), had finalized and warned that they will recover municipalities in Zacatecas.  Now the CDN responds with the narcomanta stating that they are ready to start and continue the war for the plaza as well as reporting on corrupt officials who are in collusion with organized crime, and that they are also going after them.

According to unofficial sources, the CDN required to request reinforcements to other states and municipalities in Zacatecas where they still have a presence to fight and to go against the CDG, the latter which uploaded a video to social networking sites showing a shocking video that was recorded in first person depicting them attacking an armed commando of the CDN with rifles.  The shootout shook throughout Ojocaliente a few days ago.  The white Ford that the CDN were traveling in was shot at by the CDG which is recovering much of the south of Zacatecas.  They are seen as the leaders throughout the area.  With the video they showed their opponents such as Los Zetas, the CDN, and others, to not occupy the areas and regions of theirs.  But the CDN doesn’t lower their guard and launched new attacks, and now with these narcomantas, it shows that the violence is expected to rebound again like in previous years where it didn’t let up.

Just 72 hours ago in Tacoaleche, another unidentified armed commando was attacked by another armed group with bullets, which left various men injured, leaving some fleeing to be treated in community hospitals in the region, the municipal police can’t go up against the heavily armed convoys; it requires the help of the PEP (State Preventative Police), SEDENA (Secretariat of National Defense), or SEMAR (Mexican Navy), who are suitable for this type of combat.

The CDG maintains its leadership in Zacatecas, occupying most municipalities, followed by the CDN who are advancing from the north, as well as Los Zetas who didn’t separate to form the CDN, who occupy some places in the north and south, as well as the center, to a lesser extent.  The CJNG (Jalisco New Generation Cartel) is present in the southern region, near Jalisco and some municipalities in the central north.

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Zacatecas: Commando Attacks & Burns Nightclub; 4 Dead, 6 Wounded

By: Verónica Espinosa | Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

Zacatecas, Zacatecas— On Wednesday night, an armed group opened fire at employees and clients of a nightclub in the municipality of Guadalupe, who then locked down the establishment and set it on fire.

According to local media reports, there were at least two people dead in the fire.  An official statement from the state government reported a total of four dead and six wounded at around 23:00 hours on Wednesday.

In its digital website, the newspaper, La Jornada, reported that there were nine fatalities in this attack as a result of the fire and the shooting, while another 15 suffered injuries and burns of different degrees with some of them being serious.

The commando entered the nightclub “El Botanero” around 9:00 pm on Wednesday night when there were many customers inside.

According to witnesses who managed to escape, four men with rifles fired at the ceiling, intimidating those who were in the club.

Customers and employees witnessed how the group began dousing gasoline inside the nightclub, and later set it on fire.  The armed group left and closed the doors, preventing people from leaving.

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Fresnillo: Man Found Dead After Interrogation Video

Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

For the umpteenth time at Camelias street and a few hours after the attorney general was in the city, armed gunmen shot a man over five times who had been kidnapped, tortured, and later brought to the area to be executed.

Around 21:00 hours, warnings were given about gunshots at the streets Camelias and Tres de Mayo in the well known neighborhood of Obrera a few meters away from the Santa Cruz Cemetery.

People who were in the street at the time saw how three individuals abandoned the body quickly, and then heard five to seven shots from a firearm, but didn’t see anything after.

It was civilians who were traveling in their vehicles who saw the body of the person lying on the sidewalk when they passed by the area.  Immediately, the residents of that street closed their doors and windows, and turned off their lights to avoid being questioned about something that they didn’t see.

Immediately afterwards, a chase was reported in Poblados de Plateros and later, the preventative police said that they received a 066 call (911 call) in which suspicious activity was reported on a dark colored truck in the community of Rancho Grande, near the cemetery.

Forces from the Directorate of Public Security and other corporations were sent in to revise the area, but so far there have been no reports regarding the incident.

According to AccesoZac’s Facebook page, it is due to a war between the Cartel del Noroeste (CDN) and the Gulf Cartel (CDG).

Source:Testigo Minero

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Missing Journalist in Zacatecas, Feared Kidnapped

Borderland Beat

One Week Missing:

The Parents of Zoila Edith Chiu, who disappeared last Saturday in Zacatecas, indicated that the president said would redouble efforts to locate his daughter. 

"There is no report, no evidence or witnesses in the case, the problem is that many days have passed and no answer," he said.

They explained that the street where she lives is made up of businesses, so it was considered that in that area possibly there could be witnesses, however they regretted that neither has there been witnesses or evidence of it.

The parents of the journalist  Zoila Edith Márquez Chiu, originally from Zacatecas and who disappeared on Saturday December 7, when she went to return a video to a store, reported the commitment of President Enrique Peña Nieto to redouble efforts to locate his daughter.

Secretary of Human Rights, Lia Limon Garcia brought the matter of the missing Zacatecas journalist to EPN's attention, asking for help from the journalist's parents. in Mexico City through a statement, the family reported that after seeking the help of Peña Nieto, they were called and attended meeting at the Ministry of the Interior (Interior Ministry). The family was informed that "the government of Mexico and specifically President Enrique Peña Nieto, is committed not only to redouble efforts, resources and specialized in kidnapping staff but to locate and return expeditiously our beloved daughter. "

It was also reported that the governor of Zacatecas , Miguel Alonso Reyes, in a coordinated with the Interior Ministry,Federal Police, the Attorney General of the Republic to locate the whereabouts of the reporter.

