Torture and Corruption in the Municipal Police

Translated for Borderland Beat from a Zetatijuana Special Report by Otis B Fly-Wheel

Official documents that were sent anonymously to ZETA, carry accounts of confessions given by corrupt Municipal Police. Dishonest, confessing to serving cells of criminal organizations, addicted to drugs and or alcoholism , having problems with depression and authority. Others have been narco-traffickers, or have criminal records ( antecedents ) in the USA, whilst others move and dispose of bodies for criminals. The cases are from the commission for police improvement in Tijuana, the secretary Alejandro Lares Valladares, but there are no results, the majority of these police men are still working for the corporation.

The sins confessed by Municipal police agents in Tijuana , merited a procedure to dismiss them from the Police, but most of the 154 agents  that failed the examinations of evaluation and confidence are still working to “ serve “ the public.

The categories of offenses confessed are :

• Trafficking drugs in united states
• Robbery in California 
• Using drugs 
• Giving information to narco traffickers 
• Moving corpses for criminals 
• Receiving money to free criminals from custody

One more is for torturing detainees to gain false confessions, collection of extortion , participating in robberies , taking drugs against police policy , not having the required education and falsifying entry certificates to enter the Tijuana police force.

Of the 154 Municipal Policeman , whose names are in the Commission of Police Development, some from the year 2013 , because they were not officially approved by the center for evaluation and control of confidence ( C3).

They do not meet the requirements set forth in the applicable fields, it says in the reports where the Secretariat of Public Safety of the state suggests sending those dossiers to the respective committees and request the beginning of the procedure of definitive separation.

But the commission for Police improvement, head of Secretary of public security ,Alejandro Lares Valladares , has not complied with his work.

ZETA could not confirm this ,that he had access to copies of the report in an anonymous manner , where the authenticity of the reports could be corroborated for this department with the implicated authorities.

With the names in hand, the first that seek to corroborate , that the police were still on the payroll of the city of Tijuana, which are on the official web page of the Municipal Government , which was last updated on 31^st of October last year. Until this date , the policemen in question were still in the employment of the corporation.

They have not come forward with the established requisites in law to carry on as agents for the police , but here they are.

Despite all this , Secretary Lares meanwhile helped to get released from prison , a policeman that abused a woman , and another that shot in the back an unarmed criminal while he ran , also the director Patricia Sida declared publicly that the videos where they show police abusing their authority , cannot be considered proof.

Moving bodies and trafficking drugs in Tijuana

Your friendly community Municipal Policeman with Santa Muerte Mask

A symbolic case of impunity , at present is the Secretariat of Municipal Public Safety (SSPM) of Tijuana and its lack of will, to remove the official Arnoldo Ismael Garay Cordove , agent since 2006 and qualified by C3 as “person of low judgement “who allows criminals to go free and is permissive.

In February of 2013 , the enormous figure of the obese policeman occupied the pages of the local news and media outlets, when the then Municipal secretary of public security , Alberta Capella, announced that they were dismissing Garay because , according to declarations of two detainees, Israel Osuna and Frederico Hamo , and the local information in the cell phone of an agent, gives information on the movements of the police to organized criminals in exchange for money , also they received money to detain their criminal competitors.

It was announced that the police were put at the disposition of the Federal Public Ministry , as presumably responsible to a criminal organization. But the final result , was that he was only suspended for four months.

In his last interrogation , Garay Cordova confessed that in these times of hardship , he received a call from a friend , who offered him 800 dollars a week to work for him and said :

Your unique work , is to go and take away dead bodies , hide them in vans , and discard them in batches in unpopulated and unfrequented places. He did so because he needed the money , his suspension was justified.

He said of this “ friend “ I cant remember his name ,but that he only offers employment to current or suspended policemen and ex soldiers.,

With these conditions the agent Garay continues to work for the Municipals

Jose Juan Pedraza Sanchez , is another whose case for removal throws strange and worrying 

information into the pot. According to C3, this agent joined the Municipal police in Tijuana in 2005, he has antecedents for robbery and violence in 2008, he was imprisoned for crimes in Tijuana prison in 2006 despite being a policeman , he also has a process against him in an administrative tribunal against the determination of the Commission of police development , that started in November 2013.

Additionally there is the case of Misael Delgadillo Ornelas , a policeman since 2013, before joining the police he was known as a drug dealer from the ages of 17-23, five years before his police exam , he was detained for having a bag of Marijuana filed with the Public Prosecutors office , which with the help of his father he was released. His close circle of friends continue to be drug dealers.

