Tijuana: Gunmen storm Palenque, shoot 5

Gunmen storm Palenque in Rosarito

Early this morning in Rosarito, at least two gunmen stormed a clandestine 'Palenque', a cockfighting arena in Colonia Porticos De La Gloria.  5 people, including two minors were injured by gunfire, or other injuries.  They were transported by friends and relatives to hospitals in private vehicles.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSp4EQIIfqo

The shooting was partially captured on video, including footage of the entrance, where two men, young, dressed in dark clothing, one carrying an assault rifle rush into the arena, as the bystanders and security idly watch.  They exit moments later, and escape, by vehicle, to Playas De Rosarito ara. 

The gunmen were said to be in a 1998 Oldsmobile with tinted windows, and California license plates. 

Earlier this year in Ensenada, gunmen aligned with a Sinaloa cell in Ensenada attempted to execute 'El Tres Animales', a plaza boss and crystal trafficker, in the service of CAF.  5 people were killed in that attack, and a series of arrests were made in the aftermath, including 'El Tres Animales', and Marco Tullio 'El Marlon'.  

Many of the traffickers, batakas, retailers involved frequent palenques, casinos, horse racing, and motorcycle races, so there are often shootings and killings at these places, as rivals search for their targets.  Sometimes they are given up by people close to them, who betray the location to handlers of the gunmen.  

The gunmen in the video look inexperienced, and the attack appears to be sloppily staged, as they didn't kill their targets, and by their movements in the video.  In the last 8 years, sicarios have changed from experienced killers with some training, to mostly crystal meth addicts who will carry out killings for under a few1,000 pesos.  The colonias are filled with addicts, poverty, and thousands of potential killers and gunmen.  Deportees from gangs in LA and San Diego and across California are also a large recruiting pool. 

This began mostly in the Inge/El Teo war, as both sides needed cheap killers, as their groups suffered losses at the hands of rivals, and authorities trying to contain the spiraling violence.  Now, Tijuana and Baja is filled with young killers, who often commit multiple homicides before being killed or captured.  

Sources: AFN Tijuana