tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072455330023233772024-02-07T06:10:25.893-08:00Armchair's Border WarStories From the Drug WarAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-79117385404448215662013-06-13T00:11:00.001-07:002014-04-03T11:13:56.018-07:00The Strange Death of Tom Gisby<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>By aci for Borderland Beat</b><br />
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The mall was busy and crowded. A man walked up to a counter and ordered a coffee, moments later he would be dead, the victim of a Mexican assassination. The victim was a prominent Canadian gangster by the name of Tom Gisby. The gunmen shot Tom twice at point blank range with a 44 magnum, he was dead before he hit the ground. There were two assassins, one managed to escaped into the crowds the other, captured. Tom, whose nickname was the Tank had come down to Mexico to lay low after a rival <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/30/thomas-gisby-b-c-gangster-gunned-down-in-mexico-feared-revenge-after-bacon-shooting/">firebombed </a>his motor home, Tom suffered minor burns from this attack.</div>
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Canada at that time was in the midst of a violent year as biker gangs killed one another over territory and revenge. The violence continued to escalate after the death of Jonathan Bacon, a man who was not so friendly with Tom. Tom was known to associate of several biker gangs and heavily involved in the trafficking of high grade marijuana known as Bubblegum. Tom had been in the business for over twenty years, certainly long enough to make a mistake. At the time of Tom's death he was said to be worth millions but the truth was Tom was low on funds. While Tom’s connections to the bikers were well known and documented, little was known about his connections to the Mexican Cartels, until now.</div>
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At the time of his death Tom was spending most of his days in Mexico to avoid the carnage being unleashed in Canada. He thought he was safe, too far to be touched. Vancouver was where Tom was based, he owned a garage which customized cars and trucks. This business was used to launder drug proceeds and construct hidden compartments in vehicles. These vehicles would later be used to hide drugs and money. Tom was liked by the the Mexicans, they respected him and considered him a professional and he was compared to the violent and unpredictable nature of the biker gangs. He once joked that Customs Agents at the airport knew him by name. They would smile and tell him, “Come here Tom, you know we have to look in your luggage.” Even though he was known to the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, they were unable to effectively put together a case against him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tom was responsible for the introduction of hundreds of kilos of cocaine to Canada. The drugs would come to Vancouver by airplane arriving at the Vancouver International Airport. This was accomplished by corrupting airport employees. The network was still intact and functioning at the time of Tom’s death. It was widely believed Tom was killed because he became indebted to the Fernandez Clan a powerful narco family almost invisible to law enforcement. Others have suggested Tom was assassinated by his rivals known as <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/01/thomas-gisby-money/">Dhak</a>-Duhre. Tom was one of six prominent Canadian gangster to die within the span of a few months but that is a very long reach for a localized organization. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> </span> </div>
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Tom’s connection to the Mexican Drug Cartels began with a man named Albert Fernandez Mario Ojeda, who also goes by the alias ‘El Gringo’. He was the son of Mario Fernandez Sr who goes by the name of ‘La Guajolota’. For those who do not know, the term guajolota refers to a tamale put in a bun, it's quite delicious. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Mario Fernandez Jr held two passports; one issued by the US and the other issued by Mexico. These allow Mario to easily travel between the US and Mexico. This is of logistical importance because the family is headquartered in San Diego. In San Diego the family owns a luxurious mansion where Maria Ojeda Felix lives. This mansion is said to have been bought with proceeds from drug money. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MY9yl6IUtHagCzXBNMp9JyBhzimmGjlClAb3lGYFMM6Q8qPGc90iEhYziXiMCyVkOLPaptPCIeH_GLeRSDLH_AVZzfPhmNRtqpr3yAFPcXefc1mKGjVtKV5wHpjmcLqzBO8Nz0oYfgUu/s1600/gringo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MY9yl6IUtHagCzXBNMp9JyBhzimmGjlClAb3lGYFMM6Q8qPGc90iEhYziXiMCyVkOLPaptPCIeH_GLeRSDLH_AVZzfPhmNRtqpr3yAFPcXefc1mKGjVtKV5wHpjmcLqzBO8Nz0oYfgUu/s320/gringo.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
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Maria Ojeda Felix plays an important role for the organization. Maria is the wife of Mario Fernandez Sr, she is also the mother of Mario Jr and Hans Christian. She handles all the proceeds from drug transactions and is responsible for sending cash back to Mexico. It is said she is both beautiful and elegant and very unassuming. Her husband resides in Guadalajara with Mario Fernandez and Hans Fernandez, though Mario also sometimes resides in San Diego.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hans Christian Fernandez Ojeda is the brother of Mario. He is in charge transporting the cocaine from Guadalajara to San Diego and Vancouver. The family is known to own several mansions and several small businesses in and around Guadalajara.</div>
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Mario Fernandez Sr is in charge of the transporting the cocaine from Panama to Mexico. He owns two cargo ships which he uses to smuggle the cocaine. In Panama, Mario has fostered a long standing relationship with several major traffickers who also help him launder some of his profits. </div>
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He is known to have been affiliated with Ignacio Coronel Villareal or "Nacho" and elements of the Beltran Leyva Organization. It remains rather unclear as to whether he operated independently or for these organizations. There is also speculation that Mario Fernandez Sr was connected to the Guadalajara Cartel which saw the height of it's power in the 1980's. It is interesting to note La <a href="http://www.lapoliticaeslapolitica.com/2012/04/hells-angels-outgunned-again-bc.html">Politica </a>has made several references about the connection between Guadalajara and Canadian drug traffickers.</div>
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The cocaine arrives on the cargo ships at Nuevo Vallarta. The city that borders the famous vacation destination Puerto Vallarta. The cocaine is then transported by truck to Benito Juárez International Airport. This is the main hub for Mexico City and is infamous for its corruption. It is said the Mexican Federal Police charge around 1,800 dollars US per kilo but it varies depending on how many kilos are sent or received, sometimes the price was higher. The kilos were then flown to Vancouver and unloaded by Tom’s boys. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Once the cocaine was sold and all the money was collected, Tom would then transport the cash either in cars of trucks. The money was hidden in special compartments and sent back to San Diego where Maria would make sure everything was correct. The money was then smuggled across the US border and then down the Pacific Coast to Guadalajara where Mario Sr would launder it. To date there have been no reports that the Fernandez Clan has been dismantled and no reason to believe they stopped trafficking narcotics. It is highly likely they are still in operation at this time.<br />
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And that is the story of Tom Gisby and his Mexican connections.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-61613683327814976732013-02-26T00:48:00.000-08:002013-02-26T01:00:37.950-08:00The Man Who Turned on Lazca<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9UE_ZyOMwB71KQFRScXNnRrD0mFOVs_5QrDORqPK1ckZUG_Z3v501DzZB-4tkcOIMcoTfJL0Ni3U7IhILUQ9cvy4c4dmtf0vcO8HHVavplJ8V4KElge6qxo-H2Nckz4gTDAwzx7Dtw8m/s1600/CLASSIFIEDDOCSOFPEDRO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9UE_ZyOMwB71KQFRScXNnRrD0mFOVs_5QrDORqPK1ckZUG_Z3v501DzZB-4tkcOIMcoTfJL0Ni3U7IhILUQ9cvy4c4dmtf0vcO8HHVavplJ8V4KElge6qxo-H2Nckz4gTDAwzx7Dtw8m/s400/CLASSIFIEDDOCSOFPEDRO.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></div>
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By ACI - Borderland Beat</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>In 2010 Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano was in San Luis Potosi,
Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His movements were being traced through a currupted Nextel number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only reason this is known is
because of a man named Pedro Vazquez Torres ' el perro' or the dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>El Perro was part of Heriberto Lazcano
Lazcano inner ring of security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
said he rarely ever left Lazcano’s side but on the day of his death El Perro
was absent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the accounts of what occurred
that day differ widely, the following is what is believed to be true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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On October 7, 2012, Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano was attending
a soccer game in the town of Progreso, Coahuila.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As Lazca was watching the game he had little clue as to what was taking
place around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A contingent of
Mexican Marines was moving in on Lazca’s location, surrounding the entire area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtNugPuFtYcg6zV0RS7q6lOcF61oB47u30zhZsVkgShsjbqoMPnXRdFegluQRolrhReGsJrACHrruGck2Whljs4COTZF7QX2JgZRO_IaohW8bHOhPUzm3u1DA6XA6TzS6Nknu204om_Pw/s1600/LAzca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtNugPuFtYcg6zV0RS7q6lOcF61oB47u30zhZsVkgShsjbqoMPnXRdFegluQRolrhReGsJrACHrruGck2Whljs4COTZF7QX2JgZRO_IaohW8bHOhPUzm3u1DA6XA6TzS6Nknu204om_Pw/s1600/LAzca.jpg" /></a>The Mexican Government claimed someone had called in a tip
about gunmen at a soccer game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has
been hard for many to believe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have
speculated that perhaps he was set up by Z-40, another powerful leader of the
group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I cannot say for certain, I
have confirmed what I believe is closest representation of the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lazca was turned in by his inner ring of security,
possibly with the green light from Los Zetas. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano was known to use several layers of
security at any given moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was supposed
to be alerted anytime anyone hostel was in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Military was moving anywhere in the
state Lazcano should have gotten a phone call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fact that Lazca was unaware of the military presence in the area
suggests every layer of his security failed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He fell in a hail of bullets not far from the soccer field, shot by elements of the Mexican Miltary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was killed with his lone body guard Mario Alberto Rodriguez Rodriguez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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There is very little information regarding Pedro Torres
Vazquez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the information
presented in this story comes from a confidential file created by Secretaría
de la Defensa Nacional or SEDENA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He became
part of Mexico’s notorious Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE) in
1999.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The GAFE is a branch of Mexico’s
Special Armed Forces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Los Zetas were
originally founded by a group of deserters who originated from GAFE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/03/proceso-expose-los-zetas-infiltrate.html"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Proceso</span></a> article mentioned his name
incorrectly but did state he also worked on communications for the
group.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano continued to favor those who had
been part of GAFE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many druglords turn to highly experienced
security professionals for protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is also not surprising that many of these professionals are ex-military.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These security professionals generally serve
as the inner ring of security, however have also tended to rise quickly within
the criminal organizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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E</span>mploying ex-GAFE member has been a long standing tradition
within Los Zetas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Lazcano’s boss
Osiel Cardenas of the Gulf Cartel who originally began the militarization of
the Mexican Cartels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A move he made out
of paranoia and fear for his own life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within Los Zetas the practice of recruitment continues to this day, though
not a prevalent as it has in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One particularly <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/01/despite-major-government-crackdown.html">bold</a> example of this was when Los Zetas
hung banners recruiting anyone with military experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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What is known: <o:p></o:p></div>
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•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>SEDENA
had a file on el Perro since at least 2010<o:p></o:p></div>
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•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In June
of 2010 DEA had a working Nextel number for Lazca</div>
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•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In June
2010 Lazca was in San Louis Potosi, the DEA was aware of this<o:p></o:p></div>
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•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lazca was
killed in October 7, 2012 under suspicious circumstances <o:p></o:p></div>
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•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>El Perro
was not with Lazca when he died<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-40690743564179020272013-01-23T11:23:00.007-08:002013-01-24T03:39:31.039-08:00An Asian Connection<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">ACI - Borderland Beat</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most who follow the drug war are familiar with the story of Zhenli Ye Gon, the china man whose house was filled with upwards of 300 million dollars. Some of the money was hidden throughout the walls, in file cabinets but most remember the now iconic image of a gigantic pile of cash in a corner room in his residence in Lomas de Chapultepec in Mexico City. He was the legal represented of Pharm Chem México, a position he used to traffic pseudoephedrine and ephedrine precursor chemicals for large scale production of methamphetamines. He was arrested in 2007 and even though his case was <a href="https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/214186.pdf">dismissed</a> in the US in 2009, he is still pending charges in Mexico. As of this writing Zhenli Ye Gon continues to be held in US custody. Zhenli Ye Gon is fighting extradition to Mexico.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What ever happened to the rest of his network? According to court documents we are led to believe that the man behind one of the largest pseudoephedrine networks in the world was only working with a handful people? More troubling still is that out of those found to be involved in Ye Gon's network many were found innocent after the prosecution failed to prove several "aspects" of the case. My favorite included the following: The prosecution did not identify weather the substance (methamphetamine) was a narcotic or psychotropic <a href="http://drug/">drug</a>.</span><br />
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There is no doubt that elements of this network continue trafficking pseudoephedrine and ephedrine precursor chemicals for a number of reasons. There have been numerous seizures since 2007; including a 15 ton seizure in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/world/americas/mexico-seizes-15-tons-of-methamphetamine.html">2012</a> which was the largest seizure in history. There has been an increase in the size and scope of these operations since Zhenli Ye Gon's downfall. With several cartels in Mexico heavily reliant on the proceeds from methamphetamine it is likely that Ye Gon's network of connections back in China would prove too valuable to merely let vanish. </div>
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Wong Ryu Hyo is a man few have heard of; he is thought to head what is left of Zhenli Ye Gon network in Mexico. His main base of operations is in Tepito; a rather famous slum in Mexico City. It is renowned for its open markets and fiercely proud people. The type of markets rife with pirated copies of Taylor Swift and 2Pac, knock off booze, stolen car engines and any other item which could be resold at bargain rates. It is said, "En <a href="http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/mobile/wikilink/?page=Tepito">Tepito</a> todo se vende menos la dignidad" or the only thing not for sale is our dignity.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXur9a2L70R1kn2LVByplCxuC0HBOvao99ZQJO66yzZZ4L-9jTNcHziF8jE2Rgsq83-W6asaC40kl0HVGrVa7-mcNIHHbof9B8DG1tuIrzNK7MsxIQ2eyWbvEAmK0ybwUMjOuHShX1_L-S/s1600/asian5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXur9a2L70R1kn2LVByplCxuC0HBOvao99ZQJO66yzZZ4L-9jTNcHziF8jE2Rgsq83-W6asaC40kl0HVGrVa7-mcNIHHbof9B8DG1tuIrzNK7MsxIQ2eyWbvEAmK0ybwUMjOuHShX1_L-S/s1600/asian5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXur9a2L70R1kn2LVByplCxuC0HBOvao99ZQJO66yzZZ4L-9jTNcHziF8jE2Rgsq83-W6asaC40kl0HVGrVa7-mcNIHHbof9B8DG1tuIrzNK7MsxIQ2eyWbvEAmK0ybwUMjOuHShX1_L-S/s1600/asian5.jpg" /></a>The streets are jammed with merchandise, leaving not an inch to spare. A constant chatter fills the market, the hum of people wheeling and dealing never stops. Stalls dart out in every direction and the people are everywhere. If you need something cheap and fast Tepito is the place to go and if you can't find it here then there is a good chance you will never find it. Most of the stalls are off the grid, part of Mexico's informal economy which accounts for <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/megacities/2011/04/07/informality-a-marker-of-opportunity/">1/3</a> of Mexico’s GDP by some estimates. It was back in the 1970’s that pirating knock offs took off in the area, now it sells more than simply pirated goods, it has become a place to find find anything. Literally anything.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3wVwPLzqAwV8B-PJqEawYt8D3l4ZRBPlylufAkozwJclssJ6nYZ6Ji1dCwJ-ITNgpVcyXwXaFyxYxJGMqgL7BaFdp_dr7OahCziG8MPF3nJXldLKJe4fhMnRqVIrRuRbq2RvNXQrjAVW/s1600/asian6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3wVwPLzqAwV8B-PJqEawYt8D3l4ZRBPlylufAkozwJclssJ6nYZ6Ji1dCwJ-ITNgpVcyXwXaFyxYxJGMqgL7BaFdp_dr7OahCziG8MPF3nJXldLKJe4fhMnRqVIrRuRbq2RvNXQrjAVW/s1600/asian6.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3wVwPLzqAwV8B-PJqEawYt8D3l4ZRBPlylufAkozwJclssJ6nYZ6Ji1dCwJ-ITNgpVcyXwXaFyxYxJGMqgL7BaFdp_dr7OahCziG8MPF3nJXldLKJe4fhMnRqVIrRuRbq2RvNXQrjAVW/s1600/asian6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Santa Muerte statues adorn many locations. There are many alters for her here. The market itself it said to be one of the oldest in Mexico and the resident here will let you know that. A place of pride, poverty, innovation and a bit of thievery all mixing together like pozolé. Along the narrow passage ways one may find an array of cooking dishes next to DVDs, right next to that an assortment of watches and childrens toys. A journalist reported that while he was there he was able to view a wide assortment weapons including hand grenades and in an odd but chilling display of exactly what’s for sale in Tepito; the reporter was offered a motorcycle and a handgun as a package deal. The more you buy, the greater the discount apparently. Strangely the reporter also said he was offered to rent the package, the seller told him that's what most do. In Central and South America motorcycle killings are common place. In addition the vendors bragged about some <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122731012987249265.html#slide/1">arms</a> that were procured from corrupt officials within the military.</div>
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<a href="http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepito">Tepito</a> is also home to large Korean population who have invested heavily in shops around the area. It is thought that as many as 2500 Korean businesses operate here. It was <o:p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122731012987249265.html#slide/1">this</a></o:p> characteristic that helped Tepito go from locally manufacturing pirated merchandise to becoming one of the largest importers of pirated merchandise in Mexico, therefore the world. It was through these relationships an even more lucrative market presented itself. The market for methamphetamine or to be more precise, the illegal importation of precursor chemicals used to make the drug. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wong Ryu Hyo is of both Korean and Chinese blood. An educated man, Ryu Hyo is fluent in several languages. He is not in the country legally even though he is well known in his barrio. He found a home within the Korean population of Tepito. He is one of the Triads main contacts in Mexico, thought to still be in charge of many shipments coming in from China. Some say he was actually the real power behind Zhenli Ye Gon.</div>
