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Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Spanish Journalist Who Filmed Sinaloa Cartel Documentary Is Killed in Africa Along With Colleague

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

David Beriain, 44, in the Season 1 cover of the documentary series Clandestino (Clandestine)

David Beriain and Roberto Fraile, two Spanish journalists who went missing in Burkina Faso (Western Africa) after their convoy was attacked on Monday, were confirmed dead today.

Beriain broke through to fame with the documentary series Clandestino (Clandestine), which included episodes portraying the Mediterranean mobster migration business, El Salvador's Maras gang, Albanian and the Camorra mafia groups, and Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel. The episodes were based on ground research and showed the inner workings of these criminal enterprises.

The incidents surrounding his death took place on Monday at around 9AM on a road that connects the cities of Fada N'gourma and Pama. The two reporters were in the area to shoot a documentary on the government's fight against poachers (illegal hunters). The convoy they were traveling consisted of two pick-up trucks and around 20 motorcycles. Journalists, environmental agents, and military escorts were with them.

They were attacked about 60 km from Natiaboani. Beriain was ambushed while he got out of one the trucks and started operating a drone to take aerial photos. Local sources reported that two other people, an Irish national and a man from Burkina Faso, are currently missing. At least three more were wounded in the attack.

The Spanish Embassy in Mali has been in touch with the families of the two victims.

“This is a dangerous area, regularly used by terrorist groups and bandits,” said the minister González Laya. The head of the organization Reporters Without Borders also issued a message on Twitter.

In the past few years, Burkina Faso has been afflicted by violent jihadist movements, particularly in the Sahel region. The first attacks were recorded in 2015. Close to 5,000 people have been killed since then; half of them were recorded in 2020. Over a million people have been internally displaced due to the violence. Three million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, in a country with just 20 million inhabitants.

Beriain interviewed several members of the Sinaloa Cartel


Background

Born in Navarre, Spain, Beriáin died doing what he had loved, reporting from major conflict and crime zones around the world. He had just left his residence in Salamanca and was working on a documentary about the Burkino Faso government's attempt to crackdown on poaching in its national parks and wildlands.

Spain’s foreign minister, Arancha González Laya, reported Tuesday that no group had yet claimed responsibility for the attack. “This is a dangerous area because terrorists, poachers, robbers and jihadist groups habitually operate there,” she said.

But some sources say that the attack was linked to the jihadists groups in the area.

“David was a noble and stubborn man from Navarre who achieved incredible things, such as interviewing members of FARC, Talibans and the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Hernán Zin, who featured Beriáin in his award-winning documentary, “Morir para contar” (Dying to Tell), now on Netflix.

“In another country, he’d have half a dozen Pulitzer prizes, but here in Spain, it costs us a lot to recognize talent. In this case, talent accompanied by courage and an ethical commitment to stories,” Zin added.

Beriain in a scene from his documentary series, 'Clandestino.'

Sources: El Pais; Noroeste; Linea Directa; Variety

Documentary episodes (Spanish, no subtitles): Ep. 1; Ep. 2; Ep. 3

39 comments:

  1. now i have three good episodes to watch this week! good stuff.

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  2. damn rest in peace, i first heard about him in the sinaloa cartel documentary.

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  3. Dangerous occupation

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    1. You would have thought he would have been killed in Mexico.
      Minding one owns business in Africa gets him killed.

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    2. Not really,Mexican or jihadi motherfuckers?At least you talk to the cartel,these jihadi clowns will kill you for being a kuffir,an apostate all that bogus shit.Killing for god baby,see the jihadi suicide bomber who had a steel chastity belt over his cock and balls so they would be safe for his virgins in heaven?How can you talk to that kind of imbecile?

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  4. Nooooo he was a good journalist. DEP
    SurDeJalisco

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  5. Looks like the military escorts were of no good use, does not mention, if the military fought back. RIP

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    1. yea the military escort just left them there to die. Very sad.

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    2. Military escort,their in the middle of nowhere,have you seen the terrain in some of these places?They attack military outposts with hundeds of men and take the whole fuckin thing,no one is coming to your rescue,no one

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  6. QDEP 🙏🏻 Btw El Mayo Zambada gave him permission/protection to be with different cell groups of cds for 3 months while filming the documentary on the Sinaloa Cartel.

