Los Paredes, Protected by the Government in Sonora where Impunity Prevails

By Buggs for Bordeland Beat, 

derived from source Sonora Informativo.

The last name Paredes is one of the most influential names in the state of Sonora. This Mexican American family (Paredes Cartel) has controlled drug trafficking in the northwest of the country since the 1990s. Leonel Paredes-Peru was the founder of this Mexican criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking, money laundering and arms trafficking. It is responsible for the trafficking of hundreds of kilos of cocaine and marijuana to the United States through Arizona. This has allowed the organization to profit in millions of dollars from the US to Mexico.

On May 4, 2004, three gunmen shot and killed Leonel Paredes-Peru, as well as Leobardo and María del Refugio Paredes-Machado in a restaurant in Agua Prieta. From that day on, Marco Antonio Paredes-Machado, one of the brothers would assume command of the Paredes criminal organization.

Paredes-Machado, supposedly in command of the central base of the region and controlling the plaza on the northern border of Sonora in Agua Prieta, he managed to form a stronger and more sophisticated network of drug trafficking, weapons smuggling and money laundering.  This structure was dedicated to maintaining the traffic of hundreds of kilos of marijuana and cocaine to the United States through the border crossings in Agua Prieta, Naco, Nogales, Sonoyita and San Luis Río Colorado using tunnels, which exponentially increased his power. The organization increased the trafficking of arms from the United States to Mexico, through the same border crossings, to dominate their influence with total violence in the territory and confront rival cells.

From the border city of Agua Prieta, Los Paredes monitor and coordinate the passage of drugs through Arizona. "They move it in trucks, through undocumented immigrants, with pack animals (horses and mules) and sporadically in ultralight aircraft," indicated a Mexican agent that was interviewed and did not want to be identified for security reasons. Along the 388 miles of border that Arizona shares with this arid land of the Mexican territory, almost all the marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine that enters here are moved by the Paredes cartel.

Marco Antonio Paredes-Machado was detained on January 11, 2011 by elements of the Federal Police, after leaving a hospital in Huixquilucan, State of Mexico. He was identified by the anti-drug agencies (including the DEA) as the main operator of the narco-tunnels in Sonora.

Despite the arrest, the Paredes family still own the plaza where the son of Marco Antonio,  Marco Antonio Jr. Paredes-Ponce "Junior" was the successor of his father, remaining in control of one of the most coveted plazas by drug traffickers.

Marco Antonio Paredes-Ponce "Junior", originally from the United States and residing in Phoenix, Arizona, is the current leader of the Los Paredes Cartel. Despite being accused of being a criminal/trafficker, the United States government has not named him as a "public enemy." Things move fast in the Mexican cartel business and sometime the US law enforcement have a hard time keeping up.

“Junior” in the organization that made his father powerful from May 2004 to January 2011, created a tight circle among people he trusted, where he assigned plazas to bosses in different towns in the state of Sonora and Chihuahua.

Martin Alonso Siqueiros, also known as “Tin Tin” and “9-12”, originally from Hermosillo, Sonora, lives in Agua Prieta and is the main face of the Los Paredes cartel. He receives direct orders from “Junior” for the trafficking of hundreds of kilos of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, amphetamines and methamphetamines to the United States through the state of Arizona.

Siqueiros is also accused of drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, money laundering and giving orders to kidnap, make people disappear, and execute people inside and outside the state of Sonora. He has a large number of sicarios under his command, members loyal to the Paredes Organization who obey all the orders given to them by “Tin Tin” and "Junior." The current activities of the organization that generates profits are the theft of mines, dispossession of property, kidnapping and collection of land.

Güero Cano, also known as “9-11”, originally from Hermosillo, Sonora and residing in Cananea, Sonora is responsible for looking after the plazas of Cananea, San Pedro, Santa Cruz and Naco. Places where he distributes drugs, charges "pago de piso" to street vendors and even to the Cananea mine, thus maintaining his operations for the protection of the territory.

Leonel Toscano-Cuevas, also known as “Tigre”, originally from Huachinera, is in charge of human trafficking on the border of Agua Prieta, Naco and Puerto San Luis. He also traffics in cocaine, heroin and marijuana across the border.

Jorge Alberto Lamadrid-Carranza, also known as "Delta" and "Gordo", is the second in command of "Tin Tin", he is the head of the sicarios in Agua Prieta who carry out the orders of Tin Tin by abducting, executing and making disappear both their enemies and businessmen who have resisted paying the fees demanded by "Junior" to operate their businesses in Sonora.