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He imports his chemicals from <o:p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiwu">Yiwu</a></o:p>, Zhejiang, China. Its a city of 1.2 million people known throughout the world for its own proclivity to manufacture counterfeit goods. It has recently become a major exporter precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of <a href="https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/214186.pdf">methamphetamine</a>. Eamonn Fingleton once said “The city of Yiwu functions as a sort of 'Wall Street' for the counterfeiting industry, providing a vast marketplace where 100,000 counterfeit products are openly traded and 2,000 metric tons of <o:p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yee_On">fake</a></o:p> products change hands daily.” </div>
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The chemicals arrive through a front company operated by a women referred to as Ms. Am Lam. The Chemicals at the Mexico City Airport and are unloaded under the watch of Lara Hermenegildo Lugo's people, then transferred to whomever ordered the shipment. The Asian TCO’s have little to nothing to do with the actual manufacture of methamphetamine; they simply provide Mexican TCO's with precursor chemicals and pirated goods. Many siezures have taken place in cities such as Mazalan and Boca Del Rio as oppsed to Mexico City which has seen relativley few. Cargo shipments are more widley used than aircraft due to there being less restrictions. It should also be noted that human trafficking also another major source of income for Asian TCO's operating within Mexico.</div>
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Lara Hermenegildo Lugo worked his way up through the system, holding many positions and <a href="http://ciudadanosenred.com.mx/node/6156">posts</a>. He became quite renown after successfully dismantling a kidnapping ring run by corrupt government officials. He was in charge of high priority cases involving drug dealing, car theft and kidnapping. He was promoted to a high position within the SSP after the successful dismantling of an infamous band of kidnappers. Lara Hermenegildo Lugo's father was the contact at the airport. It is often officials tasked with such responsibilities which Cartels treasure the most. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtRk-qsWc0lm4WeO6JaprDt-ihyphenhypheneHxN5xGHxQrQG6No2rxO7Fqb0rEMkfTbJxL5GOgQM966V5snPQQN24MdBoCT7w-J74iDWQm_56i4L3lB7mw1OxfrbrywS9HJLCsqmDJh2Kdz4Dln5S/s1600/asian11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtRk-qsWc0lm4WeO6JaprDt-ihyphenhypheneHxN5xGHxQrQG6No2rxO7Fqb0rEMkfTbJxL5GOgQM966V5snPQQN24MdBoCT7w-J74iDWQm_56i4L3lB7mw1OxfrbrywS9HJLCsqmDJh2Kdz4Dln5S/s1600/asian11.jpg" /></a>By most accounts this ring has operated without facing any real sustained pressure from the authorities, according to the information out there, they are ghosts. Zhenli Ye Gon may have been <o:p><a href="http://ciudadanosenred.com.mx/node/6156">arrested</a> </o:p>but the network is by all accounts very much in tact, still being able to bring large consignments of precursor chemicals into Mexico. Huang Wei Chen Jie was a money man for Wong Ryu Hyo. Some of his enforcers are Lee Young Gwang Suck, Han Heung Suck Shoi, Park Kang Hyo Sun.<br />
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</span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-19960010999395842722013-01-14T02:24:00.000-08:002013-01-14T03:10:35.467-08:00The 150 Million Dollar Seizure<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM33t_ToqLnk2Nh95J3YIUgh_CryHjFU9VFz0Z66GpQCnPQgUxpBCgzFHhtQndu97lTfmadTIgCkQQnTCS1bKzjl_jIOewld4IPGRQbkDMWe3SOvVqIIGLISKkKSBowUmbutizejtldbv/s1600/the+architech4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM33t_ToqLnk2Nh95J3YIUgh_CryHjFU9VFz0Z66GpQCnPQgUxpBCgzFHhtQndu97lTfmadTIgCkQQnTCS1bKzjl_jIOewld4IPGRQbkDMWe3SOvVqIIGLISKkKSBowUmbutizejtldbv/s1600/the+architech4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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By ACI - Borderland Beat</div>
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The year was 2007 and Mexico was in the process of ramping up its war against the cartels. A strange feeling overtook the nation as the drug war escalated further than anyone could have predicted. Most Americans never noticed the blood being spilled next door and few outside of the law enforcement remember the name Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza. There was event which did catch the media’s attention for a brief moment. Perhaps you can recall a plane which crashed into the Yucatan in Mexico. Authorities discovered inside the wreckage 3.7 tons of pure cocaine. This discovery,would turn into one of the largest cash seizures in history one hundred and fifty million dollars in all. </div>
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Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza had been in the game a long time; he entered into the world of drug trafficking back in the early eighties. He got his start working for Pablo Escobar and the Ochoa clan in Medellin, Colombia. He would regularly fly consignments out of the country to partners further north. He was quite successful at this venture and decided expanding was a good option, so slowly he began to build on his empire. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the late eighties and early nineties Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza had successfully relocated his operation to Mexico City. As the Medellin Cartel lost power and the Cali Cartel took over as the predominate traffickers in the region, Bermudez Suaza saw the shift in power and began working with the Cali Cartel. In Mexico he found that he was welcomed, his connections back home served him well. He was in a perfect position to play a pivotal <a href="http://tv.ibtimes.com/colombian-police-seize-15-million-worth-assets-linked-mexican-drug-lord-4063">role</a> within the international drug trade. He was to become a facilitator between one world and another. He for a time worked with the lord of the skies, Amado Carrillo Fuentes. Following the death of the lord of the skies, Bermudez Suaza began working with the federations as it was known then. </div>
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At the turn of the century Bermudez Suaza had become a key importer for the Sinaloa cartel. He was very useful to the organization. He wasn't just a facilitator between the Mexicans and Colombians but also an innovative smuggler. He is said to have received his nick name, the architect, because he pioneered the use of drug tunnels. Drug tunnels have become a highly effective way to crossing drugs over the border. Some say tunnels are responsible for the majority of the drugs making it through the border. It was this ingenuity and his ability to stay useful that Bermudez Suaza managed to survive in a game which allows for few mistakes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza's mistake came when Mexican authorities found his plane which had crashed into the jungles of the Yucatan. Authorities discovered along with the cocaine, recordings implicating Felipe Bermudez Duran, Bermudez Suaza’s son. At least this is what is <a href="http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/el-supernarco/117615-3" style="text-align: start;">believed</a>. What really happened is up for debate. Some claim the tape was fabricated and that until this point in time Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza was able to remain off the radar for the most part. The tape according to this alternative version of events were actually a cover for the informant working with authorities. It was actually through the work of a confidential informant that he was apprehended and his properties seized. As with all things Mexico the truth is buried in there somewhere. <br />
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His main contact for cocaine in Colombia was a man by the name of Olmedo Gomez Cruz, though he had many others. He was thought to have died in Colombia under unclear circumstances. Castro Jaramillo, Mejia Molina and Tobon Calle managed the trafficking side of the business. Aristizabal Mejia, Ramirez Duque and Pelaez Lopez operated front companies for Bermudez Suaza in Colombia. Luque Aguilera operated front companies based in Spain and Pablo Agustin Meouchi Saade managed front companies for Bermudez Suaza in Mexico. Andre Rodriguez Fernandez helped with logistics inside Mexico.<o:p></o:p></div>
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His organization notoriously sold drugs to war torn parts of Africa including the Congo and Sierra Leone destined to end up in the hands of warlords. These warlords would use the drugs to increase their hold over their soldiers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza was arrested in Mexico City in 2008. The Mexican Government was reluctant to extradite Bermudez Suaza to New York to face trail, waiting two years to extradite him. The Mexican government eventually capitulated and Bermudez Suaza was extradited to the United States June 15, 2010. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Through his years of smuggling Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza amassed a fortune. When it was all said and done more than 150 million <a href="http://www.theamla.com/messages.aspx?TopicID=484" style="text-align: start;">dollars</a> in drug proceeds would be seized and a major broker of cocaine to the Sinaloa Cartel would cease to be. Bermudez Suaza had managed to successfully navigate the treacherous path of an international drug trafficker for over two decades without being caught or killed, a success in the underground world of the cartels. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In most drug cases in Mexico the proceeds from illicit gains are rarely taken after a criminal goes to prison but in the case of Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza nearly all of his assets were accounted for. This is only possible if a launderer has began to work with the law enforcement. With that being said authorities seized 30 luxurious properties, 35 ranches, three airplanes and 76 commercial properties, among others. Also seized was a collection of 18 antique cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. </div>
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He was also the owner or part owner in the following businesses; Air Taxi Antioqueño Agroganadera Los Santos, Group Llanogrande in Rionegro, Diego Aristzabal M Y. Asociados LTDA, Ganareca S.A., Renta Liquida S.A.S., Luis B Mejia Asociados Y CIA LTDA., Fumagro S.A., Broker CMS el Agrario S.A., Bosques De Agua S.A.S., Roseville Investments S.A., Tremaine Corp., Gruopo Iruna S.A. De C.V., Industrailzadora Purecorn, S.A. De C.V., Grupo Jezinne, S.A. De C.V.. In addition he was also named in the US indictment of the Sinaloan Cartel so there is some overlap in regards to front companies. Several of these businesses are still active today.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-3462853251704626692012-12-07T17:00:00.000-08:002012-12-13T01:07:56.473-08:00Smoke Filled Rooms (part 2)<div>
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By ACI for Borderland Beat<br />
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For Part 1 click <a href="http://armchairsborderwars.blogspot.com/2012/12/smoke-filled-rooms-part-1.html">here</a><br />
For Ibarra story click <a href="http://armchairsborderwars.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html">here</a><br />
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Jack stared at the screen, some joke he thought. Jack had been living a good life after receiving his reward. He dismissed the email and went about his day. Jack was what some might call a con. He had an affectionate relationship with gambling. When he lived in New York he would often gamble at Israeli run parking lots, stacking cards, dealing from the bottom, fleecing the naive and proud. He knew people, he could read them, but that was of little help when reading email. Jack was also adapt at the slow con, which given his terrible anxiety, seems out of place. He never left a room with out some sorted collection of benzos to battle it. But that is a story for another time. <br />
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Ivan couldn't believe his predicament. The DEA fucked him. He wished he could kill every single one of them. Why did they do this to him? He did his fucking job, he raged, how dare they? He led them right to the bastard and they leave him with nothing. Fuck them he thought. He was counting on that money. They seized millions in assests and he’d planned on getting a piece, what the fuck happened? Those filthy, lying thieves took it all for themselves. Now he was fucked, leveraged to the hilt, it felt like the whole world was falling down around him. If he didn't get cash soon he would be in too deep to get out and he knew it. </div>
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One night while drinking beers and surfing the web he came across a website. It talked about a man who fought the Canadian reward system and won. As the buzz from the Modelo settled in, his anger stewed. Fuck the DEA, all they did was lie, cheat and steal from me, maybe Canada would be different? He didn't know this guy but he was desperate and a little drunk. This was one hell of a risk, he had no idea what would happen. As the beer bottles began to pile up, he sent an email. It was then he began talking to a man named Jack. <br />
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Ivan originally thought Jack was Canadian and that he could somehow help get Ivan a reward. He began by sending information on a man Ivan claimed was major player in Canada. Jack still thought he was dealing with some nutcase, he had no idea this man Ivan was in fact the man he claimed to be. But the emails persisted, after a while Jack began listening to Ivan with less skepticism. </div>
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Jack would learn that Ivan was part of a tangled web of connections, wealth, narcos and of course greed and betrayal. Ivan came from a well known and famously connected family. His grandfather was a high ranking associate of a previous President. A symbol of what is wrong in Mexico. He was what some “analysts” might call a kingmaker of druglords. But to say that isn't correct. He wielded less power than one would think. He simply met with people and talked to his friends, making deals over champagne and caviar. He would listen to any offer, and offers were rarely denied, the unlucky simply got screwed over. This is the game which is played. He was still a puppet to those beyond him but that wasn't the way he saw it. And even if he was he didn't care, ego blinds many men. </div>
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This story is more about a man who tired to play all sides, using his connections to broker deals. He claimed he was independent, working alone and that he would work for anyone willing to pay. He played for both the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas. This put him in the odd position of having more knowledge than one would think logical. Even more confounding was that he was able to live knowing such things. He was also courting the DEA, which made the game Ivan played appear even more foolish. <br />
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A man who could play all sides is a strange notion but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. For the less naive who actually know the way things work, it might not be as surprising. To Ivan this was the way of life and he was born for the role; one which is necessary to keep the machine running smoothly. </div>
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Ivan was like a broker for his politico clan, he sat down with anyone who had cash. In this game there are no allegiances, simply a constant bidding war which never ends. </div>
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But Ivan was growing tired of this game, it had been years of walking the tight rope. His connections afforded him with a lavish lifestyle. One he had always been very accustomed to. He lived the life that only those at the top enjoy; estates and ranches, cars and boats, girlfriends and wives. Its expensive to live such a life and money has a tendency to evaporates much faster than one would expect. As they say, the higher the high the scarier the fall and Ivan was affaid of the fall. The greatest fear a wealthy man has is that he will no longer be wealthy. And when your rich it only takes a few mistakes here, a bad narco investment there and your balls are in a vice. <br />
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That was Ivan’s problem, he became a little too exposed, made one too many mistakes. He thought this last job was going to be it for him. It should have left him enough money to solve all his problems. He never thought the DEA would just fuck him like this. Not after years of working with them, playing their little errand boy, taking all the risk. He felt helpless and enraged, a bitter and humiliating defeat at the hands of broken promises. He still never once thought that irony can be a comedic bitch. He just kept searching for another angle, some way out from this disaster the DEA caused. </div>
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As days turned to months more and more information was sent to Jack, Ivan began to tell more and more details about his life. The documents he sent detailed an entire ring of players. Important players, druglords and politicos, media mogels and even documents detailing the curruption of Garcia Luna Luna, a man known as the tip of Calderon's spear. These were things Jack knew very little about as Jack didn't follow the drug war. He had no clue as to the value of the information he was receiving. Jack certainly didn't know the value of Ivan. <br />
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Perhaps this was why Ivan felt so comfortable with Jack. As time progressed Ivan began to lower his guard around Jack, he was very candid and often spoke of his troubles. He spoke of the problems he was having with his wife. The troubles he was having with money. In a strange way Jack became a sort of confidant of Ivan's. Information that has left a visible mark on an invisible game. But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves….<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-3108376148550277722012-12-03T23:06:00.000-08:002012-12-12T02:00:43.283-08:00Smoke Filled Rooms (part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By ACI for Borderland Beat<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s no secret that the drug war is a dirty war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A war fought with deception, betrayal and lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in any war information is often the single most prized possession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This war is no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Informants may be the single most important asset the government possesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people are not angles; they are often narcos, killers or any range of unsavory and unpleasant characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They provide information for gain not for justice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Informants by their very nature are part of the mechanism the government is trying to defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the beginning of a series that illustrates the role one informant played in this ever evolving and ever changing war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following story is based on truth and it all started with an email.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Somewhere in Mexico<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He stared at his computer screen; watching the curser blink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all of his years doing this kind of work he never thought he would do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An unsettling feeling set in; a combination of fear, excitement and betrayal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The room was dark, the only light coming from the screen on the computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was set up in a corner of the room and it was ancient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fan inside made an awful humming sound, a small radio played music in the background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The room itself wasn’t big; maybe 10 by 12 feet, the walls were bare except for a picture of the Virgin Mary in the center of a wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The room had tiles floors, not much in the way of furniture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mattress on the floor was covered by mound of sheets and cloths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few religious candles lay on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the corner of the room was a small alter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A statue of Santa Muerte was at the center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was surrounded with little offerings, several candles, some pesos, and a few pictures of Jesus Malverde.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no need to guess his occupation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Papers littered the floors; boxes filled with files were everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many would kill for these files.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old beer cans overflowing with cigarettes butts covered the desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There he sat, staring through the smoke at the screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cursor continued to blink off and on the send button.