Task Force to find Zoila Edith Márquez Chiu:  Zacatecas, the state government announced a Local Coordination Group has joined forces devoted unanimously to solving the disappearance of journalist Zoila Marquez Chiu and even, the staff of the Federal Police of eight entities of the republic is available to search for the young journalist/mother of two..

Information on the work of this panel came about in a statement after Ivan Pastor, husband of journalist, revealed that there was only an investigation by the authorities in terms of finding his journalist wife. He even said that he received pressure by the ministerial police trying to frame him.

This task force, which met Thursday night,  emphasizes that state and federal authorities are consolidating actions to find Marquez Chiu. The first meeting was made possible with resources from Rodolfo Saab Automobile, Regional Coordinator West Federal Police (PF), who offered the support staff of eight institutions free of charge charge to join the search for Zoila Marquez Chiu.  This was reported by Arturo Nahle García, General Attorney of Justice the state, who said that so far all the information has the support from family and friends since knowledge of the disappearance is all that has been addressed.  Meanwhile, Jorge Alberto Pinto Perez, executive secretary of the State System of Public Security revealed that already did a search on the surveillance cameras of the state capital. 

Sergio Martínez Escamilla (PGR) and Héctor Sánchez Moreno, Commissioner of PF in Zacatecas affirmed they have offered all the technical support available for this investigation

Original Story-Missing Journalist

MEXICO CITY - Organizations of defenders of freedom of expression warned about the disappearance of the reporter for Agency TV Hotline (Lineainformativa.com), Zoila Edith Márquez Chiu, whose whereabouts are unknown since Saturday December 7.

Article 19 and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported in separate statements of the disappearance of Márquez Chiu, who was last seen midday on Saturday the 7 in zacatecana capital. 

The organizations demanded local authorities,and eventually federal authorities take into account the practice of journalism as the line of investigation.

Article 19 called for the intervention of the Special Prosecutor for  (FEADLE) the Investigating of Crimes against Freedom of Expression, which depends on the Attorney General's Office (PGR), while RSF noted that the Zoila Edith case should be added to the Sergio Landa Rosado of Diario Cardel, whom nothing is known about him since January 22, and Gerardo Blanquet, of Radio Grande of Coahuila, whose whereabouts remain unknown since April 30.

RSF, an organization based in Paris, France, said that in the past 10 years, 18 journalists remain missing, one woman María Esther Aguilar Cansimbe, of Diario Cambio de Michoacan, disappeared on November 11, 2009.

"None of these cases have been solved, in which, by their nature, could involve corrupt police officers," said RSF.

“We hope enough resources will be deployed to find Márquez safe and sound as soon as possible,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The authorities must respond to her family’s appeal. There is so far no proof that she has been kidnapped but the police should investigate the possibility that her disappearance is linked to her work.”

       

"Even thought there is no direct indication that it is a kidnapping, December 7 being the last time the journalist was witnessed driving her car, RSF called for appropriate actions be undertaken by the authorities "as soon as possible to find the reporter safe and sound "an appropriate investigation is one that takes into account the professional activity of Márquez Chiu as an online investigator.."

Article 19, based in London, England, explained Zoila Edith was acting as a reporter and was the also the editor of Hotline, providing area coverage of general information and surveys of citizens. One  of the last topics she covered was the student strike at the Normal School of Zacatecas.

Lineainformativa, director Omar Hernández Herrera, gave the information that prior to her disappearance, the journalist, had not received any threats or in an incident that would jeopardize her integrity, a situation that also has occurred with the local media.

"The journalist had been working the weekend before her disappearance on a report on the conflict in the mining town of Loreto, explained her boss,Omar Hernandez."  He does not believe that the fact has to do with the type of information that was assigned to Zoila Edith.

According to information gathered by Article 19, the last person who had contact with Zoila Edith Márquez Chiu, was with her husband, Ivan Pastor,  a broadcast employee at television NTR Zacatecas. Ivan Pastor is also the brother of the local PRI deputy Pastor Héctor Alvarado.

Article 19 called Zacatecas state authorities, as well as the FEADLE and PGR to investigate the disappearance of journalist Zoila Edith Márquez, and not to discard it as part of her work," the organization said in its statement.

Recalling that the disappearance "effects the fundamental rights of individuals, including economic and social issues" Article 19 urged authorities to "take all measures necessary protection and investigation in this case."

Details (Cont.)

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Mexico's First Openly Gay Mayor says Fighting Cartels is a Priority

The first openly gay mayor in Mexico's history has been sworn in at a ceremony in city of Fresnillo.

Benjamin Medrano said his sexuality only became an issue in the electoral campaign when the opposition tried to use it against him in conservative Zacatecas state.

The city has been caught up in a turf war between drug cartels operating in central and northern Mexico.

Mr Medrano says he hopes to make a difference for the people of Fresnillo.He posted a message on his Twitter account soon after the ceremony: "The time has come to listen to your demands and address your problems. I have a commitment with you."

 Two of Mexico's biggest criminal organizations - Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel - have been fighting for control of drug trafficking routes leading north towards the American border.

Mr Medrano said the fact that he has no involvement with criminal organisations would enable him to do a good job for the people of Fresnillo.

"What matters the least for the people is who you may sleep with, what you do in your private life. What they want is good results from their politicians," he told BBC Mundo.

Gay marriage
Mr Medrano comes from a very poor background in Zacatecas state. He went to the United States aged six, as part of an "artistic caravan."

He returned to Mexico after many years to finish school and to read law at university.  He began a professional career as a singer and opened Fresnillo's first gay nightclub.

A Roman Catholic in a very conservative part of Mexico, he says he has no intention of getting married.

