Attack and threats of the Narco's in BC

Translated by O.B.F-W for Borderland Beat from a Zetatijuana Article, with additional images from Zetatijuana.

The coastal zone of Baja California lived a violent day, meanwhile Authorities from the Coordination Group insist that all remains calm. They refer to the threats on the Narco Mantas as not making sense. But they recognise the presence of the Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generacion in Baja California. In the middle of these reflexions, one person survived being shot while being kidnapped, and a criminal cell leader was executed on bench close to the Common Law Courts.

The difference of the passive attitude of the Baja Californian Authorities, during the week, where the coastal zone of Baja California lived a day of successive violence that is unrivalled since the war between the Cartel Arellano Felix of Fernando Arellano Felix ( El Inginerio), and the hit men of Teodoro Garcia Simental between 2008 and 2010.

Its a clear showing that the violence and criminal control continues latently, as evidenced in a week that concluded as below:

* the Sunday of 5th of April, there were 13 narco mantas displayed in four days, warning of violence, of internal confrontations in the Sinaloa Cartel, and confrontations between them and the CAF.

* Tuesday the 7th of April the Army found and secured a narco tunnel, in the Airport zone of Tijuana, where without leaving the place they found drugs.

* In the first minutes of Wednesday the 8th, around the Boulevard Las Americas in Tijuana, there was the reported kidnapping of a businessman, that ended up being the attempted murder of a youngster who was engaged in illicit activities.

* The afternoon of the same Wednesday, two Ministry Agents were attacked with gun fire in Tecate by a group of hit men who fled.

* On Thursday 9th of April in the morning, in the vicinity of the local Courts, Luis Toscano "El Mono" was attacked and killed by gunfire in the North Zone of Tijuana. ( Otis: see BB reporter Tijuano's coverage of the Story, see link and BB reporter J analysis of the killing see link).

Warning Graphic image on next page caution advised





Toscano enemy of Los Aquiles

In January of 2010, an armed group attacked with guns the vehicle in which "El Mono" was travelling in the central delegation. He was heading down the ramp with his son in the car, he was identified as the man who controls the drug trade in the Northern Zone for the Cartel Arellano Felix.

The Authorities considered him a victim, he was left for dead when his wife told them to take their land in Colima, and no major findings.

Around 8:50 am of Thursday 9th of April 2015, his enemies returned to open fire again. It was opposite a taco stand located on the corner of Avenida del los Charros, in the vicinity of La Mesa Prison in Tijuana, one block from the local Courts, accompanied by Esaul Sahagun Pelayo who Authorities identified as his body guard.



His killers arrived arrived at the Avenida Baurias del Mar, and stayed just opposite of Carro de Birria.    
According to testimony said that 3 men were inside the car, which had four doors, other testimony said there were four people in the car and they opened fire. In this place, Toscano was hit and died from several bullet wounds from 9mm and .40 , one shot hitting his head, Esaul Sahagun died minutes later in the red cross.

At the scene, police dogs found a gun of 8mm calibre, jammed and thrown right in the middle of the bodies of Toscano and Sahagun. The first analysis determined that they tried to repel the attack but don't know which of the dead men tried to fire the weapon.

In the pockets of Luis they located a suspension, a document through which the Mafioso promoted an amparo for himself and another man, to avoid being captured.

The closed circuit CCTV cameras in the area, shows that one of the attackers left running from the scene until the Boulevard Agua Caliente and with no problems took a taxi, no one was specific about whether the taxi was waiting.

A second attacker jumped back into the car and the car sped off. According to the official report, the vehicle was located in Avenida Rosas and Lilias in the Las Vegas Colonia of the Mesa Delegation. Inside was a white polo shirt with blood stains.

Witnesses who saw the men abandon the car, reported that the occupants fled towards the canalizacion, where Municipal Police were directed after them. They came across one of the subjects and asked him to stop, but he ran, when they caught him up, he was not like the others at the canalizacion, the detainee looked clean and not intoxicated, showed a wound with blood on one foot.

But we don't know if the wound is recent, there does not exist the evidence that he is the attacker. The sent the case to the Attorney General.

