Tijuana: War in the North Zone, Los Monitos vs Sinaloa

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat From eta Tijuana

 Marcos Rafael Toscano Rodríguez
 

Translation by "Cruz for Borderland Beat

After the murder of Marcos Rafael Toscano Rodriguez, one "Los Monitos"; (little monkeys); the Sinaloa cartel, represented in the north by "El Aguacate"(the Avocado), tries to take control of the turf that until this day the CAF still holds, yet have been unable to fully dominate. A message towards "El Chacal" (the Jackal) and his sisters. "El Pelon"(baldy) and the son of "El Mono"(the ape) harden the dispute.

With the murder of Marcos Rafael Toscano Rodríguez, one of the twins nicknamed "Los Monitos"(the apes), who is a cell of the Arellano Felix Cartel(CAF) in the North, faces a new battle against the Sinaloa Carte for the control of drug sales in that neighborhood and its vicinity.

                           Roberto Carlos Toscano Rodríguez

Investigators confirmed with ZETA that the main suspects are members that belong to "El Aguacate's" cell, who takes direct orders from Alfonso Arzate García "El Aquiles", leader for the Sinaloa Cartel in Tijuana.

On Saturday, July 28th at 1:37 PM a call to 066 (Emergency Services) reported a male who had suffered a gunshot wound on Ingeniero Sánchez Ayala street, North Zone, next to "El Paso" hotel.

The person shot was "El Cuate"(The Twin), he had was shot in the abdomen. The people that were with him tried to put clothes on his wounds to try to stop the bleeding. He was later taken to Tijuana General Hospital. Witnesses mentioned that the suspects fled in a white Caravan.

Toscano Rodríguez was admitted at the Emergency Department and on Sunday morning July 29th, the organs that were damaged by the bullets, that were unable to be intervened surgically due to the severity of the wounds, ended up collapsing. He was declared dead at 10:35 AM.

Under Threat

Months prior, Marcos Rafael Toscano Rodríguez had survived an attempt on his life in the North Zone. Sometime during the night on Friday, March 2nd, he was driving a 2007 GMC Acadia on Coahuila Ave, in front of hotel Hong Kong, accompanied by his bodyguard, nicknamed "El Panchito", when they were shot at.

According to "El Cuate", he was shot at from a hotel by two hooded men, reason why, when he felt the first shots, he sped up and reached Baja California street in the North Zone, where he was intervened by the police.

The twin claimed that the attack was the work of a cell of the Sinaloa Cartel, led by "El Aguacate", he specifically mentioned that the brother in law of "El Aguacate", Iván Leonardo Peña Peralta "El Turbo", had already made death threats against him.

The police found a .45 caliber pistol in the van that they were driving which presented several gunshots on the tires and bodywork, both men were turned over to the PGR (Attorney General's Office ).

However, the twin and his bodyguard were released and a few days later they were detained in the North Zone. On March 11th in the afternoon, the police found them in possession of a 9mm firearm, a spare magazine, and three bullets, in the same sector.

The drug dealer explained that the firearm was to defend himself since they had tried to kill him. He did not remain in prison on this occasion either.

Authorities believe that these death threats caused Marcos Rafael to take on a low profile within the criminal structure of "Los Monitos". Added to the threat was the apprehension of his twin, Roberto Carlos, who is considered the cell leader.

At 32 years of age, "El Cuate" accumulated detentions for carrying a firearm, crimes against health, and was investigated for robbery with violence, assault, but he never remained in prison.

"Los Monitos" The Origin:

"Los Minitos", a nickname for the twins, Roberto Carlos y Marcos Rafael Toscano Rodríguez given to them by their older brother Luis Manuel Toscano Rodríguez “El Mono”, who came to be the main drug dealer for the CAF in the North Zone, between 2008 and until his death on April 9th, 2015.

                                                 Luis Manuel Toscano Rodríguez, “El Mono”

"El Mono" was killed close to criminal court while at a food stand where he had gone to sign for his probation/parole. His murder was one of the first in the battle fought between CAF, CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel in Tijuana.

