Two of CAF detained in Tijuana

Two alleged CAF operators detained in Tijuana

A man, 'considered' to be a 'leader' of the Arellano Felix group in Tijuana, was arrested today by the PEP, Alfredo Cesar Meza Garcia, 36, was wanted in the US by the DEA, as well as the ICE.  The arrest was made on Blvd. Agua Caliente, authorities from the US, and Mexico contributed intelligence, leading to the capture.  

After the arrest, Meza Garcia, 'El Tachuelas', identity was verified, including the extradition warrant to the US, for charges relating to organized crime.  Meza Garcia is being held in Tijuana, and is expected to be sent to Mexico City over the weekend.  

More arrests followed the detainment of Tachuelas.  State police, shortly after the earlier arrest descended upon Colonia Mexicali, and stopped one man, carrying a kilogram of cocaine in a backpack.  He was identified as Luis Angel Zazueta, a 20 year old native of Chula Vista, San Diego.  He told the arresting authorities he was paid $500 to transport the cocaine. 

In Paseo De Lomas, Tijuana, officers pulled over several men in a 2002 black Ford Explorer, including Adrian Vasquez Lagunas, 30, from the state of Veracruz, and operating under the direction of the CAF, in Tijuana.  Lagunas, nicknamed, 'El Macho Prieto' had two guns in his waist band, on the right and left set, both .380's with an extra magazine.  Lagunas had 16 wraps of crystal, packaged for retail sale, in addition to the pistols.  This 'Macho Prieto' shares the alias of the longtime Sinaloa lieutenant, who is charge of Mexicali on the behalf of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zamabada. 

Lagunas is said to be working for, or under 'El Chapito' Uriarte, a cousin of Raydel Lopez Uriarte, 'El Muletas', detained in Tijuana, in Febuary 2010, after the apprehension of his collaborator, Teodoro Garcia Simental, who were united against their former boss Fernando Sanchez Arellano.  Zeta Magazine rececntly ran a story detailing the Uriarte's and their role in retail drug sales in Tijuana.  The Zeta article contended that the Uriartes work for Alfredo Arteaga Azarte, 'El Aquiles', and run tienditas for the Sinaloa Cartel.  However, this recent arrest alleges that the detainees were under CAF.  It is doubtful the Uriarte's would have reunited with El Inge, due to the blood spilled in the war for the plaza, and the personal nature of the betrayal.

Also, in a subsequent operation, Jose Francisco Prado Farias, 28, of Mexico City was arrested in Colonia Buena Vista, with packages of crystal prepared for retail sale.  Tijuana is a complex plaza, because of the nature of the relationships between organized crimes, which are not entirely antagonistic, yet there are still disputes, and murders of retail dealers continue.

 A recent article on AFN Tijuana stated that Sinaloa Cartel groups had largely displaced the cells of CAF, which took heavy hits, earlier in the year, with the detention of 'El M-4', and 'El Mono', Luis Toscanco, who was in charge of retail sales in the Zona Norte area.  Unverified sources have said that the upper level of CAF prefers to be paid plaza by retail dealers, rather then use their people to engage in retail sales.  

The most well known leaders of organized crime in the region are, 'El Chapito' Uriarte, the newly appointed head of the Sinaloa retail groups, Jose Soto 'El Tigre', a Sinaloa loyalist from the Los Teos, who has influence in the Rosarito Beach area, as well as Tijuana, the previously mentioned 'El Aquiles', as well as 'El Melvin', a Sanchez Arellano lieutenant. Things are more complex in Southern Baja, where Beltran Leyva cells, under the banner of 'La Oficina' attempt to gain control and influence in quiet plazas like Los Cabos, and La Paz.  

  

Sources: AFN Tijuana, Zeta Tijuana.