Jose Martin Luy-Sierra, also known as “Pepe” and “Chino”, originally from Hermosillo, Sonora resident of Agua Prieta who pretends to be an entrepreneur, is dedicated to drug trafficking and is plaza boss in the municipalities of Huasabas, Granados, Bacadéhuachi and Tecoriname. He has multiple companies dedicated to money laundering, one of them is AgroLuy Veterinary Supplies located on the Agua Prieta-Janos highway between 6 and 10 avenues. He has an armed wing of sicarios in the Nácori Chico, El Sauz, Buena Vista and Huepaverachi region.

David Guillen-Rodriguez, also known as “Pato”, originally from Casas Grandes, Chihuahua and residing in Huachinera, Sonora, is the head of sicarios in the municipalities of Colonia Morelos, Bavispe, La Galerita, Bacerac, Huachinera and Aribabi. Carrying out direct orders from “Tin Tin,” he is responsible for distributing drugs, managing cattle theft and murders in the area that he controls. He is also responsible for giving the order for the terrible massacre of the LeBarón family, although the collusive authorities in the region have protected these criminals from any accusation against them.

Gabriel Meza, also known as "21", residing in Agua Prieta, he is part of the armed wing named "Delta" and are in charge of the municipalities of Fronteras, Esqueda and Nacozari. Carrying out the same orders of the other people in charge of the plaza that includes drug distribution, executions and disappearances of people. This criminal is also in charge of the security of "Junior" when he is in Mexico.

Elmer Guadalupe Córdova-Torres, also known as “Pluma”, originally from Chihuahua, with residence in Agua Prieta, Sonora. He oversees Cumpas, Sahuaripa, Mulatos, Arivechi and Yécora. He is responsible for drug transport to the border and has co-responsibility for executions in the state of Sonora and Chihuahua by his armed group. He was a member of Los Salazar and joined Los Paredes at the time of Alfredo Salazar Ramírez's arrest.

Josea Crispin S.Z. "El Tio," leader of Los Salazar, appointed Francisco Javier Arvizo-Márquez, "El Jaguar" to take over the Plaza in Madera, Largo Maderal and Ignacio Zaragoza for the trafficking of drugs to the United States, which has generated confrontations against the armed wing (La Linea) of the Juarez Cartel since 2017.

While El Jaguar has financial, operational and strategic support from a group of nominees Los Paredes or Los Pesados ​​de Apson cartel who are also related to Los Salazar group and who reside in the state of Sonora but when agents go looking for El Jaguar, he hides in the neighboring state of Chihuahua.

When Arturo Q.Q. "El 80" took the plaza away from "El Jaguar" some time before 2017, this prompted "El Jaguar" to ask for help from Los Paredes, who provided support in every way and he was able to confront La Linea in the area. Later in 2018 El 80 was captured by federal agents.

Francisco Javier has four brothers as bosses of plazas such as Marco Antonio, Oscar, Oscar and Jose Luis (assassinated), who are responsible for the plazas of Madera, Ignacio Zaragoza and Gomez Farias for the transportation of drug.

El Jaguar, originally from Zaragoza, Chihuahua, with residence in Agua Prieta, is responsible for the war that exists on the border of Sonora and Chihuahua in the region of Madera, El Largo Maderal and The Norteña. He also steals from residents of the property and belongings such as houses, cars, ranches, livestock and any other valuable resource. He also collects fees from entrepreneurs in the region.

Ramón Cano, also known as "Monchi", a resident of Agua Prieta and Cananea, is one of the main leaders in the plaza of Cananea with his brother "El Güero Cano".

Luis Ernesto Fimbres-Fuentes, also known as “Chito”, in charge of the plaza of the municipalities of Moctezuma, Nácori Chico, Mesa Tres Rios, Arco and Lobos. His main activities are the planting of marijuana and poppy, as well as the transporting of cocaine, marijuana, and heroin to the border.

Pedro Paredes-Peru, also known as “Peter”, originally from Agua Prieta, is plaza boss of Villa Hidalgo, Divisaderos and Tepache, distributing drugs in the region and contributing to the protection of the territory.

They have colluded with each of the authorities of every municipality to facilitate their operations, as well as the Aguapretenses media that publishes information in their favor, include Periódico Certeza, Diario Digital Aguapretense, La Bartolina. They also collude with the Agua Prieta Mayor Jesús Alfonso “Tuchy” Montaño Durazo and the commander of the municipal police in Agua Prieta, that provides protection to Los Paredes in agreement with the violence that is experienced in the city of Agua Prieta.

Los Paredes are recognized for the great ease with which they create companies by extending their money laundering networks both in Mexico and in the United States, in Sonora they own multiple self-service companies, money exchange outlets, cattle farms, ranches, among others businesses.