An element of the State Coordination of Pubic Safety reflected on the assassination of "El Mono", the attacker obviously is "La Rana" - Rene Arzate was constantly trying to take control of the Northern Zone as he had previously authored several mission to try to topple him, but we will see what light the investigations shed on the matter.

The narco trafficker identified as Luis Manuel Toscano had been detained and freed on three different occasions:

June of 2012, the Army detained him with 38 grammes of cocaine, a rifle, a pistol and various munitions.

20th of October 2013, Municipal Agents captured him for detonation of firearms in the private road Lomas de Cierzo. In the following days a man presented himself at the offices of ZETA as the Lawyer of Toscano, and said to the receptionist that he wanted to leave a mention of his client in El Semanario, because he wasn't a criminal and then left, and did not speak with an Editor.

23rd of October 2014, Toscano Rodriguez was recaptured by State Police in the Delegation La Mesa. He was found in possession of a .38 calibre firearm, with four of the nine rounds in the gun being expanding ammunition (Otis: hollow or soft point or frangible bullets that shatter on impact). Several spare magazines, Cocaine, he was also released on this occasion.

After the execution of "El Mono", the Coordination Group named his likely criminal successor as Alberto Avila Alvarado "El Chacal" or "The Jackal", Roberto Carlos and Marcos Rafael Toscano Rodriguez, brothers in law and brothers of "El Mono".

The thirteen narcomantas

In 72 hours, between the morning of Sunday 5th of April and the first hours of Wednesday 8th, a total of 12 white fabrics with threat messages allegedly writted by members of organized crime, were hung from various bridges in Tijuana.

The majority were put up over night, and taken down by elements of the Municipal Police, four in La Presa delegation, four in La Mesa and Centenario, two in the Zona Rio and two in Mesa de Otay.

Of these acts only one person was detained and he was set free hours afterwards.



In General the messages were similar to the first ones, located on Sunday on Boulevard Benitez, outside of Plaza Carrousel: " already we are sick of kidnappings and extortions that were supposed to finish, and still allow the "cleaning" to start against the people of tomate and his allies, no against the public of the Government, atek Cartel Nueva Tijuana, CTNG and CJNG".

The narcomanta that closed the first day, was taken down by a group of Ministerial Agents on the morning of Wednesday the 8th, the text was longer and it was left in the close vicinity of the offices of the Attorney General of the State, near the bus station in Tijuana, he said.

"Already we are sick of kidnappings and extortions that supposedly were going to cease and they continue, the cleaning begins with the people of Alquilez and La Rana and their allies, not against the public or the Government ate: CTNG and CJNG, El Lentes, lideres asociado "Chencho Beltran", El Quieto Lico/ el Atigrado, el Koby, el Gordo Di, El Viejon, El Mono, El Chacal, R4, Trapero, El Trib".

It was left up for some hours, and on the night of 8th of April, manta number 13 was put up, on the Boulevard Agua Caliente on a pedestrian bridge located near Club Campestre, but the quality of the fabric, using print in two colours with a border and minor spelling errors and its message made it different:"its a kind of response, warning and uncheck the CAF" explained a researcher.

The narco manta had the following text:

We are the operative group of CAF, we are going for trozar to topon to all that are not with us and that do not belong to the Arellano Flag will be Pozoleado (chopped up and put in barrels of caustic soda), the evidence we have already given, and not in blankets ( mantas), in Baja this order is initiated against all outsiders.

The Criminal Groups in the State

"We don't have evidence to suppose that CJNG have introduced enough arms, sicarios, into the state to initiate a large scale confrontation with the Sinaloa Cartel, said a member of Counsel for State Security for Baja California unofficially to ZETA.

He confirmed the presence of the following six criminal groups:

* Los Arzate, headed by Alfonso Arzate Garcia "El Aquiles" and Rene Arzate Garcia "La Rana". Entered Tijuana as operators of the detained capo Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera.

* Los Uriate, cousins, and nephews of other parents of Raydel Lopez Uriate "El Muletas" detained on 2nd of February 2010 (Otis: see Buggs report on this arrest see link), operators of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

* Los Payan, family of Rafael Caro Quintero (freed on 9th of August 2013), who operate with the family of Alfonso Lira Sotelo "El Atlante" detained in September of 2014(Otis: see BB reporter Itzli article on his capture see link), El contacto is a son of the boss, also Los Payan are people of "El Mayo".

* Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, started through a son of Ignacio Coronel, also allied to "El Mayo", but without having a permanent presence in Baja California. The Authorities only identify them here as supervising drug loads moving through this plaza.

* The Arellano Felix Cartel

* La Familia Michoacana, with a low profile, and exclusively here to supervise drug shipments to the United States.

People of Jalisco trafficking through Baja California

In respect of Consultants to the presence of CJNG in Baja California, the opinion of Agents of the State Council for Security is: their participation is similar to the Michoacano's, they do the same thing, move drugs to here, they have cells, safe houses, and firearms, but not to operate in the zone, it appears only sufficient to protect their drug shipments from load robbers.

There is a leader of the CJNG that enters and leaves constantly, to ensure delivery of shipments to the United States. They think he is a son of Ignacio Coronel, they don't know if its Mauricio or Arturo.

They also report that, under a false name, the current leader of the CJNG Nemesio Oseguera "El Mencho", obtained official documentation like licences and other credentials accrediting him as a resident of Baja California, but they do not report his presence.

The discrepancies in the mantas

Of the possible alliance with the Cartel Arellano Felix or its new nickname, Carte Tijuana Nueva Generacion to combat the Sinaloa Cartel, though there is widespread suspicion nothing was concrete the researchers said, adding:

In the first narco manta it speaks of "tomato", a criminal identified with this nickname is an ex policeman Jesus Israel de la Cruz Lopez, imprisoned in "El Hongo" prison since 2011, who has got off charges of possession of weapons, but is still being tried for two counts of murder, one in 2009 in the Seventh Criminal Court and another in 2011 in the First Criminal Court.

Jesus Israel de la Cruz Lopez

"The say that they are sick of the kidnapping and the extortion, but there are no kidnappings, there are two reports from a bereaved family of a drug seller.

Others, the last two groups of kidnappers captured in Tijuana were of the CAF, they were police and ex ministerials, they were going about kidnapping and extorting people, and trafficking drugs without permission.

About the content of the mantas, the consultants estimate that, its not clear that any show recognised organograms of criminals of the zone.

In one of the mantas, a branded  name and on another a different name, they put Crescencio "El Chencho Beltran" brother of Arturo Villareal "El Nalgon" as if they were with Sinaloa, and together with Javier Beltran Cabrera "El R4" like they were allied with those who killed his brother, and there are others that are without feeling.
"Also the people of the CAF don't warn or advertise crimes that they are going to commit, they come make their disaster and disappear" and remember the previous mantas were all Los Teos".

According to the investigators, after the capture of Fernando Sanchez Arellano ( June of 2014), the CAF has decreased, and the handling of the CAF has been more corporate, dedicated to the transfer of drugs to the United States.(Otis: see link to Chivis article on his capture see link).

The hypotheses

It would be irresponsible of the Authorities to completely rule out a CJNG - CTNG alliance, the authorities in the Coordination Group are considering several hypotheses.

* Local cells want the Authorities to roll over and see that the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion is operating in Baja California. To push the "heat from the police" towards the men from Jalisco.

* The narcomantas are the product of disputes between local cells, they want to send accusations about them and at the same time achieve notoriety, in this there are two unofficial versions:

a) That the kidnap without permission a narco leader in the fraccioamiento El Rubi and this provoked the reaction.
b) Local groups have entered since leaving prison, Alfonso Lira "El Atlante" ordered that these people support CJNG.

* It is a reflection of the hereditary fight after the capture of "El Chapo" Guzman in February of 2014. In Tijuana the operators of Guzman are fighting those of "El Mayo" Zambado in an internal struggle for the territory.

* Local cells are seeking to destabilize those who are actually in control.

The detained and the free with reservations

According to the Police, Martin Jasso soto, 38 years of age, who was known as a consumer of crystal meth, and recently intoxicated with two litres of Tonaya Tequilla ( Otis: good effort ! ), was detained at 02:20 am on the 6th of April 2015, on the west rapid route General Marquez de Leon, in the Rio Tijuana Zone. He was walking up the stairs of the pedestrian bridge with a white object in his hands. Two patrol officials that were watching the location, saw he was high and he fled toward the inside of the canalization.