Since 2009, "El Mono" accumulated detentions for possessing firearms, in fact in July 2012 he was issued formal imprisonment for health crimes, and firearm possession, after being detained by the Military on a street in Zona Centro , while in possession of 7 bags of cocaine, a rifle, a pistol, a magazine and 21 cartridges, he also had 20 thousand dollars.

Before that, he had been accused of homicide and aggravated kidnapping. On Jan 8th, 2011 they tried to execute him when he was driving through the Altamira neighborhood.

"El Mono" and his son, Luis Alexis Toscano Varela, then 10 years old, survived with lesions. When police officers arrived at the Red Cruz to interview him, the staff informed them that the wife of "El Mono" had arrived to transfer them to a private hospital.

Photo: File.- Iván Leonardo Peña Peralta, "El Turbo"

The female faked her husband's death, when she was questioned months later, she told them that she had buried "El Mono" in Manzanillo, Colima, where he was from.

After his death, his brother in law Alberto Ávila Alvarado “El Chacal”, with the help of "Los Monitos", took over the reigns of the cell that mainly handled the sale of marijuana, crystal, and cocaine, they also took part in executions of rival group members.

“El Turbo”

Shortly after the execution of "El Mono", "Los Monitos" were captured together. On May 23, 2015, the Policía Estatal Preventiva (Preventative State Police) apprehended them along with Daniel Eduardo Tapia López, they had on them a 5.45x39 millimeter machine gun, a 9mm pistol, two bulletproof vests, several ammo of different calibers, a bag with marijuana and seven doses of crystal as well as cocaine and methamphetamine.

The twins being captured continued throughout the years, as well as the attempts on their lives. On January 25, 2016, Roberto Carlos Toscano Rodríguez survived seven gunshot wounds to the chest and pelvis when he was traveling in a taxi on José Gallegos street, in the 20 de Noviembre neighborhood, close to the Harinas El Rosal factory in Tijuana.

Similar to his older brother, Roberto Carlos, he had gone to court to sign due to his detention in June of 2015. Three men, a minor included were captured for committing the crime.

Alán Zamora, Enrique García y Ulises L. Castro, stated that the order of the homicide had been given by a man nicknamed "El Cabezón"(Big Head), who operated for Alfonso Arzate "El Aquiles".

The other twin

Nevertheless, since May 16th, 2018, Roberto Carlos “El Monito”  is behind bars. He was captured by the municipal police on that day. He had 9mm firearm on him.

Different from the previous arrest, he was not set free on this occasion. The judge in charge of the case handed down a preventative prison sentence to the leader of CAF in the North Zone. He received the news of his twins death behind bars.

A head and a message against the family of "el Chacal"

On Wednesday Agust 1st, close to 2:00 PM, municipal police reported the finding of a human head inside of a white bucket on International Ave, in the Alemán neighborhood.

Next to the human remains was a cardboard with the following message: "This is how everyone that is with El Pelon will end up, Luis y Chacal Lupe y Vero Rosalba, you have 24 hours to leave ZN or you will be screwed. Just like El Chacal is doing sloppy work, killing women, we will give you guys the same treatment.".

“El Chacal”

All of those names are identified by el Grupo Coordinación de Baja California (Coordination Group of Baja California) If Roberto Carlos Toscano Rodríguez is considered the main leader of the "Los Monitos" cell, then Alberto Ávila Alvarado “El Chacal”, brother in law of "El Mono", became the natural heir after his death in 2015.

While Roberto Carlos focused on the task related to drug distribution, "El Chacal" was in charge of the hitmen of that cell.

During the time that Guillermo Alejandro González Camarillo “El Pelón” answered to Marcos Rafael Toscano Rodríguez, he was in charge of several sale spots in Center Zone and North Zone.

Luis Alexis Toscano Varela “Luisillo”, 18 years of age is the son of "El Mono", and he survived alongside his father the attempt on their life in 2011.

The authorities explained that the females mentioned on the cardboard are the sisters of "El Chacal", all of which are also involved in selling drugs and taxing.