Alma Verónica Part II: Deadly Threat Left At Guaymas Police Station & Three More Rescued From Kidnappers in "Related Incident"

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

Following the raid on the safe house in Guaymas, Sonora, a second “related” safehouse was raided by authorities and three more kidnapping victims were rescued. This time around, someone was arrested during the operation. 

Then a message of impending retaliation may have been left when a dead body and a threat against the Guaymas authorities was placed outside the police station. 

Another Safe House Raided, More Kidnapping Victims Freed

As a review, on September 7, 2022, Guaymas police rescued five kidnapping victims. These victims included a man who was tortured by his captors by being nailed to a tree and a woman who would be gunned down hours after refusing police protection. For details on this first incident, please see Part I of this story, linked here. 

Then, at approximately 11:30 pm on the night of September 8, municipal police officers and soldiers from the Navy (SEMAR) raided another safe house. The home was located in the Centro neighborhood of the coastal city of Guaymas, in the state of Sonora. Guaymas should be noted as a location where Caborca Cartel's La Plaza is believed to be the dominant cartel force but sees regular incursions from Sinaloa Cartel's Los Salazars.

Due to ambiguous wording choices in the FGE press release, it's unclear if the raid was conducted in response to an active incident or if the raid was planned ahead of time, based on intelligence gathered by investigators.

Inside the house, three kidnapping victims were discovered along with their captor, a man named Ramón "N.", age 67 years old. Ramón, who is presumed to be the owner of the home, was arrested by authorities at the scene. 

The kidnapping victims were a 37 year old mother and her 15 year old daughter, as well as a 23 year old man, who was unrelated to the female victims. 

When the house was further searched, the dead body of another man, who had been killed just hours before, was discovered. Whether he was another kidnapping victim is not stated as its likely still being determined by investigators. 

So, how does this relate to the other kidnapping? Well, we don’t know exactly. 

All that we know is that Attorney General Contreras Córdova stated at a press conference that they “believe that they are related to what happened in previous days, when 5 people were rescued,” and adding that “In both cases, which could possibly be related, investigations are ongoing.”

It's worth remembering that initial news coverage of the first safe house raid alleged that two kidnappers had been detained but later coverage and the official press release detailed that no arrests had occurred. 

Additionally, the double cab pickup truck that was used in the first series of abductions was not found at the first safe house, nor was any vehicle found at this second safe house - meaning it's likely still out there, not yet located by law enforcement. 

If we presume the cases are related to each other, then it seems highly unlikely that one 67-year old man was capable of kidnapping a total of 8 victims, some of whom were physically grabbed from the street, on his own. 

Therefore, it's likely that investigators are looking into whether Ramón had accomplices and who those accomplices may be, in a mystery that seems to only get murkier with each new law enforcement update. 

The Threat To Guaymas Police 

A few days later, on September 11, 2022, the emergency phone line received a call from residents who reported that a vehicle, which had a dead body and a message sign inside, had been abandoned on Magdalena Street in the Femosa neighborhood of Guaymas.

The car was parked and left by unknown individuals at a location less than one block away from municipal police headquarters. 

Officers were dispatched and they quickly found the reported vehicle, a black Volkswagen Jetta. No details about the victim’s identity or the state of the remains have been released as of the writing of this story.

The message reads as follows, as translated by El Huaso: 

This [illegible] 

Mr. Director of Public Security, who makes arrangements with La Plaza and not [illegible] 

Leave you 4 a day [illegible] like this traitor

Social media account Calvarie Locus alleges that the message was addressed to the head of Guaymas municipal police (full title of the position is the director of public security), Eladio Amaya Múñiz, a former SEMAR captain, just one of a long line of Navy leadership who has been nominated for law enforcement positions in Sonora.

The FGE nor the Guaymas Municipal Police put out any press release addressing this discovery. Despite the major implications this message may have on the two cases, there are very few photos and news articles on this discovery.

The attempted hospital attack on the 19 year old victim seemed to signal that, despite law enforcement rescuing them, the kidnappers weren't quite done with their victims yet.

And, of course, it is always possible that this message in the Jetta is unrelated to the two raids on the safe houses, but the timing of the placement, occurring just days later, may indicate the kidnappers aren't done with the police either.

Another Safe House Raided Sources: FGE Press Release, FGE Tweet w/ Images, El Sol de Hermosillo, Heraldo de Mexico, Alfredo Alvarez, AFN Tijuana 

Threat To Guaymas Police Sources: Calvarie Locus, Sonora Informativo, Información y Respuesta, Radar Sonora, Opinion Sonora