They are specific that at no time did they lose sight of him, so they saw him throw what he was carrying, which ended up being a manta with a very similar message to the local messages on Sunday the 5th in the Boulevard Benitez, warning "El tomate", the only difference is that they had written begins instead of start.

Jasso was presented at 03:24 am on 6th of April to the corresponding receiving Agency, charged with theft. In an interview at the Office of the State Attorney, Martin said that the Police lifted him from the Zona Rio Tijuana Costco, that they searched him but found nothing, the took him to a Police Station in the Central Zone, where on entering he saw a manta on a desk "that they say I brought", argued Jasso Soto.

At the end, the PGJE ratified the detention illegal and let him go. The file was opened and shared a unit specializing in organised crime, if it relates to any other event.

CJNG in Baja California Sur

Since February of 2013, the Counsel of State Security for Baja California Sur, has not been contemplating the presence of CJNG in the State.

Between June of 2012 and January of 2013, the dozens of killings in Mexicali and its valley were attributed by the Authorities to a struggle between drug traffickers. The official hypothesis indicates that it was a confrontation between one head of the Sinaloa Cartel, Gustavo Inzunza Inzunza "El Macho Prieto", and another lieutenant of the Sinaloa Cartel, Manuel Garibay Felix, presumably, recently affiliated to CJNG.

Gustavo Inzunza Inzunza "El Macho Prieto"

Identified as El Manuelon, Garibay Felix was in Puente Grande prison in Jalisco since August of 2009 until June of 2012, where with time he became part of the criminal self government that operates in this CEFERESO, charging cuotas and controlling illicit activities, and from where he directed hit men and drug trafficking activities carried out by his men in Mexicali. As publicly confirmed by the Secretariat of Public Security, after several arrests between 2011 and 2012.

In June of 2012, he obtained a writ of amparo appeal by the Seventh District Court in Criminal Matters in Guadalajara and gained his freedom, intelligence departments of operational forces, were concerned that "El Gordo" was in the process of joining the CJNG.

Additionally, the Authorities explained that Garibay, already allied with CJNG had established links with the CAF to confront the Sinaloa controlled coast of Baja California, through Fernando Sanchez Arellano, and with his then representative in Baja California Sur, Ines Zamudio Beltran, who was arrested on July 2nd 2010 and released, but recaptured on 1st of February 2011 and released on 20th July.

This alleged Society became evident after August the 15th, after the murder in Comondu, Baja California Sur, of the then criminal ringleader of La Paz, Hector Antonio Salazar Monzon "El Oaxaco". One of the hypothesis of the investigation, still open with the Prosecutor General of Justice of the State is:

"The dispute for the narco trafficking plaza between Antonio Salazar Monzon "El Oaxaco" and Ines Zamudio Beltran "El Zamudio", who after a couple of days had returned to California Sur State prior to the killing, to assume criminal control of the Organization of Zamudio along with Manuel Garibay "El Manuelon", recently arrived in the City of Tijuana, and one of the cells of the leader of the Cartel Arellano Felix, of Fernando Sanchez Arellano.

Antonio Salazar Monzon "El Oaxaco"

Death closes the topic

On the 20th of February of 2013, the body of Jose Manuel Garibay Felix, 29 years of age, was found around six in the afternoon on the curve "Del Millon" on the highway to Hacienda del Lazo, at kilometre 3.5 on the highway to Saltillo, in Zapopan, Jallisco.( Otis: see Chivis article on this incident see link).

Consulting Authorities integrated into the Coordination Group, commented that according to the intelligence that they received from their colleagues in Jalisco, Garibay Felix was linked to traffickers of that State for the supply of drugs and money, but the intel was wrong and there were no major inquiries. For the State Counsel of Security in Baja California, this ended the possible relationship with CJNG in the region.

On Wednesday 17th of December 2014, in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Manuel Garibay Espinoza was freed, the father of "El Gordo", and head of Los Garibay, a local Judge freed him for lack of evidence.

Finally as to whether Garibay Espinoza could be an ally and open the doors to the CJNG, is considered unlikely by the Coordination Group, he is a friend of Ismael Zambada, that was and is his line, and less with the precedent of his son.

Original article in Spanish at Zetatijuana

Categories: baja california, CAF, CJNG, sinaloa cartel