La Línea's H7 is Arrested in Special 2AM Operation in Chihuahua City

"MX" and "HEARST" for Borderland Beat

In a joint operation made by the State Investigation Agency (AEI) and the Army (SEDENA), an arrest warrant was carried out on Juan Romero Manjárrez Alonso alias "El H7" in Chihuahua city, in Chihuahua state.

El H7 is one of the Manjárrez brothers who leads the La Línea group called "Los H's". The arrest of this criminal leader took place at approximately 2:00am this Friday, June 9 2021, at a hotel where El H7 was staying. The State Attorney General's office reports that El H7 was located after almost two years of intelligence and surveillance.

The arrest warrant against him alleges that El H7 was involved in the homicide of four state police officers that occurred in 2018. The quadruple homicide reportedly results from an ambushed launched on state officers by a group of heavily armed cartel members attacked them with high powered rifles and grenade launchers.

In addition to the crime involving four state police, there are charges of homicide, attempted homicide, damages with aggravated penalty and organized crime. The State Attorney General indicated that this subject, if a judge finds him guilty, may face a sentence of more than 100 years in prison.

Other Manjárrez brothers who are a part of Los H's include his brother César Daniel Manjárrez Alonso, alias "El H2" who is believed to be the leader of the organization. José Alfredo Manjarrez Alonso alias "El Harry", another brother of El H7, is thought to be a ranking member of the group as well. 

They operate primary out of the Moris and Ocampo municipalities in southern Chihuahua state. Los Hs contest the Uruachi, Maguarichi, Bocoyna, Guerrero areas against Sinaloa Cartel groups. The struggle of both groups vying for control of these municipalities has led to deadly skirmishes within the last month.

Criminal groups in these area are involved in illegal logging and in the harvest and trade of wood. These sawmill process both legal and illegal wood from the surrounding area and provide employment to the town.

Bocoyna, for example, has over 200 sawmills, many of them in the town of San Juanito. According to a 2020 report from the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, about half of these sawmills belong to and/or cooperate with La Línea. The other half pays extortion fees (known as piso) to operate in the area.

In addition to logging, there is also gold, silver and zinc mining operations that are extorted by cartels in a similar fashion. The State Attorney General mentioned the gasoline theft being an activity that El H7 and Los Hs are suspected of being involved in as well.

Sources: Chihuahua FGE Official Press Release, Tiempo, Entre Lineas, La Opción de Chihuahua, Omnia

Background Sources: Global Initiative: People and Forests at Risk (p.20), Border Report

References for the Area: Notable Figures: Gente Nueva and La Linea Part I