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew once he sent this it would be final, it could not be undone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this information was worth money; a lot of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sat in his chair; smoke rose in front of his face, his wire rimmed glasses reflected what was on the screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ash on the end of his cigarette fell on to his lap, he wiped it away, and pondered what his next move was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was someone who could help, someone who knew what to do with information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was through his sister that he learned of a man, someone with the knowhow to take his information and convert it into money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was hesitant and scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wasn’t about doing the right thing; this was about money, pure and simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would try to tell himself he was righting his wrongs but he knew that was a lie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew the risk he was about to take, he knew that he was putting those around him in danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that thought the pit in his stomach grew and a bead of sweet ran down his brow, he wiped it away with his arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was this worth it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could this man be trusted?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trust means something else when your life is on the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought how most people take this granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sure did, he thought of the time when his girlfriend cheated on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A smirk came across his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those were the simpler times when misplaced trust ended in a broken heart not a death sentence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this was an entirely different game, one which his life hung in the balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this man wasn’t who he said he was he knew he was a dead man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He pressed the send button; there was no turning back now.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Somewhere in the US<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Jackk had lived quite the life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he told his life story no one would believe him, I didn’t at first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most would assume that he is some made up character in some crime novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the stuff movies are made of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His life has been a tangled web of coincidence and luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through a series of events he ended up being a CI or confidential informant for the FBI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The case would end up shaping Jack’s life and world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Jack was picked purely because he knew the people that surrounding the government’s target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The government thought Jack could get them access to a dangerous man on the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they were right; with Jacks assistance the government finally arrested a man they have been hunting for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a substantial reward being offered and Jack wanted his piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Jack</span> assumed as most would that upon the capture he would receive his reward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One might assume that a check would be sent out upon request, this however did not happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took years for the reward to pay out and it was though this experience that Jack learned how the system worked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jack had several articles written about his struggle to obtain the reward, he exposed a system few talk about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gained recognition for his struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then one day he received an email.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was from a man in Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The email simply stated; I know a man from Colombia who smuggles fifty tons of coke into the US regularly and I know where he is, regards Ivan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">To be continued.... </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-30482284564306105092012-08-20T20:11:00.000-07:002012-08-20T20:11:14.446-07:00Ghosts from the Past<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By ACI for Borderland Beat</span></b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6o7q2Qd6qIRi40GM01WbJqrOtka6g98IQivyjz1Lz7QDXMNA-BmbdS80HYny6KbvfiFLiLppZtki5XJ8D9-GLGml-KE7QfeI61WcLU-2jKPymrCu88buXSa-1kqrudk7tNzJN4PcQXyo/s1600/1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6o7q2Qd6qIRi40GM01WbJqrOtka6g98IQivyjz1Lz7QDXMNA-BmbdS80HYny6KbvfiFLiLppZtki5XJ8D9-GLGml-KE7QfeI61WcLU-2jKPymrCu88buXSa-1kqrudk7tNzJN4PcQXyo/s1600/1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jorge
Miguel Aldana Ibarra, a man who is currently wanted by the DEA for his
alleged participation in the torture and murder of Kiki Camarena is a
free man in Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aldana Ibarra was linked to the crime by several witnesses that were also convicted in Kiki's death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But before we reveal what he has been up recently, a little history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story of Kiki Camarena has been told many times. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been regarded as a major escalation in the war on drugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzEQzelfv25FWanuKKlZt9auKb01fidgmxVQl3UEef8iUSu395t7oM_UKRoMVf3pBL9MYc0bhauvidfE8ZFwKQiDgf2tZK8J1TPNpVlSxGmepUK281Bh0jGejH7JI_HTTpetfXcKMFMCn/s1600/8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzEQzelfv25FWanuKKlZt9auKb01fidgmxVQl3UEef8iUSu395t7oM_UKRoMVf3pBL9MYc0bhauvidfE8ZFwKQiDgf2tZK8J1TPNpVlSxGmepUK281Bh0jGejH7JI_HTTpetfXcKMFMCn/s1600/8.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This is an excerpt from a piece I wrote some time ago that gives some background on <a href="http://armchairsborderwars.blogspot.com/2012/06/mexicos-cartels-and-how-it-got-to-this.html">Kiki</a>.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Enrique Camarena, an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency began working in Guadalajara in 1981.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His goal was to find out how powerful the Guadalajara Cartel had become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time he was only one of a handful of agents working within Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spent years infiltrating the Guadalajara Cartel for the DEA and had built close ties to El Padrino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was going according to plan until the betrayal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Miguel
reacted and had Enrique kidnapped, tortured then killed, to serve as a
warning to any who might want to disrupt cartel business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blow back was historic; the United States began the largest murder investigation in its history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did not take long before Miguel was identified as a target of interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The United States put an enormous amount of pressure on the Mexican Government to apprehend Miguel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would take the authorities 5 more years before they would be able to secure his arrest in 1989.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While this tells of how Kiki betrayed the powers that be, there is much more to this story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BB
has received numerous documents detailing the kidnapping and torture of
Kiki. The people who were present might surprise most who are not
familiar with the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those involved was Jorge Miguel Aldana Ibarra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jorge Miguel Aldana Ibarra has a long history with drug traffickers, dating all the way back to the Guadalajara Cartel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He once held the coveted position as the head of <a href="http://www.informativoweb.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=3451">INTERPOL</a> in Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He led the greatly promoted “Operation Pacific,” which targeted 114 gangs and six thousand suspects. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Authorities
seized over 11 tons of narcotics and an arsenal of thousands of
high-powered weapons. It was promoted as one of the greatest blows
against organized crime at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was thought to be incorruptible; it’s amazing how wrong this assumption was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This is an actual <a href="http://www.reneverdugo.org/pdf/Related%20Matters/FBI/FBI%20Reporte%20Sobre%20Sara%20Cossio.pdf">memo</a> by Special Agent Arthur Werge detailing the kidnapping, torture and murder of Kiki: </b></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(XXXXXXXXXXXXXX) AVW: bbb</span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On September 9, 1992, (XXXXXXX) provided the following information:</span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
DEA agent Camarena, was kidnapped for his relationship with Sarah
Cossio, a mistress of Rafael Caro Quintero, with the initial intention
simply to "heat him up" and teach him a lesson. Camarena was, indeed,
severely beaten and tortured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, Javier Garcia, also known as the little chief, gave the order to kill him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Camarena
was taken in a gray van to the ranch of Emilio Caro Quintero, current
located on the grounds of La Primavera, where he was buried in one of
the animal pens on the ranch. The special pen was on the left side of
the entrance to the ranch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was buried there by RAMON COSSIO OF MORA, "El Guero" Velasco, and (first name unknown) RIVERA RODRIGUEZ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
he was buried alive in Caro Emilio's ranch Quintero, the body was moved
to another ranch, El Mareno, a helicopter owned by the Attorney General
transported the body. All recordings of the interrogation and torture
of Camarena were recorded by MAGDALENA SANTILLAN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Statements were given to <b>Miguel Aldana Ibarra</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According
to source, NDP Alcaraz, a Mexican man who runs gambling operations in
Guadalajara, Mexico has the actual possession of these recordings.</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(XXXXXXXXXXXXXX)</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> AVW: bbb</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In March <a href="http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=277766">1985</a>
Newsweek accused Jorge Miguel Aldana Ibarra, then director of
Interpol-Mexico, of protecting a Honduran drug trafficker who was being
pursued for Camarena’s death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aldana Ibarra is said to have delayed his <a href="http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=48073">detention</a> while the man stayed in a hotel in Mexico City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The PRG also reported that Aldana Ibarra <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/mexico/readings/lupsha.html">protected</a> Caro Quintero, Jaime Figueroa Soto and other traffickers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
also reported that Aldana Ibarra was there during a meeting of both
government and cartel heavy hitters who were discussing options for
dealing with the DEA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was at this meeting which they decided that they had to send the DEA a message. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkTCNiQJuHMiZixeg3tGm1A4BttuRRjq7dtBiSqtOrAi98qrWCRQg9vJNxBE4jMZC3G35MApmjn1Sv7G7PO2yx8TB3rLGoIi6BhA448eNgcoEJo4SkKHJw0cyUgNPIFKlIuGsaYHrusek/s1600/2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkTCNiQJuHMiZixeg3tGm1A4BttuRRjq7dtBiSqtOrAi98qrWCRQg9vJNxBE4jMZC3G35MApmjn1Sv7G7PO2yx8TB3rLGoIi6BhA448eNgcoEJo4SkKHJw0cyUgNPIFKlIuGsaYHrusek/s1600/2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What make this even worse is that there have been several claims that he was an actual participant in <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-10/local/me-2364_1_ranking-mexican">Kiki's</a> death. He has been charged with this offense in the United States. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
have been several witness accounts which not only implicate Aldana
Ibarra in covering up the torture and killing but also place him at the
scene, some going as far as to say he participated in the torture. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He was arrested in Mexico in <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-01/news/mn-2466_1_mexico-city">1990</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at
his home in Cuernavaca, 51 miles southeast of Mexico City. Agents
confiscated 2.2 pounds of pure cocaine, six automatic rifles and several
rounds of ammunition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His extradition to the United States never happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was later released and has been walking around Mexico a free man, our source claims he is untouchable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The indictment of both Aldana Ibarra and his cousin Ibarra Herrera caused quite a strain on US Mexican <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/16/world/physician-from-mexico-arrested-in-85-slaying-of-us-drug.html">relations</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was an enormous amount of pressure from the United States to extradite these people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems however that wasn’t enough; neither lives in fear of extradition to the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mexican authorities have even released a statement saying that they will not pursue criminal charges against the two. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The crimes he is charged with in the United States are as <a href="http://www.justice.gov/dea/fugitives/la/aldana.htm">follows</a>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Conspiracy to Commit Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Conspiracy To Kidnap a Federal Agent </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kidnapping of a Federal Agent </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Felony Murder of a Federal Agent </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aiding and Abetting </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Accessory After the Fact</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.justice.gov/dea/fugitives/la/aldana.htm"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.justice.gov/dea/fugitives/la/aldana.htm</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is a link to his indictment:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.reneverdugo.org/pdf/Pleadings/Superseding%20Indictments/6th%20Superseding%20Indictment.pdf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.reneverdugo.org/pdf/Pleadings/Superseding%20Indictments/6th%20Superseding%20Indictment.pdf</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ERlgjJMY3LSpEHRxI3-MIZ4np5yp2JTlXH8v9LEJw08mmt8aOwKupsVGbh0jWNRSe6CWmP_5TMPCuMyrEiXhqNLrTrMaJ8xNrtrFqLhflaxDxiMqFLGXr-joqUitEE81WMBpYDvJ2fv/s1600/6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ERlgjJMY3LSpEHRxI3-MIZ4np5yp2JTlXH8v9LEJw08mmt8aOwKupsVGbh0jWNRSe6CWmP_5TMPCuMyrEiXhqNLrTrMaJ8xNrtrFqLhflaxDxiMqFLGXr-joqUitEE81WMBpYDvJ2fv/s1600/6.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aldana Ibarra has been quite busy since becoming a free man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has started his own law firm called Corporativo J.M. Aldana I & Asociados.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
represents many people connected with organized crime. He also
purchased the newspaper Excelsior which reportedly cost 150 million
dollars to acquire.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzTIXXkqF4njB4GS3FtcAG_thaHLjkaUREz-ACafqmQEI_1JiVrwgJVCoqNEGTT6fTyVuGB-i2IIv7s6S4_4X6Gy7eerGgf3ay1khw4jJmG3aVZhqX1L2MoMKGHS3mLKGvhCdihZpAFo6/s1600/7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzTIXXkqF4njB4GS3FtcAG_thaHLjkaUREz-ACafqmQEI_1JiVrwgJVCoqNEGTT6fTyVuGB-i2IIv7s6S4_4X6Gy7eerGgf3ay1khw4jJmG3aVZhqX1L2MoMKGHS3mLKGvhCdihZpAFo6/s1600/7.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As if to add insult to injury, Aldana Ibarra started a <a href="http://www.oportunidadesdenegocios.com.mx/texto.asp?id_noticia=6796595">NGO</a> named Confederación Nacional de Seguridad y Justicia (CONASEJU), or National Confederation of Security and Justice of Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This organization has held several marches with the association of famed poet Javier Sicily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aldana Ibarra has also held many talks with government officials regarding the strategies of Garcia Luna and Calderon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is quite striking considering he is wanted in the US for murder and kidnapping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
for those who may think Aldana Ibarra has changed his life for the
better, he was recently involved in a violent incident in <a href="http://www.tolucanoticias.com/2011/03/exdirector-de-interpol-mexico-herido-en.html">2011</a> while at a strip club. Armed men burst through the front door assulting many patrons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and his son were both injured and the culprits were arrested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIDuopdNxWPD87Wfj4vacvx_ptR44PfCzEAXNgXfkX5hj2l-Ykza9J69s7La9vvf02eb_xBtnF7GTtzNNpUZfxzpmby3O2qkDYfWOvdfbb-aPvHcZndUgwjXFuKazZHW04nCqLCDdY6JO/s1600/5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIDuopdNxWPD87Wfj4vacvx_ptR44PfCzEAXNgXfkX5hj2l-Ykza9J69s7La9vvf02eb_xBtnF7GTtzNNpUZfxzpmby3O2qkDYfWOvdfbb-aPvHcZndUgwjXFuKazZHW04nCqLCDdY6JO/s1600/5.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A
Borderland Beat source has also obtained Aldana Ibarra home address,
personal telephone numbers as well as the vehicles he drives, their
license plates numbers and the names of his security team. We even have information on the guns they use, which are illegal I might add.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">According
to our source, the DEA in Mexico and several DEA offices in the US have
been notified of this information, their response to this new
information, “he is untouchable for reasons which cannot be discussed.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would not elaborate on this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Borderland Beat has received numerous emails which point to larger forces protecting the pair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
chance is there for Mexico when people like Aldana Ibarra are allowed
to not only walk free, but to play the role of savior and defender of
innocents? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cannot verify
why law enforcement are unable to act on the information presented. It
is clear however from the information we have received that there is
great reluctance on the part of the DEA to pursue the information
further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We leave the rest up to speculation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks go out to our anonymous source for bringing this story to our attention. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-91890976382542787662012-07-28T13:09:00.001-07:002012-07-31T02:19:35.137-07:00The Gang that Took on Chapo: Los Mazatlecos<b>By ACI for Borderland Beat</b><br />
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There has been a lot of talk of Choix and Northern Sinaloa lately. Currently the area is at the center of the cartel wars. With gun battles raging, mass exodus of civilians from their homes, the area harkens back to towns such as Meir or Saric. Ghost towns, whose residents had to flee for fear of death; those who haven’t left yet stay inside, only venturing out if necessity. Abandoned homes dot the landscape, homes which had been passed down generation after generation, inhabited now only by ghost of the past. Gunmen roam the hills, these men bring the devil with them. Those who have left, leave behind their culture, their history, their lives, everything they knew. America doesn't like these stories, it shocks most who become aware. As this nightmare continues the people of the Sierras can only watch as the outlaws battle it out, with federal forces in the middle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2O7vMD7YCLwQPS2scQvgRz7aBt3GNh-QtmxThsaaYMO4VLJOGejyKjq_1i161kiO19P-1vXTyB2mQLy5iL_A-qcTfq-CAD2XL6iY6sb7EU6HNzsD73SMwCD5tm6wZMw07D6eogx_a_vf/s1600/7.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2O7vMD7YCLwQPS2scQvgRz7aBt3GNh-QtmxThsaaYMO4VLJOGejyKjq_1i161kiO19P-1vXTyB2mQLy5iL_A-qcTfq-CAD2XL6iY6sb7EU6HNzsD73SMwCD5tm6wZMw07D6eogx_a_vf/s1600/7.png" /></a></div>
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The man thought to be at the center of it all, is Chapo Isidro, he has been a character of interest for some time now. Many wish to know how one man has been able to bring so much hell upon the Sinaloan Cartel. The answer is not as simple as one would think, its a complex tapestry of what remains of the Beltran-Levya Organization. Many of the leaders of los mazatlecos have been killed or arrested recently. It is not yet clear how the group may recover from these loses but because they work closely with los zetas, it is difficult to discount this group. So the question is who are the Mazatlecos? </div>
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Los mazatlecos are one of the largest groups working under the Beltran-Levya umbrella. Los mazatleco’s took their name from their place of origin, Mazatlan, located on the southern coast of Sinaloa. The city has long been prized by traffickers for its geographic location and its thriving port. Mazatlan is one of busiest ports in Mexico. Los Mazatlecos were at the direct service of El Mochomo before his arrest in 2008. Since his arrest it is believed their loyalties have shifted to that of Hector Beltran-Levya. The groups influence stretches from Sinaloa to the state of Nayarit and could be considered the largest and strongest cell operating under the Beltran Levyas as well as one of its last.</div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ6IR1u5a2k2X5ggm6k4lKI3rdWSSeMWxqZod9JSVcBVF1Ti1B3" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ6IR1u5a2k2X5ggm6k4lKI3rdWSSeMWxqZod9JSVcBVF1Ti1B3" /></a></div>
