Sinaloa Cartel Lieutenant "R5" Killed

Borderland Beat
Leader of Gente Nueva

Jesus Gregorio Villanueva Rodriguez,  aka "R5" was killed in Sonora today.

 

The Sinaloa Cartel lieutenant was in charge of Hermosillo operations.  

 

Villanueva was travelling in his 2012 Passat Volkswagen, in the Hermosillo Colonia Pimentel at around midnight when the shootout occurred.

 

He was with his 16 year old girlfriend, Karely Inzunza Aguilar, who suffered two gun shots.  They were on the way to buy fast-food when confronted by unknown assailants. 

 

The two were transferred to the hospital where within one hour the 33 year old  Villanueva was pronounced dead.  The girlfriend was not seriously injured from the bullet impacts she received

  

Information for this post is from el Debate.  Although a reader gave the heads up early this AM neither he or I could find anything. 

 

by Chivis Martinez

Villanueva was the long time leader of Chapo's enforcer group "Gente Nueva" (New People).  His operation base was out of Hermosillo, Sonora.

He was involved in a violent clash in the Sonora city of Tubutama, in July 2010.  Reports indicated up to 100 GN vehicles marked with an "X", with a red rag attached, convoyed a single lane, isolated road between the cities of Tubutama and Saric, Sonora.  At the time it was the last remaining significant route controlled by BLO (Beltran Leyva Organization). 

BLO was tipped off of the GN plan, to convoy and attack BLO.  BLO is familiar with every mile of the route, and were aware  they could wait until the convoy was at a certain point, at which time they could easily entrap and ambush the convoy,  by sealing off  both ends as there were no side roads that GN  could escape through.

BLO and Zetas had their alliance, and they assisted BLO with the offensive attack.  From a BLO perspective, the plan worked brilliantly,  and in the aftermath 29 dead GN were scattered about the roadway, before the remaining GN could shoot themselves out, and backtrack to safety.   BLO saved their route.

It was reported that police, both former and serving were among the BLO group assisting with this attack and others.

This massive shootout was 12 miles from the US border.