Narcos Are Dividing La Paz, BCS

Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat                                                                      From Zeta 

 Business as usual for "El Simon" from inside CERESO">Easily, agents/ authorities of the PGJE collected evidence of yet another event but are hampered by the inability to take down the culprits.

After three days without executions, after the transfer of Simon Guillermo Hernandez Pena aka "El Simon", an alleged criminal from Sonora, two murders in La Paz gave authorities evidence of a purge among Cartels for the control of the drug dealing "Plaza" in the capitol of the state of BCS continues.

"They have a division of three sectors, la Zona Centro, the Middle, and the Southside", confirmed a police source to La Zeta. The truce lasted 72 hours. The morning of Sept.22, two people were apparently executed in the municipality of La Paz, one of them beheaded between Counsel and Independence Streets, in a workshop. Another man was thrown from an apartment complex between Allende and Rosales Streets. According to expert data, the victims had alcohol and drugs in their blood.

These events gave way to to statements by a police source, who confided in Zeta, "that we are still missing some from the purge among cartels in La Paz". The apparent calm that was lived earlier in the week came from the transfer of six suspected drug dealers in the capital of Baja California Sur, including Simon Guillermo Hernandez Pena, " El Simon"or ''The Gravedigger", who operated from inside the CERESO prison in La Paz, in addition to its armed wing, Luis Fernando "El Guero Rufles",  ''El Guayabo", "The Danny", ''The Ghost", and Rolando Gonzalez Moreno, "El Compadron", former leader of the North Zone plaza of the capital.

In three days we only received six or seven false calls regarding shootings or executions since the transfer of these extremely dangerous prisoners, according to the information that was sent by the higher security prison in Sonora, this stopped the wave of executions, injuries and kidnapping, although in the last few days we don't have the data.

So far this month (Sept.) 22 people have lost their lives due to firearms, six after the transfer of the prisoners, and two more were in doubt as to the manner in which they died, between the 21st of Sept. Until the early morning hours of Sept.22.

According to a member of the Coordination Group of the State Public Security, it is known that "there was an arrangement between those who head the sale and distribution of drugs in La Paz, and now we can say that we have a division into three sectors or zones. With this division there is an expected truce, according to the source, in which there will be no participation by security forces, they will simply wait until a "determination of territory is reached ", he said. Security officials tell Zeta that recent execution victims must have known their assailants saying that they occurred inside homes. Reports received by this weekly publication reveal that the "cleanup" that occurred in recent weeks had much to do with "El Simon" operating from the CERESO prison, "they were killing their own people, those who did not want to pull for them, some of them saying they wanted to become independent, but what is certain is that they didn't reach an agreement; such is the case of "El Chicho", who was executed in Colonia El Fuente. This person controlled a group of drug dealers, which was gradually weeded out by the work of "El Rufles" gunmen on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel."

As authorities ignore the distribution of drug sales in La Paz the criminals are dividing up the territories.

According to data provided by a member of Public Security Coordination Group, Narciso Cota "El Chicho"was executed on August 29 on Circuito Bledales near the corner of Del Rio riding in a recent model Toyota Corolla, while living he worked with the former Governor of BCS, Marco Covarrubias Villasenor. ''El Chicho" was identified as being in charge of a criminal cell of drug dealers and distributors. After the forced removal of "El Simon", along with his gunmen, from the control of the distribution of narcotics, they reached a presumable truce between leaders of these cells in La Paz, nevertheless, it is an uncertain future. "They have stopped infighting as of now, but this will most certainly not last", the source said. As far as the actions of security factions, "at least as far as the Attorney General goes what they tell you is uncertain, they work as they are able, but no one does anything that could generate more instability, our own vice attorney general of Special Investigations does not delve into seizures or investigations, anti-kidnapping actions or murders. The COE ( Commission of Special Investigations) are not going to lead in this situation and the Ministry is on another track" warned the Coordination Group member, pointing to the lack of leadership and /or the desire to stop the wave of violence and thus remain passive.

 It is worth mentioning that in order to open an investigation, one would have to make an anonymous complaint, that which would have to be made through an inmate at CERESO, who told us that there were many graves to be discovered, he told us that he belonged to ''El Simon"s gang, in which operated "El Guero Rufles", I am talking many, he revealed. According to estimates he was talking between 18 to 25 clandestine graves, some near Kilometer 10 near the highway to Los Planes and also in the drainage between La Fuente and Tabachines, only five miles inland from where five clandestine graves were found in 2013 attributed to Simon Guillermo Hernandez Pena, "El Simon" aka "The Gravedigger". Personnel of the Expert Services were seen working for an entire week in the area, nevertheless, "The rains did not stop us from working, but we couldn't find traces of the bodies they told us about, nor traces of fat and blood. The search was suspended because there were no findings from the anonymous tip.

