CJNG Condemns Bar Massacre In Narco Banners Hung Around Irapuato, Guanajuato

"El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Following a brutal massacre at a bar which left 12 dead in Irapuato, Guanajuato, professionally printed narco banners blaming the attack on rivals were left around the city, signed by the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). These messages are notable both for their content, and what they reveal about CJNG's messaging strategy.

The Secretary of Security of Irapuato, Luis Ricardo Benavides Hernández stated in an interview that seven banners were found, and are being investigated by state authorities, according to narco news blog Valor Por Tamaulipas.

The banners reference a bar attack which occurred on October 15 in the December 12th neighborhood of Irapuato, Guanajuato, when armed gunmen opened fire on employees and customers, killing 12 and injuring three more before fleeing. 

Local security expert David Saucedo told Borderland Beat that in this region, bars, restaurants, and other similar businesses are often targeted by criminal groups for selling or allowing the sale of drugs supplied by a rival organization. AM Noticias reported that the state government confirmed Saucedo's theory yesterday in a statement which said that they are investigating the attack as related to the sale of drugs, revealing that several of those killed had criminal records. Additionally, AM Noticias reported that locals claim the bar was a well-known drug sale spot.

Narco banner translation is as follows: 

To all the citizens and all levels of government

The CJNG disclaims and condemns the massacre that occurred in a bar in the neighborhood of December 12 in Irapuato, where innocent people, women and men who were only there, lost their lives, it is time to stop these vile actions.

To you filthy people, stop killing innocent people and going out guns blazing, fucking scourges sons of a bitch. We called the mayor Lorena Alfaro and all the authorities, they have hundreds of military elements in the streets and with filters and barricades they continue to outwit them in this way.

This is not only an act of cowardice, it is an act of affront to the government, let us do our job, your presence has only helped them take refuge in Apatzingán, Tomelopes, Tomelopitos, El Morado, Morelos, Guadalupe Rivera and Pénjamo. 

They come from their nest in Juventino Rosas to heat up the plaza because they want to bring the people to their knees, but we are coming for you because Irapuato and all of Guanajuato already have an owner and it is Senor Mencho.

Sincerely, CJNG Grupo Elite

Both the method of use and the style of the narco banners are consistent with CJNG messaging in the region, specifically that of the Grupo Elite cell, which has spearheaded CJNG's advance in the state of Guanajuato.

The format of this narco banner is a template frequently used by CJNG propaganda over the last three years. Starting out as a rough banner design, it has been tweaked and edited with each publication until its current state, which has the face of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes "El Mencho" on the right, and a rooster to the left, a common symbol associated with Mencho and CJNG. 

Now, just portions of the text are updated before being posted. Borderland Beat journalist Hearst created the helpful graphic below showing the process. 

Source: Hearst

Releasing a message which blames rivals for violent attacks has become a habit for the CJNG in Guanajuato. A nearly identical banner was released in late September, after the Cartel Santa de Lima attacked a bar in Tarimaro, Guanajuato, killing 10, as reported by Borderland Beat. 

In the hyperviolent Guanajuato battlefield, both sides of the conflict have committed brutal acts against each other, but unlike the CSRL, the CJNG invest significant effort in controlling the narrative, often portraying themselves as less violent and less predatory on civilians than the CSRL. In 2021, the CJNG released 57 narco messages compared to the CSRL's 26, revealed an analysis of Borderland Beat's narco message database from 2021.

In addition to the use of professionally printed plastic banners, which are larger, more legible, and look more official, CJNG's paper messages communicate their threats well. They typically contained more structure, appeared more organized compared to those of CSRL, and made use of stock propaganda phrases. 

The CJNG Grupo Elite cell's main stock phrase "Remember that all of Guanajuato has an owner" appears in the vast majority of their messaging. It has become a key part of their propaganda, comparable to McDonald's "I'm Lovin It" slogan. In 2021, of the 57 narco messages signed by CJNG in Guanajuato, 45 (79%) had this same phrase within them.

Sources: AM Noticias 10/17, InfoBae 10/17, Valor Por Tamaulipas 10/17, Borderland Beat Archives 10/15, Borderland Beat Archives 8/21,  Borderland Beat narco message database from 2021 collected by El Huaso