Baja California Decommission 80 Tonnes of Drugs in 3 months

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

[ Subject Matter: Drug Seizure, Sinaloa Cartel, Arellano Felix Organization
Recommendation: No prior subject knowledge required]

Reporter: Zeta Investigation

The 41.6 tonnes of Marijuana that was decommissioned in Tijuana this 12th of June, was denoted by Authorities as the property of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

The drugs had been transferred to the frontier in various trips in sealed vehicles, and was not detected at the few checkpoints installed on Highways between Sinaloa and Tijuana, manned by Federal Police and elements of the Army.

In fact to transport the drugs, Baja California Authorities required five trucks. The first to arrive at the house in the Granjas Familiares de Tijuana Colonia, according to witnesses, were elements of the State Preventative Police.

An investigation after one detention, apparently from a citizen complaint, led elements of the PEP tto the location of the mega haul.





What they found was confiscated by the Army, and later put at the disposition of the PGR, there were packets of Marijuana marked with the names of the narco traffickers and criminal cells, to whom the drugs were to be delivered. In total there was to be 10 different customers, some known local criminals and others not identified in the investigation.

The main haul has been added to by drugs hidden among bananas, chicken boxes, clandestine wineries, trailers, abandoned vehicles, as well as ultralight aircraft, the Military Zone 2 has informed that it had secured up to almost 80 tonnes of Marijuana.

At the time of press, they have destroyed more than ten plantations of drugs between Sonora and Baja California during the months of April to June of 2015, according to information from Zone 2 commander General Moises Garcia Ocha

During the period signalled, they have confiscated more than 300 kilos of Crystal Meth, 500 kilos of Cocaine, and marine products in danger like pink prawns, and in danger of extinction like Caguama, worth millions of pesos and dollars.

The 41.6 tonnes of marijuana confiscated on 12th of June, was shipped in recently, the packets carried different symbols, some of animated figures, these stamps were on 5271 bundles, presumably they had different destinations, affirmed the Commander of the Second Military Zone, Gabriel Garcia Rincon.

In the PGR, the investigation and underway, but the person in charge of the marijuana who was in possession of 54 bundles of the herb, was consigned by a Judge of the Second District. She testified that she received 2000 pesos per week. Her and her sons with whom she lives, were put at the disposition of the DIF.

Garcia Rincon signalled that according to the investigations of the PGR, one can suppose that the drugs were carried to the city of Tijuana from Sinaloa.

At this time, authorities have not discovered which mode of transport was used to transit the drugs, or how much time it took for the 5000+ bundles to arrive at a domicile in the Granjas Familiares Colonia.

"Depending on the mode of transport that they utilized, for example, a plane with an average load of 500 kilos, would need 40 trips to transport 20 tonnes. So with the investigations carried out so far and in the future, we intend to find out how it was transported, and from where, the best bet is by sea", said the Commander.

During the presentation the official of the 28th Infantry Battalion, Garcia Rincon, detailed that the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Arellano Felix are the likely suspects as they both have a major presence in the State.

This capture is the biggest since 2014 and so far this year. The past year finished with a total of 97 tonnes of marijuana destroyed, 390 kilos of Cocaine and 4 narco tunnels, meanwhile this year already 80 tonnes of marijuana, 509 kilos of Cocaine and 5 narco tunnels.

Recent Drug Captures

18th of June, San Quintin, 220 kilos of marijuana

17th of June, Ensenada, 400 kilos of marijuana, Puerto Penasco, 14 tonnes of marijuana

16th of June, Sonoyta, 3.5 tonnes of marijuana.

8th of June, Tijuana, 1 tonne of marijuana

25th of April, Mexicali and Sonora, 9.8 tonnes of marijuana

18th of April, Ensenada, 0.75 tonnes of marijuana, 300 kilos of crystal meth

17th of April, Puerto Fronterizo Nogales, 8 tonnes of marijuana

16th of April, San Vincente, 400 kilos of marijuana

14th of April, Ensenada, 500 kilos of marijuana

Original article in Spanish at Zetatiuana