Acuña: Major Operation by Mexican Navy

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

Over a hundred elements of marine Navy of Mexico and Mexican Army secured drugs, weapons, vehicles and suspects, during raids that took place in different parts of the city during Tuesday morning.

Federal sources confirmed that since the early hours of Tuesday, the Marines arrived in Ciudad Acuña aboard armored vehicles and artillery units, proceeding to besiege residences and properties in the process of detaining criminal suspects.

The Marines were supported by helicopter gunships that were kept carrying out reconnaissance flights, as scores of elements raided  properties, and  “safe houses” used by drug traffickers.

Although the details and results of the operation have not been made public, information leaked that an indeterminate amount of drugs, weapons, grenades, cartridges, vehicles of recent model and suspects were seized.

The previous week, in Piedras Negras elite troops managed to confiscate 7 tons of marijuana, as well as grenades, weapons and vehicles.

Piedras Negras is the base operation for the Marina of Mexico (navy) as it continues air and ground operations in the municipalities of Acuña, Jimenez and Piedras Negras in search of members of organized crime.

There have been rumors from Acuña since the weekend.  One rumor was that two Zetas leaders had been captured one in Acuña and one in Monterrey as he flew in from Cancun.  The Zeta captured at the airport was supposedly Alfredo Andrade [in photo above left].  Andrade’s second in command was said to have been captured in Tuesday’s operation in Acuña.

I have received several communications over the past few days from enough people that gives me a sense that the rumors probably have some truth in them.  Today when Vanguardia reported about the Marina and Army operation on Tuesday that gave further support to the reports from people on the ground in Acuña.

If the reports are factual and Andrade was captured he will be extradited to the United States where he has been a fugitive since federal indictment in 2003 named him and 30 co-defendants wanted for drug trafficking and money laundering.

The drug operation, detailed in the indictment, shipped drugs out of  the Mexican city of Ciudad Acuña, across the Rio Grande/Bravo from Del Rio Texas, from Del Rio drugs were shipped to San Antonio, Austin and Waco Texas.

30 of the 31 named in the indictment have been arrested; the lone suspect on the lam is Andrade.

Some are reporting  the second person arrested is Roberto Andrade. 

Sources: LACY, My San Antonio, Vanguardia