Admitting to being corrupt

Municipal Police arrested in Michoacán

According to the C3 evaluation of Marcos Plascencia Perez , uniformed since 2006 , his alcohol consumption impaired his ability to carry out his job , but he continues to make false arrests , has met with criminals to receive payment for services , obtaining on one occasion 2000 pesos a week , and on other occasions 4000 dollars.

Jorge Carlos Vital Gonzalez , a badge holder since 1996, had been a commissioned sub commander, and in his interview with C3 he accepted that on repeated occasions he had received 50,000 dollars to let criminals go, or to free drunk drivers. Further to this , its known that he stole money and propertyfrom houses that he entered as part of a tactical police team.

For his part Jesus Cervantes Perez , an agent since 2005 , confessed that he received 50 to 100 dollars each time he left narco traffickers go free, and other amounts of pesos when he frees citizens that commit civil not criminal acts.

Gabriela Chavez Sandoval , designated police woman since the end of 2011 , admitted that until a month before her C3 exam, that she was receiving money for staying quiet , when they freed a criminal delegation in San Antonio del los Buenos , and that she had received money or food.

Jesus Luis Gonzalez Figueroa started in the police in 2012 , he is a commercial police officer and during his confidence examination , he said he was selling stolen cell phones since 2007 , also that between the ages of 17 and 20 he faked certificates with the help of a high school teacher.

Carlos Pina Cardenas has been a policeman since 2003 , and is diagnosed as “ violating guidelines and regulations , misuses his position , while damaging and putting at risk the institution. However , the agent launched an amparo ( order of protection ) in December of 2014  before the second district court of amparo, in relation to the incident leading to his suspension.

His history is that in October 2013 he injured his cheek with his own handgun , as he was chatting with another police officer who was not on duty at the time, he was not breath tested at the time , In October of 2014 he was arrested and released because he saw and allowed his partner to injure a detainee and plant a weapon on him for not agreeing to pay extortion.

According to the C3 evaluation , Enrique Guadalupe Enriquez Cruz , a policeman since 1993 , currently assigned to fixed points , he must not remain because he accepts bribes from motorists, planting weapons on detainees , he also works as an unofficial bodyguard for a colleague who was engaged in criminal activity and owns a security company even he is prohibited by law to do so.

Torturers

Juan Carlos Arenas Tapia , joined in 2006 , he was not considered competent by C3 , in his interview he admitted that he didn’t want to battle delinquents who had collaborated to have him arrested but he choked them until they were unconscious , it was said “ he has difficulty analyzing the impact of his actions “ , and that he lacks conscience and is frustrated with his police career.

Despite the fact that he just joined in 2013 Mariane Guadalupe Gutierrez Perez has trouble controlling her anger. According to the C3 , she is " lacking judgement , behaving with a violent attitude due to frustration". She admitted assaulting detainees.

Cristian Eduardo Felix Sereno , who is a commissioned supervisor in the police since 2007, reported as being , not in control of his impulses , with a weakened capacity for judgement , but is skilful at loss of memory when submitting offenders.

Rene Jesus Burgos Avila , a policeman since 2007 with an appeal filed with an Administrative Court in August 2013 against the Police Development Committee, the C3 exam detected his impulsive traits , acknowledged to having started a shootout , and he explained that two months before the evaluation , to being part of Group Intelligence , and used not so legal methods when interrogating such as blindfolding , shouting , and suffocating with a plastic bag , he has been accused of causing qualified injuries and abuse of authority.

Rodrigo Gallado Alvarez , member of the SSPM which he left in 2002, also diagnosed as impulsive , because he uses physical force when faced with adversity , and has left unconscious on several occasions, detainees, and sees it as an everyday aspect of his work.

Terrorizing to prevent accusation

On the 17th of September 2014 , a Municipal official , Hector Herrera Hernandez , caused the death of Maria Elena Perez Cortez , 64 years of age. the Municipal Police said that a uniformed patrolman had caused the death, informed the Deputy Attorney General in Tijuana Gilberto Cota Alanis.

The agent had reversed for 13 meters, according to testimony, without sirens. The mayor Jorge Astiazaran and his secretary Alejandro Lares assured , they had been to the place of the accident , and that the policeman responsible had been using sirens and lights.

The police code for using sirens, the Ministerial Police informed that they had interviewed the driver of the patrol , and also had taken testimony from witnesses, their testimony references him moving backward at speed , and hit the lady who had stepped out to cross the street, commented Cota Alanis in a press conference.