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    1. 4:50 Are you sure it was Mayo Zambada? I may be wrong as I saw the documentary a few years ago but if I remember correctly, the Culiacán enforcers pretty clearly alluded ti el chapo Guzmán various times (he was already arrested at the time) and I remember thinking it was clear that the cell that the journalist was with was of el chapo. Also the white truck that was shown with a 50 cal mounted on it was seen in action a year or two later used against the people of Damaso when the war between Chapo’s sons and Damaso people was going on. (It is also well known Ivan’s people use the white trucks as Ivan believes the color white is luck)

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    2. Yes but what i mean is he had the blessing of el mayo to film them and be with them. And they use white trucks to blend in as undercover police trucks as far as i seen in mxl and cln from both sides of cds do it, Chapitos and mayo people.

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    3. The sicarios were wearing Chapo hats lol..#701

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    4. The guy that was interviewed Guero Ranas. Mayos people

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    5. 9:38pm Guero Ranas was from Chapo's faction not Mayo

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    6. CDS Too flashy, why would any CRIMINAL organization want a documentary of how, WHo and WHERE they do their CRIMINAL acts.. Sinaloas love ATTENTION, that's their DOWN FALL.. Just SAYING..

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    7. 938 guero ranas was NOT mayos people.. he was a gunman of Ivan

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    8. @9:38 guero ranas was Ivan’s ppl not mayos.

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    9. @10:17 CDS is the most professional cartel world wide, CJNG only gets interviewed in empty ranchos around Michoacán by VICE like journalists. Your hate is very pathetic.

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    10. Chaplipped people,chaplip was looking for a fuckin film on himself,the caps,ranas

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    11. 1:03 if by professional you mean snitch! Yes they are

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  7. Damn.... What a lost... This man was a good jornalist. Pinche jente corrientes!!

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  8. RIP!!! He was a great journalist!

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  9. Descanse en paz may his work never be forgotten

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  10. Y todavia ahi gente que deveras piensa que mexico es el pais mas peligroso, africa de adeveras es el wild west, el pedo es que aya no cuentan los muertitos porque a nadie le importa y en mexico si se cuentan porque esta a un lado de USA

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  11. What a huge loss. I've watched all of his documentaries. It always breaks my heart to read about journalists being murdered. All these journalists were out there trying to allow each of us to be more informed. Prayers to his familia and friends. Grazie for this article. Peace.

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  12. Ndranheta dont touch him,the cartels not,the african do

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  13. His death breaks my heart. What a great loss. RIP!

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  14. Very sad to hear. I remembered watching his docs. D.E.P

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  15. In some photos kinda looks like seeing an older "La Barbie" de BLO with a beard from never gotten pinched and instead been on the lam all this time at least could pass for un hermano yeah?

    Different path with a way more positive contribution with his lifes work, very sad indeed...

    Africa is a beautiful continent with many different cultures and countries, unfortunately the countries in the midst of civil war probably arent gonna be to thrilled to see foreigners, playn with fire he was doing going there...security escort??? Pshhh...right...more like sec 2 B u ity says bugsity escobunny goin straight turbo mode TF outta dodge at the first sound of automatic weapon fire more like it..
    Sad

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    1. @10:41 He can pass as "un hermano" since most white Mexicans look Spaniard, Italian or French or a mix of the above (due to obvious history reasons).

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  16. He knew the risk. Died doing what he loved, that’s not bad for a successful man his caliber. Africa is hot area of contention and will be for a long time to come. There is a reason why SF runs point there.

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  17. QEPD David Beriain and Roberto Fraile

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    1. Primera ves que veo que pones algo cuerente!

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  18. Thanks for all the great content RIP

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  19. Damn that sucks... I been watching his episodes n was just saying "this guy has balls to go n interview these people not knowing he was playing with fire.. RIP.

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  20. espero ke cds deperdis le mande una corona es maz ke esperaba en su trabajo y lo zabia al 100

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  21. MAYBE HE SHOULDNT HAVE GOTTEN THE CARTEL MAD...NOW THERE IS A GOOD IDEA!!!....DONT PISS EM OFF AND YOU LIVE...PISS EM OFF AND YOU DIE....BINGO BANGO...REAL SIMPLE, EH???

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