Once again the CAF threaten Zetatijuana

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

Subject Matter: Cartel Arellano Felix
Recommendation: No prior subject matter knowledge required

In May of 2004, after a chase and shootout in La Gloria, agents of the State Preventative Police, detained one Jose Roque Garcia, he was 26 years old. Together with Eric Ballesteros Estrada and Jaime Ocampo Morineau, declared to their captors that they participated in kidnapping, extortion and narco trafficking. Also they admitted to murder, and disposal of bodies in acid. These same drug traffickers threatened local merchants.

The case was linked to the Cartel Arellano Felix and prosecuted by the PGR, Roque Garcia was for years in El Hongo prison, but he obtained his freedom. In 2009 elements of the Mexican Army searched in the 2nd Military Zone, they had returned to apprehend him and carry out operations against the CAF.

In the following years the authorities knew little of him, until 2017, because now he is sought by authorities of Mexico and the United States. Supported by illicit resources and corrupt Ministerial Police of Baja California, Jose Roque Garcia has returned to Tijuana, and according to bi-national investigators, his intention is to re-establish the CAF without the help of the CJNG.




Roque Garcia now heads the most criminal cell in the city. In conversations that he has had with members of other criminal groups, the investigators have discovered his criminal intentions for re-establishment. Among them, " to finish the news outlet Zetatijuana". His idea to put a bomb in the building or close to it and explode it.

On Wednesday the 5th of April, the co-director of Zeta was informed of the threat made against Zetatijuana. A  bi-national group of intelligence officers in their persecution of groups of narco traffickers and organized crime, discovered the threat from Roque Garcia.

To attack the building is not a unique criminal plan of this man that has origins identified in Barrio Logan gang of San Diego. This is just another in a series of acts of high impact violence, in an attempt to demonstrate his criminal power and clear the city of CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel, to re-establish the Cartel Arellano Felix, which before imprisonment he served under the capos Francisco Javier Arellano "El Tigrillo", captured in 2006 and Fernando Sanchez Arellano "El Ingeniero, arrested in 2014.

Although both Mexican and United States authorities have declared many times that the CAF has been dismantled, and that the remnants of members of its different cells have been reduced, from when it was led by Ramon and Benjamin Arellano Felix. Francisco Javier is a young member of the family that is known by the nickname "El Piloto", has come together with Roque Garcia to try to revive the diminished organization.

After he was arrested at the end of May of 2004, according to a new release from Notimex, the Second District Court in Federal Criminal Proceedings in Federal District, initiated formal proceedings against Jose Roque Garcia, Erick Ballesteros Estrella and Jaime Ocampo Morineau, were arrested when they tried to kidnap local public security agents, Lucia Valenzuela Aguilar and Felipe Quintano Meza. The crimes for which arrest warrants were issued were: crimes against health, possession of firearms for the exclusive use of the armed forces, as well as illegal deprivation of liberty. While in custody they made confessions to their captors that they had murdered people oand disposed of their bodies in vats of acid.

But in 2017, Jose Roque Garcia is at liberty, Baja California authorties such as the State Secretariat for Public Security, have not provided information on how, when and why he was released. The names of Roque Garcias criminal associates are unknown, and the way in which he has corrupted Ministerial Police officers who now serve his illicit purposes.

It is not the only threat that Zeta has suffered in recent months. On November 25th of 2016, in issue 2226, we published a series of photographs and names of the most wanted criminals in Baja Calfornia and among them, members of the CJNG.

One of them, Israel Alejandro Vazquez "El 50" a young man indicated to collaborate with criminals in the adjustment of accounts, attacked the Zetatijuana building with grenades, as a punishment against those who work here for having mentioned and publishing his picture.

Because of this threat and others, we have informed our readers, friends and authorities of Baja California, of the need to protect freedom of expression and Journalists.

Again Zeta is under threat and under such conditions exercise investigative journalism in a country where it is very risky to do so. In Mexico 30 journalists have been killed in the six year term of EON, and according to article 19, makes our republic one of the five most dangerous countries for the free exercise of journalism.

A few days ago on April the 2nd, the newspaper "El Norte" of ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua closed  its doors after 27 years in circulation, because of non existent guarantees to exercise its work, because of lack of obligation on the part of Government to exercise its duty to protect journalists and in particular Miroslava Valducea, on March 23rd in that State.

In this context of violence and insecurity, institutional corruption and impunity, Zeta remains committed to its readers, friends and advertisers. We will continue to report, making investigate journalism despite the threats made against it, relying on trust and solidarity. Since April the 4th the offices of Zetatijuana are now under guard by the PEP in the face of threats from members of the CAF, to prevent an attack on our building.

Original article in Spanish at Zetatijuana