He denied being against gay marriage, but hinted that what is acceptable in the capital, Mexico City, and other regions of the country may not be acceptable in Zacatecas.

"My agenda is based on achieving human and social development for all of us who live in Fresnillo, regardless of sexual orientation," he told BBC Mundo. Security is the main concern of the population of Fresnillo, a city of some 200,000 inhabitants.

Security is the main concern of the population of Fresnillo, a city of some 200,000 inhabitants. "First, we need to get our police better equipped and better trained, so they don't become accomplices of the criminal gangs," said Mr Medrano.

He was elected mayor for the centre-right Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI) of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December promising to review the "war on drugs" policy of his predecessor.

BBC

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3 die in Zacatecas as shootouts continue

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

Three unidentified individuals were found dead or were killed in drug and gang related violence in Zacatecas state, according to Mexican news accounts, and BorderlandBeat anonymous correspondent, Zac.

"Shootouts and executions continue, near Fresnillo more human remains were found and it's in that city where shootouts have been more common," writes Zac.

According to a news account posted on the website of ZTR Zacatecas news daily, the remains of at least one unidentified individual was found near Fresnillo municipality near the village of El Triunfo.

According to the report, an unidentified individual stumbled on the location Sunday nine days ago while searching for firewood in the sierras where he saw bone fragments, some human tissue, and some trash, including soda and beer bottles and some clothing.  The Mexican Army had been notified and arrived at the location six days ago.

According to a translated quote referring to December, 2012, in the story by an unidentified resident, ""There was a chance that 19 federal police patrols along with the helicopter, made a persecution against such evil people, which took the life of 12 gunmen," said one resident.

It is unclear which gunfight the resident was referring to since a number of raids and gunfights between Mexican security forces and armed suspects took place during the month of December, 2012 throughout the state including in Fresnillo and Guadalupe municipalities.

About the current situation in Fresnillo and Guadalupe municipalities, Zac writes: "Perhaps the most alarming things around the capital have been 1 execution attempt and a brief shootout in plain daylight in busy areas, but... ...it's more of a constant dripping of violence than big bursts of it, minor shootouts are still a daily thing, usually in colonias in the outskirts. "

According a news report which appeared in the online edition of Hoy Zacatecas news daily, five days ago a business owner, Francisco Montes Tijerin, 75, was shot and wounded outside his business on Avenida Francisco García Salinas near the Centro Comercial Tahon commercial center.

More than two weeks ago an unidentified man was shot and wounded in an intergang gunfight on  Bulevar José Lopez Portillo, and an unidentified woman was hurt incident to the shootout when she was hit by a vehicle, according to a separate report in Hoy Zacatecas.  Some of the armed suspects involved in the shootout fled the scene aboard  a Ford Lobo pickup truck.

According to Zac, two men were executed in Transcoso municipality Monday.

"Last night 2 men were killed in Trancoso, it was a weird night with the football match, rumors of shootings here and there, people celebrating and all that, so it´s not clear what happened and which rumors are true, federal police closed down part of the city center, people who were watching the game at bars in the area were not allowed to leave for a while, but one news site says it was a false alarm and others don't mention anything...I have my doubts about the false alarm thing, but as you can imagine it was a noisy and moved night so it´s hard to know what exactly happened," writes Zac.

According to  news report posted on the website of Zacatecas en Linea news daily, two men identified as Juan Carlos Saucedo and Juan Carlos Cordero Tenorio, were found shot to death on a dirt road next to a mall.  A third individual, identified as Juan Carlos Garcia Cordero,  41, was briefly detained a short distance away by local Policia Metropolitana.  He was subsequently escorted for medical attention by Policia Federal and Policia Investigadora police units.

According to a report the two victims were shot with small caliber weapons, .22 or .25 caliber, and since no spent shell casings were reported at the scene, the weapon used could have been a revolver.  Cartel affiliated gangs typically prefer to use 5.7mm, Super .38 or 9mm pistols in their enforcement activities.



http://ntrzacatecas.com/2013/05/22/hallan-huesos-quemados-y-ropa-en-el-triunfo-fresnillo/

http://zacatecashoy.com/empresario-se-debate-entre-la-vida-y-la-muerte-tras-ataque-armado-en-guadalupe-zacatecas/

http://zacatecashoy.com/alerta-reportan-enfrentamiento-armado-sobre-bulevar-lopez-portillo-frente-al-restaurante-la-garufa-en-la-zona-conurbada/

http://zacatecasonline.com.mx/noticias/policia/30913-confirman-2-muertos-y-1-herido.html

Thanks to Zac for the information and insights in Zacatecas

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com

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7 die in gunfight with Mexican Marines

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A total of 13 individuals were killed in ongoing drug and gang related violence in Zacatecas state including seven armed suspects shot to death in an armed  encounter with Mexican Naval Infantry, according to Mexican news accounts.

A news report which appeared in the online edition of El Sol de Zacatecas news daily said that the gunfight took place in Sain Alto municipality.

The report said that the Mexican Marine road patrol encountered armed suspects on a road which connects the village of El Cazadero at around 0600 hrs Saturday.  Marines also seized a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at the scene, which indicates that other vehicles may have been involved in the shootout, but which escaped.

Among the dead, all in their 20s, was reportedly a female.

Sain Alto sits astride Mexico Federal Highway 45 in western Zacatecas on one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Mexico.  Highway 45 connects Fresnillo with Durango in Durango state.

One example is of one unidentified man found tortured to death in Trancoso municipality Sunday.

According to a separate report in El Sol de Zacatecas the victim was found on Highway 45 with two severed limbs.  The report said the victim was mutilated with a saw while still alive .

