Member of Los Cabrera Arrested/Banner Threatens Police Associated with Them

 Bocanegra Llanes Arrested

On Tuesday, January 20, the National Commission of Security (CNS) announced that the Federal Police had arrested Pedro Eduardo Bocanegra Llanes in Gómez Palacio, Durango, a city in the Comarca Lagunera (a metropolitan region which also includes Ciudad Lerdo, as well as eight other municipalities of Durango and five municipalities in neighboring Coahuila, including Torreón). 

Bocanegra Llanes was driving a gray 2009 Dodge Nitro SUV on Miguel Alemán boulevard in Gómez Palacio and was noticed by the Federal Police as he was driving above the speed limit.  Ignoring orders to pull over, he attempted to escape, but was stopped on Praga street of the El Campestre colonia when other police vehicles managed to completely block off the route.

Upon his capture, he offered the officers his vehicle and 50,000 pesos in exchange for being let go.  An AK-47, an ammunition clip, 10 rounds of ammunition, two bullet proof vests, and 25 bags of marijuana were confiscated during his arrest.

Officials describe him as a member of Los Cabarera: "leader of hitmen of the criminal organization, as well as serving as the person responsible for the plaza in Gómez Palacio".

Banner Threatens Police Associated with Los Cabrera

 
That same day, a picture of a banner allegedly hung in the Campo Nuevo colonia of Torreón, Coahuila began circulating online.  It reads:

Like "El Negro" we will continue to knock down police that work for Los Cabreras for you "Eclipse" we already known that you no longer work.  But we will search to kill you.  Also for "El Gloria" and those that cooperate with those idiots.

Sincerely: "Nueva Generacion" People of "El 1"

  A Brief History of Los Cabrera

Los Cabrera is a cell of the Sinaloa Cartel, formed under the leadership of the Cabrera Sarabia family, initially operating in the sierra of Durango.  In March 2011 they began waging a war for control of Durango against Los Ms, a cell of the Sinaloa Cartel lead by the Núñez Meza family, which was rumored to have gone rogue and associated itself with the Juárez Cartel. 

In January 2013 a video showing the interrogation of Julieta Calvillo González, identified as an agent of the Public Ministry of the State Direction of Investigation (DEI) of Durango, surfaced (her body and two other individuals were found mutilated at a gas station in Gómez Palacio on January 12).  She claimed that information obtained by torturing arrestees in the city of Durango was being passed along to Los Cabrera, who she described as "people of El Mayo Zambada" who had bought the plaza from the governor, Jorge Herrera Caldera (his six year term began in September 2010).

Later that month Proceso reported a cell of the Sinaloa Cartel known as Los Dannys was being "fenced in" Gómez Palacio, where they had control of the municipal police and the local prison, and Lerdo to prevent them from "contaminating" the rest of Durango (an English translation appeared on Borderland Beat, entitled "Police Agencies in La Laguna support El Chapo").  It was said in the article that "Los Cabrera, of the Sinaloa Cartel, who dominate the rest of the state of Durango, do not like Los Dannys".  

In the following months, Los Dannys increasingly distanced themselves from the Sinaloa Cartel as a whole and dubbed themselves the Poniente Cartel.  With the arrest of their leader Daniel Garcia Ávila on April 19 (reported by Borderland Beat), the organization was severely weakened.

On July 13, 2013, Proceso reported that 70% of the Poniente Cartel had been dismantlement, which would allow Los Cabrera to consolidate control in the Comarca Lagunera.  Since then, there has been occasional reports of members of the Poniente Cartel being arrested (such as their alleged leader, Griselda Romero Soto, alias "La Licenciada", on March 20, 2014), though it appears they are a shell of their former self.

While little has been reported with regards to Los Cabrera, the fact that Bocanegra Llanes was described as being responsible for the plaza of Gómez Palacio seems to indicate that they are now the dominant organization in the Comarca Lagunera.  However, the recent banner shows that there continues to be resistance to their consolidation of power.  Unfortunately, it is currently unclear if  "Nueva Generacion/gente del 1" should be identified with the Poniente Cartel or some other organization.

Sources: 
Cae líder de grupo criminal en Gómez Palacio 
Ligan en video al gobernador de Durango con ‘El Mayo’ 
La Laguna: corporaciones policiacas apoyan al “Chapo” 
La Laguna: la PF limpia el camino para “El Chapo”
Detienen a líder del Cártel del Poniente en Torreón