From the start , Raul , one of the sons of the lady that lost her life , accused the authorities of changing their version of events, but one of their neighbours had recorded a video of the incident , which allegedly would demonstrate the Police tampering with the scene intentionally , while ignoring the injured lady on the floor.

The problem was that the agents, once they learned of the video , and that it would be handed over to the police complaints authorities, uniformed elements presumably of GOES ( Special Operations Group ) , “ visited” the neighbor and the video suspiciously went missing.

On the 29^th of September , without a warrant they entered his home, and then presented him before the PGR with drugs , despite the fact that witnesses to the search said that the Police left the house without finding anything suspicious.

Agents from GOES returned on the 26^th of November, when after refusing to cooperate with authorities, he was tortured by them. They suffocated him on six occasions with a plastic bag, they gave him electric shocks to the chest, asked for money to leave him alone , and accused him of selling drugs.

At the end , neither the video was produced , or the officers involved identified , the authorities forgot all about him and his complaints.

Plastic Bag Torture

 Antecedents in United States of America

Salvador Mendoza Madrid has been a Policeman since 2007 , a commander instructor of the ICAP , however in his most recent past , when the Secretary for State Public Safety ( SSPE ) corroborated his antecedents with United States authority , according to the FBI, was a convicted thief in 1992 , he was detained in prison in Hanford California , and was deported.

Roberto Villegas Navarro joined the Municipal Police in 2006 , like the last case , had recent antecedents in USA , resulting in him being detained in San Diego California in 1997, for distribution of Crystal Meth , sentenced to 57 months , five years , he was also diagnosed not in control of his impulses or behavior.

In the case of Benjamin Alfredo Toledo Macias , a policeman since 2003 , has more history. In the FBI data bases , he was detained in 1998 for trafficking marijuana in San Diego and deported to Tijuana.

In February of 2014 , a police bodyguard of the Director of Police , Reyes Montilla , was detained and then freed , for presumably , taking part in a gun battle with other police in a controversial operation where they made false declarations against the other side. Afterwards , he tried to bribe and employment tribunal to find in his favor , and was suspended but was ultimately reinstated to duty in June of 2014.

Previously in April of the same year , he was injured at a party where narco trafficker was celebrating getting engaged , the officer killed the man and when his girlfriend intervened , he beat her as well.


Victor Manuel Segura Garcia , joined in 2006 , the FBI had registered convictions for having sex with a minor, sexual abuse of an infant , contribution to the corruption of a minor , he was detained in 1999, serving 120 days , with a further 3 years on probation. In January of 2011 he was given an award by his bosses for being one of the most prominent officers of 2010.

Sandro Gabriel Hernandez Martinez has been a police man since 2001 , actually he was attached to the legal department where he earns a little over 17,000 pesos, according to the archives of the FBI , he was detained on two occasions in San Diego , in 1993 for stealing a car , for which he received a sentence of 17 months , and in 1994 for possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

Jose Alberto Perez Flores , entered the Municipals in 1999 , but according to the FBI , three years before in 1996 , he was detained in San Diego for possession and transport of Marijuana with intent to supply. He was imprisoned for 120 days with a further 3 years of probation.

According to his psychological exam , he was not apt to use fire arms , with resentment of authority. In 2011 was designated Boss of La Mesa district , and in 2014 , boss of San Antonio de los Buenos district. In the month of April , he was degraded to Agent , accused of irregular detentions , and falsifying reports. In October of 2014 he was still on the payroll of the Municipals as a commissioned officer with a salary of $32,000.

Juan Carlos Puentes , a policeman from Tijuana since 2006 , was accused of making false arrests in 2011 , however for C3 the biggest problem was that according to the FBI in February of 2013 he was arrested in San Diego under the charges of importing Heroin , Cocaine , Marijuana and Hashish.

Sergio Contreras Gerrero , policeman since 2002 , had been detained in San Diego , California in 1999, accused of possession of Marijuana with intent to supply.

Ernesto Perez Gil , Municipal Agent since 2006 , in 2003 in Norwalk , California , he was arrested for possession and transportation of Crystal Meth , he received a two year sentence in prison.

Christina Ernesto Mancera Dozal , agent since 2002 , was detained in 1995 when cruising Barita de San Ysidro with 60 wraps of Marijuana. He had previously been treated for addiction to cocaine in 2002 , he fought the Judiciary with amparo’s between 2002 and 2006 , and was reinstated. He had been detained for being drunk and asleep on duty.