A note was left at the scene signed by Cartel del Norte, which is reportedly affiliated with Los Zetas.  The contents of the message was not disclosed in the news account,

In other news, four unidentified individuals were found murdered in Fresnillo municipality a week ago, according to Mexican news reports.

A news account which appeared on the website of El Sol de Zacatacas said that the four victims were found in a hidden grave in the mountain community of Purisima del Maguey in an area called San Bajio.

The victims were found in an advanced state of decomposition, but the report said that three of the victims were males and one was female.  The victim had been killed at least three weeks before their discovery.

The report notes that the four were killed in a settling of accounts between armed criminal gangs, and that the area where the dead were found is known as a graveyard for such murders.

The report does not specify which group or cartel may have been involved.  Los Zetas, the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels are known to operate in Zacatecas state, and several gunfights between local criminal gangs have been reported in Fresnillo in recent weeks.

Fresnillo has been the focus of security incidents in the last ten days.

In one example, an unidentified man in his 60s was shot to death May 8th in Guadalupe municipality which is directly adjacent to Fresnillo.

The victim was found shot to death on calle Sicomoro in Arboledas colony.

Also, a Mexican Army unit with the 97 Infantry Battalion took over the headquarters of the Fresnillo municipal police corporation Monday in a surprise weapons inspection.

The action began at around 0700 hrs and lasted until 1200 hrs when the military unit left.  No one was reported detained nor were any weapons reported seized.

The Mexican Army is charged by law with the enforcement of the Mexican federal Firearms and Explosives Act, and has in the past disarmed  whole police departments when irregularities were found.

The best example was late last winter when the traffic division of Gomez Palacio, Coahuila municipal police were disarmed, and then later detained.

As with every other state, Zacatecas is under pressure by the federal government to provide trained police officers which have passed confidence tests in anticipation of the creation of a new police agency dubbed Policia Gendarmaria.  The head of the federal Secretaria de Gobierno (SEGOB) or interior ministry, Miguel Osorio Chong has decreed that every police agent, state and municipal must be certified by November 1st, 2013, or face losing their jobs.

Every municipal and state police agency in Mexico is heavily funded by the federal government,  municipalities with passthrough funds.  Municipal president are severely constrained by Mexican law as to how much money they can raise through taxes, fines and fees, and how much can be spent on security operations.

Mexican state governors are also expected now to take a greater hand in coordinating security operations between states.  Reports can be found in Mexican press about security meetings being held amongst the governors of states in five separate regions.  Those meeting often include representative from the Mexican Army, Mexican Navy and national police agencies within SEGOB.

Zacatecas state has been coordinating with other states in its region including  Aguascalientes and Jalisco states.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com

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Security elements among 7 dead in plane crash in Zacatecas

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

Foto de Wikipedia

Seven individuals including four Mexican federal police agents were killed in an aircraft crash midday Tuesday in Zacatecas state, according to Mexican news accounts.

A news report which appeared in the onlone edition of El Siglo de Durango news daily said that the aircraft was taking off from Zacetacas airport in Zacatecas when the pilot radioed he was returning to the airport.  The aircraft was bound for Mexico City. 

The aircraft crashed in Morelos municipality just ten minutes after takeoff near an area called Noria de Gringos.  The aircraft crashed just a few kilometers from General Leobardo C. Ruiz International Airport in Calera municipality.

The agents were due to return to Mexico City Monday night at around 2255 hrs, but the aircraft was forced to return to the airport because of an unspecified mechanical problem.  The aircraft took off at 1200 hrs on Tuesday, but then crashed.

Among the dead were Antonio Andres Alvarez Mota, a ministerial agent with the Ministerio Publico de la Federacion  and affiliated with the Subprocuraduria Especializada en Investigacion en contra de la Delincuencia Organizada (SEIDO) or organized crime bureau of the Procuraduria General de la Republic (PGR), the Mexican national attorney general's office.

Also reported dead were two Policia Federal (PF) ministerial agents  Ricardo Martín Flores Benitez and Francisco Leonardo Niño Acevedo.  Another PF ministerial agent assigned to Zacatecas, Martín Antonio Gutierrez Cantu, also died in the crash.

Also dead were the pilot, Guillermo Flores Millan, the copilot Juan Manuel Garcia Bernal and a mechanic, Miguel Angel Guerrero Coliev.

The aircraft was a 1985 Kingair 300 twin engine turboprop, which belonged to the PGR.

According to the El Siglo de Durango report, the ministerial agents were in Zacatecas state to serve an arrest warrant for three alleged Los Zetas operatives identified as Juan Luis Gallegos Muro, Fernando Rodríguez Robles Zaldivar and Anacleto Flores.  The three alleged drug cartel members were sent to Centro de Reinsercion Social (CERESO) in Cieneguillas.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political new for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com

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4 security personnel die in kidnapping attempt in Zacatecas

Foto: de Facebook

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

An attempted kidnapping of a municipal president by at least 20 armed suspects in a tiny central Zacatecas municipality has left two municipal police agents, one Policia Federal (PF) operator and one security agent for Ferremex railroad dead, according to Mexican news account and an anonymous correspondent for Borderlandbeat.com.

According to a news account published on the website of Zacatecas En Linea news daily, the incident took place in Canitas de Felipe Pescador Wednesday afternoon as armed suspects travelling aboard several trucks attacked the town.

"There was an attempt to kill or kidnap Oswaldo Sabag Hamadan...over 20 vehicles of sicarios (gunmen)," according to the correspondent.

The firefight last for hours, say some press accounts.