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The mazatlecos leaderships came to light after the arrest of one of its patriarchs <span lang="EN">Geovany Lizarraga Ontiveros, who was arrested in Los Mochis in May of 2011. The group attempted a daring rescue but failed and were repelled by elements of the military. </span></div>
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Marcos Lizarraga Ontiveros the brother of Geovany was also arrested in May. <span lang="EN">Geovany Lizarraga Ontiveros was thought to have given him control over distribution for the entire state of Sinaloa for the Beltran-Levya Organization. He was taken to Mexico City to be tried for connection to organized crime and distribution of drugs. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Since this time much has happened to the group and its ability to operate. Fighting has been long standing since since 2008 when the federation split. Recently though, violence has become a full fledged battle for control of the lucrative drug producing area known as “The Golden Triangle.” </span></div>
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The following people are part of Chapo Isidro's network.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpDxc88ZHSMTW4lGAer-44lRCYGZOogG4aZSI0wDyDEOzOsDj12ceprZCGgVBlDnZ7hRqnmzew9rMjKBpaX3urF6s7v4A5h1u9IYyrRyYFPz3fWxauEASRBXhQuhG2cXgI9n8YvPw1jwL/s1600/1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpDxc88ZHSMTW4lGAer-44lRCYGZOogG4aZSI0wDyDEOzOsDj12ceprZCGgVBlDnZ7hRqnmzew9rMjKBpaX3urF6s7v4A5h1u9IYyrRyYFPz3fWxauEASRBXhQuhG2cXgI9n8YvPw1jwL/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Gonzalez Penuelas <a href="http://www.msemanal.com/node/2009">Jesus</a> or “El Chuy” Gonzalez is thought to have taken part in the fighting that has been raging in Northern Sinaloa. There was a rumor that he may have been killed in the fighting but there has been no official confirmation to substantiate this claim. It is thought he took over the Batamote plaza after the arrest of Jose Luis Lizarraga Ontiveros Juan Manuel. He is said to control distribution in the area of Batamote, working very closely with Chapo Isidro. He was there with Chapo Isidro at the shoot out at Saric with El Gilo and his men. El Chuy and El Nacho Gonzalez were feared through out the area for for killing and torturing many Sinaloan gunmen by their own hands. </div>
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<span lang="EN">Patron Sanchez Juan Francisco or “El <a href="http://www.noticiaspv.com/archivo/91180"><span style="color: blue;">H2</span></a>” controlled a cell of Los Mazatlecos in the state Nayarit. Juan Francisco is one of the most feared and respected lieutenants working under Chapo Isidro. He was revered by those who knew him, he earned the respect of Hector Beltran-Levya quickly. He was most infamous for his attack against a group of gunmen at the disposal of the Sinaloa Cartel. The attack which was a cleverly executed ambush which destroyed a convoy of well armed, Sinaloan gunmen, leaving some 25 dead Sinaloans dead. He lost four men, the message was clear, El H2 was a man who knew what he was doing. The operation was a humiliating defeat for Chapo Guzman and Mayo Zambada and displayed los mazatlecos as fearless and ruthless as ever, some of the most feared sicarios in Mexico. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">He was thought to have died in a gun battle off federal highway 15, near Tepic, a city he had waged a war to obtain, against Roger Armando Lopez Magellan throughout 2010 and 2011. While rumors persist, it is likely he is still very much alive since there has been no official confirmation of his death. If he did in fact die his brother was thought to have been the one next in line to replace him. His brother Jesus Ricardo Sanchez was arrested in the city of</span><a href="http://cronicanayarita.com.mx/?p=2402"><span lang="EN"> Tepic</span></a><span lang="EN"> on July 24, 2012.</span></div>
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Carlos Fernando Romero Bakir was the head of Isidro sicarios until his arrest in July 2011. He is one of the few of this group to post numerous photos of himself on the internet. He was a trained killer responsible for the deaths of numerous law enforcement officials and rivals. He is also held responsible for the deaths of two innocent girls from Los Mochis. He was arrested in 2009 on weapons charges but was strangely released from prison in 2010. He was rearrested in July 2011. </div>
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Osuna Sanchez Juan Pablo or El 100 was part of the cell out of Los Mochis. He was recently involved in the fighting that has been taking place in Choix. He and his group of gunmen set up an ambush for the federal authorities on a road leading from Tetamboca to Feurte. They set up camp at the top of a hill and waited for their chance to strike. When they attacked the police phoned in for backup, a chopper which was in the area came to their aid, the gunmen also fired upon the chopper. Juan Pablo and his men killed seven police and wounded another ten before the shooting stopped. When it was all over Juan Pablo was dead with a bullet to his <a href="http://www.debate.com.mx/eldebate/Articulos/ArticuloGeneral.asp?IdArt=12247635&IdCat=6112">head.</a></div>
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Pachero Samaniego Jesús Miguel “El Pecas” also a top leader of a cell out of the <a href="http://www.debate.com.mx/eldebate/Articulos/ArticuloPrimera.asp?IdArt=11081786&IdCat=6112"><span style="color: blue;">city </span></a>of Los Mochis was arrested in Ahome. Many in town feared retaliation from the<span lang="EN"><a href="http://www.eldiariodelosmochis.com.mx/movil/publicacion.php?id=24806"><span style="color: blue;"> group</span></a></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>since it has garnered the reputation for brazen rescue attempts and mayhem. He was arrested on weapons charges and then was sent to Mexico City to await further charges related to drug taffiking and sales in collusion with los mazatlecos. He was the most sought after of the group immediately after the arrest of his boss <span lang="EN">Geovany Lizarraga Ontiveros, at least according to the authorities. </span></div>
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Samuel Lizarraga Ontiveros ''El Tortillero'' is considered the groups leader along with Chapo Isidro. He controls much of Mazatlan and is the patriarch of the clan since <span lang="EN">Geovany Lizarraga Ontiveros arrest.</span> He is thought to hold significant power over both local and state officials in the coastal city. </div>
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<span lang="ES-MX">Avalos Sanchez Jose Saba El </span>Guero<span lang="ES-MX">-Saba Works directly under Samuel Lizarraga Ontiveros ''El Tortillero'' in Mazatlan. </span>He is considered the top enforcer for El Tortillero. </div>
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While the group has sustained many casualties in the current struggle for northern Sinaloa, one can not discount them. They are fearless, they are rough and even upon capture the chance for a violent backlash is great. Los mazatlecos have defied those who discounted them and have lifted the Beltran-Levya Organization from the ashes. Without the backing of los mazatlecos, Hector Beltran-Levya would have most likely lost his war with la Barbie. With los mazatlecos in Sinaloa and <span lang="EN">Nayarit, and what remains of los gilos in Sonora, los zetas have gained a foothold in their enemy’s home turf. While los zetas are being bombarded by federal and military forces, Chapo’s biggest fear may not be the government but the remnants of the once thought to be washed up Beltran-Leyvas. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-22232178355181711682012-07-16T08:25:00.000-07:002012-07-16T08:25:17.474-07:00Narco Convoys: Power in Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqu08K_7LmkikAnwLHRY5Rcnp_h6ey01TcxID2_Dpgr6fR6ZGQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqu08K_7LmkikAnwLHRY5Rcnp_h6ey01TcxID2_Dpgr6fR6ZGQ" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>By ACI for Borderland Beat</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They moved in on the small town of Creel in the early hours
of March 15, 2010. A convoy of three luxury
SUV’s pull off one of the main drags.
Through tinted windows gunmen filled the cabs. They pulled over to a stop. Many jumped out guns at the ready; they
converged around the capo, Enrique Lopez Acosta, alias El Cumbias. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
men wait, snorting lines of cocaine, more trucks arrive
and more gunmen step out. They converge
and several gunmen block off access to the town. They set up
roadblocks, each of the trucks
that block the road have lights which mimic police vehicles. There must
be at least forty or fifty gunmen. A man and his truck approach the
check point,
he is pulled out and thrown against his vehicle and patted down, the man
is later allowed to turn
around and leave the way he came.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the sun rises in the sky a large group of gunmen run
towards what appears to be a very large house.
Sources claim this to be the mayor’s house, one of the biggest in
town. It is thought the occupants were involved
in La Linea. The gunmen fan out overtaking the
property. Several of the gunmen approached
the front of the house; they kicked down doors and shot through windows. After they killed who they came for
they run back toward the street filled with trucks and gunmen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A
SUV pulls up to the check point, several other gunmen run
up, they fire into the SUV. Several shooters
get in the vehicle and move the bodies out of the way. One of the
gunmen commandeers the vehicle and drives out of town with the rest of
the convoy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This video shows how small town are most vulnerable to
cartel violence simply because they are outnumbered and outgunned. The
video cameras were installed because of a massacre of 13 people that had just occurred.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lopez Acosta ran a cell of Gente Nueva in the state of Chihuahua. He worked directly with Noel “El Falco”
Salgueiro who at the time was the man behind much of the violence in Juarez. La Gente Nueva is a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel;
they operated mostly out of Chihuahua however have now branched out and operate
in several states within Mexico, including Veracruz, Durango and Guerrero. Most of the original members of this faction
were former Juarez Cartel members, who defected to Sinaloa. Greed lead many to wage war against “Viceroy”
Carrillo Fuentes and his sicarios, La Linea.
To date at least 3000 people have died in the conflict between the two cartels. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuu7F-4RMzLhdm0RhkkiZQmZzRmyd41yExmOU74ui1t-R2n6lvxQ" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuu7F-4RMzLhdm0RhkkiZQmZzRmyd41yExmOU74ui1t-R2n6lvxQ" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"El Falco"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lopez Acosta was arrested in December 2010 at his lavish
home in Delicias, Chihuahua where he was having a celebration. In the operation he was wounded, and his
brother killed. Noel Salgueiro was said
to have been at the party but was able to escape prior to the Mexican Armies
arrival. Salgueiro was eventually
arrested in October of 2011. He was
arrested in Culiacan, alone and without incident; many believed he was turned
over by Chapo because he had caused too many problems. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This
video shows a convoy of Zetas in San Fernando. This has been site of
several of the worst atrocities
of the cartel wars. This is where 72
migrants were massacred at a ranch because they refused to join the
organization. This is also the location
of several mass graves which totaled more than 200 bodies. It was said
the Zetas roamed the streets freely, forcing many locals to abandon
their town due to the lack of security. In the following video a convoy
can be seen traveling throughout the town unabated till some sort of
confrontation ensues. This was before either atrocity occurred, after
both incidents the town was swarmed by Federal Troops and order was
briefly restored. The Mexican Government is now building a permanent
military base
outside of the town in an attempt to wrench the area back from Los
Zetas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
smaller communities are not the only places vulnerable
to convoys, in the town of Apatzingan, which has a population of 115,000
people, and is the home base of the Caballeros Templarios a convoy of
fifty
trucks can be seen driving through the town.
The video which is from May 2011 is incredible, as gunmen drive by
onlookers
wave and cheer on the convoy as it passes. You can clearly see the
Knights Templar logo on several of the trucks as well as many being
equipped with lights to resemble the authorities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In another video, one made famous on YouTube, a convoy is
seen in Valle Hermoso which is in the state of Tamaulipas. The dramatic footage, which shows gunmen
blocking off roads, protecting a convoy as it makes its way through town, is
simply riveting. This powerful footage
which clearly shows gunmen crouched down, firing their weapons at some unknown
adversary as a large convoy of Narcos speeds by. The video has become a symbol of what has
happened to Mexico. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In
another yet another video this time in Nueva Laredo, a Zeta
convoy get caught up in a shootout with the military, several vehicles
are seen
disabled as civilians try their best to find cover. The video last for
almost ten minutes and
clearly shows why attacking a convoy of gunmen is highly risky for both
the military and the civilian population. The battles often last for
hours, and are especially dangerous in densely populated areas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These shocking scenes seems as though they fit the dynamic of
an insurgency or low intensity war, rather than that of criminals. One can see how entire police forces could be
intimidated, how entire communities are held hostage and how difficult it is
for the Mexican Military to deal with the problem. The cartels today more resemble the
Colombian cartels of old. They operate
in the open, highly organized, well-funded and equipped to do battle not only
with rivals but the government as well. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-70174495075685339202012-07-09T23:29:00.000-07:002012-07-09T23:29:00.927-07:00Chapo Isidro: A History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> By ACI for Borderland Beat</b><br />
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Of all of the narcos roaming freely around <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico</place></country-region> few bring to mind the outlaws of old more so than Chapo Isidro Meza Flores. From the mountains, he and his band control one of the last hold outs of the Beltran Levya Cartel in Sinaloa. He controls most of the ranches and farms which produce significant quantities of both opium and marijuana for the Beltran Levya/Zeta alliance. His base of operations is in Guasave and surrounding villages, and is, and has become one of the most important lieutenants of Hector Beltran Levya, the last of the brothers who has avoided both death and capture. There was a recent shift in power however when one of his top men Adelmo "EL Lemo" Nuñez , betrayed him and went to work for Chapo Guzman. That's when all hell broke loose, the battle still rages as we speak. This <a href="http://www.riodoce.com.mx/content/view/13162/42/">war</a> between Isidro and Adelmo "EL Lemo" Nuñez, will continue till either one is arrested, dies or disappears.</div>
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To understand how he and his cohorts have been able to outwit and outmaneuver several military offensives against them, one must understand the geography of the area. Northern Sinaloa is in the heart of the "Golden Triangle" the term used to describe <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico</place></country-region>'s drug producing region. The mountainous region seems defiant of gravity, rugged and steep, beautiful and lush from a distance, it is hard to see the secrets hidden here and this place has many secrets.<br />
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Some of the roads are treacherous to navigate, they hug precariously to the sides of their mountains, steep cliffs and narrow valleys dot the landscape. Offering many opportunities to ambush or outmaneuver the military. Most places have only a couple points of entrance and can be secured using a fairly small quantity of men. With much of the area cut off due to geography, getting from one area to another can be a daunting task. Many mountains can only be hiked by foot and the vegetation and rock outcroppings offer ample places to hide what may need to be hidden. </div>
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High up in the Sierras, where isolation is a part of life, a culture emerged. One born out of self reliance and hardship, centered on the ruggedness of living in the harsh and unforgiving Sierras. The culture had little care for the authorities which offered them little in return. Outsiders are not welcome here, even without the cartel threats most locals would treat you the same, an outsider, someone who does not belong and is not to be trusted. A kind of Robin Hood bravado holds in the air, as the locals quietly praise those who went against the government. These criminals or outlaws were often related to many of those who called this place home. The locals never saw the harm in letting these men get one over on a government, which they only saw as inept and corrupt. Out of this environment were born many of the narcos you read about today. </div>
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Chapo Isidro was no stranger to the world of the cartels, having been involved since at least the early nineties. It is said Chapo Isidro began his climb up the cartel corporate ladder working under the Amado Carrillo Fuentes Organization. He was one of many who abandoned <place w:st="on">Juarez</place> after The Lord of the Skies died. He left and began working under the Beltran Levya Brothers. With time he proved himself to be a skilled sicario, capable of daring, cunning and bravado. A skilled tactician with an eye for details, Chapo Isidro has had many successful operations which have propelled him to the status of the outlaws of old. These small groups which outsmarted the government again and again, making a mockery of those who attempted to capture them are alluring to the poor and disenfranchised.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Mochomo</td></tr>
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Many left the Beltrans when Arturo was killed to follow “La Barbies” faction but Chapo Isidro seems to have remained fiercely loyal to the Beltrans. There may also a connection between him and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes or Viceroy of the Juarez Cartel as well. Since Isidro Meza Flores worked for his brother, there is no reason to doubt the rumor. Due to the alliance with Beltran Levya and Los Zetas, one can assume they have continued to boaster this arrangment as both groups stand to gain from destroying the Sinaloan Cartel.</div>
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His group was the one of a few groups who starred in <a href="http://www.riodoce.com.mx/content/view/9407/">"The Battle"</a> of Burrion where they confronted a group of sicarios backed by Chapo and Mayo. Some say some fifty trucks belonging to “Los Anthrax” a cell that operates under El Mayo Zambada went looking for revenge for the killing of Pancho Arce, they blamed Isidro and his Mazatlecos. Once again Chapo Isidro was the victor and it is said that many in that convoy never returned home. Isidro and his people earned the new title, "The Nightmare of Los Anthrax."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X Marks the Spot</td></tr>
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His group also played a major role in the famous shootout in <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2010/07/29-gunmen-dead-in-shootout-12-miles.html">Tubutama</a><place w:st="on">, <state w:st="on">Sonora</state></place>, where he and El Gilo annihilated another group of gunman from the Sinaloa Cartel. The Sinaloan Cartel sent Felix the <a href="http://borderreporter.com/2010/07/ice-cream-but-youll-scream-first/">Ice Cream</a> Man, Raúl Sabori, Paéz Soto, Nini Beltrán and Los Jabalí and Jose Vásquez’s men to take El Gilo out, it is said that they rode in a convoy of thirty to forty vehicles, all notoriously marked with the letter X on the windows. Some say there were upwards of a hundred Sinaloan gunmen, all with the aim of taking out the Beltran Levya’s last remaining transit routes through <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Sonora</place></state>. What the convoy never anticipated was the ambush Chapo Isidro and El Gilo had set in place for them.</div>
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When the convoy approached a narrow pass in the road, gunmen from the Beltran Levya blocked off both sides of the road and unloaded an arsenal on the convoy. It was utter destruction, bodies laid strewn across the road, vehicles pot marked with bullet holes, tires flat, blood caked to the interior. Some of the gunmen were only able to make it a few feet from their vehicles before being cut down. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Shaka</td></tr>
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Also his group was responsible for the murder of King Castro one of the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, as well as the of the singer Sergio <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/04/mexican-singer-kidnapped-and-shot-for.html">Vega</a> (El Shaka.) The killing of the singer occurred only hours after he joked on the radio of avoiding another attempt on his life, he died on a highway as he was heading out to organize a show he was going to perform.<br />
