Don Gaby Stabbed to Death at Topo Chico Penitentiary

Since June of 2009, Gabriel Ayala Romero, better known as Don Gaby, considered the tsar of counterfeiting or "piratería" in the state of Nuevo León, has been a prisoner at the Penitentiary at Topo Chico, thanks to anonymous citizen tips.

Sources say Don Gaby's operations were not solely dedicated to counterfeiting, but he also terrorized local merchants , and he extorted and kidnapped persons having nothing to do with the business of narco-trafficking.

On June 23, the Mexican army realized an operative detaining Don Gaby as well as thirteen persons within his organization, at one of his businesses located on Colegio Civil street in Monterrey.

Gabriel Ayala's gang or "banda" carried out their extortions and abductions or "levantones" passing themselves off as elements of the Federal Police. In certain occasions, they raped women whom they had abducted during carjackings and/or robberies. The victims always mentioned Comandante Ayala who turned out to be none other than Don Gaby.

After Don Gaby was detained, his family members carried on the counterfeiting business and were responsible for the distribution of pirated material in the entire state of Nuevo León, although it is presumed that Don Gaby was the one in charge of the operation, calling the shots from the Penitentiary at Topo Chico.

Yesterday at approximately 22:00, Don Gaby was brutally stabbed. Prison medical personnel were not able to save the victim's life. Don Gaby received 23 stab wounds, 14 of them in the thorax. His killer, who has been identified, used a knife of approximately 30 centimeters in length.

Immediately the Federal Police and the Army were mobilized. According to residents of the neighboring area, helicopters fanned the area , signaling that something had gone down since those sorts of operations were not routine given that it was late on a Sunday evening. The prison was locked down by elements of the federal police on account of the murder of the 52 year old subject.

According to authorities, the events were provoked by an inmate dispute, although there are many questions surrounding the events that may never be answered.

The PGJE stated that Don Gaby received 25 million pesos monthly in protection money (cobro de piso) in the states of Nuevo León, Coahuilla, and Veracruz, the quotas paid by the business owners ranging from 500 to 5,000 pesos.

Translated and submitted by BB collaborator