CJNG Name Their Enemies in Deadly Battles with Zetas Over a Quintana Roo Prison

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat, 

In the last month, there has been a series of increasingly violent narcomantas (narco message signs) accompanied by human remains left that threaten the leadership of a Quintana Roo prison with a reputation for corruption. The most recent narcomanta left is signed by the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG). 

All of the narcomantas are signed with a different name although there are some strong through lines in the messages that may suggest that some of the narcomantas are being sent by the same group. 

On July 11, 2021, a narcomanta was left at an unspecified building on Kin street in the El Encanto subdivision of the Toledo neighborhood of Playa del Carmen. Accompanying the narcomanta was a human skull. The narcomanta read as follows:

Jorge Gongora,  

Second warning, son of a bitch. 

The third one, that's how the ones you have in the photos will end up. 

Don't think that asking the scumbags to stop will help you and your Lucio Hernandez. 

Stop protecting Ricardo Manuel Baena Zarate and Victor Manuel Lagunes Montero. 

They will end up leaving the Juarez if you don't transfer them, dedicated to killing innocent people like the chicken vendor.

From 

The Clean Up Crew

The Lucio Hernandez referred to in the narcomanta is likely the head of the State Police force in Quintana Roo. The "chicken vendor" likely refers to Victoria Esperanza Salazar Arrianza, 36, of Salvadoran nationality who died in March 2021 on the way to the police station when she was violently detained in Tulum, Quintana Roo. The event sparked national outrage and condemnation of the Quintana Roo police from the United Nations. And finally, the narcomanta mentions two Quintana Roo prisoners "Ricardo Baena Zarate" and "Victor Manuel Lagunes".

Who is Ricardo Baena Zarate?

Manuel Ricardo Baena Zarate “El Tiburon” or "El Glúteos" was born in Mexico City. He began operating as an extortionist, collecting “de piso” (a regular extortion fee) from businesses in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. In 2010, El Tiburon fled Playa del Carmen because his extortion practices had caused too much heat and police were allegedly on his heels. 

In 2014, El Tiburon returned to Playa del Carmen, having fallen in with a Los Zetas group from Veracruz led by Luis Alfredo Aparicio Lara, alias "El Coke". El Coke is notably the brother of former Los Zetas Quintana Roo leader Guillermo Aparicio Lara, alias "Z-34" or "El Willy".

El Coke's Los Zetas group needed to flee Veracruz due to an internal dispute within Los  Zetas, so they moved to Quintana Roo and settled in Playa del Carmen. This group was said to operate with the heavy aid of Federal Minsiterial Police (PFM) and State Judicial Police (PJE). 

Reporting at the time says that PFM and PJE police officers were the ones who approached business owners in the tourist zone of Playa del Carmen and demanded that de piso be paid to El Coke’s Zeta criminal organization. 

In September 2014, El Coke and El Glúteos, accompanied a PFM officer and four other armed men drove up to a business and demanded payment. The group was caught by some Judicial Police officers who were evidently not on their payroll and they were all, including the PFM officer, arrested. El Glúteos was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison for the crimes of qualified homicide and organized crime charges.

Who is Víctor Manuel Lagunes Montero?

Before entering prison, Victor Manuel Lagunes Montero, alias "El Colombiano" was the alleged chief of an organized crime cell dedicated to extortion like de piso collection. Victor was named as one of the ten priority targets by the Secretary of Public Security of Quintana Roo for being a drug-violence generator. He was arrested by Ministerial Police on March 17, 2020 in the Colosio neighborhood of Playa del Carmen based on an arrest warrant on charges of extortion. His cartel association is unclear.

On July 15, 2021, a narcomanta was left on Avenida 80 in the Ejidal neighborhood of Playa del Carmen. Initially it was reported that a man was found dead in the rear of the vehicle with gunshot wounds, and later, when the vehicle was searched and opened, another body was found hidden in the trunk of the Nissan Tsuru vehicle that was abandoned. Also in the car was a narcomanta (unphotographed but articles reported the message). It reads as follows:

(As translated by Sol Prendido)

This message goes out to El 12, 15 and 8. 

Here’s the proof that we have what to hit you with. 

Lucio Hernández stop being on Manuel Baeza Zárate’s payroll. 

And as for you Victor Manuel Lagunes Montero aka “Flamas”, the assassin of innocent civilians. 

Be fucking ready you bitch! You sent “La Pollera” to be killed off here. 

He was your snitch you fucking bitch! 

