El Padrino's Arrest Reveals Information on C.I.D.A.

  Milenio

Mexico City -  Federal police captured Benjamín Flores Reyes, El Padrino, identified as one of the founders of the Independent Cartel of Acapulco (CIDA), an organization that controls various drug distribution outlets, sicario cells and various halcones.

According to the investigators Flores Reyes coordinated targets for extortion, and in addition to planning homicides of rivals to the CIDA organization, El Padrino also ran a network of corrupt state and municipal police officers.

 El Padrino reported directly to Moisés Montero Álvarez, El Koreano, another leader of the CIDA.

Seven people were also arrested. All were found to be in possession of large caliber firearms, four handguns, 18 cell phones, 10 envelopes with various illicit substances, three laptops, 3 sets of scales, and various false sets of identification.

The detention of El Padrino occurred on May 6th. He was a former student in the field of criminal psychology and even took a few courses on the subject while he was living in the United States. He returned to Mexico about 15 years ago and initiated his career with a drug trafficking organization when it under the direction of Édgar Valdez Villareal, La Barbie.

According to the federal SSP,  El Padrino was invited to the Acapulco organization about two years ago. It was right after he met Isidro Juárez Solís, El Kirry, who was working for Gamaliel Aguirre Tavira, El Güero Huetamo.

Tavira offered Flores Reyes a job as an informant while Flores Reyes was driving a taxi. Tavira also rented the license plates from Flores Reyes and paid him a certain amount of money for these services.

"With the support of Juárez Solís, El Kirry, Benjamín Flores soon began to recruit other taxi drivers who  worked under him for the organization as a group of informants (halcones), and they systematically worked the important streets and avenues of Acapulco."

"In July 10th, 2010 Gamaliel Aguirre Tavira, El Güero Huetamo, the boss of the plaza of Acapulco, Guerrero and a principal operator for Édgar Valdez Villareal, La Barbie, was arrested. Isidro Juárez Solís, El Kirry was next in the line of succession of leaders for the organization. El Kirry was worked as a bodyguard for El Güero Huetamo" said the press secretary of the SSP.

"What unfolded was this; after the capture of La Barbie on August 30th of 2010,and  the arrest of Isidro Juárez Solís, El Kirry  on October 15th same year, Carlos Montemayor González, El Charro, was appointed to lead the organization. Montemayor was also La Barbie's father-in-law. His ascension to the leadership position upset many of the other top ranking members of that organization. Carlos Montemayor was arrested on November 24th of 2010."

It was in between October and November that La Barbie's cartel split and the CIDA was formed by its rival faction. This renegade group aligned itself at that time with La Familia Michoacana and was now led by Moisés Montero Álvarez, El Koreano; Carlos Antonio Barragán Hernández, El Melón, y por Benjamín Flores Reyes, El Padrino.