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The group also ambushed a group of judicial police, leaving 7 <a href="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/Elite-Police-group-ambushed-in-Boca-Del-Rio-Guasave-td3893268.html">dead</a>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dead in Nayarit</td></tr>
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In May of 2011 there was a major clash of gunmen in Nayarit leaving another twenty nine Sinaloa Cartel gunmen <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/05/sinaloa-cartel-zetas-said-behind-battle.html">dead</a>. While not attributed to his group it bears all the hallmarks of a Chapo Isidro ambush. Authorities claimed the killers were Zetas, however accounts by those who knew of the situation, stated that is not entirely correct. While some Zetas were present, they were only assisting the Beltran Levya in the operation, which was being overseen by Chapo Isidro. <br />
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This group is also responsible for the ambush of the Secretary of Public Safety in Sinaloa, where they killed 11 PEP officers and 1 civilian, <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/04/violent-confrontation-in-remote.html">in a shocking display of power</a>. This ambush shocked most of the country and forced the government to reevaluate the security of their officials. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sinaloa's Governor</td></tr>
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They also placed several blankets around Sinaloa, directed at the Governor and call attention to supposed corruption, which was bias towards the Sinaloa Cartel. <br />
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There have numerous clashes in the mountains surrounding Choix that have been attributed to Chapo Isidro. This may well in fact be his last stand. He seems to have had internal conflict with a man called El Lemo, who apparently used to work for Isidro but now works for the Sinaloans. Much of the fighting in this area can be attributed to this, which has now claimed at least seventy lives in the past few months. It has become clear that Chapo Isidro has received help from the Los Zetas organization. The use of cloned vehicles, which arrived through the northern side of Sinaloa points a clear finger at Los Zetas involvement. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead found in and around Choix</td></tr>
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This including killing numerous member of the elite police force which were lured into a trap by a false call to the authorities. The phone call reported that there had been a car accident, when the police arrived they were attacked from all sides, the tactics for this ambush fits with the militarization Los Zetas has fostered in the Cartel Wars. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloned Police vehicle in Choix</td></tr>
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They have also been blamed for the forced evictions of several families thought to be colluding with Sinaloa Cartel. They have also taken some families hostage, taken food and water and have basically been hiding in the surrounding mountains, coming down to resupply, then returning to their mission of rooting out the traitors, El Lemo in particular. The fighting around Choix has continued and the military has sent in a second offensive to try and root out the criminals. The outcome of this is likely to resemble the last attempt to root of Isidro’s men, with the criminal element vanishing into the mountains only to return again once the military has left.<br />
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It can also be assumed his group was also responsible for the recent incursions by the Zetas into Culiacán. The messages attributed to Z-40 recently, which were directed at El Chapo Guzman were likely the work of Chapo Isidro. While most bandits are despised while alive, they grow into legend as time progresses. Many of the outlaws from both <country-region w:st="on">Mexico</country-region> and the <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">United states</place></country-region> have become famous, from Billy the Kid, to Jesus Maverde. Not to say Chapo Isidro is some robin hood like figure, quite the contrary, he steals from the poor, takes advantage of those most vulnerable, but history has a funny way of distorting the truth. He has earned his place within the cartel world, which often turns evil men into folk hero's; stories of those who fought against governments that most see as corrupt and inept, and to make something for themselves. This should in no way validate the atrocities of these men, but history likes repeating itself and Mexico has already laid the groundwork.<br />
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For more on this ongoing fight go <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/07/armed-commandos-take-control-of-choix.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/05/fighting-continues-in-choix-sinaloa-12.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/04/violent-confrontation-in-remote.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/05/bloody-sinaloa-24-more-die.html">here</a></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-65956671651193225402012-07-02T08:43:00.004-07:002012-07-03T03:31:19.755-07:00A Mexican Psychopath<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxLoDI_wDsd1KPvhzX26wok-j_jxY7UmNXU7GdJtXBoZ_y1xlRp1s8-GBZk5gMX2u55LoXgdnquRGD8NkENdGA5ZgORxe56-4WzU9VKVXuJGit_Eo676bOPLtITgp_kqYRP4ok-lDqLs/s1600/mano-con-ojos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxLoDI_wDsd1KPvhzX26wok-j_jxY7UmNXU7GdJtXBoZ_y1xlRp1s8-GBZk5gMX2u55LoXgdnquRGD8NkENdGA5ZgORxe56-4WzU9VKVXuJGit_Eo676bOPLtITgp_kqYRP4ok-lDqLs/s400/mano-con-ojos.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<b><span style="color: white;">By ACI for Borderland Beat</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: white;">They called him the hand with eyes, his legacy was one which left heads severed through out central <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico</place></country-region>. His organization thrived on fear and violence and from the shadows he killed. As his narcobanners continued to appear his reputation grew into myth. He was a modern day psychopath, one of many in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico</place></country-region>. Their hands stained with blood, their souls deprived of conscience, these men roam the highways of <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico</place></country-region>, killing, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. This is an examination of one of these monsters. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">He openly admitted to killing 300 by his own hand and bragged about ordering another 600, if his claim is true he would rank as one of the worlds most </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_serial_killers_by_number_of_victims"><span style="color: white;">prolific killers</span></a><span style="color: white;">. He surpasses many who haunt dreams, Jack the Ripper, John Wayne Gacey, Ted Bundy, to name a few. These are men, who inspired nightmares and slasher films; whose crimes have become infamous throughout generations. But Óscar Osvaldo García Montoya may not even go down as one of <country-region w:st="on">Mexico</country-region>’s most prolific killers; he may just simply be another one of <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Mexico</country-region></place>’s psychopaths.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Óscar Osvaldo García Montoya or “El Compayito” as he was originally known as, was a native son of Sinaloa. Born in 1975 in the town of </span><a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/08/la-mano-con-ojos-arrested-in-tlalpan.html"><span style="color: white;">Gausave</span></a><city w:st="on"><place w:st="on"></place></city><span style="color: white;">, located in the northern part of the state, Garcia Montoya grew up in an abusive and neglectful household. He enlisted in the Mexican Marines receiving training from one of the most brutal and feared elite forces in <place w:st="on">Central America</place>, the Kaibiles. This sets Garcia Montoya apart from many of his counterparts in <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Mexico</country-region></place>, while many came from broken homes, most have never served in the Marines much less received training from los Kaibiles. </span><br />
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<span style="color: white;">The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaibiles"><span style="color: white;">Kaibiles</span></a><span style="color: white;">; a product of the cold war, have a reputation for producing killing machines; men who kill without thought or conscience. Created in 1975 to combat the civil war in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Guatemala</place></country-region>, the Kaibiles quickly earned a reputation of brutality. The training which was supposed to have been heavily influenced by the CIA is perceived by many as torturous. From having to forfeit any previous medals or honors, to having to drink the blood of animals for courage; these methods of training are designed to take away individuals identity and replace it with one of a stone cold killer. Garcia Montoya would later boast that the Kaibiles trained him to become a killer. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">He returned to <country-region w:st="on">Mexico</country-region> and left the Marines to become a police officer in <place w:st="on"><state w:st="on">Baja California</state></place>, and it is thought from here he entered into the world of the cartels around 2002. He was brought to the attention of José Gerardo Álvarez known as"El Indio,” who at the time was a powerful lieutenant of Arturo Beltan Levya. Garcia Montoya due to his background was promoted to chief of security for Gerardo Alvarez.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">In 2007 Arturo, broke from the Sinaloan Federation and went to war with Guzman and Zambada. When Arturo was killed in 2010, his faction splintered, with Gerardo Alvarez and Edger Villarreal known as “La Barbie” going against Arturo’s brother Hector or “El H.” The ensuing war left bodies piled up throughout much of Sinaloa and Guerrero. With the arrests of Villarreal and Alvarez, Garcia Montoya was left without a master and without a leash. He began a systematic murder spree which aim was to control the local drug trade around <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Mexico City</city></place>. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">In 2009 Garcia Montoya beheaded 24 laborers in the La Marquesa area of <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico City</place></city>, a crime which at the time shocked the nation, for it’s level of brutality. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">In December 2010 the authorities recognized his organization, in </span><a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/02/la-mano-con-ojos-sicario-strives-to.html"><span style="color: white;">February</span></a><span style="color: white;"> he left a head with the message; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"I'm Arturo García Pacheco and this happened to me for thinking I was under the protection of los gaseros and los fox. Also, I was an extortionist. To the people, it appears you do not understand: this plaza already has an owner. You don't know what I have in store for all those who pass themselves off as "tough guys." You're next Lalo, Charly, Belen, Negrom Jacobo, and you too Mecho. I'm going after all the rats, rapists, and extortionists. <b>The Plaza Has An Owner. ATTE La Mano Con Ojos</b> </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">This was the first of many victims claimed by Garcia Montoya. His next victims were a man and a woman were left Naucalpan; both had their head severed, left with another ominous note from La </span><a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/02/la-mano-con-ojos-sicario-strives-to.html"><span style="color: white;">Mano</span></a><span style="color: white;"> Con Ojos. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Another head and another </span><a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/03/la-mano-con-ojos-strikes-again.html"><span style="color: white;">messege:</span></a><i><span style="color: white;"> My name is Ivan Cruz and this happened to me for working with LFM and for extorting business owners by<b> falsely claiming the I am la Mano con Ojos</b>. Let us all be clear about one thing: La Mano con Ojos doesn’t kidnap or use extortion to make his money, and whoever does so in my plaza will get whats coming to them. ATTE La Mano con Ojos </span></i></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Many victims were taken to what appeared to be </span><a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/05/11-key-points-of-la-mano-con-ojos-cell.html"><span style="color: white;">mechanic shop</span></a><span style="color: white;">, which in reality served as a killing house. It is thought that many of those killed were taken here, that this was where the beheadings took place. While no blood was seen, officers used luminol, a chemical agent that reacts with trace levels of blood. The room glowed brightly under the black lights, it was clear this place was full of death.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">In August of 2011 he was arrested. He was interviewed by Attorney General Alfredo Castillo. <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/Mano-con-Ojos-interview-video-with-complete-translation-says-quot-I-am-Kaibil-I-wanted-to-kill-you-td3263362.html">Chivis</a></span> did an excellent translation of the interview.. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">What is your name? <br /> <b>Oscar Osvaldo Garcia Montoya </b><br /><br />How old are you?<br /> <b>36 years old</b></span> <br /><br />Where are you from?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: white;"> <b>Guasave Sinaloa, raised in Los Mochis, Sinaloa </b><br /><br />What are you called? <br /> <b>La Mano Con Ojos (hand with eyes) </b><br /><br />Which organization did you work for?<br /> <b> The Beltran Leyva Cartel </b><br /><br />Whaich area did you work in?<br /> <b>Naucalpan, Atizapan, Cultitlan, Tultitlan, Huixquilucan and parts of the Federal Distrct </b><br /><br />How many addresses did you have?<br /> <b>I had three addresses, one in Naucalpan, on Pinon Street, another in Luis Cabrera and the other one around Becale in Tlalpan, in Naucalpan, I had two other addresses close to Visas City. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Where did you start you life of crime? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: white;"> <b> I started in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who was you mentor? </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Raul, in Zihuatanejo, that was the frist time I meet him. We went to Lazaro Cardenas, but we were sent back. the people we were supposed to take out were not identified yet, when we got there they told us the plan had not turned out right, whoever want to leave may go, whoever wants to stay, well you can stay and work.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">And you stayed to work? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> I stayed to work </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who did you stay on with? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> I stayed with Raul, and from there I was commissioned here in Pedregal, then we went to Cuernavaca to work with Don Arturo, before he passed away, I was commissioned to work with La Barbie. I spent very little time with La Barbie because he already had his people, so he sent me to work with El Indio, under him I became his security Chef, I was in charge of all his bodyguards, hitman, basically chief of everything. </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Were you involved in the incident of La Marqueza? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: white;"> <b>Yes</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Did you participate in the Kidnapping? </span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> <b>Yes</b> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">It was in Olivo, wasn't it? </span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> <b>Yes</b> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">And were you involved in their executions? </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> No, not in the executions</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Why didn't you participate? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Because one guy wanted to kill them all, I mean only one person executed them, all of them </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who did it then? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Raul I accompanied them to Marquez, I was trustworthy so I had to go</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Why were they killed? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Because they had seen faces they shouldn't have, they were also mislead, mostly though because they saw faces, they were innocent people. The saw too many faces, they couldn't be let go, we had no choice. When Indio was captured, I went to La Barbie and he told me to take over the structure of El Indio.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">What structure? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Well he had control of Huixquilucan and Naucalpan, at the time I was handling about 25 halcones. </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">And did you have the support of the Municipal Police? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> At that time yes, we did have the support of the police because I was paying them. Ricaldi was a former police of Huixquilucan, he worked directly with El Pelacas.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who did El Pelacas kidnapped? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> He kidnapped that bearded guy from PAN, what's his name, ummm Don Diego Fernadez de Cevallo</span> </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">How do you know that was the man responsible for Don Diego's kidnapping? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Because information is information, I'm telling you everything is known when you are in the business. Who did this, who did that, everything is known. </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Is el Pelacas the one in charge of that organization, who supports them, are they still operating? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> He has always operated with the financial support of el Hongo from the Central Cartel. When I was given Indio's Structure, my buddy was captured. When Montemayor was captured I kept the structure I had been given. It was when El JJ wanted to take everything away from me, he wanted to take everything from me from the beginning. </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> JJ thought he should have everything that belonged to his father, but JJ never fought for any of it, it was given to him. JJ was a coward, he never went to fight when we fought in Monterrey, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Guadalajara, Michoacan, or Guerrero. He never fought once, he was given a zone like an inheritance, but he never earned it, he was giving everything I was given nothing. I didn't come from that kind of background, I came from the bottom, and worked my way up. This is why I don't like that kind of stuff. I was also a cop in la Paz, and los Mochis, I was also a corporal in the Marine Infantry, 4th Batallion in La Paz. I also took 6 courses in Antibomb training and counter insurgency, I was trained to kill.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Where did you receive training? </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> In Guatemala, I am Kaibil, a person who is trained to kill and survive anything.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">How executions have you ordered? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> I ordered about 600 </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">And how many did you kill? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Another 300, with my own hands about 300</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">And how did you decapitate them? </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> With my hands, knifes and saws.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Those you killed on election day, how did you do it? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> With my hands, I started picking up people that Monday</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Was it planned to have them picked up and executed on election day? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Exactly true</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Why? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> To call attention, I reasoned it was a special day, a day where it would hard to cover up. That is why I ordered it and did it, I read about it in the news, I buy newspapers everyday, to read up on the how the system is working and what people are saying about the situation. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, yes I used to watch you (referring to the attorney general), and I watched what you said. Every time I watched you, I would cuss at you, I am sincere, I was cussed at you because I had a lot of anger toward you. </span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">You are telling me that it was personal between you and I, you thought I betrayed you? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> I will tell you something, I mean there was no betrayal, I mean you didn't betray me, because frankly I was the one deceived, I had given money thinking you were paid for. He told me you received it so yes I thought you betrayed me, but now I know that wasn't true. I mean he was the one who deceived you and me.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">What did you did you do to that person? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> I killed him</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Can you confirm that? </span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Yes, I got him, picked him up and killed him</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">And did he tell you he had given me the money?</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"><b> He told me the documents were delivered , he said it was delivered</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">But who did he give it to? