El Tigre and Premier Viagras leader arrested: suspects in the Harry Devert murder

By Lucio R. for Borderland Beat

Regional news outlets are reporting, Adrian Reyes Cadena, nicknamed "El Tigre" plaza boss in Zihuatanejo, (left) was arrested along with the leader of Los Viagras, Miariano Sierra Santana, alias El Negro”.  The suspects were arrested in an operation on  calle Golondrinas, in Ixtapa, Guerrero.

The operation to arrest was in coordination with Federal Police, the Mexican Army and the Attorney Specializing in Organized Crime Research (SEIDO).

They have been transferred to Mexico City in an Federal Preventive Police aircraft. The arrest occurred at 09:00 hours on Sunday, two helicopters one of  the Mexican army and one of the PFP over flew the area beginning at 0700.  The military closed off traffic on Golondrinas Street.

The arrest was conducted, 149 Golondrinas Street, inside the home  of "El Tigre".  His wife and children were home at the time.

Also arrested was Mariano Sierra Santana, 34 years old, who is from Michoacán in Buena Vista municipality. 

(I have two photos each supposedly Mariano but are different men..lets go with this one)

Authorities have not given the names of the others arrested but it is estimated 5 or 6 others were arrested in the operation.

The detainees were loaded onto a “rhino” truck and travelled to the military barracks of  Ixtapa where a helicopter of the Federal Police was waiting to transfer the suspects to Mexico City to the federal PGR headquarters.

Although the charges against the suspects have not been made public, Los Viagras, El Tigre, El Gavilan and others are suspected as being the authors and executioners of Harry Devert.

The remains and motorcycle identified as Harry's 

The relationship of these suspects began while they were members of Caballeros Templarios. In summer of 2013, Los Viagras was formed and became the first splinter group of Caballeros Templarios.

The leaders of Templarios were the last to know that the group, formed by the Sierra Santana brothers, had allied with Mencho and CJNG.  It was a win-win for the two newly allied groups, Viagras established leaders of narco-autodefensa groups, such as El Americano, with the financial backing of Mencho and Rafael Caro Quintero.  

With the weakening of Templarios, through captures and deaths of its leaders, members switching sides, and genuine autodefensas on their tail, the Viagras became stronger and Mencho, originally from Michoacán, was able to spread with power and control through a good portion of Michoacán.  Los Viagras managed to take over much of the synthetic drug lab production, and sell the product to CJNG.

At the time of the Viagras defect, they highly recommended their close friends, El Tigre, and El Gavilan real name, Alberto Bravo Barragan, as CJNG plaza bosses.  Eventually, Gavilan became Jefe de Plaza of Petatlan and Tigre, the Zihuatanejo.

El Gavilan was in charge with overseeing kidnappings, and whose sister is a supervisor in the municipal office.  Allegedly, she was the one who perused city records to determine who would be profitable kidnapping targets, and gave the information to her brother.

“El Pino” jefe of sicarios in Zihuatanejo, (left) is suspected of being the one who is involved directly in the murder of Devert. 

The Sierra Santana brothers are from Huetamo Michoacán, which sits directly on the border with southern Guerrero, and on the highway Devert was most likely travelling.  

That region is solely the kidnapping working area of Viagras.  Another benefit of Viagras’ alliance with CJNG, is that Mencho’s tight connection to federal and state forces along the border area of Michoacán and Guerrero, and a portion of the port area.

One theory is that Devert ventured onto the perilous highway, that Viagras kidnappers stakeout. They may have kidnapped him and mistaking him for CIA or DEA, handed him over to Tigre and Gavilan. 

Man in above photo, is Alan Brian Jiménez Campuzano alias “el cachetes”.  He is also a part of the defected Templarios group that joined CJNG just 6 months prior to his arrest in Zihuatanejo.  He was a sicario and was arrested in February, 2014, closely after the disappearance of Devert  in January, 2014.

When interrogated by the Public Minister, he confessed to being a part of an organized crime cell.

According to government sources, Jiménez confessed that his boss, identified as Adrián Reyes Cadena, El Tigre, kidnapped the “young man from New York” with the notion that he was a member of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).  Devert was proficient in French, English and Spanish.  Born in France, to an American mother, he carried dual citizenship's.  He had both passports in his possession.  (He was raised in New York).

The flow of information  from  Jiménez, was but a dribble, saying “I don’t know what happened to the New York man”. 

Other sources revealed the investigation indicated Devert was taken to the La Palma Rancho, near Petatlán, Guerrero, the plaza of El Gavilan, where the group is based. 

Additional sources claim, Devert was interrogated, and killed at the ranch.   Although Devert was found dismembered, it is not thought he was alive during the dismemberment.  His skull exhibited a severe, massive, injury, a blow from a bat, 2X4 or other apparatus.  He was killed by that blow. 

Let’s hope that these arrests mean justice may come for Harry Devert and his mother Ann.  

Material of the arrest portion of this post  is from Rafagan, 1aplana and facebook.