'El Marro', the phantom criminal

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat   Excelsior

Perhaps the name José Antonio Yépez Ortiz may not mean much to you, but surely his  alias of 'El Marro' takes on meaning, especially in the southern part of Guanajuato and all its industrial corridor.

However, in almost five years in which he is credited with a long list of crimes, no one has managed to claim that they have seen him.

José Antonio Yépez is the alleged leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, a criminal group originally from the town that bears the same name and is located in the municipality of Villagrán, 20 minutes from Celaya.

In news media, 'El Marro' began to be heard of in 2014, when it was identified as one of those responsible for the extraction of fuel from the pipelines of Petróleos Mexicanos, which was called huachicoleo.

At that time, José Antonio Yépez would have been the lieutenant of  Los Zetas David Rogel Figueroa, El Güero, but it was not long before he assumed control of the criminal group. 

In October 2017, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel broke into the media, they released a video that shows an armed group firing in the air and threatening the Jalisco Cartel New Generation, stating that Guanajuato is their territory.

From that moment, according to the same authorities of Guanajuato, a real war between both sides began, and hence the series of homicides, taking as main scenarios the municipalities of Salamanca, Celaya and  Comonfort , Juventino Rosas, Santiago Valley, Villagrán, Cortazar and Irapuato.

From January to September 2019, Guanajuato counted the highest number of malicious homicides, with 2,560. Meanwhile, last year, 2018, Guanajuato closed with 3 thousand 290 murders, according to the figures of the Executive Secretariat of the National System Public Security (SESNSP), making it the most violent state in Mexico.

The Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel was not only nourished by the proceeds from the sale of stolen fuel, but also from the result of kidnapping and extortion, which has mainly affected merchants in Celaya, Salamanca and Irapuato.

On May 22, the government of Guanajuato led the most serious effort to end the influence of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, placing in that rural community a Health Center, sports facilities, expansion of the public lighting network, a High school and State Police school.

Previously, on March 5, Guanajuato suffered the blockade of the Salamanca-Querétaro highway, with vehicles on fire and stones on the pavement, which led to the incursion of the authorities to Santa Rosa de Lima, entering the luxurious house of José Antonio Yépez. But El Marro was not captured.

 

On March 12, the audio of a telephone conversation was broadcast on social networks between one of the leaders of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, Noel Lara, El Puma, and the former PRD mayor of Cortazar, Hugo Estefanía Monroy, who said he is obtained  public resources illegally.

“I’ll tell you how to handle it, because there are a lot of resources that have to gotten, without problems. Without fuss. A fund is coming that comes to buy weapons.” offered the former public servant who ruled Cortazar between 2015 and 2018.

But to date and despite the scandals and evidence against him, Hugo Estefanía has not been arrested.

The lack of results of the Attorney General's Office of Guanajuato has led the State Bar Association to consider that the searchof the leader of Santa Rosa de Lima falls into simulation.

The president of the organization, Jorge Marcelino Trejo Ortiz, said it is unlikely that the authorities do not have El Marro located. And when and if they decide to go after him, then it will happen.

Not even his mother has access to El Marro. Some time ago a recording was released where she reproached his son for not visiting her.