Officers Killed for Arresting El Tolín, Message with Decapitated Pigs Head Left in Rosarito

"HEARST" and "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat 

An unknown message left alongside a decapitated pig’s head connected two recent executions of Rosarito municipal police officers. The Mayor of Tijuana says that at least one of these officers was likely killed for participating in the arrest of Sinaloa Cartel Los Rusos member Héctor Herrera, alias “El Tolín”.

Pig’s Head 

At approximately 10:30 pm, during the night of Thursday, July 21, 2022, a suspicious looking black duffle bag was discovered outside a local Oxxo gas station by residents of the Lomas del Rio neighborhood of Tijuana. The bag was discovered next to a white poster bearing a narco message, written in black and red lettering. 

The discovery was reported to the emergency phone line and officers were sent to the alleged location to investigate the report. When these officers arrived on scene they discovered the narco message sign and the black duffle bag, which, upon further inspection, contained a bloody decapitated pig’s head. 

According to security analyst David Saucedo in an interview with InSight Crime criminals in Mexico use pig heads to threaten police officers or government officials they view as dirty or corrupt. Last year there were just under 20 similar messages with pig heads found in Mexico, according to Borderland Beats archive of narco messages created by El Huaso.

Even though the sign and pig’s head were found in an area that technically falls within Tijuana, the sign contained a number of threats against Rosarito municipal police officers. Frustratingly, no photos of the sign with the message legible have appeared online. 

Zeta Tijuana, who published the clearest version of the sign, has connected the message to the recent cartel executions of two Rosarito municipal officers; one having occurred only hours before - on that same day. The two officers killed were Officer Pedro Ángel Moreno, killed on July 19, and Officer Jorge Gustavo Villanueva, killed on July 21, 2022. 

Officer Pedro Ángel Moreno

At approximately 6:56 am on the morning of Tuesday, July 19, 2022, a Rosarito municipal police officer named Pedro Ángel Moreno Romero approached his vehicle, preparing to go to drive to work for the day. His white Honda Fit hatchback vehicle was parked on Sharp Boulevard within the Lucio Blanco neighborhood of the city of Rosarito. 

According to the Jornada newspaper, his vehicle was parked near the “Villa Infantil de Rosarito”, a social security (IMSS, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) day care center. Whether Pedro Angel had dropped off any children at the day care or the location is purely coincidental is unclear. 

Pedro Ángel was unaware that as he walked towards his car, he was being watched by three cartel hitmen, who were pretending to loiter inside a red Dodge Caravan nearby. According to later statements given by eyewitnesses, the three hitmen were disguised as construction workers, wearing white hard hats and high visibility vests.

The hitmen drove their vehicle up to his, and just as Pedro Ángel sat down in his vehicle, a hitman stepped out of the red Caravan, bearing a firearm and opened fire on him. 

The 37 year old Pedro Ángel stopped moving, having taken multiple gunshot wounds. The hitman re-boarded the red Dodge Caravan type vehicle, with California plates, and the vehicle sped off. 

The emergency phone line was called and the sound of gunfire on Sharp Boulevard was reported. Officers, soldiers and paramedics were dispatched to check on the possible shooting and when they arrived they found Officer Pedro Ángel, dressed in his dark blue uniform,  sitting within his vehicle.

Paramedics found that he no longer had vital signs and he was declared deceased. Agents of the state Attorney General's Office were called to the scene and forensic experts collected evidence.

Just a short distance away, the same red Dodge Caravan that was used by the hitmen during the attack was found ablaze only ten minutes after the reported shooting. Witnesses report that the hitmen exited the vehicle, doused it in flammable liquid and set it on fire, then boarded a second vehicle which then drove off in the direction of the port. 

Cadena Noticias writes that “Pedro Angel had been a bodyguard for the mayor of Rosarito, Aracely Brown.” El Vigia reports that “Pedro Ángel was part of the tactical group of the Municipal Police of Playas de Rosarito and in previous dates he received death threats due to the arrest of a man.”  