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Well that was the problem, I am telling you I could not get anymore information out of him and that was a serious issue, I couldn't have a person of that kind of weight with me. And because I was so angry he deceived me I gave the Oder to execute him as soon as possible. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">He was the the one that deceived you? The one you gave 40,000 dollars to? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> 400,000 dollars</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">And he was the one who was going to deliver it? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: white;"> <b>Exactly</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">But you still thought the money was delivered? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Exactly, it was stuck in my head, that was why I took it personally against you. I didn't have any problems with the attorneys office, but directly with you, because that is what they made me believe. Now I realized that I was wrong. </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">What would've you done if we didn't catch you? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> I would've killed you, I would've looked for you and cut you into pieces. Just like that I would have done that, I am telling you my anger towards you was intense, I was even going to send you a video.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> A video? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Yes a video directed at you </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">What was it going to say? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> It was going to say everything that was happening in the state. but you didn't let me, look you have me her already, now you can say you poked the eyes of the hand. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Why do you call yourself La Mano Con Ojos? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> I chose that because I see everything, I hear everything. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">But that doesn't make sense? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> No No, well I guess that's the point, its a distraction, I was El Compayito and with this type of organization, it needs to have to have a concept</span><span class="boldhighlightsearch-highlight" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, a foundation, a name that makes me look stronger and intimidating and to get attention mostly. </span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Then you were going to kill 6 people this weekend? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> 6 or7, I almost had them ready </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Do you have them now? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> No, no, no, we were working on it but motherfucker.... And they were to be used in my video to you, you were going to see how I was going to execute them, because I was going to do it personally, you were going to see me in action, the message was to be directed to you. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">What about the person you killed and dumped at the school?</span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Oh the one I put a thong and a pink bra on? </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Yes that one...... </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> That was a fucking coward, I killed him because he was turning me down, all my strongmen, he was playing tough. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who are your strongmen? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> My strongmen are the hawks. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">How many hawks do you have in you zone? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Now, now I just have 5, I don't need more </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">How many hitmen do you have? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Now about 50 people. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Are they all well armed?</span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Yes everyone has their own equipment</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who else wanted to work with you? </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> People of the Gulf, Zetas but I never wanted to work with them because they all extort and kidnap the people and I disagree with this, so that is why I never accepted any alliance with them, but they did offer proposals, the last came from the Arellanos.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Do you work independently? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Totally, I am completely independent since the time my partner was captured, he was the last that i worked with. after that i went independent, I was fighting with JJ, and killed someone working for him. in his territory. From then on I was at war with him. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who did you kill from his group? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> A strongman he had there and a hawk, I killed him fast and easy. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who do you hate? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> All the people that betrayed me. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Who betrayed you? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> JJ betrayed me </span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Who else? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Ricaldi is another person that I hate. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">The one that is with El Pelacas? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> El Pelacas, I have anger toward him and this other guy El Hongo </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">Would you like for us to send them to your cell? </span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> Fuck I sure would like that! Fuck! I sure would like to kill the shot out of them I have immense anger towards those motherfuckers. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: white;">He is one of many; <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico</place></country-region> has an infestation of psychopaths, monsters that are glorified through song and culture. La Mano Con Ojos is a product of the cartel wars. He would not have existed in any other time or place; his crimes would not have had the impunity which they received. The situation in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Mexico</place></country-region> has bread a generation of killers like Montoya and to think he might not even be the worst, is most terrifying of all.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-46162919425306862672012-06-27T01:04:00.001-07:002012-06-27T01:04:41.318-07:00Kidnapping: Through the Eyes of the Taken<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<b>By ACI for Borderland Beat</b></div>
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<i>What you are about to read is a true account of a kidnapping, as with most stories in Mexico, the victim wishes to remain anonymous, out of fear for himself and his families safety.</i></div>
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He awoke; the sun was blistering, dust devils spun down the street. He could hear the stray dogs fighting over scraps of trash in the alley behind his home. Dry and hot, the unmistakable smell of death filled the air, as he walked out his front door he could see what was creating the stench; a body was strewn on the side of the road; carelessly thrown into a ditch. Dried blood stained the dirt, flies danced around the corpse. He could see that part of the man’s skull was missing, a sure sign of an execution. He pondered if the police had been called; perhaps this was the work of the police, hard to tell these days. He thought he should feel something, fear, anger, sadness, something; but there was nothing there, he was numb. He had seen so much already.<br />
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Since he was a little child he could remember watching the men in their trucks; the fancy cloths, snake skinned boots, ostentatious belt buckles, pistols gilded in gems and gold. Women pinned for their attention, for their power, and from his front porch, it seemed to him that these men had everything. But he knew that all these trappings came with a price. He saw many lured into the world of the cartels, only to have their lives cut short. He saw a better opportunity crossing into the United States. </div>
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He had family in the states and steady work, but as with all who make the journey, he longed for his home. Every so often he would make the trip back to his small suburb outside the city. This last trip back was different however, the scenery had changed, and so had many of his friends and family. Many had been sucked up into ensuing war which had broken out in the region.<br />
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On the outside everything appeared the same, perhaps more rundown, but more or less the same. People still went through their daily routines, work, church and family dinners, but there was a quiet silence when he asked questions about what exactly was going on. Perhaps they didn’t know, or were afraid to tell him, whatever it was it left an unsettling feeling in his gut. One he should have perhaps heeded.</div>
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It was late in the afternoon and the sun had baked the dusty town. He and a group of friends were hanging outside his friend’s house enjoying some cold beers. There was much laughter and jokes; they all wanted to hear of his adventures in America. Then they began telling him stories, and the jovial nature slowly turned eerie and silent. His friends told him of the disappeared, the roaming bands of gun totting lunatics and the war. He wasn’t shocked, it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard these stories before, but the difference was the sheer depth of the conflict, it seemed to have touched everyone. </div>
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As they were telling stories a police vehicle pulled up beside them and four officers got out. A short fat cop started questioning the young men, asking them for their names and ID’s. Something was amiss, they were all put in handcuffs, tape placed over their mouths and bags placed over there heads and all faded to black.</div>
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The three received what felt like several blows to their bodies then tossed into the back of the vehicle. There they drove to some place unknown. Some dimly lit room, in some part of town he was unfamiliar with. It smelled of shit and piss, the light flickered on and off, bobbing back and forth. For all he knew it might have been part of a police department or someones home. </div>
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They interrogated him and his two friends for what seemed like hours. He wasn’t sure what they were after, what answers they could possibly want. Something about who they worked for and what they did. The beatings continued; he felt like he was being hit with a two by four for a while. He could hear his friends moaning in agony. The sweat poured out of his skin, he had heard too many stories like this to be naive. He thought this was his end.</div>
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Dazed and confused he and his friends were then once again tossed into another vehicle. This time they were thrown into the bed of a pickup truck. He wondered how they were going to die. He had heard of so many terrible ways to die in Mexico. He shuttered at the thought blocking it out as much as he could. He thought of all the things he was going to miss, dinner with his family, chasing girls with his friends, cold beer and tamales on summer days. The memories came flooding back as the truck lumbered on. He could feel the road underneath him, every pothole, twist and turn. His mouth was dry, his eyes watered, was this how it was going to end for him he wondered?</div>
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The truck veered to a stop, kicking up dust and rock, as the tires fought the earth. They halted on the side of a dirt road. The men forced the three out of the truck pushing them forcefully over a small gulley next to the road. They tripped, unable to navigate the terrain with their eyes covered. One fell and was kicked by one of the gunmen. The three were told to get on their knees. </div>
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He heard the first shot; then the awful thump of dead weight falling to the ground. He felt his hands shake; there was a terrible pit in his stomach; that was his friend. He heard the bullet casing wedge itself in the dirt, he heard footsteps and another click as another round loaded into the chamber. Each sound echoing in his head, the seconds felt as if eternity was toying with him. Then the second shot came, followed by that same dreadful thud. He was next; then he heard feedback from a two way radio. One of the gunmen answered, in a hushed tone he walked away.<br />
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So on his knees he prayed, at least he thought his death was to be fast. He heard the man on the radio come back, and start talking to the other gunmen. Why had they not shot him already, his mind wandered. The next thing he remembered was being picked up and thrown into the into the bed of the truck. What was going to happen? Was he going to be ransomed? He didn’t have any money to pay, neither did his family. His head started pounding, perhaps he wasn’t to receive a quick death, perhaps his nightmare was about to come true. The pickup suddenly stopped and he was thrown, still handcuffed and blindfolded and gagged on the side of the road. The truck sped off leaving a trail of dust in its wake. What just happened he wondered? He stumbled to his feet, weary and beaten he walked aimlessly. </div>
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He was spotted by a mechanic from town who gave him a ride back to his home. There he sat, trying to make sense of what just happened. Why did he survive? What did he do? Not a single day has passed that he doesn’t think of that night, or his friends who never returned with him. The perpetrators were never found and no one was brought to justice to pay for the crimes. Life in the border region just went on as if nothing had happened, a figment of his imagination, some horrible nightmare unleashed only to vanish back unto the darkness from wince it came. So he left, it was the only thing he could do.<br />
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He came back to the United States and began work again but something inside him was different. He was haunted by the memories of the demons he faced down that night. He was left with so many questions and so few answers. He never reported the incident, since it was the police who picked him up in the first place. His story having only been shared with family and friends until now seems to lack any reason, any justice or any moral perspectives. Senseless comes to mind when recounting this story, but for him this telling of his tale might bring to him some validation of what has happened to him and countless others through out Mexico. He may never know why he was allowed to live while his friends died, some things never get answered, but he thanks god everyday for his second chance at this life. <br />
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Stories like his are repeated daily in Mexico, young men getting swept up only to be found days later, dead. Their stories never to be told, never to be resolved, it has just become part of life now. It takes courage to bring light to darkness and expose those who claim to work in the name of justice. To all those who remember the missing, to all of your stories, to all your pain, may you one day you find the answers to what you seek. We will never forget and we will not remain silent. <br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-88900403314522174762012-06-27T01:03:00.000-07:002012-06-27T01:03:00.315-07:00The Cocaine Highway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>By ACI for Borderland Beat</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtY0RsSxFmjM4bD_LluZPFi5rEgwI1B03gOnmsgLsbw60tQ9b8_7RpQnEZBiBFWasrUiD1JWolzmZN7A4LvNmkp-ClxIyLfekxTLsvQv-zacVYHg5sdC5RIFAIwaEu5gbI8hjLlR8-q716/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtY0RsSxFmjM4bD_LluZPFi5rEgwI1B03gOnmsgLsbw60tQ9b8_7RpQnEZBiBFWasrUiD1JWolzmZN7A4LvNmkp-ClxIyLfekxTLsvQv-zacVYHg5sdC5RIFAIwaEu5gbI8hjLlR8-q716/s1600/2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It all begins in the steamy mountains of Colombia, up mist covered hills, hidden under the lush canopy of forests; a plant is being cultivated. The farmer growing the plant knows little of the journey his crop will take. This is an examination of that journey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every day from his humble one room shack nestled in one of Colombia's many rural departments, he waters and tends to his crop. If he is lucky enough to survive the weather or the fumigation from government planes he is able to harvest. After he harvests his crop he must go through the laborious and time consuming effort of converting the leaves into what is known as coca base. After his work is through he looks at his harvest and thinks of how lucky he is. This should provide just enough money for his family survives till the next crop is ready. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FHAHyPgp3s_AOwoSS3dM9sQ8hPPtRg5qMscl7KwUYAesMoK8sOjs1HfSSZbcWhw2F7lpnthw4o5nNS9TBwuuX3IiNTy44Ah2MqvzlZ35sRelXOrNcndE65oxWZY1JM4VhHyw8H81TNqM/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FHAHyPgp3s_AOwoSS3dM9sQ8hPPtRg5qMscl7KwUYAesMoK8sOjs1HfSSZbcWhw2F7lpnthw4o5nNS9TBwuuX3IiNTy44Ah2MqvzlZ35sRelXOrNcndE65oxWZY1JM4VhHyw8H81TNqM/s1600/14.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He meets a man known locally as El Leche at local village, El Leche is a known as a go between for the farmer and the FARC. He meets with the farmer and pays him his salary for his work. He tells the man he will be sending some of his people to collect the base and that they will speak again soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later at the man’s farm, a small armed group shows up at his shack to collect their payment. They are all young, dressed in military fatigues, worn out boots and rifles rusted from the humid jungle heat. They look tired and dirty, the result of living in the forest and moving from camp to camp. These are the front line troops of one of the armed wings of the FARC. The look tattered, paranoid and scared, they take the paste from the farmer and leave, vanishing back into the forest.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk4WeW30fP3u2n8aXmZ0Mie4GyZScxiaL0TpuzKXYvZ9OejBXjLk-IBuedocXZ6PuHJVEikqTvYDRZ9rziDlQBTSSPtjaXmuhXfB0fYBo_S9X9k7w_0OhjCT0JjckMABdstjQRlwyyQAj/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk4WeW30fP3u2n8aXmZ0Mie4GyZScxiaL0TpuzKXYvZ9OejBXjLk-IBuedocXZ6PuHJVEikqTvYDRZ9rziDlQBTSSPtjaXmuhXfB0fYBo_S9X9k7w_0OhjCT0JjckMABdstjQRlwyyQAj/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk4WeW30fP3u2n8aXmZ0Mie4GyZScxiaL0TpuzKXYvZ9OejBXjLk-IBuedocXZ6PuHJVEikqTvYDRZ9rziDlQBTSSPtjaXmuhXfB0fYBo_S9X9k7w_0OhjCT0JjckMABdstjQRlwyyQAj/s1600/5.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The small group consisting of both young men and women trek through the forest, each one listening for the nightmarish low thumping sound of helicopters in the distance. They all seem on edge, they have spent too much time in the forest, moving from location to location, unable to enjoy the small luxuries we all take for granted. If they stay in one spot for too long they may not see tomorrow. So they trek on for what seems like miles. After days of hellish hiking through dense and rugged terrain they approach a clearing; they have reached their destination, a large scale laboratory which sole purpose is refinement of the coca base into cocaine. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3d04XQTUVMx1D-LyV8jx9HpZxIds2cMSzvt737BL59dQbcwU3VvI0evdD_gUiq4o1un0oO9kuUKspaYxZmXdT3LGgpsEYiO6PllTnrRaO5-zUgG8eh41aN6qOkIKyDT1eCvNAzpkCqhM/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3d04XQTUVMx1D-LyV8jx9HpZxIds2cMSzvt737BL59dQbcwU3VvI0evdD_gUiq4o1un0oO9kuUKspaYxZmXdT3LGgpsEYiO6PllTnrRaO5-zUgG8eh41aN6qOkIKyDT1eCvNAzpkCqhM/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the walk up to the compound it is easy to see the many guards standing around with their assault rifle at their sides. The group drops off their merchandise and once again vanishes into the mist of the jungle. This factory is run by the Rastrojos, a group which was formed out of the now defunct AUC. These labs are known as high value targets for the Colombian Government and are often targets of the US/Colombian effort to eradicate the production of cocaine. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtXGrnem_1KwOgSp-RGO4QNCA9YNwiiWLi9IEU90Ld8x6l1cSldoTeYk9NhcUF21rehBKa3_7GAFICYJQqyZpSplrkAkK0qhPuwXZZjMt8pQ6yVf4wMHQExEw4Eyzc8QbZkAKqIPWaBOq/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtXGrnem_1KwOgSp-RGO4QNCA9YNwiiWLi9IEU90Ld8x6l1cSldoTeYk9NhcUF21rehBKa3_7GAFICYJQqyZpSplrkAkK0qhPuwXZZjMt8pQ6yVf4wMHQExEw4Eyzc8QbZkAKqIPWaBOq/s1600/4.jpg" /><br /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once the coca base has been converted in to what most would recognize as cocaine it is pressed into blocks and loaded on to a beat up, rusty truck. Smoke pours out the back as the truck is barley able to turn over its engine. Loaded up with its precious cargo, the overworked truck rumbles down the precarious road towards the mangrove swamps to the north. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCCdKQQzoo9H-tbYy7fYS2hyoGrNhxjmRj06tPX62lwdW_hZYe_Q8mm2YWQiqCizwc0ROeYec4BGLzg52XZKyKDNxaL-pd61gvWEvUM10lCOIRvp5g7XfF-KE4L0Vyk6CL_I7VxxsJ4B_/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCCdKQQzoo9H-tbYy7fYS2hyoGrNhxjmRj06tPX62lwdW_hZYe_Q8mm2YWQiqCizwc0ROeYec4BGLzg52XZKyKDNxaL-pd61gvWEvUM10lCOIRvp5g7XfF-KE4L0Vyk6CL_I7VxxsJ4B_/s1600/7.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There waiting for them in the cover of the mangroves is what could only be described as a testament to the shear will of the traffickers; a fully submersible submarine. The ship has a crew of 3 and they are all waiting on this payloads arrival. Everyone starts packing the cramped space with as much cocaine as would fit. The journey ahead for these sailors will not be easy. They will be out in the open ocean for days with no one but themselves to insure delivery of the product. In this cramped space the men will have to navigate the thousand mile journey to Guatemala, their final destination. