El Guicho (Sinaloa cell leader?) arrested in Mexicali

Sources: AFN Tijuana, Zeta Tijuana.

State Preventive Police (PEP) arrested Hector Hernandez Guajardo, 'El Guicho', after a shootout, in which both El Guicho and his lieutentant, El Lobis were wounded. At this point 'El Lobis' is said to be gravely injured, while Guicho is in stable condition, after receiving two wounds to his abdomen. Daniel De La Rosa, Secretary of Public Security stated that the two were in Mexicali to engage in 'settling of accounts', kidnapping' & murder. The two men were traveling in a new model Nissan Sentra, along the San Luis Rio Colorado Blvd Carranza when the PEP detained them, following a gunfight.

El Guicho came into prominence after the capture of Teodoro Garcia Simental, 'El Teo', and Raydel Lopez Uriarte , 'El Muletas', in early 2010. He is accused of being responsible for at least 465 murders in the Baja California area,. Julian Leyazola, former Minister of Public Safety stated in July of 2010 that Guicho wanted control of Tijuana, and had permission from Sinaloa to take it. It is not known what status Guicho currently had in the Sinaloa's cartels operation in Baja California, and surrounding areas. Although most media reports are contending that he was a Sinaloa representative, there is some evidence that he had fallen out of favor in recent months. Hernandez Guajardo was one of those named as conspiring with Jose 'El Tigre' Soto in the October 2010 attempted theft of marijuana from Alfredo Arteaga Gonzalez 'El Achilles', which resulted in the seizure of 135 tons of marijuana.

According to Tijuana magazine Zeta (issue 1930), Fernando Sanchez Arellano, El Ingeniero' and El Achilles created a partnership to 'cool the plaza', and force the surrender of the remnants of 'Los Teos', which included Hernandez Guajardo, and Jose 'El Tigre' Soto, and was intensified after the loss of the marijuana on October 17, 2010. This issue contends that these men, along with (former) CAF affiliate Juan Sillas Rocha had been targeted for death by both Sinaloa and CAF, and were operating in Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada and Mexicali, independent from both of these groups. However, this account has not been confirmed by any other media sources, and Guicho is listed as a Sinaloa cartel 'leader' in the initial reports of his capture.

Regardless of where his loyalty lay, the capture of El Guicho is noteworthy, as it is believed he is responsible for much of the bloodshed, and gruesome deaths in Tijuana, and surrounding areas. The severed head found hanging from a bridge in Tijuana in early January of 2011 was said to be done by dealers in the service of El Guicho, who also commanded the cell detained in late January of Juan Valle Beltran, El Boxer, a cell leader who controlled retail drug operations, kidnapping, and extortion in Rosarito Beach. A heavy methamphetamine user, El Boxer was responsible for a series of murders in the Tijuana and Rosarito area in an attempt to control retail drug distribution. As Hernandez Guajardo begins his recovery, we can expect more information on his status in the Sinaloa cartel, as well as the operational details of the Sinaloa cartel in Tijuana, as was the case when Jesus Israel de la Cruz Lopez, 'El Tomate' was apprehended in January this year.