Decapitated Head Left With Banner Of Threats Against Police in Tijuana

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

A cartel group left the decapitated head of an unknown man along with a narco banner that threatened the deputy of the municipal police and his romantic partner, Laura.

Warning: Graphic images below this point.

At approximately 8:30 pm, the emergency phone line received a call which reported the discovery of a human head along with a narco banner behind the Macroplaza, which is a large outdoor shopping mall within the La Mesa district of Tijuana. The banner and head were specifically said to be located on the street named Paseo del Parque, which is a road that runs behind the major parking lot of the Macroplaza. 

Based on comparisons between images from Google Street View with crime scene photos we can place the approximate location as the section of Paseo del Parque near the Walmart.

Officers arrived at the location and confirmed that a banner, as well as human remains had been left in the area. A decapitated human head had been left. The victim was estimated to be between the ages of 30 to 35 years old, with a light complexion. He appears to have dark hair that is shaved on the sides and no beard. There appear to be black plastic sunglasses placed on the banner as well. 

The message on the banner read as follows, as translated by Sol Prendido: 

Keep protecting the hitmen of cartels that Ascorbe pays for you, along with your lover 0-15 Laura of La Mesa. Keep convincing him to cover for your bullshit. Eventually we will kill both of you. 

Sincerely, 

La Mera Verga

“La Mera Verga”, or “The Big Dick”, is a non-identifying signature used by many different cartel groups. For examples of its ubiquitous use, see this previous story on three different uses of it within Tijuana.  

It is interesting to note that the narco banner is not explicitly addressed to anyone, however, in a detail that went unmentioned in all the articles covering this banner, the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE) is just a stone’s throw away from the Macroplaza (as highlighted on the map above). This may mean that the FGE is the intended recipient of the message on the banner. 

The “Ascorbe” mentioned on the banner references Arturo Ascorve Ruvalcaba, who is currently the Tijuana Municipal Police Deputy Director of Operations. Ascorve has been mentioned very frequently in narco banners. 

Back in October 2021, a banner of allegations and threats against Ascorve was left on a bridge, signed by David López Jiménez, alias “El Lobo”, from the Cártel Arellano Félix (CAF) group working for Los Chapitos. The banner accused Ascorbe of being on the payroll of Sinaloa Cartel group leader Alfonso Arzate González, alias "El Aquiles".

Although both groups work for the Sinaloa Cartel, the CAF group is Chapitos aligned and the Aquiles group is El Mayo aligned. Past Tijuana killings have made it clear that they see each other as rival organizations and fight each other as they would a Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) group. The October banner also accused Ascorbe of ordering his men to steal shipments of cocaine from a location in the Playas de Tijuana.

The banner was left in the La Mesa district of the city of Tijuana. Within each district, distinctive subgroups of larger cartel organizations fight for control of territory.

In November 2021, weekly magazine Zeta Tijuana outlined which major groups were present and fighting each other within the various districts of Tijuana. In this list they treated La Mesa, Sanchez Taboada and Los Pinos districts as a whole and they listed out the following:

A CJNG group led by Israel Alejandro Vázquez Pérez, alias “Cabo 50”

A CDS group called Los Uriartes, led by José Luis Mendoza Uriarte, alias "El Güero Chompas"

A CAF group led by David Lopez Jimenez, alias “El Lobo”, with a CDS - Chapitos alliance

In April 2022, Zeta released an updated version of this list however La Mesa was strangely not covered. What was covered is that Cabo 50 is now believed to be leading a group in Cerro Colorado and El Güero Chompas is believed to be leading an Uriartes group while staying out of state.

In Zeta’s November list, the aforementioned Israel Alejandro Vázquez Pérez, alias “Cabo 50”, was listed as a CJNG leader in the La Mesa, Sanchez and Los Pinos districts. Additionally Rodolfo López Arellano, alias “Cabo 30”, was named as a CJNG operator in the Natura district. 

After the November 2021 article was published, Zeta covered a banner which was signed “El 30 and El 50, only men with real balls, men of Aquiles” in December 2021.  Some people online have interpreted this message as an announcement that Cabo 30 and Cabo 50 had left the CJNG and were now CDS - Aquiles.

In an article a month later, Zeta Tijuana asked a police investigator, who is presumably involved with the state Security Roundtable, about a recent rumor related to Aquiles: 

ZETA REPORTER: There are some police reports that say David López Jiménez has recently been hiring out his group to work as thugs, and he has even committed crimes with his rivals: the brothers Alfonso and René Arzate. Is this true?

POLICE INVESTIGATOR: We don't have concrete indications to that effect, but we do have evidence to the contrary. According to the messages and threats that are thrown through narcomantas, the main enemies of López Jiménez are Rodolfo López Arellano 'Cabo 30' and Israel Alejandro Vázquez 'Cabo 50', who are also currently serving the Arzate brothers, but this alliance is still under investigation.

Unfortunately, his wording is unclear if he meant that: according to narcomantas, Cabo 30 and 50 are serving El Aquiles; or if he meant the according to narcomantas, López Jiménez’s main enemies are Cabo 30 and Cabo 50. Or possibly both. 

In one of the latest issues of Zeta, however, they still list both Cabo 30 and 50 as members of the CJNG and not as a member of CDS - Aquiles, writing that Cabo 50 is leading a CJNG group within the Cerro Colorado district and Cabo 30 is leading a CJNG group while staying outside the actual state of Baja California, organizing from afar.

So why is that? There are a number of possible reasons.

Zeta writers may be waiting for further evidence of Cabo 30 and 50 having switched sides; evidence that goes beyond just the aforementioned banner, as banners are sometimes created in order to plant disinformation. They could also have insider knowledge which indicates that they are still with the CJNG or evidence that El 30/El 50 refers to somebody else. 

On the other hand, there may simply be a delay in updating graphics or passing information between writers. The statement of the investigator seems to indicate that they tend to believe Cabo 30 and Cabo 50 are now with Aquiles.

Banner with Head Sources: Calvarie Locus, Punto Norte, Noticias Sin Censura Tijuana

Background Sources: Zeta Tijuana Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4