The Interrogation of Artemio Gudiño aka El Temo

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

A new video from the Mexican underworld has just surfaced online. For this broadcast, the biggest snitches within the world of goon cartels, Cartel de Sinaloa, have successfully captured a Jalisco New Generation Cartel operative. 

Before the condemned male leaves this world, he will narrate on camera the inner workings of organized crime in and around the Mexico - Guatemala border region. 

In addition, the names and pictures of active duty Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) troops who help to facilitate the crimes of CJNG in the area are revealed. 

The following video has been deemed safe for all to see. 

Video translation is as follows:

Sicario: What’s your name?

Captive: Artemio Gudiño. 

Sicario: What do they call you?

Captive: El Temo.

Sicario: Where are you from?

Captive: Tzimol (Tzimol, Chiapas). 

Sicario: Where do you live?

Captive: Sabinalito (Sabinalito, Chiapas). 

Sicario: How long have you been living there?

Captive: About 2 years. 

Sicario: Which group do you belong to?

Captive: The New Generation (CJNG). 

Sicario: How long have you been working for them?

Captive: 2 years. 

Sicario: What’s your specific job with them?

Captive: I’m a driver for a custom made truck known as a Monstruo (Improvised Armored Fighting Vehicle). 

Sicario: Who are your bosses?

Captive: Bladimir Orantes and Toño Martínez.

Sicario: What are their major criminal operations

Captive: The transportation of cocaine, people, and kidnappings. 

Sicario: Where all do you guys have your areas of operations?

Captive: Within the towns of Sabinalito, Comalapa (Frontera Comalapa), and La Mesilla (Frontera La Mesilla).

Sicario: Who are the rest of the individuals involved and what roles do they play?

Captive: The leader is from Huetamina. He's also allied with them in the transportation of drugs, people, and kidnappings. 

Sicario: Who are they?

Captive: Bladimir Orantes and Toño Martínez.

Sicario: Who is El Yanel and which job does he perform?

Captive: El Yanel is the armed wing for Bladimir Orantes, they are the ones who transport the people. 

Sicario: Who all do they have and which functions do they perform?

Captive: Just the same they are the armed group who move people for Toño Martinez. 

Sicario: Who is Lino and which job does he hold?

Captive: Lino is the head of a syndicate of truck drivers in the town of Sabinalito. 

Sicario: Which local governments do you have dealings with?

Captive: We have dealings with the governments from the towns of Jocote, Agua Zarca, and La Mesilla. 

Sicario: Who are the military personnel that give you guys protection?

Captive: It’s the men stationed in the towns of Jocote and Agua Zarca.

Sicario: Do you have dealings with the (unintelligible)?

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: Do you just know the military men who are working with them?

Captive:  Yes. 

Sicario: If I show you a picture of a suspect would you be able to identify him?

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: What is this individuals name?

Captive: His name is Felix Moreno. 

Sedena troop Félix Moreno Ibarra

Sicario: Are there others that you can identify

Captive: Yes. There’s another individual. 

Sicario: Is this him?

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: What is this persons name?

Captive: His name is Andrey Calderon. 

Sicario: Andrey Calderon?

Captive: Yes. 

Sedena troop Andrey Calderón

Sicario: And this individual how long have you known him and how exactly do you know who he is?

Captive: They always meet each other at the entrance to the town of Jocote. This frequently happens between Bladimir Orantes and Toño Martínez.

Sicario: When was the last time that you saw them?

Captive: It’s been about 8 days ago. 

Sicario: How long has Bladimir been meeting Toño for?

Captive: I’ve always seen that they meet each other. It’s always been like this. 

Sicario: How long is this always that you mention?

Captive: I’d say about two or three months. This is how long that I’ve seen this for. 

Sicario: So, this was back when you initially you saw this. 

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: What all happened during that military confrontation?

Captive: There was an armed confrontation and the opposing group tried to force the troops to dismount from their vehicles. A soldier came forward, fired his weapon, and killed a minor during the ordeal. 

Sicario: And what became of this soldier?

Captive: Both parties came to an agreement that this loss of life would be compensated with some money. 

Sicario: Did they give this money or not?

Captive: Yes, they did. 

Sicario: How much was given?

Captive: Six hundred thousand pesos. 

Sicario: Who was this deal brokered with?

Captive: With Toño Martinez. 

Sicario: Which military troop is involved in this?

Captive: Felix Moreno. 

Sicario: Is it this guy in this picture?

Captive: Yes, that’s him. 

Sicario: You saw him?

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: You personally saw him yourself?

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: Who else meets there among them?

Captive: Well, they’ve always held meetings with each other in order to come to whatever agreements had to be made. Just the same whenever they had to pay each other what was due so that they could have free rein in their affairs. 

Sicario: In what manner was this done?

Captive: Money had to be given, a payment, in order to have access to the escape routes. 

Sicario: Where does one of these routes run through?

Captive: Between the towns of Jocote and Comalapa.

Sicario: Who is the military liaising with for these deals?

Captive: With an individual by the name of Dario. 

Sicario: Can you identify him?

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: Describe him to me. 

Captive: He’s a chubby dark skinned male. 

Sicario: When was the last time that you saw him?

Captive: About 15 days ago. 

Sicario: If I show you a picture of him are you able to identify him?

Captive: Yes. 

Sicario: Is this him?

Captive: Yes.

Dario

Sicario: How often does he come and go through here?

Captive: Frequently. Just about every weekend. 

Sicario: Just this weekend, huh? So, he’s here frequently then?

Captive: He was just here this past Saturday. 

Sicario: Saturday?

Captive: Yes. He normally held his meetings in the town of Sabinalito. But here lately they’ve held those clandestine meetings in a parking lot at the entrance to the town of Jocote. 

Sicario: Why was this being done?

Captive: So that no one would find out what all they were doing. 

Sicario: Tell me what happened during that armed confrontation where rifles were seized. 

Captive: Rifles were confiscated but Toño Martinez showed up with a few civilians. They all came to an agreement and went to the military base in Jocote for this deal. Their understanding consisted of the military returning those guns in exchange for some old rifles. 

Sicario: So, what happened next?

Captive: In the end those new rifles that had been seized were exchanged by the bosses for some older guns that weren’t any good anymore. But they were all dropped off where that previous armed confrontation had taken place in order for the military to collect them. 

Sicario: And how exactly do you know all of this?

Captive: Because I was personally there when this all went down. 

Sicario: Why did this go down like this?

Captive: Because they had already made a report with their superiors beforehand and those weapons had to be accounted for. So, an agreement was made with Bladimir Orantes and Toño Martínez in order for those new rifles to be exchanged with some older ones that no longer worked. That’s what all happened there. 

Sicario: How long have the government officials and military personnel been sold out for?

Captive: That’s been a perpetual thing here. 

Sicario: Are the military troops stationed here the same individuals or are they newbies?

Captive: It’s the same individuals as always…