Oaxaqueño for Borderland Beat
On Monday shortly after
22:00 hrs, three elements of the Gendarmería Nacional (which is part of the
Federal Police) were wounded while being on patrol when they were attacked by
alleged huachicoleros (fuel thieves). On Tuesday, it was confirmed that one of
them had succumbed to his wounds. The incident took place on the federal
highway Puebla-Tehuacán at the height of Central de Abasto de Huixcolotla,
situated about 50 kilometers southeast of Puebla. Reportedly, the security
forces were attacked by armed individuals aboard two trucks.
Oaxaqueño Analysis:
Given that the region
(known as Red Triangle) is the most prominent hotbed in Mexico for
huachicoleros, with Central de Abasto de Huixcolotla being one of the hotspots
for illegal fuel sales, the initial reports suspecting huachicoleros to be
behind the attack are more than credible. Having said that, it can only be
speculated which group has perpetrated the assault.
The most notorious criminal
figure active in the region must be Roberto de los Santos de Jesús, known as
“El Bukana”. Authorities have identified the former police officer and leader
of the so-called criminal group “Los Bukanas” as one of the leading
huachicoleros in the states of Puebla and Veracruz. In addition to fuel theft,
his group is also said to be involved in kidnapping, vehicle theft and
extortion. Among his main municipalities of operation is Central de Abasto de
Huixcolotla.
Other reports name him as
a leader of “Sangre Nueva Zeta”, one of the Los Zetas offshoots. Given that he
is among the most sought by authorities, with a 5 million Pesos bounty on his
head, it would be a rather strange move to heat up the area by attacking
Federales and thereby putting himself in the spotlight of authorities once
again. In July 2017, a huge police operation in the area of Vicente Guerrero,
located some 75 kilometers southeast of Central de Abasto de Huixcolotla, aimed
at arresting him but failed to do so.
Further operations have followed since
then. Against this background, it is also plausible that CJNG is behind the
latest attack. “El Bukana” is fighting for control of the area against the
criminal group of Antonio Valente Martínez Fuentes, aka “El Toñín”, who is said
to have links to CJNG. A notable fact is that his cousin Alejandro is mayor of
Palmarito Tochapan, located in close proximity to Central de Abasto de
Huixcolotla (just some 15 kilometers east). Whichever group conducted the
deadly attack, a strong reaction by security forces (namely security
operations, heightened presence, etc.) must be expected in the area. In consequence,
the risk of further such confrontations can be assessed as higher than usual as
well, at least in the near future.
Wow a federal officer got killed over gas theft. What will obrador do?
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