Autodefensas Council Rupture- Papa Smurf vs Dr Mireles

Chivis Martinez for Borderland Beat

Estanislao Beltran, Pap Smurf and other members of Buena Vista and Huacana  atuodefensas. announced that Dr. Mireles had been removed from the position of spokesman of self-defense groups. Following the disclosure of this information, Dr. Mireles shot back and said the alleged dismissal was false, and that the document had come from the office of Commissioner Alfredo Castillo.

Dr. Mireles has met with 35 of the 36 who raised arms,  to define issues related to disarmament and demobilization campaign which expires on the 10th (of May) and agreements of municipalities," said Atty Talia Vazquez Alatorre. 

The doctor came in from Mexico City and then met with members of the Council to discuss the actions to follow," he added.

The lawyer, who Mireles stayed in her home in the Federal District  when he recovered from a plane crash in early January, said that  Estanislao Beltran does not represent even half of  all Buenavista Tomatlán AUC,. 

Many refused to sign the document.

To get a better understanding of what or who led up to the discord, the following is a historical account of the past 4 months.

Smurf offense number 1

On February,  while Dr Manuel Mireles was in Mexico City recovering from his injuries sustained in a plane crash, Estanislao Beltran known as “Papa Smurf”, unilaterally removed Dr Mireles as spokesman, and appointed himself.  At the time Smurf alluded to Mireles having “mental issues” derived from the plane crash.

The action was conducted without a vote.  Smurf was incensed over an interview Mireles conducted with el Pais newspaper.  That was his reasoning, however many suspected he would grab power away from his “friend” Dr. Mireles while Mireles was vulnerable.  Leader and co-founder Hipolito Mora stated at the time he was ok with Smurf in the spokesman role, he was not invited to a vote and knew of no meeting held as required by the bylaws of the autodefensas federation or CAM.

Mireles surprised just about everyone, when he returned, not quite 100% healed and against physicians advise, to celebrate the first anniversary celebration of the Michoacán Autodefensa Federation.

Within a few weeks, leaders of the union of 36 municipalities unanimously voted Smurf out and Dr Mireles re-established as official spokesman and coordinator.

Hipolito Mora,  El Americano and El Pollo’s murder

The next prominent event was in March when an escalating feud erupted between La Ruana leader Hipolito Mora and a man best known  El Americano (Luis Antonio Torres)

Americano is an enigma, BB has tried for almost 2 months to get a least an email interview with him and have failed.  Of most interest, was getting some personal  history.  

As far as we can establish, there is no criminal record found in Mexico in public access files, or even on “pay for investigative information “sites.   He lived in Texas before returning to Michoacán and there again no criminal history record found.

Yet he has long been tagged with being a criminal, having ties, first with Templarios and later with the first and only splinter group, Los Viagras, led by the Sierra Santana brothers, premier leaders are  Carlos and Mariano, Mariano is “El Viagra”.

BB asked autodefensa leadership about Americano and the rumors of his cartel ties and plan to turn H3 into a new cártel or merge with an existing cartel. H3 means the third community to take up arms, first was H1 and so forth, later the practice of H followed by number changed.

BB was told that Americano was not with organized crime, and H3 was not a cartel.  However the rumors persisted and eventually it was difficult to not think there was something very wrong going on in Buena Vista, Michoacán. 

Recently while viewing a video with Viagras, Carlos Sierra Santana and La Tuta from last fall, I caught a glimpse of Americano.  He stood by the leaders of Templarios and Viagras for a few seconds before leaving the camera range. 

As for the history of contention between Mora and Torres (Americano), it is twofold and in large part stemming from a personal war.  Torres was living with Mora’s niece.  It did not end well and interjecting what is rumored to have happened between the two would be simply restating a rumor.  However the bigger issue was land.  And the practice of claiming land that had been reclaimed from Templarios by autodefensas and the rightful owners not found.

After the niece/Torres incident, Mora evicted Torres’ mother off such land. He then filed a lawsuit to have Torres’ name removed as owner.  Torres counter filed.  With half of La Ruana/Buena Vista supporting Torres the other half Mora(Ruana is part of Buena Vista)

And so it went….

Murders of March 8, 2014

On that day the remains of Rafael Sánchez Moreno aka “El Pollo” and Jose Luis Torres Castaneda, were found charred  in a truck bed.

