Black Thursday: Sinaloa Cartel, La Línea & Why the Violence Happened in Juárez

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

Nine civilians were killed during a slew of violent attacks by Mexicles members in the border city of  Juárez, in a day that local newspapers have dubbed “Black Thursday”. But who are the groups in Juarez and what caused Mexicles to hold the entire city hostage?

The Context You Need on The Groups in Juarez

Juárez has two large cartel forces at war within it: the Sinaloa Cartel and La Linea. It's worth noting that Linea has an alliance with the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), according to the state’s Secretary of Security, and because of this alliance the CJNG appears to maintain a very hands off approach when it comes to the state of Chihuahua. 

Now within Juárez, much like within Tijuana, there are a number of street gangs and smaller cells of hitmen who work under one of the large cartel forces.

These smaller entities will sometimes “switch sides” or rather, change which large cartel force they work under. The smaller entities can sometimes divide into warring factions within themselves or fight against other street gangs that work for the same larger cartel force as they do who are ostensibly their allies. 

District Attorney Manuel Carrasco Chacón described it, saying "The situation of groups and gangs in the city is not very legible, so to speak. Years ago it was very marked, however, we can see that these groups have been deserting and many people are taking advantage of the situation. A river in turmoil is the fisherman's gain', but we continue to see the same people.”

The District Attorney named the following four smaller entities as the most important and relevant within Juárez:

Los Mexicles - works under the Sinaloa Cartel, divided (more on that later)

Artistas Asesinos - works under the Sinaloa Cartel 

Los Aztecas  - works under La Línea

La Nueva Empresa  - works under La Línea

He went on to say that both Los Mexicles and Artistas Asesinos are currently believed to be working under the Sinaloa Cartel, while La Nueva Empresa and Aztecas work under La Línea. 

Recent Developments and La Triple Alianza

At the beginning of July, the newspaper El Heraldo de Juárez reported that Los Mexicles was currently divided, with one side of the group supporting the Chapitos side and the other supporting the Mayo side and that both sides were vying for overall control of Los Mexicles. 

Los Mexicles entered into an alliance with La Linea and La Nueva Empresa in what came to be known as “Triple Unión” or “La Triple Alianza” (The Triple Alliance). The newspaper cites statements made by personnel of the state Attorney General’s Office as their source for this information. 

La Triple Alianza reportedly intended to “clean” the city of Juárez from all other cartel groups. Whether Los Aztecas, who work under La Linea, were implicitly included or excluded from cleaning is unclear. 

Even more confounding is how a group like Mexicles -that works for the Sinaloa Cartel- could make an alliance with their rival, La Linea. 

It's possible that Mexicles intended to continue working under the Sinaloa Cartel, moving their product across the border, and simply stop fighting against Mexicles and La Linea.

It's also possible that by Los Mexicles joining this alliance, they no longer worked for the Sinaloa Cartel and began working for Linea.

And then, keep in mind that as mentioned earlier, Mexicles were allegedly split into two factions before this alliance began, which then draws into question whether all of Mexicles agreed to the Triple Alliance or if only one faction did. 

The Timeline of Events

The following events began on Thursday, August 11, 2022:

Deadly Prison Fight

TIME: 1:27 pm

LOCATION: State prison within the Toribio Ortega neighborhood, Juárez

During visitation hours at a Module 2 of state prison (CERESO #3) in the Toribio Ortega neighborhood of the city of Juárez, a fight involving inmates broke out and El Diario reports that gunfire was heard by visiting family members of inmates. 

The fight developed into a full out prison brawl between two cartel group and prison staff requested the backup and support of municipal police and soldiers from both the National Guard and the Army. Over 600 prison staff, visitors and the staff of an adjacent court building were evacuated from the area while police and military personnel fought to regain control of the prison for hours. 

When they finally managed to retake the prison and end the fighting, they found 20 injured inmates and either two or three (depending on your source) inmates dead from gunshot wounds - killed by other inmates during the brawl. Whether firearms were smuggled to inmates within the prison, like how they often are in Colima, or if the firearms were stolen from prison guards, police officers or soldiers is unclear. 

El Diario alleges the two groups fighting each other were Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos members and Los Mexicles members. At a later presidential press conference, Undersecretary Mejía Berdeja reported that according to federal intelligence “criminal groups identified as Los Chapos were attacked by a rival group called Los Mexicles, generating a fight inside this penitentiary center.”

A Head is Found 

TIME: 3:30 pm

LOCATION: Camino Real, Rosa de los Vientos, Juárez

The emergency phone line received a call which reported the discovery of human remains near the Camino Real peripheral road. Authorities were dispatched to the area and confirmed the discovery of a human head which had been placed on a white sheet. Whether or not this head is related to the events to follow will be discussed later on in the story. 

Circle K Attack, 4 Shot, Mexicles Violence in the Streets Begins

TIME: 4:00 pm

LOCATION: Circle K within the Melchor Ocampo  neighborhood, Juárez

Mexicles members then took to the streets and began a series of indiscriminate attacks at various locations across the city. According to the Undersecretary, a number of uninvolved civilians were killed by Los Mexicles members. Businesses - such as Rapiditos Bip-Bip, OXXO, CircleK or Del Río - were often shot up by hitmen and then the building was set on fire by hitmen who threw molotov cocktails. 

The first attack is believed to have occurred at a Circle K gas station within the Melchor Ocampo neighborhood when hitmen shot through the glass window, hitting 4 patrons who all sustained gunshot injuries.

Two Gas Station Employees Killed

TIME: 4:30 pm

LOCATION: Rapiditos Bip Bip gas station within the Infonavit Juárez Nuevo neighborhood, Juárez

A female employee of an Oxxo gas station was interviewing a woman applying for a job inside the building when a number of molotov cocktails were thrown inside by Mexicles members. The building went up in flames very quickly, so quickly in fact that both the women became trapped inside and were unable to escape, dying in the fire. 

