Sinaloa Cartel Faction 'Los Oaxacos' and the Drug Plantations in Baja California

"Morogris" and "Yaqui" for Borderland Beat

Members of Los Oaxacos

Last week, Zeta Tijuana reporters released the pictures of several high-ranking members of Los Oaxacos, a gang based in Baja California, particularly in Tijuana, Ensenada, and San Quintin municipalities.

On the top left is Alexis Barrón Medina, alias "El Pelirrojo" (The Redhead) or "El Pecas" (Freckles), the assassin squad leader of the gang. He was shot dead on the night of May 2 in the municipality of San Quintín, Baja California, as reported by Borderland Beat.

Next to him on the right is Angel Solorio, alias "El Yuni"; José Luis Herrera Olivero, alias "El Gallo" (The Rooster); Adrián Barrón Casillas, alias "El Tatuado" (The Tattoed One); Juan Carlos Vega Murillo, alias "El de los Lentes" (The Guy with Glasses); Raúl Iván Sandoval Sandoval; and the siblings Erick Barcenas Alcalá, alias "El Barcenas" and Óscar Barcenas Alcalá.

Intelligence information from Baja California state officials indicate that Los Oaxacos is at the service of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Los Oaxacos are responsible for the majority of the homicides committed in San Quintín. They are also involved in methamphetamine drug dealing and control the lobster industry in the area.

One of the recent homicides attributed to Los Oaxacos was that of two 25-year-olds who were shot dead on March 23. Sicarios followed them to their home in San Quintin after they had a verbal altercation with gang members at a bar that evening.

Borderland Beat analysis

Borderland Beat contributor "Yaqui" explained in the comment section of our last post about Los Oaxacos that there are many people from the state of Oaxaca and other parts of southern Mexico that moved to San Quintin to work in large agricultural projects.

It is possible that the name of this criminal group comes from the surge of Oaxaca natives in the area.

"[The agriculture] scene there exploded with expansion and population growth. Entire towns and ejidos have grown up all through the area. I have always felt there is a lot more 'there', i.e. illegal crops ... being grown along with all those organic strawberries, just further out", Yaqui said.

"Down south in Baja California Sur the same thing is happening in Vizcaino. What used to be a tiny spot on the map between Guerrero Negro and Santa Rosalia ... now, Vizcaino and its surrounding desert have been basically clear-cut of native plants for huge agriculture production and another migration of mainland Mexicans came in for jobs and work."

As highlighted by "Yaqui", Guerrero Negro Municipality and Santa Rosalia are strategic for drug trafficking because the former is next to the Pacific Ocean and the latter has a ferry to Sinaloa.

Large portions of the Baja California peninsula are home to clandestine drug plantations.

Yaqui commented that the area has a lot of marginalized people and rising crime as poverty, drugs, and violence expand through barrios. The drought and Covid-19 pandemic are factors that make this a "recipe for further disaster".

Los Oaxacos were reportedly formed in Tijuana sometime in the early 2010s by members from Los Talibanes and/or Los Chamulas, a faction once headed by Israel Osuna Abarca, alias "El Paisa" or "El Chamula Mayor".

In 2012, the leader of Los Oaxacos, Hector Antonio Salazar Monzon, alias "El Oaxaco", was murdered. He worked under Alfonso Arzate Garcia, alias "El Aquiles", high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Sources: Zeta Tijuana; Borderland Beat Analysis