Ministerial Police attempted to rescue owner and workers of one of the biggest meth labs discovered in Tijuana

Original article available at ZETA   Translated by El Wachito

During Tuesday afternoon of October 18 in the area of La Mesa de Tijuana, Federal Ministerial Police and elements of the Preventive State Police (PEP) pointed their firearms at each other after an argument that led to hand to hand combat. 

PEP officers accused the Ministerial officers of attempting to rescue 3 criminals who were in their possession. Meanwhile, Ministerial officers accused PEP of trying to extort criminals by stealing from them, and lying about being Ministerial officers.

Criminals detained during the operation

In front a house located in 12850 of the Las Ferias avenue of the Colonia Lomas de Agua Caliente, the State police had laying on the ground 3 criminals, identified as Arturo Felix, Rigoberto Mendoza and Jonathan Flores. They were found in possession of meth and the house in front was identified as a possible laboratory of drugs.

At the moment a meeting was taking place at the Second Military Zone Base. A meeting of coordination with the members of the area of operations of the Consejo Estatal de Seguridad de Baja California (Security council),  in the meeting the boss in charge of Minor Scale Drug Dealing "received a phone call" informing him of the address, and that a small group of man who identified themselves as elements of the Minor Scale Drug Dealing Department of the PGJE were asking 50000 USD to the detainees in order for them to be liberated. Therefore a group of man were sent to confirm the facts and stop the extortion, according to the PGJE.

Meanwhile from the Secretaria the data regarding this event is different, there is no complaint phone calls, and the PEP were conducting an operation that only the superiors knew of, and they assured that there is a registry of calls.

According to the State Police the Ministerial officers failed to identify themselves, and were trying to take the detainees with them "rescue" therefore PEP elements assumed a defensive position. They pointed their guns, insulted and accused each other of forming part of the criminal organization; PEP asked for reinforcements, and "two Ministerial officers were man handled".

The bosses communicated themselves through phone lines, and they demanded a change in attitudes and a claimed that there was a lack of coordination between corporations. It was confirmed that in both cases the personnel were part of the security of the State Government, and proceeded to arrest the criminals until they were turned over this morning to the Public Ministry of the Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR).

Additional Info from "El Mexicano"

The ministerial Police defended Rigoberto Mendoza Gonzales, who according to El Mexicano (Local Newspaper) independent sources had in his cellphone the phone number of a Ministerial Officer.

The cook was Jesus Jonathan Flores Mendivil. The owner of the house 12850 was Arturo Felix Felix.

It is believed that the "Narcolaboratorio" (Drug Lab) belongs to CJNG.

860 grams of meth and a 2009 Dodge Ram white pick up truck with a cooler that contained 430 grams of meth were confiscated.

In the patio of the house plastic containers with 200 liters of an illegal liquid substance and another 200 kilos of the synthetic drug and chemicals were found.