Murder of Salvador Llamas Urbina, Just One of Three Bizarre Cartel Shootings in Guadalajara, Jalisco

 "HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

There have been three different attempts to assassinate important targets in a two day period in the greater Guadalajara area.

In the most recent incident, Salvador Llamas Urbina, a government official in charge of Water, Drainage, and Sewage Systems for Puerto Vallarta, was killed while dining at a ritzy restaurant.

All of the attacks took place in high-traffic, public spaces and all of the targets of these attacks were said to have bodyguards accompanying them during the time of the attack. 

Why the hitmen attempted to assassinate their targets under these high-risk circumstances is just the beginning of the mystery - add onto this the rapid succession in which the attacks happened and the unanswered questions surrounding an attempt to kill another target with bodyguards earlier this month and we’re left with one question:

What’s really going on in Guadalajara?

Quick Review

On October 2, 2022, there was a major shootout at an outdoor shopping mall in Zapopan, Jalisco. Videos of two teams of cartel hitmen who were trying to kill an unknown target were viewed by millions online. The brazen nature of the attack, which occurred in broad daylight in a highly populated, wealthy area drew lots of media attention. For more information on this shooting, please see this previous story. 

The target of the attacks, according to President Lopez Obrador, was a businessman involved in the reselling of cars, a profession that is often associated with cartel money laundering.

Other newspapers appeared to contradict this and alleged that the target was actually a tequila business owner. Tequila barons often have to employ large security teams when they travel within Mexico due to concerns over kidnapping and extortion from cartel groups. 

Who the target of this attack really was, why the hitmen were sent to kill him, and who ordered the hit remain unknown to this day.

The Three New Shootings

DATE: October 20, 2022

TIME: 00:00 (Midnight) 

LOCATION: Real Acueducto Avenue, near the intersection of Acueducto Avenue,

Puerta de Hierro neighborhood of Zapopan, Jalisco 

In the parking lot of the La Santa Bar, a group of cartel hitmen shot at a group of people and then fled the area.

A video was uploaded to social media showing people inside a nightclub ducking down under the table, behind the bar, and huddling on the floor after hearing the shots outside. The video shows people who were at a nightclub called Dorothy, which is located nearby.

It's important to note that despite the video’s caption, the shooting itself took place in the parking lot of La Santa Bar. The video was uploaded by Carlos García Zar, who reports that he and his friends were not hurt during the shooting.

The male target of the attack was uninjured by the attack however one of his bodyguards was shot in the shoulder. A woman, who was sitting in her Honda CRV SUV nearby, received a gunshot wound to the knee.

The woman appears to have been an innocent bystander, because according to El Financiero she was “a woman who was not involved in the confrontation.” Both were taken to a hospital to receive medical attention and both are expected to recover from their injuries. 

DATE: October 21, 2022

TIME: 11:45

LOCATION: Acueducto Avenue, near the intersection with De Los Frailes Street, 

Lomas del Bosque neighborhood of Zapopan, Jalisco 

The state Attorney General Office (FGE) press release is as follows: 

“According to preliminary reports, two men arrived at the business in question and threatened a person with a firearm to steal their belongings.”

 

“When they tried to flee, they shot at a man who identified himself as a bodyguard, who repelled the aggression against the suspected assailants.”

 

“One of the assailants was left lying shot on the public road, while the other, wounded by the impact of a firearm projectile in the upper left extremity and abdomen, tried to flee aboard a motorcycle, but was arrested meters away by personnel from the Zapopan police.” 

According to Proceso magazine, the business which the men arrived at was a pet store. They also write that “One of the men threatened some people who were inside the business with a firearm, in order to rob them of their jewelry.” El Universal and Omnia also included these details in their coverage. 

El Occidental’s version of events differ from others. They report that the man who was leaving a pet store, who later shot the two attackers, was not a bodyguard, but the intended victim of the robbery. They note that this man stayed on scene, spoke to police, and presented his documentation which proved he was legally registered to carry a firearm. 

DATE: October 21, 2022

LOCATION: Terranova Avenue , near the intersection of Turin Street

Lomas de Providencia, Guadalajara, Jalisco 

A government official named Salvador Llamas Urbina, who is in charge of Water, Drainage, and Sewage Systems (SEAPAL) for the city of Puerto Vallarta, had plans for a meeting at the restaurant Sonora Grill. Llamas Urbina had a team of bodyguards to protect him who traveled to the restaurant with him. 

One of these bodyguards was Luis Fernando Muñoz Ortega, who is notable because he used to be the police commissioner for Puerto Vallarta. Muñoz Ortega left his position four months ago, in June 2022, for “health reasons”, according to Reforma newspaper. He, evidently, then began working on Llamas Urbina’s personal security team soon after.

 

The Sonora Grill is described as “a sophisticated bar and grill outpost showcasing steaks and seafood, plus happy hour specials.” It is ranked as one of the top twenty restaurants in Guadalajara on TripAdvisor.

Video showing the exterior & interior of the location.