A PF detachment was apparently in the municipality when the assault began but it was reportedly too small to deal with such a massive attack, and had to call in and wait for reinforcements, according to press accounts.  The PF detachment had been assigned to guard a freight train as it passed through Canitas de Felipe Pescador, which was the stated reason for their presence.

Several armed suspects were shot and were killed during the firefight, but their bodies were removed by their comrades in arms, a common tactic among drug gangs involved in shootouts.  Going by descriptions in Mexican press, the armed group which attempted to kidnap Sabag Hamadan had apparently badly miscalculated the strength of local and federal security in the town.

Last August Sabag Hamadani was involved in another security incident which sparked fears of a kidnapping.

According to a news account published on the website of Pagina 24,  Sabag Hamadani and his family had closed their residence -- which is less than five blocks from Zona Centro -- and had cut off utilities, all apparently without telling anyone.

At the time, Zacatecas Procuraduria General de Justicia del Estado (PGJE) or attorney general Arturo Nahle Garcia said Sabag Hamadani had not been kidnapped but did not elaborate.

It was not until a month later that Sabag Hamadani reemerged in an announcement by Zacatecas state top police official Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP), Jesus Pinto Ortiz,  according to a separate news account featured in Zacatecas en Linea, played down the disappearance saying Sabag Hamadani "comes and goes as he likes."

The news account quoted Senor Pinto Ortiz as saying Canita de Felipe  Pescador is a "hot spot" for criminal groups.

Wednesday's incident seems to indicate that Sabag Hamadani is a target of one group or another, either Los Zetas or the Sinaloa cartel and their allies.  The Gulf Cartel is also known to operate in the area and the massive influx of vehicles with armed suspects travelling in the open en convoy in large groups is a Sinaloa cartel tactic in this area of Mexico.

According to the anonymous correspondent talking about about last August's disappearance: "...supposedly he went into hiding due to threats from organized crime, he had a reputation of working for the zetas and this was roughly a month before El Taliban´s arrest so I figure El Taliban had already switched sides at that point and that´s where the threats and hiding came from."

Another kidnapping incident was resolved last week this time involving a candidate of the Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico (PVEM) for Canitas de Felipe Pescador municipal president Jaimie Rincon, according to press accounts.

Two weeks ago Rincon was kidnapped by armed suspects travelling aboard five vehicles at around 0400 hrs April 2nd at his home in La Seccion del Ferrocarril, according to a news account posted on the website of ZTR Zacatecas.  Reportedly no ransom had been made nor had any denunciation of the crime took place at the Zacatecas PGJE or with the national Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR).

A week ago, April 13 Rincon was released beaten and dumped alive near a cemetery in Villa de Cos municipality.

Since his release nothing has been said about the incident.

Zacatecas is one of several states undergoing primary midterm elections for local deputies and municipal presidents, due to take place next July.

Rincon has been kidnapped three times before.  He had also previously run for election for president of a local ejido, and a local livestock trade group.

In national politics, the PVEM is often closely allied with the ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), now holding the national presidency in the person of Enrique Pena Nieto.

Said the correspondent: "I have no clue if Jaime Rincon, the precandidate from PVEM, had any link with any of the cartels or if Oswaldo was behind Jaime´s kidnapping, it just called my attention 2 kidnappings of politicians, or one plus a failed attempt, in a town so small, I don´t believe in coincidences of this magnitude."


BorderlandBeat.com reporter Chivis Martinez contributed to this story.


Special thanks to the BorderlandBeat  anonymous correspondent for the data and insights into the incidents.



http://ntrzacatecas.com/2013/04/05/confirman-el-secuestro-de-precandidato-del-pvem-en-zacatecas/
http://www.milenio.com/cdb/doc/noticias2011/fa6a3035b9cb09899475cc2077646f6f
http://zacatecasonline.com.mx/noticias/policia/29873-frustran-secuestro-alcalde.html
http://www.lasnoticiasya.com/2013/04/17/intentan-privar-de-la-libertad-a-alcalde-de-canitas-al-menos-un-federal-ha-muerto/

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com

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Mexican Army dismantles 7 meth labs in Zacatecas

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

The Mexican Army conducted counternarcotics operations in far southern Zacatecas state last week discovering and dismantling a total of seven drug laboratories, according to Mexican news accounts and an anonymous correspondent.

According to a news account which appeared on the website of Zacatecas En Linea news daily, an army unit with the Mexican 53rd Infantry Battalion, 11th Military Zone was dispatched two weeks ago to Nochistlan municipality on an anonymous complaint of criminal activity in the area.  

At the location, soldiers secured 10 containers with an undisclosed amount of chemical precursors used in the production of methamphetamine.  Also secured were an undisclosed number of rifles and ammunition.

According to the anonymous correspondent, "militars arrested one or two local policemen for lacking the proper gun permit and acting suspiciously."

"I know the local policemen work for the local narcos, when I was last in Nochistlan, they were very friendly with the two guys who I was told were the jefes de plaza (local crime bosses), two fat brothers dressed like cholos. I had no idea this area was a meth factory."

Four days later, another three drug labs were secured along with several real properties said to be owned by a local drug lord affiliated with the Sinaloa Drug cartel.

According to a news account published on the website of Zacatecas En Linea, the home of the unidentified suspect was located near the intersection of Privada Quintas de Los Sauces and Calle Cerro Picacho.  Another property seized included a ranch near the village of La Cofradía.

According to the news report, two labs were found on land named La Barranca Tierra Blanca, while the third was found near the village of El Porvenir.  A fourth lab was found but was still under construction.

