By "Narcomappingmx" for Borderland Beat
Government incompetence and corruption in Guanajuato, Mexico allow the Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima to wage war on its rivals armed with government weapons and police vehicles. Guanajuato is currently caught in the middle of a bloody war between a local organized crime group, the Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL), and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generaci贸n (CJNG). The newcomer in Guanajuato, CJNG, has battled CSRL for control of the central Mexican state in an ongoing fight since 2018, making Guanajuato one of the most violent states in Mexico by homicide count.
Three stolen FX-05 Xiuhcoatl rifles and a Guanajuato State Police vehicle have appeared in a recent communication video released by the Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima, wielded by masked gunmen hurling expletive-filled insults at a rival cartel.
On October 9, three FX-05 Xiuhcoatl rifles were stolen from the 12th Regi贸n Military in Irapuato. According to Proceso, the soldiers assigned to the post left the rifles unattended around 5 A.M. when they were stolen. This may have been the result of gross negligence by the soldiers, but more likely was a coordinated theft in collusion with the criminal group.
The rifles have now resurfaced in a video released by a cell of the Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima today. Easily spotted because of their distinct form, the rifles are proudly brandished as spoils of war by their captors. The video shows six heavily armed cartel members wearing tactical gear and wielding the stolen rifles, standing in front of a Guanajuato State Police vehicle, also stolen.
TV Guanajuato Canal 8 reported on November 4th that five police vehicles have been stolen the past several days in Celaya. None have been found yet, except for in the video released by cartel members.
According to security analyst David Saucedo, this same vehicle was used by this criminal cell to stage roadblocks and escort vehicles loaded with contraband gasoline.
These robberies happen months after seven million rounds of ammunition were hijacked from a military truck in June. The truck was reported to have disappeared around midnight after leaving the 16th Region Militar, another military base in the same region near Irapuato, Guanajuato.
With a narcocorrido playing in the background, the lead gunman addresses the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generaci贸n, with whom the Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima has been engaged in conflict with for several years, a turf war which has propelled Guanajuato to the top of the list of Mexico’s most violent states.
He addresses ‘RR’, a CJNG officer who appears in several of CJNG’s own narco communications, accusing the CJNG of killing innocent people, specifically the two transit police officers who were murdered in Celaya on November 2nd.
“You come to settle in the state,” he says in a mocking voice, adding “No one believes you.”
“Here in Guanajuato we will continue fighting you. We are the real ones of Guanajuato. Until the end," he says as the video ends with the gangsters opening fire into the air with a mix of automatic and semiautomatic gunfire.
A SEDENA agent holds the FX-05 Xiuhcoatl. Image from @SEDENAmx twitter account.
The FX-05 Xiuhcoatl is a rifle developed by the Mexican Military and SEDENA as a homegrown and built alternative to sourcing weapons in large contracts from foreign firearms makers. The rifle was created by military engineers, and its design is kept secret. All parts are created and assembled in Mexico for the exclusive use by Mexico's security forces.
The CSRL is a local criminal organization that was created primarily with the focus of smuggling and selling stolen gasoline, which it obtained from tapping the many PEMEX pipelines that cut across the state of Guanajuato. The CSRL have since expanded their economic markets into extortion, drug dealing, prostitution, and arms trafficking. They have well-established alliances with trafficking organizations that have been the focus of United States government prosecution, such as Carteles Unidos.
Despite being a relatively small criminal group with local interests, the CSRL have played a major role in the organized crime landscape in Mexico. They have been surprisingly effective at resisting CJNG’s incursion into their territory, violently drawing out a turf war that was expected to end years ago. According to the former Attorney General of the state, Juan Miguel Alcantara Soria, the Sinaloa Cartel supported the CSRL by providing weapons to use against the CJNG, their shared enemy.
This event shows the ease with which criminal groups in Mexico arm themselves with equipment from security forces, and how it can increase their criminal capabilities.
Sources: WhatsApp correspondence with David Saucedo, Proceso, Valor por Tamaulipas, TV Guanajuato Canal 8.
Now I want one.馃ぉ
ReplyDeleteThe neverending war for money.
ReplyDeleteCivilized societies are being tested & tried.
They just burned themselves bad..
ReplyDeleteMilitary and police keep capturing cdsr plaza bosses on a regular..
Tey aint to smart if they think they even have a chance..
Yes, but still, CDSR has held out for much longer than we thought. Remember back last year when Marro was caught, some thought that would be the end of it.
DeleteUnattended rifles mis webos. It looks like someone was willing to let them walk. Inside job for sure. I sure how those rifles kill many CJNG criminals. We will get those rifles back. Mayo Zambada is working on it.
ReplyDeleteOf course you horse. They pay a big bribe, I am sure weapons will disappear and since a team of Mexican lawyers along with American lawyers, are trying to help Obrador win in a lawsuit upon the gun manufacturer. Obrador wants this issue hidden.
DeleteCertainly a very suspicious excuse. I can't imagine it will hold up in an investigation. Almost certainly some sort of bribe or threat was involved.
DeletePiasia lol are you a horse?
Delete2:06 el burro que mandaron Amarte,
Deletenom脿s lo querian mandar p谩 la luna,
pero era burro, de 5 patas.
David Saucedo's help was huge. He is an excellent researcher and analyst based in Mexico. You can follow him on twitter @David_Saucedo_
ReplyDeleteAmericans arent going to sit well with Mexico manufacturing its own weapons to kill the unarmed populace ! The deal has always been to kill the unarmed populace with weapons made in the good ol USA by hard working americans (who recently migrated no less) Things are going to get wierd now .
ReplyDeleteMost details about the FX-05 are classified as Top Secret, as this is supposed to be a distinctive indigenously-produced weapon for use by Mexico's elite forces. This is to prevent anti-government and criminal organizations from mocking-up copies to aid in infiltrating secure areas, impersonating military personnel, or appearing to have legitimate support for their cause and its actions. It also helps to prevent hostile or enemy forces from learning the abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of the new weapon series.
ReplyDelete