Both were said to have Templario ties either ongoing or were “reformed” Templars .  El Pollo was a close friend of Torres, and Torres was holding Mora responsible for the murders. 

Over the next couple of days both sides were building up steam which came to a head on March 10^th  when a convoy of 50 trucks or more arrived at Ruana in support of Torres.  The reports said the convoy was that of Los Viagras.  

Mora’s people were told the convoy was on its way, they called for federal help, 100 feds arrived, including a Blackhawk helicopter which wisked away Mora to safety.  Or so it appeared.  Once he was at the PGJE headquarters, the shocked Mora was told there were a couple of dozen warrants for his arrest.

He was taken to safety and then arrested for the murders, based on the testimony of 2 witnesses.  He remains imprisoned.

In a preemptive move, Mireles asked for a check of any warrants issued in his name.  He requested the answer in writing.  He was given a legal document stating there are no warrants issued for him. 

He wanted to avoid being placed in the same  situation that Mora found himself in.

Move ahead to April

First noticeable was at the end of the April meeting with Alfredo Castillo, the Commissioner for Security and Integral Development of Michoacán.  The meeting was to determine where each side stood as the May 10^th deadline for registration was approaching. It was conspicuous after the meeting that Dr Mireles appeared tense and stood a bit apart from Castillo, while Smurf was wearing a Cheshire Cat grin and seemingly stuck like glue to the commissioner.  Something was clearly happening.

It was then that Smurf began intruding on Mireles’ duty as spokesman.  There was no change, the vote of Mireles being the sole voice for autodefensas remained intact, but Smurf was acting like a man on a mission.

                     Equipment found at the checkpoint location of the April 27 shootout

Caleta and AUC Ties to Organized Crime

Gabriel Caballero Farías, known as “El Plátano”, was born and raised in Caleta de Campos, he joined AUC and was appointed coordinator.  A coordinator is in charge of all operations and advances.

He and his group had been successfully advancing through the coastal area and planned an advance on April 27^th, after hearing for weeks about a checkpoint being set up in the town of Chuquiapan, manned by fake  autodefensas.

“They were wearing facemasks all the time, and the same people from there told us that they were being paid by organized crime. “  Weeks passed and they were given permission to advance by coordinator;  Semeí Verdía.  Along with the federal police they proceeded.  The FP stopped to guard the bordering areas as 150 Caleta and other community  Autodefensas   headed to  Chuquiapan. 

A few minutes later after the group left towards Chuquiapan,  “Papa Smurf” appeared in Caleta, who had come down by Arteaga, through a trail in the mountains accompanied by the State Police in a convoy of 20 trucks.  “We come for ‘El Plátano’”.

“The Federal Police defended me because they know me; we’ve been working together for three months.  ‘Papa Smurf’ was investigating me because he’s being paid by the Templarios”, Gabriel said irritably.  

For a moment, the situation could’ve become dangerous, but finally the Federal Police and the convoy of Tepalcatepec gave in to the argument of the Federal Police and everyone took off towards Chuquiapan, where a few moments later a shootout had unleashed. 

It was “El Plátano” and his comrades who had finally made contact with the fake checkpoint.

An hour later, Semeí Verdía, and José Manuel Mireles arrived at the scene.  They confirmed that the checkpoint was associated with the Templarios.  During the operation 18 people who remained at the checkpoint, were also able to be detained.  When questioned, they explained that a woman from the town of La Mira had promised them between $1,000-$1,200 pesos for “supporting” the people at the checkpoint.  

“Many of us said yes because we were desperate, because of the lack of work, we need the money, that’s how they convinced us to stay”, one of them said. 

Another of the detainees, a youth who was barely 20 years old, admitted to have been working for the Caballeros Templarios as a “hawk”, “I reported on the movement of the feds here”; he was unaware of addresses of people in charge or who paid him.  After the urging from the autodefensas, they reported about someone who goes by “Cebollo” as the person who explained to them about the “checkpoint”.  

Another detainee was identified by the autodefensas of Huahua as a man who tortured and killed innocent people.

“We have no doubt that “Papa Smurf” is with the Templarios and the Mexican Navy.  We found a truck from them with a document that was signed by “Papa Smurf”, where along with the people from this checkpoint, they asked the Mexican Navy for help to fuck us up”. 

To read details of this incident and read the document located at the link to Valor’s post.

                Holding documentis    Smurf's sidekick "Commander 5"- Smurf says "5" will                                                         Inherit spokesman position if he should die.