The land where the drug lab near El Porvenir was found, was also a farm with about 25 head of cattle. According to the report, the land was used to host music concerts bimonthly.

The total property seized was about 4,000 square meters and had been purchased privately last May.

The news account quoted military sources saying the drug labs combined capacity was about 60,000 liters per month, amounting to about one metric ton of drugs.

The news account said the drugs were produced mostly at night and produced toxic fumes, which local residents noticed.

Drug produced in these labs were said to be distributed in Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and Jalisco states.

A sixth lab was discovered in Apulco municipality.   It was a long time operation -- three years --  and had its own power source.

Among other contraband seized included eight vehicles.  No arrests were made in any of the raids, and going by the photos taken and published in Zacatecas en Linea the properties appeared to have been quickly abandoned.

Separately, according to the anonymous corespondent, the Gulf Cartel announced Sunday that it has taken control of Valparaiso municipality from Los Zetas.  Several narcopintas appeared on the municipal seat four days ago announcing the takeover.

Said the correspondent, "CDG has taken Valparaiso from the zetas."

If the claim is true it can be considered a blow to Los Zetas in western Mexico.



A video was posted on Youtube about the multiple drug raids.  It is worth nothing that in one scene an empty box a ammunition had the mark of the Mexican Army on it meaning it was likely sold to individuals outside of the army:

Special Thanks to the anonymous correspondent for the data and insights included in this article.
Borderland Beat reporter Chivis Martinez contributed to this story

http://zacatecasonline.com.mx/noticias/policia/29553-descubren-narcolaboratorios.html
http://zacatecasonline.com.mx/noticias/policia/29642-narcolaboratorios-casa-cdg-nochistlan.html
http://zacatecasonline.com.mx/noticias/policia/29732-narcolaboratorios-excentrico-rancho.html 

http://ntrzacatecas.com/2013/04/11/amanece-valparaiso-con-cuatro-narcomantas/

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com

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Mexican Army detains El Pipo in Zacatecas state

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

Numerous Mexican federal police and army counternarcotics operations taking place in the center of Zacatecas state has yielded the detention of a Gulf Cartel plaza boss, according to an anonymous correspondent for Borderland Beat.

A large police operation took place Thursday night in Zacatecas city in which the plaza boss was detained, said the correspondent.

According to data from AccesoZac supplied by the correspondent an alleged suspect identified only as El Pipo was formerly a Los Zetas operative before he went over to the Gulf Cartel. He is suspected of several killings in Zacateas city.  Clashes have occurred which have split some families whose loyalties are divided between Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, which have been vying for territory since 2010.

One of those clashes was a kidnapping and shootout in Zacatecas near the local Walmart and Soriana's stores.  A female victim was taken from her vehicle.

"There have been shootings almost daily, especially in Guadalupe, not big balaceras (shootouts)... and in the past few days there have been at least 2 nights when you could hear the helicopters up til really late, 2-4 am, which is unusual," said the correspondent.

Policia Federal units have detained since last Sunday a number of suspected drug traffickers in Zacetacas city area.

According to new accounts which  appeared on the websites of El Sol de Zacatecas and NTR Zacatecas news dailies, a total of seven suspects were detained in two separate operations, one on Calle Aragon,in España colony and one on a ranch in Mexico Federal Highway 54, known as El Rancho Milagro.

A total of 14 AK-47 rifles, 47 weapons magazines, 700 rounds of ammunition, and tactical gear were seized by Mexican security forces in both operations.

The detainees were identified Delena Felipe Rocha,  30, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Maldonado, 16, Jesus Rubalcaba Ivan Nava, 19, Raul Rodriguez Mora, 27, Guadalupe Macias Emilio Esquivel, 20,  Jairo Reyna Gonzalez, 18 and Hector Manuel Romero Garcia, 38.

Quantities of crack cocaine and powder cocaine packages for retail sale were seized as well as an undisclosed amount in cash.

Several police actions have taken place Friday and Saturday, including a shootout on the road  between Jerez municipality and Fresnillo between an element of the Mexican Army and armed suspects.  According to a post on  its Facebook page, AccesoZac claimed dead bodies were left on the road.

Last Tuesday a Mexican Army drug raid took place in Nochistlan municipality where soldiers secured two methamphetamine drug laboratories seizing large quantities of precursor materials.

According to its Facebook posting, a Mexican Army unit two days later detained two municipal police agents for violations of Mexico's Firearms and Explosives Act.  The Mexican Army is charged with enforcing Mexico's federal gun laws.


Special thanks to our anonymous correspondent in Zacatecas for the data.
Borderland Beat reporter Chivis Martinez contributed to this report.



http://www.oem.com.mx/elsoldezacatecas/notas/n2934177.htm
http://ntrzacatecas.com/2013/04/02/asegura-policia-federal-bodega-de-armas-en-zacatecas/
http://ntrzacatecas.com/2013/04/01/detiene-pf-a-criminales-asegura-arsenal-y-droga/

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com

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Bloody Zacatecas: Fighting continues between Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel

UPDATED:  Mea Culpa Maxima for not including an acknowledgment of the anonymous sources in Zacatecas.

 Zacatecas top cop denies news reports of massacre

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A total of two individuals were shot to death in separate instances in Zacatecas state Saturday and Monday, according to Mexican news and anonymous correspondents.

However, La Jornada news daily has claimed that at least 14 individuals died the midnight gunfight which took place in Guadalupe municipality.

An anonymous correspondent in Guadalupe claimed that a small gunfight took place, also adding, "it is not uncommon to hear gunfire isolated colonies away from the center, but there is no official information or notes from the press on the matter."

