CJNG's Comandante Silveriano Executes in Santa Rosa Panzacola, Oaxaca

"HEARST" and "Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

A man was shot to death inside his private vehicle in the town of Santa Rosa Panzacola, Oaxaca. A narco message sign was left, signed by the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), at the scene of the execution.

On September 9, 2021, a man was sitting inside his black GMC SUV, parked on Abraham Castellanos street in the Colonia del Maestro area of the town of Santa Rosa. 

According to the Municipal Police report, unknown armed men aboard a motorcycle approached his SUV and fired at the vehicle from the driver's side at least 12 times. This caused the man inside the truck to slump over, seriously injured by the gunshot wounds.  After the shooting stopped, the unknown men on the motorcycle placed a narcomanta (narco message sign) and then fled the area. 

State Highway Police arrived at the scene and requested paramedics be dispatched to the location. The SUV was locked, preventing both officers and officers from being able to get inside the vehicle to assess the man’s vitals. 

La Onda Oaxaca writes that a group of unknown men arrived at the scene and smashed open a window of the SUV, which allowed the paramedics to attend to the victim. Meanwhile Estado 20 describes this as “a person, presumably a relative, broke a window to open the doors”. Following the smashing of the window, paramedics from the Red Cross were able to reach the victim, but they confirmed that he no longer showed vital signs. 

After that, experts and agents of the State Attorney General's Office arrived in the area in order to collect and document evidence. The SUV had at least 10 bullet holes in both the windshield and the driver's window. The deceased had at least two serious gunshot wounds from the attack which caused his death. 

Diaz de Juárez reports that the narcomanta left by the hitmen read as follows, as translated by Sol Prendido:  

Gonzo Gurrion, 

You think you have a lot of balls like the CJNG?

Cheke, you arrived here. 

CJNG

Commander Silveriano

The deceased man has since been identified by authorities as Hugo ‘BD’, approximately 34 years old. Hugo ‘BD’ lived in the Heladio Ramírez López neighborhood of the town of Santa Rosa. Currently, the motive for the murder and the whereabouts of those responsible are unknown.

Cartel Landscape of the Area

So, what do we know about this Commander Silveriano character from the CJNG? Well, this is not his first appearance in recent months. On June 26, 2021, the CJNG placed two narcomantas on a bridge in Colonia del Maestro, which is notably the same area of Oaxaca as this execution. These narcomantas were placed at dawn on pedestrian bridges over Federal Highway 109. 

The photos of the signs make the message hard to read but according to Informativo 570, it read as follows: 

This is how far you’ll ever come.

CJNG

Commander Silveriano

The messaging in the narcomanta of “This is how far you’ll come” may mean that the CJNG is making clear a territorial divide they plan to enforce. This may mean the narcomanta was directed to rival organizations, saying that they will not be able to expand their territory any further as the CJNG intends to hold Santa Rosa Panzacola for themselves. 

So who could they be speaking to? As written by MX in June 2021, according to Mexican federal authorities, there are at least six major criminal groups in Oaxaca: Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), Sinaloa Cartel, Guerreros Unidos, a faction of the Gulf Cartel, and remnants of the Beltran Leyva Organization and Independent Cartel of Acapulco.

Sources: Estado 20, La Onda Oaxaca, Vivo Noticias, Zona Roja, Diaz de Juárez, Informativo 570, CIO Información, BB - State Police Director Executed in Oaxaca