Division of AUC-One group allows criminals, one does not

EL Universal has a detailed article “Autodefensas Accused of Being Narcos”.  They speak of the Aforementioned incident on April 27^th and also report that Smurf allows “former” Templarios in his group, but that Mireles refuses to have anyone connected to organized crime, even in the past, to join.  This article is a must read  and Valor is working on the translation.

Smurf Offense Part 2

This week Mireles travelled to Mexico City to meet with activists to formulate their new “national self-defense “group.  IN the meeting he asked for advice from the experienced activist leaders and the idea of Mireles taping a plea to President Enrique Peña requesting a Skype meeting.  

But his video did not end there.  He was not too complimentary in his comments about Castillo.  And critical about some notable issues with the federal operation in Michoacán.

Yesterday Smurf notifies the press Dr Mireles is no longer spokesman.  That, although he was not a part of the action, members of 30 communities voted to oust Mireles after his video to President Peña. 

He is correct, his name is not on the “document” and only one AUC leader signed the document, all others were members drawn for Buena Vista and Huacana.   Allegedly, all other 22  persons who signed the document were from Buena Vista or Huacana.  Two municipalities out of the 36.

The document says the new spokesman shall be…..Smurf.
 

 

click to enlarge any image

He further goes on to give “Commander 5” the position of spokesman if Smurf is not available, or incredibly, he must have power even after his demise, for he says Commander 5 will retain the position “If I should Die”.

El Gordo of Viagras

A couple of notable signatures on the document, one is the person signing for Apatzingán, not the leader, that would be Father Goyo, a firm supporter of Mireles, but a person named “Nicholas Sierra Santana” aka "el Gordo".

He is the brother of the Sierra Santanas “Los Viagras” cartel, and a member of same.  Another Signature is that of Luis Torres, aka El Americano.  Aside from his rumored affiliation with Viagras, this becomes interesting when Mireles replies to this action.

Smurf went on a little press blitz, saying Mireles had sustained those terrible head injuries and has not been the same.  Deja vu.  

That was yesterday.  Today Dr Mireles is rejecting the document and action as illegal and meaningless.  Last night he conducted a meeting with 35 of the 36 communities, and posed the question, how many here agree with the document to remove me as spokesman?  None answered, even a familiar face sitting in the meeting.  El Americano, the leader of H3, since Mora was imprisoned,  did not respond in the affirmative.

Members expressed their opinions and all agreed that the action by Buena Vista, will divide the movement, and perhaps that was inevitable. And could be a positive division.

The social media pages are 100% supportive of Dr Mireles and Hipolito Mora and against Smurf and Americano. 

Two posts:

Valor por Apatzingán

The Commissioner and the H3 are working as one, Castillo recommended to the CAM to remove dr mireles as leader of AUC to Dr Mireles.  


OFFICIALLY MIRELES is still spokesman, since the junta orchestrated by "Papa Smurf" and criminal "Commander 5" did not have all the assistance of peoples raised up in arms, i.e. the Board has NO validity.

Castillo is the hand that rocks the cradle of the H3, apparently has not liked that Mireles tells the truth at the national level. [They are creating images to express their anger-see at left for one-]

Valor por Michoacán:

Valo #Aviso José Manuel look remains true Michoacán AUC spokesman.

Those who are trying to replace it is PAPA Smurf, BETO EL 5, Viagra, El Americano, the MENDEZ (Familia Michoacana) already know that they are the scourges of the new cartel H3 

Jose Manuel Mireles now rather than never,  care for him because they want nothing more to dismiss him, or kill him.

Alert community must start to  clean with these SCOURGES of the H3,  are more (good)people that these criminals, as in Tancítaro, the H3 went to offer the sale of drugs and Tancítaro refused and sack them, also free H3 municipalities include Aquila, Coahuayana, Peribán, Los Reyes, Tepalcatepec, Aguililla.SDR

It’s confusing and evolving, in the midst of the countdown to another potential conflict, May 10^th the government  imposed deadline to register weapons or “disarmament”.

Dr. Mireles gives a good effort in trying to remain focused, and  positive as he says,  "we are here in Tepalcatepec, living  in peace, we are all now legalized, have registered  our weapons and we are waiting for instructions to be handed down by the Federal Government and   to continue our work,  with the mission of cleaning  Michoacán of criminals".