Benigno Uribe Ramirez , a policeman since 2000 , was a prize winner for Televisora Local in 2013 , for his participation in community programs, was detained in 1998 in San Diego for transportation of Marijuana with intent to supply , as indicated in an FBI report.

Ramon Isidro Barreras Cebreros ,and official since 2006 , actually now in a desk job, but in 1996 he was detained in Oceanside California , for possession and transportation of Marijuana , he served 62 days in prison and was then deported.

Bernardo Galvan Tamayo , joined the Corporation in 1987 , was detained in California ten years before, in 1977 for importing Heroin. He was sentenced to five years , with a further 10 years on probation.

Benjamin Velazquez Lopez , started with the Police in 2003 , but in 1996 was apprehended for possession , transportation , and importing of Marijuana , and was deported. He also has complaints against him from the Attorney General office ofHuman Rights.

Julio Cesar Garcia Huante , a policeman in the Corporation since 2001, assigned to the tourist zone , was detained in 1993 , reports the FBI , for stealing a car in San Diego , for which he received a 180 day sentence. Also , according to C3 , cannot control his impulses and takes cocaine and marijuana. Since 2013 he started a process before an Administrative Tribunal , against the Human Rights Dept , of the Municipal Police of Tijuana.

According to the records of the FBI , Benito Rios Valenzuela , an agent since 2005 , was captured in 1993 with tools for theft , he spent ten days in Jail , he tried to trick them by giving them a false identity.

Pastor Marin Villasenor started in the Corporation in 2002 , he had been an operational sub director , and under boss of anti graffiti , also he was a prize winner in 2011 his example to others. However the FBI inform that in 1987 he was arrested in San Diego for driving while under the influence of Alcohol , and served 20 days in prison with a further 3 years of probation. In 1996 he was arrested he was arrested for failing to appear before San Diego authorities.

Addicts

Jose Antonio Martinez Camacho joined the Municipals in 1997 , he took crystal meth and cocaine , he was treated for his addiction in 2002, according to the state data base the same year he was accused of causing property damage and murder because while driving under the influence of alcohol he ran down and killed a passer-by but was re-instated. He was diagnosed as under control of his impulses. On the 15th of October 2013, he initiated an amparo with an Administrative Tribunal against the Improvement Commission of the Police.

Jose Francisco Avila Ceniceros joined the Municipals in 1997 , in his most recent anti-doping tests , he tested positive for Crystal Meth , he justified it by saying he used it as " prescription medicine ".

The agent , Mario Aceves Medina , in the Police since 2006 , his anti-doping exam tested positive Crystal Meth , and Speed. This agent initiated a proceeding against the Mayor for initiating the paper work for his removal from office, before and Administrative Tribunal and requested a Judicial Review in 2013.

Rosendo Valdez Pardo , an official since 2004 , his consumption of alcohol impeded his ability to carry out his everyday duties, he also faced an Administrative Tribunal in 2011 for the same reason , and in 2013 he tested positive in anti doping tests.

Guillermo Ayala Castillo , uniformed since 2004 , was suspended for six months during 2011 for a positive amphetamine test, later he admitted to using Marijuana , cocaine and crystal meth, he had various Tribunals for consumption of Alcohol.

Fernando Muniz Cristosto , an official since 2006 , tested positive for cocaine , and crystal meth five times between 2012 and 2013, and another five times in 2014.

In all these cases the minimum recommendation is to have their weapon removed , and to be put in the background due to lack of commitment to work.

The Counterfeiters

The worst cases , according to sources in the SSPM , are the agents who are counterfeiters ,  who despite the obvious commission of a crime , have been excused by current Secretary Alejandro Lares Valladares.

A good example is the case of Omar Green de la Cerda, suspended in April 2014 , for cheating in exams at Humanitas University where he studied law, in August 2014 it became public that he was investigated along with 30 other officers for having given false documents to enter. In his case a school certificate having no registration with the Ministry of Public Education, he was reinstated however without problems as operating Deputy Director of Municipal Police in October of 2014.

Entire Municipal Police Force of Veracruz Suspended

Non Accredited Police

In these conditions , Police with no accreditation , addicts , with previous criminal histories in Mexico and USA , collaborators with  Organised Crime , torturers , and corrupters , all currently serving in the Municipal Police of Tijuana, with Patricia Sida as Director and Alejandro Lares Valladares as Secretary for Security.

Of the 154 Municipal Police Officers condemned , none have been prosecuted or dismissed ! , all still wearing badge and weapon.

Original article in Spanish at Zetatijuana