Violent acts are still expected in the capital city now that "the Southside, controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel was defeated, including their own security forces, all the power was given to the "Northside", the Cartel Tijuana New Generation or (CTNG), and we also know that "El Mayo" Zambada was involved, we have always know that "Los Mayitos" were operating, but these strategic alliances were made here, unfortunately, including their among their own security forces", citing a police source.

In the Municipality of Comondu, there are grudges between cells of the Sinaloa Cartel, led by Juan Murillo Avendano, "El Tomatito Cherry" (the Cherry Tomatoe), and by parts of the Cartel Jalisco/ Tijuana New Generation led by Ruben Omar Castanon Nicolat, "El Chocolate",who is also allied with a group known as "The Palapas". "El Murcielago"(The Bat) was executed in Comondu in a dispute over the plaza. However, a military source added that the intelligence investigation highlighted "an unidentified hidden character, but according to the data received from the PGR it could be that Miguel Angel Vega Ramirez, "El Gordo Vega" could be behind all of this operation. The source added that "El Tomatito" is in hiding in Sinaloa, which could be due to the detention by federal forces in Zapopan , Jalisco of Martin Gaudencio Avendano Ojeda, an operator of "El Mayo" Zambada. This gives us reason to think the attempts against Los Cheyos outside of the Auto Zone Store, the burning of the businesses and the ranch owned by Murillo Avendano in the Santo Domingo Valley is about a strategy to take control of the plaza".

According to the military source this could bring in a leader of the criminal group Los Damaso aimed at creating a feud between the two groups, in which both sides have been recently quiet, but to create instability could bring a new war to La Paz, such as the one that happened with the arrival of a third group in July of 2014. The plaza was divided into The North with the cell "Compadron", while The South went to "Los Pepillos" but it was Los Damaso who destabilized the distribution of territories, using the recognized strategy of this group. "It is precisely this strategy, seeking to destabilize the control they have and then subdivide to advance control."

If we look into the cell of "Gorda Vega", what will happen is exactly what happened here in La Paz.

War is now being declared between Los Tomateros and Los Cheyos, including on social networks, some members of the association mention him , "El Gordo", but immediately some come out against defending him , saying that Los Tomateros are in charge and vice versa, including mentioning the attack and burning on the ranch of Los Avedanos, en route to Puerto San Carlos, west of Ciudad Constitution, burning cattle and everything that was found.

They placed mantas (left signs) against "El Tomatito ", Murrillo Avendano and killed several thoroughbred horses that were hidden on a ranch in Villa Morelos, located near the exit to Ciudad Constitution and claim that these attacks were planned by "El Gordo Vega" and they had committed these crimes. On social threads such as Zeta and other publications it was thought that they were opposing Los Tomateros or Los Cheyos; but left a  justification open for trying to deter the coming war from an opposing point of view.

Here are interventions: Nathanel Ramirez, "If Los Cheyos believe wrongly that if they bring war with Los Tomateros and it is not like that, then the attack at the AutoZone came from their own people, a mediocre faction, one of which was put in charge from their own organization to keep the Plaza and take out this patron "El Chayo".

Paramedics that live and work in BCS, attending to every call from the wounded to the dead of each criminal cell say: Los Cheyos think they are warring with Los Tomateros but it is not like that. The attack that happened at the AutoZone came from their own people led by a criminal who wanted the Plaza for himself and was trying to get rid of "El Cheyo".

Alberto Collins: " Hahaha, They are fools (assholes), it makes me smile/laugh that they seem so ready".

Everything indicates that since the capture and release of Miguel Angel Vega Ramirez from the CERESO in La Paz, he has had the ambition of total control of the Municipality of Comondu, which was identified by military sources as the prime location on the criminal map, that being Ciudad Insurgentes. Plus, they say the fight is ongoing and they are being directed to recover La Plaza completely. The situation originated from the events that occurred on August 31st at Kilometer 210 and 500 and Pedro Maria Anaya, Colonia Renero, on the highway betweem Ciudad Constitution and Ciudad Insurgentes, outside of the AutoZone store, where the main target ''El Cheyo" was wounded and also killed was 25 year old ''El Murcielago", Rafael Arroyo Acosta, who was in a grey Kia presumably the hitman who was hired to murder "Goro Vega".

