A Borderland Beat Photo Sparks a PGR Investigation of El Americano

Chivis Martinez and  "Pepe" for Borderland Beat

Readers will recognize the BB image above, as one I have used multiple times.  It is a screen shot from a Tuta meeting video.   The video was filmed in the fall of 2013, after Los Viagras made an alliance with Mencho leader of CJNG.  It is obvious that Tuta realizes that the Sierra Santana brothers, founders of the Viagras, have played him dirty.  

In the video El Americano, (Luis Antonio Torres Torres) is seen briefly  as he listens to the Tuta and Carlo Sierra Santana discussion, (as he flosses his teeth).  Americano, was the leader of the H3 autodefensa group of Buenavista, who included many so called "reformed Templarios",  he aligned himself with the Viagras.  It was the Viagras who arrived in a 40 vehicle convoy to take out Hipolito Mora, in the conflict over the murders and incineration of two Templarios,  Rafael Sánchez Moreno, alias El Pollo, and  José Luis Torres Castañeda.  The federal police came to Mora's "rescue and transported him to safety"

Buenavista is a municipality that includes the town of Ruana, of which Hipolito Mora was the AD leader.  

El Pollo was the best friend of Americano, he blamed Mora for the murders, but bad blood was already running  deep between the two men.  A contentious point was the confiscated property acquired by the Buenavista autodefensas. 

Instead of  returning the property to the rightful owners, as other AD groups did, Rurales commander "Smuf" whose real name is Estanislao Beltrán, and Americano were keeping the land for themselves.

Another other point of contention was the alleged abusive treatment of Mora's niece, by Americano, who was her live in boyfriend.  By the time of the Pollo murders the two had ended their relationship. (the couple are in the photo above left)

Americano is one of the  Rurales leaders, and  incredulously, Americano is part of what is described as the new "elite Tuta hunters task force formed  to search for La Tuta".

The last time I posted the photo, was July 27th, it is one of the hot posts listed  in  the right column of main board.

It was the post about yet another Tuta video in which he complains about people owing him money, including El Americano. (follow the link)

Los Viagras Cartel

The Viagras are led by two of the brothers, Carlos, the man in the video, and Mariano Sierra Santana alias "El Negro". (below left)  There are at least 8 brothers and 2 sisters involved in the group.  They are the first Templarios splinter group.  Chango Mendez, leader of La Familia Michoacana, is the godfather of two or more of the brothers.

After Chango was arrested, they moved to the newly formed  cartel, "Caballeros Templarios". Subsequently splitting from Templarios and forming their own group.  Two factors were the motivators that compelled the to leave the alliance with Tuta, and partner with Mencho...purportedly, because federal police are on the Mencho payroll, and Mencho's  backing of  H3, supplying them with weapons and vehicles.  

Part of the agreement with Mencho includes "dirty duty", the work Mencho doesn't want to fool with. he assigns to Viagras.  With the alliance came an expansion of working territory for the Viagras, who are based in Huetamo. They now also operate in the upper coast of Guerrero, adjacent to Lazaro Cardenas.

There is a connection to the Harry Devert kidnapping and murder.  "El Galivan"a CJNG  plaza chief, has been accused of the murder. He has denied being involved, and he may be truthful, because the areas where Dervert disappeared, and was found, is Viagras territory.

That said, Galivan is close friends with Mariano Sierra, and Mariano recommended Galivan to Mencho, so they may have worked together in the kidnapping /murder.

The photo
The video came out in November 2014.  It does not mention Americano being in the video in the title, as he was not such an important figure at the time, consequently it did not score a high number of views when it came out.

The video is featured as an ultimatum from La Tuta to Carlos Sierra Santana.  I saw the video, in part,  in January but did not spot Americano until February. The text was too blurry to read in the into. The footage is also far from clear,  I shared the video with Dr. Mireles, and he acknowledged the person is, in  his opinion,  appears to be Americano.  At this time, Dr. Mireles considered the H3 and Smurf as partners in the autodefensas movement and well intentioned.

I did not.

"I wrote this to Dr. Mireles;  Americano and Smurf are still you partners? I think differently, I think they are against you.  I never trusted either of them, especially after your plane crash."

I have posted the photo I created every month since March.  But the clincher was at the end last month, when I posted the "Tuta complains people owe him money" video.  That video confirms a direct collaboration between Tuta and Americano.  Any doubts are erased that it was indeed Americano in the November 2013 video.

I posted the photo several times on BB and on social networks.  It did not seem to get much attention.  It has been months.  Then Reforma saw it, and other media sites like LaVoz  and Quadratin posted my photo, and are saying the photo is making the rounds of social media.  "Pepe" a BB contributor posted the links and asked me "isn't this your photo?".  It sure is.  You can see where they cropped BB off...no matter, it is mine, and the "of" word in English is a dead give away that it did not come from Mexico.

PGR has opened an investigation to determine if it is Americano the person in the photo, and video.  He says he will cooperate if called.  He may have reason to be cocky, after all he is Castillo's hand picked boy to "find Tuta" and clean up Michoacan.

PGR should be able to clean up the video for clarity. But nonetheless, just to have attention focused on Americano is a very good thing.

From La Voz

Today a photo began circulating on social media a photograph that apparently is part of a video where the former leader of the AUC of Buenavista, Tomatlán, Luis Antonio Torres known as "The American" is shown with it links Servando Gómez Martínez, "The Tuta "or" Profe ", leader of the criminal organization The Knights Templar . (continues next page)

The PGR has already started research on this picture to first determine its authenticity and confirm alleged connections between the two characters, sources of the institution.

"Americano" is now one of the commanders of the State Rural Force is dedicated finding the  whereabouts of "La Tuta" and is one of the four commanders of this "elite police force"  since 10 whose objective is to locate and catch "La Tuta"but  now has been linked to the criminal organization and could be called to testify to the PGR, in relation to alleged ties to organized crime.

Quadratin added this:

Through social networking circulating a photograph, which ensures though not clear, is evidence of a meeting between Servando Gómez, La Tuta, and Luis Antonio Torres Torres, aka The Americano, a member of the Rural Force, as reported by Reforma.  

Though the picture is not clear,  the first subject black dress that appears closer to the lens  and has an arrow indicates that it is La Tuta; the second subject is seen in the background wearing a white polo shirt with black stripes and a cap. Apparently stares into the camera and with an arrow says "Americano".  

The third subject is also dressed in black, on the right side of the image and is identified as Carlos apparently a cartel member's Viagras. Behind subjects the tops of some trees are appreciated, however no further information about where or when the meeting took place.