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI7cuOXJrsvqEag7Nbdvvx0M459GrUyy99jV8AtEPB_9IROqoWefRuGccDgZM24EBcvY_Z6i37_DuS8XkPdBaW6-TMx8vc0NdOlurEIva3Maln1tNIlpAoggOHC0-w_q669WfrbkmVRMx/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI7cuOXJrsvqEag7Nbdvvx0M459GrUyy99jV8AtEPB_9IROqoWefRuGccDgZM24EBcvY_Z6i37_DuS8XkPdBaW6-TMx8vc0NdOlurEIva3Maln1tNIlpAoggOHC0-w_q669WfrbkmVRMx/s1600/9.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After docking in a remote region of Guatemala the shipment is unloaded to group who works for a family known as the Lorenzanas. The Lorenzanes are intermediaries whose sole purpose is to move the product from one end of the country to the other. Guatemalan Soldiers provide them with security. This is generally the smooth part of the operation with little risk due to the deep ties the family has fostered within the government. Once the shipment has been moved, contact will made with a coordinator of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the largest cartels in Mexico. Arrangements will be made to move the contraband into Mexico.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFPYuI7E2K1Go1_FvMKwTFjtExHoOoUbTZAGAek3LEXJhOMbPOnY9BH_MPDxUPk8dTuSdvhszFp4q9Q9G9G-3qFcPzIFYIeWaeR7VzOw56sHTXWfI7kY9x7pHxr6tJ9zrH8Pyg1Kcn3sR/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFPYuI7E2K1Go1_FvMKwTFjtExHoOoUbTZAGAek3LEXJhOMbPOnY9BH_MPDxUPk8dTuSdvhszFp4q9Q9G9G-3qFcPzIFYIeWaeR7VzOw56sHTXWfI7kY9x7pHxr6tJ9zrH8Pyg1Kcn3sR/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFPYuI7E2K1Go1_FvMKwTFjtExHoOoUbTZAGAek3LEXJhOMbPOnY9BH_MPDxUPk8dTuSdvhszFp4q9Q9G9G-3qFcPzIFYIeWaeR7VzOw56sHTXWfI7kY9x7pHxr6tJ9zrH8Pyg1Kcn3sR/s1600/10.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once inside Mexico, our shipment will traverse the country, making several stops along the way, all the while being broken up into smaller parcels and given to different plaza leaders. The broken down shipments are then housed in safe houses until they are ready to be moved towards the border with the US. These leaders are responsible for ensuring the distribution of the product along the various parts of the border which the Sinaloa Cartel controls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Various methods will then be utilized to move the product across the border and into the United States. Each area has a variety of ways of managing this; some techniques are locally based while others are used throughout the border region. In the area of Arizona, where our shipment has arrived; has been using an innovative way of crossing drugs; remote controlled toy airplanes. They are too small for radar to pick up and can been flown for some distance, it is a highly effective method of smuggling. Our Kilo is taped to the bottom of one of these planes and flown to spotter on the other side. GPS is often used to locate the planes once they have crossed the border. Throughout this whole process those responsible watch in the shadows making sure everything runs smooth. They know that if a load doesn’t make it, they will be left with the bill. Spotters and decoys are used to throw off law enforcement and further the odds of success. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once a load has successfully crossed the US border the shipment is then taken to safe houses located in regional distribution points. In the case of our load it ended up in Nogales, Arizona. Given its close proximity to the border and national highway system, Nogales makes for a perfect place to stash this shipment. From here the shipment is further divided and sent to different regions, each run by cartel distributers. The kilo we have been watching eventually ends up in Chicago. It is sold to someone who only deals in bulk, several kilos or more. It then gets broken down further and sold to street gangs which then sell to the end users.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqi5CQXsOBjmHI3OmgXhwx3h9l6cta8OcXyOD3MBgcVJeg6tcrTa78y3gL8p6tC4E_-6H7NRF5AaeO3ARuJYAMq-Ux4m80guOkbp3Y8Lp5z16HwH0iqC8vMzTgzyuqhRl7wAfduO4y4xa/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqi5CQXsOBjmHI3OmgXhwx3h9l6cta8OcXyOD3MBgcVJeg6tcrTa78y3gL8p6tC4E_-6H7NRF5AaeO3ARuJYAMq-Ux4m80guOkbp3Y8Lp5z16HwH0iqC8vMzTgzyuqhRl7wAfduO4y4xa/s1600/13.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the journey of how one kilogram of cocaine makes on its way to the consumer. It involves the effort of thousands and the complicity of many more. Its journey led through multiple countries; it flew, floated, was driven and carried; it traveled through jungles and seas, mountains and deserts, all to reach a consumer who doesn’t have the slightest idea of the blood that was split along the way, same as the farmer who grew it. The illegalization of narcotics lead to all the blood in-between the two. The farmer never wanted to shed blood, he just wanted to feed his family, and neither did the consumer who was just looking for a good time. Both are blind to the destruction. But those that are really blinded are those who think prohibition is worth the blood stained soil from which their policies stem from. Only through truth can one clearly see the entire picture, we as world citizens need to weigh the cost verse benefits of our policies, for good intentions often come with unintended consequences.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-90405909691617487492012-06-27T01:01:00.001-07:002012-06-27T01:01:22.811-07:00The Mystery of Knights Templar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/XStatic/vanguardia/images/espanol/tuta-081210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<b>By ACI for Borderland Beat </b><br />
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In December 2010 the streets of Michoacan were set ablaze, burning vehicles blocked the highways. Black smoke could be seen from miles away, it was a war zone. The smell of burnt tires and gun powder permeated the air. As bullets ricochet off the pavement, screams of panic could be heard as helicopters flew overhead. Out numbered and out gunned the criminals began to vanish into the hills surrounding Apatzingan, taking their dead with them. It would go down as one of the fiercest battles the drug war had seen, lasting several days. This was the to be the last stand of the once mighty La Familia Cartel and their leader Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, or was it?<br />
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<b>The Intellectual Author</b> <br />
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Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, the intellectual and spiritual leader of La Familila Michoacana was supposedly wounded during this fire fight. But his body was never recovered. It was suspected by the authorities that the reason the gunmen fought so fiercely was to protect someone of great importance. It was widely assumed that this person was none other than Nazario Moreno Gonzalez. To Calderon this was to be a huge his success; a validation of his crusade against the cartels, with or without a body. To claim with such certainty, that the leader of the feared La Familia was in fact dead without a body was strange, considering the prominence of El Chayo. The people of Apatzingan mourned his death but none fully believed he actually died. The rumor of a man who had taken advantage of the assumption of government begun. <br />
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2010/12/mexican-city-is-blockaded-by-gunmen.html<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Banner Claiming Knight Templar's Replacement of LFM</b></td></tr>
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<b>The Missing Body</b><br />
T<b></b>hough a body was never found, one of El Chayo's most loyal lieutenants Servando Gomez Martinez, also know as La Tuta, sent a recording into Televisa announcing Nazario Moreno Gonzalez's death. This is interesting to note as one would not expect a cartel to come out and announce the death of their own leader, much less to do it in such an elaborate fashion. At the time the image of LFM was beginning to suffer greatly. The heat they were receiving from the Federal Government was too much for the organization to withstand. It would make sense for them to distance themselves from La Familia brand. Before the end of December 2010 the Knights Templar would appear and Calderon had the one the feather in the cap he had always wanted, La familia disbanded. But did they dismantle La Familia, or was this a impressive maneuver from the leadership to rid themselves of all the heat LFM had been receiving. <br />
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2010/12/la-tuta-confirms-el-chayos-death.html<br />
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/03/la-familia-michoacana-is-now-knights.html<br />
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<b>To be Made an Example Of</b><br />
To understand why El Chayo may still be alive one must look at the history of La Familia Michoacana. LFM started out as a faction of Los Zetas who went rouge. They had long standing ties with both Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, and received training from Los Zetas. Of all the cartels, President Calderon wanted La Familia most of all. It was personal, La Familia came from the state where he was born, and they were openly provoking the federal authorities, killing several Federal Police. Furthermore, no other state represented how far the narcos had be able to infiltrate the local institutions better than Michoacan. Some said La Familia were able to put in place a shadow government, one which paralleled the state. So Calderon's War was to begin here. <br />
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La Familia which had arose from an armed wing of the Gulf Cartel was tasked with securing the drug trade in Michoacan. They were to take over territory controlled then by the Milenio<i> </i>Cartel. The Milenio Cartel had been operating in the state for some time and were the dominate organization in area, they were major methamphetamine producers. In what could only be called a Mexican twist of fate, Milienio would later became allied with Los Zetas who would later become the biggest rivals of La Familia.<br />
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<b>The Bait and Switch</b><br />
Nazario Moreno Gonzalez was most likely wounded that day in Apatzingan, there has been little to discount this. But did he survive? One must consider the circumstantial evidence of the claim. There was certainly major discord after the battle which can only be interpreted as a void in leadership, but did this mean his death? Or was this the work of a man who took advantage of a governments eagerness to see him and his Cartel eliminated. If he in fact survive then this would be one of the most intriguing tales from one of the most eccentric cartels in history.<br />
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<b>The Rumors</b><br />
The rumor that El Chayo is alive has been around since his death but it had some weight added to it recently. The most damning evidence came in March of this year. A message was posted online from CJNG targeting the Knight Templar. In the video they clearly state they know El Chayo is still alive. It makes no sense for them to make this accusation if it has no merit. There would be nothing to gain from this claim but perhaps to promote confusion but this seems unlikely. Given the similarities between the Knights Templar's code of conduct and La Familia's there are striking parallels. It is also worth noting how solidified the Knights Templar became after the death of Nazario Moreno Gonzalez. While La Familia collapsed rapidly, leaving only isolated cells, leaderless across the country, while the Knights Templar seemed surprisingly organized.<br />
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/03/narco-response-to-knights-of-templar.html<br />
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<b>On Their Own</b><br />
With this new video, it appears that the Knights Templar have overplayed their hand. It appears that Sinaloa, a long time ally has turned against them. For what reason still remains unclear, but it is thought this might have to do with the Knights Templar encroaching on Sinaloa's territory. This leaves the Gulf Cartel as CT's only ally left. There is a lot of history between Enrique Plancarte of the Knights Templar and Juan Reyes Mejía González of the Gulf Cartel. This relationship appears to have remained in tact. The Knights Templar however have seemed to have lost ground in their abilities to produce methamphetamine, this can be assumed due to the increase in extortion and kidnappings attributed to the group. In addition, the Knights Templar have seen several of their distribution networks in the US dismantled. This has left the Cartel isolated from the narcotic trade. If they can re-establish themselves as significant producers and exporters of methamphetamine they may one day return to power. As for now the Cartel seems to be increasing less prominent in the scope of Mexico's Drug War. So will it ever become clear the true fate of El Chayo and his role within the Knights Templar, that remains to be seen but as with most things in this war, anything is possible.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-65087488531897392222012-06-27T00:59:00.001-07:002012-06-27T00:59:42.147-07:00The Cover Up of the Cadereyt 49By ACI for Borderland Beat<br />
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On May 13, 2012, 49 mutilated bodies turned up, outside the small village of San Juan. The bodies were piled up on the side of the highway leading to Reynosa. But before we delve deeper into how this massacre was covered up, let’s lay out some ground work. <br />
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<b> A Sleepy Little Town</b><span id="goog_1607460457"></span><span id="goog_1607460458"></span><br />
San Juan is very small village close to the town of Cadereyt, just outside of the city of Monterrey. Cadereyt was a lazy town, best known for its churches and heat. It is also home to some amazing grottos. But in the war that has engulfed Mexico it will be known for something else entirely. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town's historical Plaza</td></tr>
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<b>The Emergence El Loko</b><br />
<a href="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/file/n4024984/nuevo_leon_139.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" class="center" height="151" src="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/file/n4024984/nuevo_leon_139.png" width="200" /></a>Cadereyt along with Allende were placed under the control of El Loko, or Daniel Elizondo sometime around July 2011. He was the considered the Zetas boss for the rural area surrounding these two cities as well. He wasted very little time making a name for himself, by leaving several mutilated bodies strewn through out the streets of both Allende and Cadereryt. He is held reasonable for the killing of two young sisters from the town of Allende. The two were picked up by the local police while walking home one night. The local police apparently were ordered to deliver the girls to El Loko. He then raped, killed, then dismember their bodies, once again displaying the parts at the entrances to the town. This case ended with the dismissal of 14 police officers who were reportedly involved. El Loko, the man responsible was mysteriously was no where to be found. <br />
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<b>A Mexican Cover Up</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Location of Loko's assumed death</td></tr>
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Not long after the police were arrested, the military claimed one of two men shot in Cadereyt was none other than El Loko himself. They announced his death saying only that they had killed a man who reportedly fit the description of El Loko, at this time no one even knew his real name. What follows is the description the military released. <br />
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<b>Excerpt from Buggs </b><br />
<i>There have been preliminary reports that one of the sicarios killed was no other than El Loko. He was described as heavy set, about 200 pounds and was wearing a green shirt and Bermuda shorts. The military believes that it might be El Loko and the Attorney General's Office did confirm that the man killed was in fact El Loko. <br /><br />The military had intitially suspected the man to be El Loko based on the fact that his name was written on the sun visor and the trunk of one of the vehicles. On the walls of the ranch military observed the letter "Z" written in yellow paint. The military believe that the ranch was used by the sicarios as a safe house. <br /><br />El Loko is plaza boss in Allende and Cadereyta for Los Zetas. He is known to be a brutally violent sicario that has participated or has been linked to some gruesome executions.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/08/el-loko-taken-down.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/08/el-loko-taken-down.html</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Loko</td></tr>
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El Loko was obviously a man who wielded significant power within los zetas. He commanded enough power to have the Police bring him two innocent girls. He survived an intense manhunt, which could have only been accomplished with the help of those higher up in the leadership of los zetas. His death which was falsely claimed by the military, was promoted by the media and government and then quickly forgotten about. The description given by the military did not resembled the true El Loko, it was generic and simple, it could have described almost anyone. This by itself was troubling enough but as this terror unfolded the true depth of government complicity began to unravel. <br />
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<b>The Menace Returns</b><br />
<a href="http://puronarco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cadereyta1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://puronarco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cadereyta1.jpg" width="320" /></a>September 2011, quiet returned to the area and silence took hold. Not much was heard, some were frightened it was going to become another Mier. The silence which plagues Nuevo Leon continued until May 13, 2012. The day 49 torsos were discovered wrapped in plastic. What followed was a bizarre chain of events, all of which deserving of a closer look. <br />
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<b>A Mothers Day to Remember</b><br />
Several days before the massacre 12 people were found alive in Jalisco. The victims lead police to a man called El Chato. He was working for a cartel aligned with los zetas, he explained los zetas plan to display numerous corpses on Mother’s Day, even though he was unaware of the extent of the diabolic plan. This portion of his interview was dismissed while the public focused on his confession that the victims were picked at random and had no ties to criminal organization. It has long be suspected that many of the victims of these body dumps have been innocent. No one paid much thought to this so called plan, that was until Sunday May 13, the day the 49 were found. <br />
<b>Here is an except of that interview.</b> <i> </i><br />
<i>Police: When were you going to kill the 12 people that were found alive, or what was the plan? <br />El Chato: Supposedly May 10 [Mothers Day in Mexico]. <br />Police: Why? <br />El Chato: I don't know.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Chato</td></tr>
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<a href="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/quot-El-Chato-R8-quot-from-Cartel-Millennium-quot-Fernando-R2-quot-from-ZETAS-and-quot-El-Moco-Booge-td4004302.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/quot-El-Chato-R8-quot-from-Cartel-Millennium-quot-Fernando-R2-quot-from-ZETAS-and-quot-El-Moco-Booge-td4004302.html</a> <br />
This leads us to the conclusion that the zetas had planned this massacre to take place on Mother’s Day, and that it was not a rouge cell leader who had gone off the reservation. The plan it seems was to have several body dumps through out Mexico, utilizing not only los zetas but their allies as well. This amount of coordination that would have had to taken place would have needed the cooperation of the highest levels of leadership, due to the compartmentalization of the los zetas organization and their allies. <br />
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<b>The Banners</b><br />
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The first to arrive on the seen were the Federal Police. These officers closed off the scene, no one was allowed close enough to see. We know the Police removed a narcobanner which was left which implicated Los Zetas Leadership. They refused to let anyone know what was said on these banners. This in and of itself is not uncommon in Mexico but what followed was. <br />
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<b>The First Public Declaration</b><br />
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Within days of the discovery los zetas put several narcobanners up all over the state claiming they had nothing to do with the massacre. They instead laid blame on their rivals. They asked for the public to notice some grammatical errors in the first banners. This was strange thing to say about banners which the public never saw. But these new banners had no problems garnishing the attention of the media. The rouse seemed to be working. <br />
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<b>Here is an excerpt from Chivis:</b><br />
<i>While reading a statement on the premises of the SIEDO, the military said that "El Loco" also stated that this action was endorsed by the head of the Zetas in Nuevo Leon, known as "El Morro" they had to coordinate with a guy nicknamed "El Camaron" (the shrimp) because he was going to deliver the bodies to be dumped on the main square along with a manta. <br /><br />"This was part of a strategy to blame for such acts antagonistic to criminal organizations, so it could be augmented by placing mantas around the country, disputing of such facts to cause confusion towards the authorities and public opinion. <br /><br />"Likewise a representative said of "Camaron" "known as" El Bocinas" as quoted as living in the village of Los Herreras, he was hired to attain 30 to 49 bodies, which were transported by several trucks.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/05/presenting-el-loco-z40-and-lazca.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/05/presenting-el-loco-z40-and-lazca.html</a><br />
