Kombo Kolombia: Possible Link to Zetas, CDG Accused of the Killings

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

The video below for Reporte Indigo, was released yesterday.  The video is in Spanish so I have pulled facts from the video to create an overview in English.  If you are English only I would recommend you view the video anyway as it contains an influx of video and still footage.

The second video is an interview by  María Julia Fountain in Milenio Radio,  of Maria Cristina Saenz Villanueva, mother of Saul Reynoso Saenz, whose body was identified yesterday.  Anguish is detected in her voice as she describes her loss, her son, and her dismay of her treatment by authorities. 

Note that this interview was before the body of her son was identified so hope remained in her heart that he was not with the group and still alive.  He was identified yesterday as one of the bodies.  He was 30 years old

Reporte Indigo:

Authorities of Nuevo Leon have investigated as a probable motive of the kidnapping and execution of the members of the group Kombo Kolombia, a possible connection with drug trafficking.  While the cartel CDG, aka Cartel del Gulfo is suspected of the mass killing.

One of the lines of investigation of the PGJE is pointing to a possible connection to the cartel known as Los Zetas.

Sources claim the disappearance of the 16 musicians and 4 helpers could be part of the war between the zetas and the CDG in Nuevo Leon, but the mass execution mainly subscribe to  the dispute that these two drug cartels maintain for the route of the road 'Monterrey – Monclova' that connect the states of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila.

The bodies that have been taken out one by one were found half naked, and presented signs of torture and coup de grace in the head. Authorities surmise they were executed by their kidnappers shortly after being taken. (the witness reported they were beaten, shot and thrown into the well by 2s)

The band is said to have played at Topo Chico penitentiary, arranged by Zetas

The Governor Rodrigo Medina revealed that the that the bodies found, 17 as of today, belong to the musicians. (there are rumors that the well was possibly used for disposing victims of other killings) 

Kombo Kolombia performed live in dance halls and night clubs found in Monterrey and the metropolitan area that form part of the drug distribution net of the zetas. Among these places,  stand out night clubs as El Sabino Gordo, Internacional and Dorado Saloon, have been the location of previous  attacks by hit men of the Gulf Cartel, as the locations are considered as a financial net of the zetas.

A high caliber  official  reports that the zetas in Monterrey supported the musicians by booking them performances and gained  contracts with the bars that paid protection fees to the  criminal group

Also being investigated are the performances  of Kombo Kolombia in private parties that members of the zetas organize in Monterrey and even performances in the penitentiary of Topo Chico in Monterrey.

Most of the members of the kombo Kolombia are inhabitants of the colonia Independencia, home of the movement of Colombian music or ‘Vallenato’ in Monterrey, but it is also a neighborhood where drug trafficking has put down roots and has become a source of hit men of organized crime, mainly for the zetas cartel.

The death of the members of the Kombo Kolombia adds to the number of murders of other musicians and singers that have been executed for possible nexus with organized crime in Mexico.

On this list are “Sergio Vega”, “el shaka”, and “Sergio Gomez”, of the band Kpaz de la Sierra.

Last year in Nuevo Leon, 5 members of the rap group Mente in Blanco were executed in the municipality of San Nicolas by hit men linked to CDG, today is the turn of the musicians of Kombo Kolombia.

“My son has fear, he said that this was his last gig”

Mother of Saul Piña Reynoso Saenz (Maria Cristina Saenz Villanueva) via telephone:

Question: Did your son told you about who had hired them for the performance last Thursday on the municipality of Hidalgo on the bar la Carreta?

The boss of the group with alias Vallenato, was who received the call and was arranged to meet at one place,  but then they were taken to this place, La Carreta. I went to that place and saw the things, the instruments, the trucks were with the doors wide open, the truck/bus that carried the instruments was also there, open. It was painful to see the place.

I am tired of this situation; I have lost faith; I don’t know what to do, my son was a good person, he wasn’t involved in anything bad.

Question: Had your son tell you about any problem or threat that they had received or that he wanted to retire from the music world?....... -continues on next page-

He did said, precisely on Wednesday, a day before that it was going to be the last time that he was going to play. That he wanted to work in a business, that he wanted to leave this job because he was afraid, but he didn’t tell me of what he was afraid of.

I really don’t know what happened to the group, why they hurt so many families. My son didn’t consume drugs; I never saw him high during the time he was in that environment, he lived with a girl, they were going to get married.

Question: Was he afraid of the situation that we are living on the last years in the state?

For sure, he was afraid. One time, he told me that also in a ranch, they were threatened, but since I am ill, he didn’t tell me many things. But he was afraid, he said that it was the last gig he did.

He turned 30 on January 22 and he threw a small party, he told me “Mom, take care of you and take care of my children”. I don’t know if he sensed that he was going to die. It was strange to me that he told me that and I stayed with that in my mind since then.

Why do you say that you didn’t receive much support from the authorities and which authorities were those?

Last night we went to the ministerial police because they called us about some bodies that were found. We went there and they treated us very rudely, in fact one of the agents was arguing with my brother in law and told him that if he didn’t shut up, he was going to put him in (jail).

I told him that they should understand that we were worried and wanted information but they were very rude. When we went out, they were going behind us and carrying a machine gun, we were afraid and decided to leave.

I don’t know what is going to happen. This should stop. I don’t know if this new president is going to stop this or is going to be like the last president. I really don’t know what is going to happen.