This was the information given to Miguel Angel Vega, that a presumed betrayal occurred within his own group "Los Cheyos"and that warranted a counterattack against the rivals with the hitman being the only casualty. A military source added that a kidnapping also took place and the whereabouts of the victim, Juan Lopez "Juan Palapas" was unknown.

While the conflict continues in La Paz and Comondu, in Los Cabos a fight for control of that Plaza is coming, after the fall of Guadalupe Acosta Lopez, "El Javier/"El Javi, in Culiacan where he was executed on the way to the house of friends. "A shuffle is to be expected," says an expert on Public Safety, now that the controlling interests in Cabo San Lucas belong to the cells of the South Zone of the  State. Burning the business of Avendano Murillo in La Candelaria on the afternoon of Sept.21 near the tourist destination of CSL was a result of the conflict between cells in Comondu. We know that it was a brutal armed confrontation, a white Toyota Tacoma was found with multiple bullet impacts in the hood, the windows and windshield shattered by bullets, rear tires punctured and bloodstained. An investigation was launched by Security Agents of the three levels of government plus Armed Forces and Forensic Services to secure the evidence.

At the site, two rifles were found, along with a pistol and the belongings of the people traveling in the vehicle, such as bags, tennis shoes, cellphones and keys which could lead to clarification of the events. Moments later, nearby at dusk, two wounded people were found and transported to the General Hospital in CSL with grave injuries. Two ambulances from the IMR ( International Medical Response) were necessary for the intervention in addition to a heavy security presence which included Military, Ministerial Police and Municipal officers. The PGR ( Attorney General of the State) announced that the two people were identified as Oscar Ivan, 22 and Pastor de Jesus, 29, both from Culiacan, Sinaloa.

According to investigations, only two people were officially recognized but witnesses who saw the vehicle saw at least three more. In addition to finding the bullet ridden vehicle and the two victims, the Military forces also located a clandestine airstrip nearby which had signs of use by aircraft, indicating that the group of alleged drug dealers were headed to that point for a transfer of either narcotics and /or guns. At the close of information given to this publication (Zeta) we only received statements such as :

"Right now we have no more information on this brutal event but we will send more as the week and the investigation continues. It should be noted that this struggle has just begun and although we were expecting a succession, everything points to a restructuring, surely they will be armed and looking for a breaking point, now there is this and we can only keep working in a coordinated manner here in Los Cabos."said the police source.

These kind of armed events have been recorded not only in Los Cabos, but on Aug.28th an armed commando kidnapped Hilario Vargas Espinoza, 64 yrs old, brother of  journalist Hermilinda Vargas, director of The Colectivo Pericue online publication and his friend Jose Flores Mendez. According to the facts related to Zeta, Vargas and two of his friends were found on a sprawling property in the Santa Rosa neighborhood San Jose del Cabo, in the Municipality of Los Cabos, when a armed commando of five or six men entered the property, beat and threw to the ground a young helper, keeping him face down on the ground so he was unable to see the faces of kidnappers.  They brutally beat Jose Flores trying to get to Hilario Vargas and take him away, then amid the fighting and shoving the armed men boarded the two vehicles and the young man was left on the ground where he was beaten and the only thing he knew was the two men were taken in an unknown direction. His family said that it was as if they, the armed men, had made him swallow dirt and all we know is that the authorities are trying to find the two missing men.

Hermelinda Vargas has expressed her feelings of desperation over the disappearance of her brother through FaceBook, where she has received much support from her followers and they have united in the search. The journalist has asked the captors to respect the physical integrity of her brother. "My brother was deprived of his freedom late yesterday afternoon by unknown persons that arrived on the property in Santa Rosa. All of the family has united along with friends for the search. The facts are known to the authorities. I ask the citizens if they know anything or know of his whereabouts to please call 066, the Emergency Number, including any of the men that took him. We thank you for your cooperation."  The Vargas family has notified authorities, made an official report, and are working directly with investigators to find both men and although a faith driven hunch gives them reason  for hope, the investigation has not yet yielded the expected results.

At the close of this addition, both Hilario Vargas and Jose Flores remain missing, including no contact from their captors. "I know that you are a good brother. Your life is worth more than any material value. We want you back soon. Your family misses you, loves you and awaits you. We will continue our search for you."

Specialists in Organized Crime have told this publication that from a sociological point of view, "Violence is here to stay, not only on the streets, but in the consciousness of us all, this could cause a resurgence of events, gradually raise the tone and in the worst case scenario, criminals will be engaged at stealing everything." 

At the end of September there had been 31 executions in La Paz, BCS.