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<b> What Does it Mean?</b><br />
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<b> </b>It means Loko didn’t even kill these people. Nor did he want them to be dumped in his area. He knew it would bring too much heat. So he left the bodies outside of town, far enough away he thought he would be safe. The amount of people involved to move 49 torsos undetected shows how powerful los zetas have become in Nuevo Leon. Los Zetas used their influence in the local government to stall, confuse and block the investigation. This is apparent by the way they were able to so quickly blame this on their rivals. Even then it was too big; someone had to be held accountable. Los Zetas gave them El Loko. The deception was so great that even SIEDO got it wrong at first, by claiming Loko was part of CDG a rival of los Z. This is a story of a pawn being sacrificed so that those who are truly responsible for this heinous act may continue their reign of terror.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607245533002323377.post-83250540171097948792012-06-27T00:56:00.002-07:002012-06-27T00:56:54.936-07:00Mexico's Cartels and How it Got to This<img border="0" class="center" src="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/file/n4020264/drug_war_01.jpg" /><br />
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<b>By ACI for Borderland Beat</b><br />
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<b>How it happen….</b><br />
The war began before Calderon, but no one could have known what lay in store. It was so unlikely; most thought that some arrangements would be made, life would go on as it always had. But as time passed it became clear this was not to be and many simply wished that this Pandora's box would simply close. Little did anyone know how pervasive and ingrained the darkness had become. <br />
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Only a few saw the demons lurking in the shadows, even then no one predicted what lay ahead. The true roots of the evil had been lurking within the almost 80 year reign of the PRI and its predisposition to corruption. The system was well worn, the networks had been laid, there was a price for everything, and this was all before the age of the Narco.<br />
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When the PRI lost to the PAN in 2000, it shook the foundation of the system to its core. The old way of doing things had radically changed, the old networks fragmented, alliances broken, and what we have now come to know as the fragmentation of Mexico's criminal underworld had begun. The chaos had arisen. This was the cost of years and years of nepotism and corruption and the consequences were finally coming to pass.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miguel Ángel Félix Gallard<b>o</b></td></tr>
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<b>The Godfather and His Empire</b><br />
There was a time when one man stood above all others. He was part of the old guard, well entrenched with the workings of the world in which he lived. His name was Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo or El Padrino (The Godfather); he oversaw over an entire empire; his industry, illegal smuggling. <br />
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He was soon to create what would soon be know as the Mexican Cartel. For years his network remained unchallenged, immune to justice. At the time Felix Gallardo was untouchable, too big to fail as they would say. His organization laid the foundation for the TCO’s to come. <br />
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He masterfully greased the hands of politicos and high ranking military officials. He reached out and began relationships with the Colombians. The relationship he forged with the Colombians was to be worth more than even he could imagine. Seemed like there was nothing anyone could do about El Padrino or his organization. That was until the untimely death of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enrique "Kiki" Camaren<b>a</b></td></tr>
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<b>The Attention One Receives</b><br />
Enrique Camarena, an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency began working in Guadalajara in 1981. His goal was to find out how powerful the Guadalajara Cartel had become. At the time he was only one of a handful of agents working within Mexico. He spent years infiltrating the Guadalajara Cartel for the DEA and had built close ties to El Padrino. Everything was going according to plan until the betrayal. <br />
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In 1984 Camarena led a raid on a 10,000 acre plantation called the Buffalo Ranch. Miguel; through his network of police and federal informers quickly became aware of Enrique’s role in the raid. The ranch was reportedly worth 8 billion dollars. To Miguel and his ego this was line that should have never been crossed. <br />
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Miguel reacted and had Enrique kidnapped, tortured then killed, to serve as a warning to any who might want to disrupt cartel business. The blow back was historic; the United States began the largest murder investigation in its history. It did not take long before Miguel was identified as a target of interest. The United States put an enormous amount of pressure on the Mexican Government to apprehend Miguel. It would take the authorities 5 more years before they would be able to secure his arrest in 1989.<br />
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<b>All Empires Eventually Fall</b><br />
But as with all kings, his reign was to come to an end, all kings eventually fall. Miguel could see the wheels in motion, he could hear the whispers from those that tended to his mansion, his telephones were a lit with the chatter of governors he had so faithfully served. He listened as his friends in the government turned on him, the end was near. <br />
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He thought he might be able to save what he had built; that he could prevent his subjects from feeding on each other. He was wrong. Little did he know how fragile his empire had become, or the monsters he would release upon the Mexican people. Prior to his arrest he held a meeting in the upscale tourist town of Acapulco. <br />
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Here he met with his top lieutenants; Arellano Felix, Carrillo Feuntes, Miguel Quintero, Juan Abergo, Chapo Guzman and Mayo Zambada. During this meeting he divided up his empire. Tijuana went the Arellano Felix brothers, Sonora would go to Miguel Quintero, Guzman and Zambada would get Sinaloa and Juarez would go to Carrillo Feuntes. <br />
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The Gulf would remain in the hands of Juan Abergo. His plan worked for a short while, but greed has its own temptations, and the empire he sacrificed his soul for, was doomed to fail. <br />
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<b>Let the Good Times Roll</b><br />
One major shift occurred in the early 1980’s with the Cocaine Wars in Florida. As law enforcement started to seal off the Caribbean route, as it was called, the money dried up and the routes shifted west; towards Mexico and its porous border with the US. Prior to this Mexican drug traffickers mainly focused on marijuana and opiate cultivation. El Padrino had already established connection with the Colombian Cartels, so the transition came naturally. <br />
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Cocaine brought with it vast amounts of cash, but with that cash also came blood. The influx of cash changed the face of the game. It also changed its nature, violence increased as did the tactics used to intimidate enemies. It turned one king into to many; soon it would be the Mexicans dictating to the Colombians how the game was played. <br />
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Nothing was too expensive, anything could be purchased, and everyone could be bought. This is the moment that the Mexican Cartels became the main suppliers of drugs to the United States.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramon Arellano Felix</td></tr>
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<b>The Peace is Broken</b><br />
It wasn’t long before Guzman started warring with the Arellano Felix brothers. In the early nineties the Arellano Felix brothers; Ramon in particular, branded extreme violence as par for the course. Savage daylight hits, terrible stories of torture and vats filled with acid became their legacy. <br />
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The war between Guzman and Ramon took place during the early 1990’s. The war hit its climax with the killing of Archbishop at the Tijuana airport. But while the world was focused was on the AFO, the rest of Mexico’s criminal underworld were quietly making moves in the shadows, and they were just beginning. <br />
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The Gulf Cartel which had been around since the 1950’s smuggling booze and other forms of contraband across the border began consolidating power. The Juarez Cartel run by Carrillo Feuntes, which at the time was considered the most sophisticated and wealthy of the cartels was enjoying the height of its power. It operating fleet of 747s that were so well known, law enforcement gave Carrillo Feuntes the nickname, the lord of the skies. <br />
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During this period Carrillo Feuntes work closely with a man who would become known as the king maker amongst the underworld. His name was Juan José Esparragoza Moreno or El Azul.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrillo Feuntes "The Lord of the Skies"</td></tr>
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<b> Another Fragmentation</b><br />
In the 1990’s the Lord of the Skies died from complications during a surgery. Many members defected and joined up with Guzman and his gang. Guzman was arrested but his organization was kept afloat by Beltran Levya brothers, Mayo and El Azul. <br />
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The game was changing; some of the original leaders grew closer, while others grew further apart. Family ties were fostered, while others were severed, the wheels of destiny were slowing starting to turn. Marriage became a popular way of gaining grace, or hedging bets. <br />
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So with the CDJ losing many of its members to CDS and the AFO losing ground due to key arrests and deaths, the stage was set for what was to come. The Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel were primed and ready to go toe to toe.<br />
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<b>The New Golden Goose</b><br />
Before the Sinaloa and the Gulf Cartels beef began another unforeseen factor emerged. The game changer was the introduction of large scale methamphetamine labs. Prior to the late nineties almost all methamphetamine production was made by small groups in small labs all across the heartland of America. <br />
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When US law enforcement began cracking down on these mom and pop operations, the manufacture of the drug moved south, and in a massive way. Instead of small labs producing small amounts of the drug, the Narcos in Mexico began large scale laboratories that would shock the world; both in their scale and complexity. This gave the Narcos a new and highly lucrative cash supply. <br />
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It would create several new networks that dedicated themselves to the manufacture of methamphetamine. La Familia, Milenio or Los Valencia and Ignacio Coronel Villarreal began to wield great power. Since then Mexico has become the world’s largest producer of Methamphetamine. It allowed cartels to have a source of income that did not rely on the unpredictable Colombians or on the treacherous weather of the Sierras. <br />
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It is now thought that methamphetamine has superseded the demand for cocaine in the United States and meth use in Mexico has since exploded. It has also added to the increase in random acts of violence and brutality that has been witnessed so far in this conflict.<br />
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<b>The Formation of Paramilitary Security</b> <br />
The Zetas were another major shift in the way that Mexico Cartels functioned. Salvador Gómez took control of the Gulf Cartel from Juan Abergo after his arrest in 1996. Salvador Gomez's second in command and close friend and confidant was Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, Osiel killed Salvador Gómez shortly after his accent to power. Thus earning the nickname "Friend Killer" as a result. <br />
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As Osiel Cárdenas Guillén came into power he was paranoid; he had always felt bribes only took you so far. His solution to this problem was to build a paramilitary outfit that would act act an armed wing of his organization. The faction took the name Los Zetas. At the time this was a new development for the cartels in Mexico. Neither Osiel, nor Mexico could have foresaw the terror which was to be unleashed. <br />
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With the formation of the Zetas came a new way of confronting both the government and the Gulfs rivals. They used fear and intimidation openly, displaying their contempt for a system they saw as ridged. No longer were Narcos to remain out of sight, hiding their acts of terror. They advertised the horror, using public displays of death marked with the trademark Z, a letter which struck fear in all those who encountered it. But what truly set Los Zetas apart was the knowledge which they brought with them. These were the same soldiers trained to apprehend the Narcos themselves. <br />
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The tactics used by the Cartels suddenly became more militaristic, more sophisticated and more brazen. It wasn’t long before the other cartels formed their own military wings, carrying out acts of savagery that would equal the Zetas. The escalations have continued unabated to this date, and there seems to be no limit to the brutality and fear they are willing to unleash upon the innocent population. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKUb6P8aqCu_W2lWQT0xUPsTPmjIB_EaujbGijJrMEDx6UlirY8-vpRMmM3JnxzwVoSGBS-1ZlPzURpILQ6hoQDci6GZ_THb9avLaieLbWgMnn_oWztUejkcWhUX8kBmGmcYF0QHbO_Y/s1600/zetas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKUb6P8aqCu_W2lWQT0xUPsTPmjIB_EaujbGijJrMEDx6UlirY8-vpRMmM3JnxzwVoSGBS-1ZlPzURpILQ6hoQDci6GZ_THb9avLaieLbWgMnn_oWztUejkcWhUX8kBmGmcYF0QHbO_Y/s320/zetas.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>The Slaves Become Masters</b><br />
The rapid increase in power of the Zetas after Osiel was extradited to the US also changed the way most cartels operated, the old rules were challenged by those who had no respect for the ways of the past. <br />
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Those from the older generations were caught off guard by how fast the Zetas began to obtain territories. They broke from their predecessor and set out on their own. Instead of the focus being on bribes and long standing relationships with government officials, the Zetas preferred fear and intimidation to achieve their goals. They broke with convention by preying on civilians within their territory. <br />
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They expanded the criminal rackets to include traditional crimes such as extortion and kidnapping but also incorporated more exotic rackets such as oil theft and human smuggling. With this warlord like mentality they became the fastest growing Cartel in Mexico. This lead to a more militarized approach towards the Cartels from the Government. Attacks became more outrageous as time continued. <br />
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The public was to bear witness to these atrocities; what were once rumors now became national news. La Famililia who evolved from the Zetas took public displays of brutality even further when they threw several severed heads on the floor of a club in Michoacán. <br />
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This signaled the start of what we now see; the war against the Narcos, a war which would become more savage than darkest nightmare that even Hollywood slasher films would envy. <br />
<b>If It Is War You Want War, Then War You Shall Have</b><br />
<a href="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/file/n4020264/imagesCAQZDN1O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="center" height="200" src="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/file/n4020264/imagesCAQZDN1O.jpg" width="155" /></a>The acts of violence were so outrageous and the impunity so thick, the Government was forced to act. Calderon who himself a native of Michoacán decided to take the war to the Cartels. Keep in mind, the cartels had now spent several years militarizing their forces. <br />
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Calderon took a bat to the wasps nest and beat it as if it were a piñata. To say the wasps reacted badly would be an understatement. No one could have seen what was to become; the bloodiest conflict to hit Mexico since it revolution nearly 100 years ago.<img border="0" class="center" height="310" src="http://borderland-beat.924382.n3.nabble.com/file/n4020264/imagesCAI0R2F3.jpg" width="400" /> <b> </b><br />
<b>The Vacuum</b><br />
The Government took a top down approach recommended by the Americans. It was known as the Kingpin Strategy, this focused most of the effort on taking out the top bosses. The unintended consequence of this however was the fragmentation of some of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. Some of the cartels splintered never to recover, allowing them to be swallowed up by the remaining cartels. Others went on to rebrand themselves, others simply faded away. <br />
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This approach led to a dramatic increase in violence; with up and comers eagerly showing their machismo though savagery. A kind of one up man ship emerged, with newer cartels having to show their worth through debauchery. This fracturing and assimilation has rapidly increased with the landscape which is always shifting and always changing. This has cumulated with most of the smaller groups falling in line either with the Zetas or the Sinaloa Cartels. <br />
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<b>The Breakup of the PRI</b><br />
With PAN winning the election in 2000, the old way of doing business disappeared, payments to those who allowed for business to continue was ruptured. To understand this one must look at the almost 100 years or PRI rule. The PRI functioned through bribes, always had, it was the way business was done. <br />
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This helped create one of the largest income gaps in the world. The rich in Mexico are very rich, the poor, very poor. Nothing was done without bribes but at least you got what you paid for. Corruption was vertical, money went up and permits and the like went down. What no one thought of was what would happen if the PRI lost. <br />
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When this happened the corruption became horizontal in nature. No one knew who to pay, or what type of protection they would receive. This added considerably to the volatility of the situation in Mexico. Suddenly corruption also became fragmented. For the underworld, this was the equivalent of a credit crunch in a recession. It created such a level of uncertainty that reprisals and false agreements became part of the game. <br />
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Loyalty became a nuanced term, only thought of when thinking about the way things used to work. How the upcoming elections will shift this dynamic remains to be seen<br />
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<b>Sinaloa Vs. Zetas</b> <br />
With the smaller cartels seeming to have either assimilated or forged alliances with either the Sinaloa or Zeta Cartels, violence is sure to continue. <br />
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While grisly displays seem to be on the rise, overall violence in Mexico seems to be stabilizing. This statistic is deceiving however; the security of everyday people in Mexico has deteriorated substantially in the past 6 years of war. With low impact crime on the rise and an influx of criminals trying to take advantage of the chaos, the typical Mexican is less secure now than they have ever been. <br />
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While two cartels are much easier to control than many, the chance of these pacts to sustain themselves is low. Fragmentation will surely follow; the cartel able to maintain its alliances the longest will come out on top. <br />
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This is also true for the corrupted officials who must navigate the the treacherous option of silver of lead. One thing that is sure, is that no matter what prediction lay ahead for Mexico , we should be expect the unexpected. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeta/Sinaloa Conflict</td></tr>
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<b>What Lies In Store</b><br />
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The real victims of this war have been the youth. Mexico has lost a generation of would be doctors, teachers, judges, innovators and innocents. How does one come to grips with losing so much ? <br />
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This war has not been fought by old men but rather by those who are lost. Those who see no hope in an honest future, those who dream of romantic stories of gold and fame, believing that the horror will not reach them. <br />
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Children who see nothing but loss and injustice, those who believe the only way to gain anything from life is to take it, by force if necessary. The youth who would prefer to die young as false kings rather than toil in abject poverty. This generation, which has thrived on the material, rather than the righteous, has been misguided.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430581975072617947noreply@blogger.com2