Ex Televisa correspondant and Zeta Boss executed in Veracruz

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

[ Subject Matter: Executions, Veracruz
Recommendation: No prior subject matter knowledge required]

Updated 08/14/2015 with information from Milenio, second Zeta plaza boss "El Felino" among the dead. see details at bottom of article.

Reporter: Noe Zavaleta
An armed group composed of five people assaulted the bar "La Taberna" this Thursday in the early hours, located in the centre of Orizaba, Veracruz and killed an ex Televisa correspondent, and a Plaza boss of Los Zetas, and another four people, informed the Attorney General of the State.

In a communication released this morning, they detailed that the alleged narco trafficker Jose Marquez Balderas "El Chichi" and the reporter Juan Heriberto Santos Cabrera were found seated together at the time of the attack.



The official report also said that in "La Taberna" they found two more reporters from the Newspaper El Buen Tono who were under guard by personnel of the Attorney Generals Office. Unofficially he said that some journalists received light injuries.

Of the other four killed, already three have been identified: Sergio Felipe Mendoza Morgado, Alberto Rodriguez Romero and Jose Eduardo Castillo Romero.

Televisa Veracruz dismissed Santos Cabrera about two months ago, who until yesterday wrote on various news sites including Orizaba en Red.

Inside the bar, according to official information, Ministerial Police and Federal Forces found the guns of the dead people outside the bar in vehicles, those weapons being put at the disposition of the corresponding Authorities.

During the skirmish, two elements of the Fuerza Civil were wounded, one of the injured men reported as grave.

"At the moment of exiting the bar, the aggressors were intercepted by elements of the Fuerza Civil who confronted the criminals, but could not detain them. The Fuerza Civil reported that during this incident two of its officers were injured, one of who was in a grave condition.

The preliminary reports indicate that the commando of five hitmen, carried rifles and fired them directly at the men killed and injured.

The owner of the newspaper "El Buen Tono", Joseph Abella, former Pan candidate for Mayor of Cordoba, distanced himself from the links that groups of reporters could have with criminal organizations, assured the Attorney General of the State in a press release.

"These reporters, I don't believe they were talking about journalism, sat with the Chief of the Zees whom they also murdered, the two that were seated in El Buen Tono "must have been dismissed from the company", he intimated.

With the execution of Santos Cabrera, already there are 15 reporters killed during the administration of Javier Duarte de Ochoa.

In the Cordoba Orizaba Fontin de Las Flores Industrial corridor the operation " Veracruz Insurance" was launched two years ago.

In the November 2012 edition of Proceso, it was reported that the capture of three suspected members of Los Zetas allowed Federal Authorities to detect a network of complicity between Sicarios, drug transporters, Deputy of Justice, Judicial Police, businessmen and Politicians.

Original article in Spanish at Proceso

New information from Milenio

Felipe Santan Hernandez "El Felino", second in command of Los Zetas in Orizaba was identified by his family members from physical characteristics and some tattoos.

Felipe Santana Hernandez, "El Felino", second in command of Los Zetas in Orizaba was identified by family members as one of the six dead as a result of the attack at La Taberna,

The Attorney General of Veracruz released a communication that the man of 36 years, who firstly went unidentified was identified by his family members by his physical characteristics and tattoos.

According to the investigators, police dogs found 70 spent cartridges of .223 calibre ammunition, the type used in AR-15 type assault rifles, and registered 62 impacts in walls, roof and windows. ( Otis: these stats show the futility of full auto fire in almost all situations from assault rifles).

Also 2 9mm pistols were recovered one Beretta and one Springfield, that had finger prints that matched two of the dead men.

The commando confronted the police and got away, the call went out to all State Security Institutions, in coordination with armed forces that in Operation Coordinate Veracruz, their location was found and the alleged aggressors were detained.

Original article in Spanish at Milenio