How Mexico's former defense minister, general Cienfuegos, fought the Zetas, and protected the Beltrán Leyva

 Steve C Borderland Beat La Silla Rota

During the government of Enrique Peña Nieto, the arrest and capture of leaders of cartels and criminal organizations had only four apprehensions of the Los Beltrán Leyva cartel, a group for which General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda allegedly worked through H-2 , according to the United States government.

The federal government's operations focused on the arrest of members of Los Zetas, del Poniente and del Pacifico, as well as in El Golfo, Juárez, Jalisco Nueva Generación and Familia or Caballeros Templarios. There are even captures of Los Arellano Félix.

According to documents from the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), the defunct Federal Police and the Secretary of the Navy (Semar), between December 1, 2012 and November 30, 2018 they were detained or killed in clashes. 109 of the 122 objectives contemplated by the National Security cabinet.

Among the captures or casualties of the Los Beltrán Leyva cartel are Daniel Fernández Domínguez, "El Siete"; Wenceslao Carmona Álvarez, "El Huerco"; Héctor Beltrán Leyva, "El H" and Víctor Hugo Aguirre Garzón, El Gordo, from the Independent Cartel of Acapulco, a cell of Los Beltrán Leyva.

Only one of the arrests against Los Beltrán Leyva was made by elements of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), led in the last six years by Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda, " El Padrino " or "Zepeda", who according to the United States government favored the H-2 , heirs of the criminal family .

The most important capture against that cartel was that of Héctor Beltrán Leyva , "El H", who boasted of being a real estate entrepreneur in the state of Querétaro. He was apprehended on September 30 by elements of the defunct Attorney General's Office (PGR), now the Attorney General's Office (FGR), and the Army in San Miguel Allende, Guanajuato.

During the past six-year term, Juan Francisco Patron Sánchez, ´El H2´, killed on February 9, 2017 in the capital of Nayarit by elements of the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) was also killed.

Although his death was presumed by federal authorities, the H-2 did not appear on the list of 122 targets that the national security cabinet included in the list of people to arrest at the beginning of the six-year term.

According to the documents consulted by LA SILLA ROTA, among the people who could not be arrested, is Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, "El Chapo Isidro", who started a war against Joaquín " El Chapo " Guzmán together with Arturo Beltrán Leyva,"El Jefe de Jefe ", because of the arrest of Alfredo Beltrán Leyva," El Mochomo " in 2008.

According to the record of the captures made in the past six-year term, the main groups that were weakened through the capture of their commanders were 33 members of Los Zetas , 21 from Sinaloa or Pacific, 17 from Poniente ; seven from Gulf.

The official documents of the national security cabinet indicate that during the past administration, one of the groups that had fewer casualties at the top of their organization was Los Beltrán Leyva.

This cartel has maintained control of different areas of the country through the alliances it made with " El Chapo " until its breakup in 2008.

The Beltrán Leyva, through the H-2 , is mentioned in the accusation presented by the United States government against General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda, former head of the Army in the government, and Enrique Peña Nieto.

According to the US government, Cienfuegos is accused of international conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as money laundering. The crimes were committed during December 2015 and February 2017, for the benefit of the H-2 cartel.