Tijuana: Two found 'entambado'

Two found emtambado in Sanchez Tadoaba

In Sanchez Tadoaba, which has become the front lines of the fight between Arturo 'El Gross' Herrera, and those loyal to the Azarte brothers, as well as Herreras attempt to control the retail drug trade in the area, two men were found stuffed in barrels.  

During the bloody and extreme days of the El Teo and El Inge conflict, bodies were sometimes stuffed into barrels, 50 gallon drums, which were an El Teo trademark, dropped of in front of rivals territory, with messages from Teo, and his subordinates.  

Sanchez Tadoaba is home to Tijuana's gastronominto district, which has become a pride of the city in the years that followed 2008's cruel and economically impactful violence.  Many incredible restaurants line the street of Sanchez Tadoaba, today, two men, bound, and tortured, were found in barrels in the neighborhood. 

Sanchez Tadoaba violence has peaked in recent months, numerous executions, some in broad daylight, or inside homes, as gunmen storm residences and take their victims in front of families. Men are killed at taco stands, in taxis, in bars and restaurants a like, as the cells of El Gross make a name for themselves, leaving messages against Los Aquiles, and claiming alliance with CJNG, and it's leader, El Mencho.  

Herrera is a former Aquiles lieutenant or cell leader who flipped in the last year, as the Azarte brothers find themselves on the run in Tijuana, and indicted in San Diego.  Herrera is aligned with Los Erres, or Los Pelones, a group who has switched sides, from Jose Soto Gastelum, 'El Tigre, to CJNG.  Los Pelones were formerly under CAF, years ago, along with Los Litos, another retail cell in Zona Norte.  A loose coalition of former CAF and former Sinaloa workers forms, what is referred to as CTNG, Cartel Tijuana Nueva Generacion. 

The victims are almost always retail drug dealers, who are the front line, boots on the ground, for the competing cells. They are recruited to sell packets, and murdered, to hurt the enemies finances, and lower morale.  Who wants to sell for Aquiles, if they find a co worker in a 50 gallon drum?  The confusion, betrayals, and crosses are common on the retail field, with very little way to tell which way is up, and which is down, from the very bottom.  

Many don't care, and continue about their life, not caring or not caring to know the lives lead by others in the slums of a city.  For them, it is merely bad people doing bad things.  For others, it is their sons, mothers, fathers, friends, lovers who are gunned down, or tossed on a street. 

As poverty, greed, and brutal violence collide in Tijuana, and across Mexico, a sort of desperate, soulless hell has been born, one where the foot soldiers are teenagers, and men are found with familiar marks of torture and savagery. 

AFN Tijuana