Video Source: Sonora Grill

TIME: 17:32 

Llamas Urbina was seen entering the restaurant while carrying a backpack at 5:32 pm, according to security footage reviewed by the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE). Multiple bodyguards accompanied Llamas Urbina to the restaurant meeting, however according to the FGE, his bodyguards stood guard outside and did not enter the restaurant. 

He was then seated at a table in a secluded, private smoking area.  

TIME: 17:41

Two men, who were meeting Llamas Urbina for dinner, entered the restaurant. One was a man wearing a red shirt, jeans, and white sneakers, henceforth called Red Shirt Man. The other was a younger man, who was wearing a white shirt, henceforth called White Shirt Man. The two men are seated at Llamas Urbina’s table and they begin talking.

During the next twenty minutes, the discussion between Llamas Urbina, Red Shirt Man, and White Shirt Man slowly goes from friendly to hostile.

TIME: 18:03

At this point in the night, Llamas Urbina and the two men at his table were visibly tense and appeared to be arguing with each other. Red Shirt Man got up from the table and left the restaurant, exiting just as two people entered the Sonora Grill, walking hand in hand.

One was a woman in a beige dress, the other was a man in a light blue shirt, black pants and white sneakers, henceforth called Blue Shirt Man. 

According to the FGE, these two people were accomplices of Red Shirt Man and White Shirt Man. Whether they were seated at the table with Llamas Urbina or elsewhere is not stated by the FGE. The newspaper La Jornada alleges that just two men sat and met with Llamas Urbina, implying they did not join their table.

TIME: 18:04

White Shirt Man took out a gun and shot Salvador Llamas Urbina dead, at point-blank range. 

After the shot rang out, other people in the restaurant ducked down, unsure what had just happened, alarmed by the noise of gunfire so close by. A video of people inside Sonora Grill hiding on the floor was posted to social media and can be seen below. 

TIME: 18:05

White Shirt Man ran to the back of the restaurant, through the kitchen, until he reached a hallway behind the kitchen. He then turned around and reentered the kitchen. He moved behind a counter and changed his clothing, taking off his white shirt and putting on a red shirt (still going to be called White Shirt Man for the sake of clarity). 

TIME: 18:08

White Shirt Man links up with his accomplice Blue Shirt Man. The two men then leave the restaurant together. Blue Shirt Man is seen carrying a long barrel firearm as he leaves.The woman in the beige dress is not seen leaving with them.  

Outside of the restaurant, the bodyguards of Llamas Urbina noticed the firearm Blue Shirt Man was carrying, so they raised their weapons and told the men to stop walking. Blue Shirt Man opened fire on the bodyguards and a fire fight began.

According to Reforma, one of the attackers was killed by a bodyguard on Florencia Street during the gun battle, falling to the ground and bleeding out on the sidewalk. Based on photos of the deceased and FGE statements, the man killed was Blue Shirt Man but White Shirt Man managed to escape. 

An accomplice of the attackers, possibly Red Shirt Man, grabbed a bucket of tire puncture devices out of a pickup truck and spread them across Terranova Avenue (from Turin to Pablo Neruda), before jumping back inside the pickup and speeding away, possibly with White Shirt Man in tow.

A pickup truck, a Nissan NP300, was later found abandoned on Milan and Ontario Street, pocked with bullet holes and the bucket of tire spikes still inside. The photo below may be the vehicle in question but it also may also not be, because there were a total of five vehicles seized by police related to this incident.

The bodyguard Luis Fernando Muñoz Ortega was said to have been found dead in the bar area of the restaurant. How, when, and who killed him is unclear.

Three men died during the incident: the government official Salvador Llamas Urbina, the police commissioner turned bodyguard Luis Fernando Muñoz Ortega, and the man gunned down on Florencia Street. 

The backpack that Llamas Urbina was seen wearing was not found near his body, nor was it found anywhere in the restaurant, suggesting that one of the attackers or accomplices took it when they fled the area.

Four men were injured during the attack, ranging in age between 30 to 40 years old. According to Quadratin, all four injured were bodyguards. According to Reforma, three of these four are bodyguards, and the identity of the fourth injured person has not been disclosed. 

One of the four injured is said to be in critical condition, having sustained nine gunshot wounds.

This is purely personal speculation and not stated by the FGE, but the bag appears to be the same one that the Beige Dress Woman was seen carrying into the restaurant.  An object that appears to be a magazine is next to the bag. This may suggest that the woman’s bag was used to discreetly smuggle in ammo and/or firearms into the restaurant that were later used to kill Llamas Urbina

The bag appears to be sitting on the restaurant’s flooring in the photo, suggesting it was abandoned inside the Sonora Grill. 

October 20 Shooting Sources: FGE Press Release, Mural, El Occidental, El Financiero

October 21 Shooting #1 Sources: FGE Press Release, Proceso, Omnia, El Universal, El Occidental, Informador

October 21 Shooting #2 Sources: Puerta Vallarta Daily, Reforma, Radio Formula, Quadratin, La Jornada, Excelsior, FGE Press Conference