According to a news account published in El Sol de Zacatecas news daily, a gunfight erupted between local Los Zetas and Gulf cartel gangs on midnight Saturday in Guadalupe municipality in Rincon Colonial colony near the intersection of Calzada Solidaridad and Vialidad San Simon.

Units with the Zacatecas state Policia Estatal Preventiva (PEP) while returning to base were diverted to the scene, but were fired on by an unknown number of armed suspects. The unit was forced to withdraw from the scene, but was ordered back in once the shooting stopped.

Police found one individual shot to death inside a pickup truck and two others nearby who surrendered to police.  A subsequent search turned up two other suspects who were also detained.

The gunshot victim was identified as Eduardo Ivan Hernandez Martinez, 23.  The three detainees were identified as Martin Gerardo Perez Campos, 19, Benjamin Muñoz Garcia, 27 and Mario Jonathan "N", 17.

Police secured two AK-47 rifles from the dead victim and one more from one of the detainees.  Police also seized four weapons magazines, 79 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and the vehicle.

The Zacatecas state Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP), General Jesus Pinto Ortiz  issued a press statement denying the La Jornada Monday report of a large massacre.

Mexican cartel shooters on both side sometimes make lavish use of the tactic of evacuating their dead and wounded  as a security measure.  Zacatecas state two months ago was the focus of a commitment by at least one publisher, Luis Enrique Mercado Sanchez -- former Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) deputy and publisher of Imagen and El Centinela -- to move news of shootings from the front page to other sections.  The reason given was not to give the idea to visitors that Zacatecas state was engulfed in drug and gang related violence.

An incident which took place in Mexico state last summer illustrates the extent to which drug gangs and government officials -- separately and for their own reasons -- attempt to color events.  In one municipality reportedly some 30 individuals were killed over a two day period, which Mexico state authorities deny, even in the face of contradicting accounts by local residents that a large number of killed and wounded were witnessed.

The Mexican federal government has made it very clear to the press that it will control how and when information will be presented, sometimes going as far as slow walking information to the press.  The federal government has legal requirements that it must publish information  relating to security matters, but apparently how that requirement is fulfilled is left open to question.

In a separate incident which took place Monday the owner of a gas station in Sombrerete municipality Monday.  According to a news report which appeared on the website of Zacatecas En Linea, Ramiro Murillo was shot three times, once in the head and left by his pickup truck.  The victim is the father of Cecilio Murillo, candidate for mayor by the Partido del Revolucionario Institucional (PRI).

Senor Murillo was reportedly kidnapped Sunday, but had failed to contact anyone before he was found dead.

In other news, gunfights have taken place in Zacatecas Sunday during a cultural festival, according to an anonymous correspondent.  Gunshots were heard  near Lomas de Bernardez.  No reports have been published on whether anyone was hurt in those incidents. 

Over the weekend Zacatecas city has been the site of a festival activities of which included use of fireworks.

According to the correspondent: "...there were fireworks [which] burned down a house in the center [from a] spark apparently from rockets, [during the] the shooting, so who knows if he had used the chaos between the fire, people, drums, concert and others. The shooting was not at the center. This time was concentrated [near the] security forces."

Special thanks to our anonymous sources for the comments and insights in Zacatecas

BorderlandBeat.com reporter Chivis Martinez contributed to this news account.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com

Sources:
http://zacatecasonline.com.mx/noticias/policia/29435-asesinan-empresario-cuerpo.html

http://zacatecasonline.com.mx/noticias/policia/29402-balacera-bandas-rivales.html

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Los Zetas' grip on Zacatecas slips as fighting shifts to the cities

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

An anonymous correspondent living in Zacatecas state says that last weekend's shootings and gunfights in Zacatecas municipality were the worst violence so far, and that armed confrontations between Los Zetas and their principle rivals the Sinaloa cartel has shifted to the cities.

Monday morning, two men were found shot to death in Zacatecas city, the capital of Zacatecas state.  News accounts posted on the websites of El Sol de Zacatecas and NTR Zacatecas simply reported the discovery of the victims on Calle Aldama  in Guadalupe colony of the city.

The victims were found dead aboard a Nissan Versa SUV.  They were identified as Martin Hilario Barajas, of Sain Alto, and Joel de Jesus Castro Miranda, from Fresnillo.

A 9mm pistol and an AK-47 rifle were found at the scene.

The anonymous source said that Monday morning's shooting was "not an isolated situation, there have been more smaller ones in different areas and several executions and shootings between police and cartel members lately.

"The shooting last night happened all around the city but it wasn't until 2-3 am that I heard them in the historic center; I heard it from home 2 long rafagas (bursts?) with a few minutes between them and later more but further away, this morning I read that 2 bodies had been found inside a car just by the laberinto downtown market."

Later that afternoon in Guadalupe municipality just southeast of Zacatecas municipality one armed suspect was killed and another was wounded in an encounter with municipal police agents near the village of Tacoaleche.  Police agents were dispatched to the scene on a report of a stolen vehicle and were fired on.

The news account of that incident reported on a separate article which appeared on the website of El Sol de Zacatecas said that a police helicopter was dispatched the the area along with a state police contingent.

"... sending even the helicopter seems to mean it was much more than some bad guys who had stolen a car."

The correspondent confirmed a separate helicopter overflight Monday morning in Zacatecas: "...there have been helicopters flying around up until a couple of hours ago."

The reporting in Zacatecas local press seem to treat the shooting deaths as isolated incident which the correspondent disputes:

"... it wasn't just your usual quickie 4 bullets and off we go."