Officer Jorge Gustavo Villanueva

At approximately 6:26 am on the morning of Thursday, July 21, 2022, Rosarito municipal officer Jorge Gustavo Villanueva Cantú was shot shortly after he parked his vehicle in front of his home in the Santa Fe neighborhood of the city. 

Officer Jorge Gustavo had just finished up a late night shift and was returning home, still in uniform but carrying no firearm (per protocol) when he was shot to death in his vehicle, a Toyota Corolla. The shooting occurred at Privada Vicenza Street, near the corner of Florencia Street. 

The shots came from hitmen who were aboard a beige colored Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV, with dark tinted windows. After the burst of gunfire, the hitmen sped off in an unknown direction. 

It is interesting to note that according to AFN Tijuana, “initial reports indicate that the perpetrators had used a vehicle previously stolen in the Sanchez Taboada subdivision.” Meanwhile Diario de Tijuana mentions “another participating vehicle, a white Mazda.”

Witnesses reported the shooting to the emergency phone line and when paramedics arrived on scene, they found Officer Gustavo Villanueva to still be alive. He was given first aid and rushed to a hospital, located near 5th and 10th streets. 

For two hours, doctors at the hospital fought to save him. At one point, Gustavo Villanueva went into respiratory arrest but doctors were able to revive him. However, by 8:30 am, doctors were no longer able to revive him and he was declared deceased. 

The Mayor’s Interview

The mayor of Tijuana, Montserrat Caballero Ramírez, was asked by reporters about the alleged motive behind the execution of Officer Jorge Gustavo Villanueva Cantú. 

She said “This policeman apparently participated in the arrest of ‘Tolin’ and it is not fair that the federation and the state do not protect our policemen who risk their lives. Sadly, this brave policeman lost his life and while he was not literally doing his duty at the time, but [he was killed] because he did his duty.” 

A reporter asked her what she would ask from the state to prevent these killings from happening, she said “I would ask for more police officers and for us to have the necessary weapons because we send our police officers to the streets with slingshots.” In this case slingshots is meant to mean inferior firearms. 

A reporter brought up that both police officers killed were unarmed because they were not allowed to take their firearm back home after their work shift. They asked if she thought it was necessary for more firearms to be purchased, so that officers can bring home their service weapons in the future. 

She responded "It is necessary because today our police officers have to share everything. We are one step away from them also sharing their shoes and that is unfortunate. We will take the idea into consideration, but it is not currently feasible because of the amount of firearms we have.” 

So Officer Jorge Gustavo Villanueva Cantú was one of the men who arrested Sinaloa Cartel Los Rusos member Héctor Herrera, alias “El Tolín”, and the mayor has said that his participation in the arrest is what likely got him killed. 

What about the other Rosarito officer, Pedro Ángel Moreno, who was killed just two days before? It is currently unreported if Pedro Ángel played any role in the arrest of El Tolín but new details may emerge in the coming days.

If it is found that the primary motive behind the killing of Officer Villanueva Cantú was an act of retribution for the arrest of El Tolin, then the most likely people behind the hit would be two important allies of Tolin: The head of Los Rusos, Alfonso Peralta, alias "El Ponchito de la Lima".

The regional boss of Mexicali and Puerto Penasco, Juan Carlos Felix Gastélum , alias “El Chavó Felix”.

Both men have strong El Mayo ties within the Sinaloa Cartel.

Pig’s Head Sources: El Imparcial, Zeta Tijuana, Uniradio Informa, Jornada, PSN, Mientras Tanto en Tijuana Post 1, Post 2, Rosarito News Informa, Insight Crime

Pedro Ángel Moreno Sources: Jornada BC, Zeta Tijuana, El Vigia, PSN.si, El Imparcial, El Mexicano, Cadena Noticias, Ensenada.net, El Imparcial, Daniel Andrade

Jorge Gustavo Villanueva Sources: Zeta Tijuana, AFN Tijuana, Diario de Tijuana, Cadena Noticias Article 1, Article 2,  El Mexicano,Tijuano El Fulano. Tijuana Digital, El Imparcial

The Mayor’s Interview: AFN Tijuana, Noticias de Tijuana