Chihuahua / Ciudad Juárez : Leader of La Vieja Guradia, "El Roñas", Executed

Oaxaqueño for Borderland Beat

On Sunday afternoon, Juan Carlos Balderas Contreras, alias "El Roñas", was assassinated in Ciudad Juarez 'northwestern colony Luis Echeverria. "El Roñas" was considered one of the leaders of La Vieja Guardia, a group within Los Aztecas. Two months ago, on the 4 th of September, “El Roñas” was wounded but survived an attack in a restaurant in Ciudad Juárez. In the course of this assault, one of his companions, identified as Joel René Roque Flores “El Renato”, was killed. Two days before the latest assassination, on Friday afternoon, 53-years-old Felipe Lerma Amezcua, alleged Los Aztecas sicario, was shot dead in colonia Niños Héroes, also located in the northwestern part of Ciudad Juárez. Reportedly, there is a link between the two killings. However, reports have not revealed the possible relationship between “El Roñas” and Lerma so far. Furthermore, the killing of “El Roñas” is according to the Attonrey General’s Office related to the ongoing conflict between La Línea and Los Aztecas.

 Oaxaqueño Analysis:

It appears likely that the killing was perpetrated by a sicario under the command of René Gerardo Garza Santana, alias "El 300", who was arrested on the 7th of November. The Los Aztecas’ infight between La Vieja Guardia and “El 300”, whose group is also referred to as La Empresa, has caused a harsh spike in violence in the recent months, leaving hundreds of people dead. It’s worth mentioning that following the above-mentioned attack on “El Roñas” in September, an apparent truce, which obviously just held temporarily, brought the violence down for some time. Initially, the rupture within Los Aztecas has begun/increased with the arrest of their leader Eduardo Ravelo Rodríguez "El Tablas". He was arrested alongside second-in-command Juan Arturo Padilla Juárez "El Genio", in Michoacán in June this year. In order to gain power within Los Aztecas, “El 300”, who is also related to La Línea, is said to have ordered the killing of "El Genio", who was stabbed to death in prison in August. Besides “El Tablas”, “El Genio”, and “El Roñas”, who have either been killed or imprisoned, there is currently only one known leader left of La Vieja Guardia. It’s Alfredo Martínez Mendoza, alias "El Ferro" or "Fredy".

Nevertheless, it’s not only the arrest of “El Tablas” which has caused the frictions within Chihuahua’s underworld that has led to the increase in violence. Hostilities between Los Aztecas and Los Mexicles are another factor. Additionally, the arrests of La Línea leaders like Carlos Arturo Quintana “El 80” and his successor, Julio César Olivas Torres “El Sexto”, who have been arrested in May and August respectively, have also caused distinctive ruptures.

Considering the vast power vacuum the above-mentioned incidents have caused, it comes without surprise that each group, as well as newer groups such as César Daniel Manjarrez Alonso’s “El H2” Nuevo Cártel de Juárez, as well as non-Chihuahua cartel’s, see possibilities to gain ground in the state. Against this background, a continuation of the high amount of violence, at least in the near future until a criminal group is able to markedly consolidate power, can be expected in Chihuahua.

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