"This is definitely not like Tamaulipas or  la comarca lagunera but it has become quite violent and very quickly as CDG/CDS (Gulf and Sinaloa cartels) started kicking out the zetas and the areas in dispute moved from the mountains to the main cities."

Two women were found tortured and beaten to death in Enrique Estrada municipality last Saturday.  The report which appeared in several Zacatecas news outlets reported the discovery, but  failed to report one salient fact:

"...they could be part of a group of women kidnapped the night before in Zacatecas while waiting to go to a concert," said the correspondent.

An uptick of violence appears to have started against women in Zacatecas state in the last 60 days.  Zacatecas Procuraduria General de Justicia del Estado or attorney general Arturo Nahle Garcia has so far dismissed any comparison to the mass killings of women that took place in Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua state, but which mysteriously ended two years ago.


Special Thanks to our Zacatecas correspondent for the updates

Borderland Beat reporter Chivis Martinez contributed to this story.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com

Sources:

http://ntrzacatecas.com/2013/03/18/dejan-dos-ejecutados-en-pleno-centro-de-zacatecas/
http://www.periodicomirador.com/noticias/2013/03/18/encuentran-dos-personas-ejecutadas-en-el-centro-de-zacatecas/
http://www.zacatecaswebnews.com/enfrentamiento-deja-dos-muertos-en-la-calle-aldama/ 

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Bloody Zacatecas: 11 die

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A total of 11 individuals have been killed in ongoing grug and gang related violence in Zacatecas state since Tuesday, according to Mexican news accounts.

A news report posted on the website of El Sol de Zacatecas news daily said that six individuals were found shot to death between the municipalities of Vetagrande and Morelos Thurday morning.

Locals reported the find to authorities after shots were heard around 0200 hrs.  The dead included four woman one man and one youth.  A number of the six had also been tortured.

According to a news item posted on yancuic.com, the youth was identified as Jorge Armando Moreno, 13.  According to the news report one of the females killed was Armando Moreno's mother, but that has not been confirmed and the identity of the others have not been disclosed.

Armando Moreno was detained and had allegedly confessed to three murders last February 4th, of ten which were alleged.  He was released only hours later.  Mexican law dictates youths under the age of 14 must be released.

Armando Moreno was detained by Policia Federal operatives February 3rd along with 14 others including eight from Guatemala.

Elsewhere one Zacatecas  one unidentified state ministerial police agent and one civilian were shot to death in an attack Tuesday night in Zacatecas municipality, the state capital of Zacatecas.

The victim was travelling with another police agent aboard an SUV around 2000 hrs on Bulevar Adolfo Lopez Mateos near the El Chaparral dance hall, when armed suspects intercepted the vehicle and opened fire.  Another unidentified civilian was shot to death in the crossfire.

The other police agent and another civilian were also wounded in the attack.

Two others were killed in drug and gang violence in Zacatecas.

• Monday evening, one municipal police agent was kidnapped and killed at a stakeout operation in Fresnillo muncipality.  The agent identified as Rodrigo Monsivais Sandoval, 27, was one of four police agents involved in the police operation in Zona CECYTEZ when armed suspects opened fire.  Rodrigo Monsivais Sandoval was kidnapped but almost immediately shot to death and left aboard  Toyota Tundra pickup truck.  Four other municipal police agents attempted to intervene.  Despite AK-47 rifle fire, none of the agents were wounded and apparently the armed group escaped aboard another vehicle.
• Wednesday morning a taxi cab driver and a female fare were shot to death in Zacatecas municipality.  The incident took place on Avenida Garcia Salinas.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com

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Mexican media executive denies censorship agreement with government

Luis Enrique Mercado Sanchez

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A Zacatecas state based newspaper executive denied Thursday that any agreement to "censor crime news" between him and the state government of Zacatecas had been signed, according to Mexican news accounts.

La Jornada news daily reported last Wednesday that Luis Enrique Mercado Sanchez had signed an agreement with Zacatecas governor Miguel Alonso Reyes that would reduce front page reporting of violent crime incidents in news media.

Gob. Alonso Reyes

Another media executive, identified as owner of local Zacatecas radio stations Estereo Plata and La Super G,  Juan Enriquez Rivera, has also signed the agreement, according to the report. Mercado Sanchez is CEO of two newspapers, Imagen and El Centinela, and is a former federal deputy with Partido Accion Nacional (PAN).

The agreement dubbed Por Nuestra Image  or For Our Image was characterized in the La Jornada article as an initiative intended stop prominent display of bloodshed in the front page of newspapers, or on electronic media.

The next day, however, Mercado Sanchez told Animal Politico  news that no such agreement existed that would stop the publication of crime news or photographs on his publications.

According to the translation Mercado Sanchez said, "The perception out there today is that Zacatecas is ruled by violence, and that's not true," adding, "We think that we as a newspaper (should) change that perception, and we therefore simply voluntarily announce that we will stop publishing sensationalist news on the front page."

"There is no agreement with the government of Zacatecas, nor have I signed any documents," said Mercado Sanchez, according to the translation.

A news account of the meeting of business executives which appeared on the website of NTR Zacatecas news daily last Monday, said that among the issues discussed was the image of Zacatecas as a violent state because of violent crime.  The initiative called for media businesses to change how crime news are reported in Zacatecas state so as to improve the public image of the state.

During that conference Mercado Sanchez told the panel that newspapers should refrain from displaying violent crime news on the front page and place the news in sections such as Police or Security "where it where belongs," he is quoted as saying.  He also noted a drop in violent crime in the state in year over year statistics.

Governor Alonso Reyes was in attendance and publicly endorsed the initiative.

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