Sincerely,

La Mera Verga 

On July 21, 2021, a narcomanta was left at Andrés Henestrosa Elementary School in the Mundo Hábitat neighborhood of Playa del Carmen. This message was accompanied by a human skull. The narcomanta read as follows:

Charli of Bulgaria. You are hiding in Tulum, in the jungle. Your brazilian women, in pieces, are going to end. The debts are paid, in blood. 

Son of a bitch Hugo Silva Solórzano, director of the CERESO [prison] of Chetumal,   Three times already there is blood and human remains against Manuel Baena Zarate, alias "El Gluteos" and Victor Manuel Lagunes Montero.  

If you act on this, we are "not” interested in your business where you have extorted money, where you are in charge of “El Trailer” and “El Safiro” torturing the newcomers. 

Remember that you let “El Mono” die when he asked you to take him to the hospital. You just didn’t give a fuck and he ended up dying. 

You also have that little gold mine in that prostitution ring of yours. On the women’s side of the prison where you sexually exploit women. 

You get money. Stop torturing people by putting them in the Oven where you allow “El Gluteos" “Trailer” “Safiro” “El Colombiano” because they pay you each 50 thousand a month for allowing them to extort inside the CERESO [prison] and Playa del Carmen. That's why you protect them.  

If they keep having these scumbags where they already run and wash your dick for money, then the next death will be for you and no longer for them.

So don't mess with them and move them. 

"Hugo Silva Solórzano" in the narcomanta refers to the director of the Chetumal prison, located in Quintana Roo. Silva Solórzano took over the position on January 27, 2021 after the previous prison director Ángel Domínguez Arias was investigated by federal authorities on charges of torture.

In Chetumal prison on May 3 2021, Víctor Manuel alias "El Mono" was murdered. Suspiciously, the State Attorney General's Office reports that the prison cameras reportedly were not working at the time when the homicide was believed to have occurred. Some report the perpetrator was a man who goes by the alias "El Silencio", from the group called "Los Sureños". The narcomanta asserts that after Silencio attacked Mono, prison director Silva Solórzano did not allow him to be taken to the hospital and he died from his injuries.

El Mono's sister reiterated that the Human Rights Commission and its president Marco Antonio Toh Euan have not followed-up on the corruption complaint against prison director Silva Solórzano.

Later it was alleged that a key eyewitness to El Mono's murder in prison with the alias "El Buho" received death threats on the instruction of director Silva Solórzano. The eyewitness allegedly not only had his life threatened but the lives of his family members as well, as ordered by Silva Solórzano. El Buho reportedly also said that El Mono could still be saved following the attack by El Silencio. However allegedly El Mono did not receive medical aid in time to save his life, "by the instructions of Silva Solórzano." 

Interesting to note that after this narcomanta, on July 30, 2021, Marlon González, a Chutemal prison guard was killed at a bar in a targeted attack that purposely spared the life of the prison guard's acquaintances who accompanied him for a drink that night, making clear that the incident was a hit intended for the guard only.

On August 6, 2021, two narcomantas were left. One at Vicente Suárez kindergarten and another at Pequeños Risueños plant nursery in Colosio neighborhood of Playa del Carmen. The narcomanta read as follows:

 

Even if you hide and want to live a normal life you will not be able to, you are also gangsters and we are going after you.

These are the extortionist scumbags of the tourist beach area and the whole city.

Mr. Matamoros, don't play the cocksucker while you are on the payroll of women murderers.

“Muertito” and “Gato”, remember that you have a score to settle and you are going to die.

Hugo Silva, director of the CERESO of Chetumal, under the payroll of Ricardo Manuel Baena Zarate, alias "El Gluteos" and Victor Manuel Lagunes Montero, incharge of bringing in the drugs with "El Safiro" and "Trailer" under the command of the dogs of “Gordo Soto”, protector of El Gluteos and Colombiano, by orders of the director to go around torturing and prostituting women.

“Gordo Soto”- Protector of El Gluteos and Colombiano, in charge of self-government, collector of extortion and prostitution in the women's area with his dogs "Trailer" "El Safiro" “Gluteos” “Colombiano” is the leader protector.

-CJNG 

Sources

July 11 Sources: Periodismo QR, Zona de Noticias Quintana Roo , 3 Minutos Quintana Roo, 24/7 Quintana Roo, Desde El Lugar De Los Hechos

July 15 Sources: CG Noticias, La Palabra del Caribe

July 21 Sources: Periodismo QR, Foto Informatiba Cancun

August 8 Sources: Periodismo QR, El Sureste 

El Gluteos Sources: La Palabra del Caribe, Las Realidades de Quintana Roo, Semanario Linea Roja, Noticias Chetumal, Diario de Quintana Roo, Noticaribe

El Colombiano Sources: El Guerrero Maya

(As well as some hyperlinked within paragraphs)