Relatives of one of the women who died in the convenience store arrives at the scene.

A relative of one of the victims informs others on the phone of their death. 

Two relatives of one of the victims of the convenience store attack hug after firefighters managed to put out the fire.

Gas Station Exterior Shot Up

TIME: 5:00 pm

LOCATION: Gas station within the Camino Real neighborhood, Juárez

The exterior of the building was shot up and later at least 27 bullet casings were found where the attackers stood.

Beating & Shooting of Employees

TIME: 5:05 pm

LOCATION: Del Río convenience store in the La Perla neighborhood, Juárez

Mexicles hitmen burst through the doors of the store and began beating the employees. The hitmen then shot one of the employees in the abdomen and then left the area. 

Two Pickup Drivers Shot

TIME: 6:00 pm

LOCATION: Intersection of Teofilo Borunda and Oscar Flores boulevard & a spot on Tecnológico Avenue, Juárez

Two different drivers of pickup trucks were shot by Mexicles members. The men were possibly targeted because of their vehicle type, as pickup trucks (as well as SUVs) are the preferred vehicle choice of hitmen. These hitmen may have been seeking to steal a vehicle with information not tied to their identity. 

Four Killed in Parking Lot of Pizzeria

TIME: 7:00 pm

LOCATION: Little Caesar's pizzeria within the Melchor Ocampo neighborhood, Juárez

A man was killed in the middle of the street in the Paraje de Orient subdivision. Shortly after a law enforcement vehicle was set ablaze at the intersection of Alberto Escobar and Olivia Espinoza streets.

And then Mexicles hitmen arrived outside a Little Caesar's pizzeria on Ejército National Avenue and opened fire on it, shooting six patrons inside.

Warning: Videos contain graphic content. They depict the shooting as well as the immediate aftermath where victims are lying in a pool of their own blood.

Video Source: Puente Libre

Video Source: Andrey G Maya

Video Source: Noticias Sin Censura

Four of the six - who all happened to work at a local radio station - died from their injuries. Their family chose to publicly identify them and they were radio announcer Allan González, Lino Flores from the Promotions area, Operations Manager Armando Guerrero and security guard Alex Arriaga.

Radio announcer Allan González.

Many of the chains that were hit - like Oxxo and Del Rio - announced they were temporarily closing their locations across the city for the sake of the safety of their employees. A number of universities and schools within Juarez canceled classes for Friday and Saturday. A number of maquiladoras (factories in Mexico that are owned by a foreign corporations)  cancelled their third shift for the safety of their employees. A total of nine people were killed during the series of attacks across the city. 

Friday, August 12, 2022

About 1:00 am

Arrest

Six alleged perpetrators of the Mexicles street attacks were arrested by municipal police officers in the Ampliacion Aeropuerto neighborhood. Their photos would later be released and can be seen below.

Rumors About The Motive

The texts shown above, which was posted by Reynosa Codigo Rojo on Twitter, show a conversation where an unknown person alleged it involved a member of Mexicles, who goes by the alias “Lalo” and is shown in the photo below. The person in the texts alleged that Lalo is the plaza boss of Juárez and is the “source” of all the chaos going on at the time. 

The message above, which was also posted by Reynosa Codigo Rojo claims the following: 

A man who goes by the alias “Besoloco” had a load of drugs coming in from Villa Ahumada. This location gives us a major clue as to cartel affiliation because Villa Ahumada, a municipality within the state of Chihuahua, is a Linea stronghold and it also functions as Linea’s primary storage location for drug shipments that they intend to smuggle across the US border at points of entry such as Juárez. So, based on the location, it's likely Besoloco works for a cartel group currently working under La Linea. 

The message then stated that Chapitos-associated cartel members (often shortened to Chapiza) had knowledge about the drug shipment Besoloco was having come in from Villa Ahumada, for unclear and unspecified reasons. 

The Chapiza tipped off the National Guard soldiers about their rival’s incoming drug shipment and the soldiers subsequently raided some aspect of the shipment transfer, as well as arresting Besoloco himself. 

The soldiers allegedly handed the detained Besoloco over to the Chapiza members, who proceeded to torture him and then chop off his head - a head which they then placed in a public location along with taunts against Los Mexicles. In retaliation, Mexicles vowed to kill the two Chapiza leaders within Juárez. 

Now, Gente Nueva forces and soldiers from the National Guard are traveling to Juárez from other parts of the state of Chihuahua in order to help defend these two Chapiza leaders who are under threat by Los Mexicles.

Update 2:00 pm CST: A highly reputable source contacted me and alleges that the Lalo referenced in the texts is Jesús Eduardo Soto Rodríguez, a known Mexicles leader who has been making headlines with the group since at least 2020.

He's been jailed for many years however he's been rumored to still run the group from behind bars.

Furthermore, allegations about Lalo leading Mexicles from jail were made recently.

Borderland Beat guest contributor Olegario Fernández covered a September 2021 narco video in which masked men allege that two commanders - “Soto Silva and Leonardo Olivas” - have been allowing Lalo to “operate from CERESO 3, in Juarez, ordering extortions and murders of our people.” 

For more details on the allegations about Lalo and his network of corrupt government personnel, please see this previous story.

Groups in Juarez Sources: El Heraldo de Juárez, La Silla Rota, RadioNet 

The Timeline of Events Sources: Jalisco Rojo, La Voz Del Pueblo, Lety Reporta, El Paso Times, Border Report, El Diario Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4, ReporteIndigo, Transcript of Morning Press Conference,

Rumors About Motive Sources: Reynosa Código Rojo Tweet 1, Tweet 2