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Sunday, August 13, 2023

Three National Guard Members Kidnapped and Released Hours Later by 'La Empresa' in Ciudad Juárez

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

The kidnapping triggered a large operation involving municipal, state, and federal forces (image credit: La Verdad de Juárez)

Members of La Empresa, a gang based in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, abducted three National Guard (GN) members under the mistaken assumption that they were involved in human trafficking.

Investigators say they were likely mistaken for polleros or coyotes, a slang term for human smugglers.

The GN members were released several hours later. However, sources offer conflicting accounts regarding the condition of the GN officers.

Diario de Juárez reported that they were "severely beaten," yet it did not indicate that any of their injuries were life-threatening. In contrast, an official communication from the GN stated that they were found unharmed.

According to the official report, the incident transpired on Friday afternoon within the Pradera de los Oasis neighborhood. During this time, a group of individuals entered a dwelling where four people, including the officers, were present. The assailants subsequently abducted the three officers, leaving the fourth individual at the scene. This individual alerted the authorities of the kidnapping.

The federal officers who were taken captive are Diego Yael M.E., Fernando G.E., and Alfredo A.H. All three of them are affiliated with the GN's Anti-Kidnapping Coordination Unit.

During the weekend, investigators discovered an abandoned va in the parking area of a store which they say was used in the kidnapping incident. The vehicle in question is a red Chevrolet Tahoe without license plates. Prosecutor's experts arrived at the scene to process evidence such as fingerprints and other traces left inside the truck.

So far, no arrests have been made.

Background

La Empresa is one of the largest gangs in Ciudad Juarez. It emerged in June 2018 after Rene Gerardo Garza Santana (alias El 300) had a disconnect with several leaders of La Linea and Los Aztecas, two groups once allied to the old Juarez Cartel.

El 300 was arrested in November 2018, but reportedly continues to run La Empresa's prison factions. He reportedly formed an alliance with Los Mexicles, once allied to the Sinaloa Cartel, and gained support of their leaders Jesús Eduardo Soto Rodríguez (alias El Lalo) and Luis Elías Cardoza Santiago.

The suspected leader of La Empresa is currently Omar Alejandro Garza Santana or Omar Alejandro Chávez Santana (alias El Nomo), the half brother of El 300.

On May 2023, La Empresa leader Jesús Gabriel Piñón (alias El Marra) was killed with some of his relatives outside a gas station in southern Ciudad Juarez. Investigators said that members of his own cartel carried out the hit, and that El Marra was involved in human smuggling operations.

As of July, Gilberto Loya Chávez, the Secretary of State for Public Security (SSPE), asserted that human trafficking had emerged as the predominant catalyst behind the majority of homicides occurring in Ciudad Juárez.

This signified a departure from prior years when authorities contended that much of the violence stemmed from rival gangs vying for control of street corners to peddle heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Sources: El Financiero; Diario de Juarez (1); (2); (3); (4); El Heraldo de Juarez (1); (2)Narco Politics by Ioan Grillo

Background sources: Borderland Beat archives; El Tiempo; Diario de Juarez (1); (2)

22 comments:

  1. Good reporting Morogris. Thanks for the nice articles today. I’m from El Paso so all these stories are close to home and sadden me. I was just in Juarez yesterday.

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  2. Bb been sleeping on chihuahua lately. They missed when it got real hot in madera couple months back. Good looking morogris 👍

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    Replies
    1. Hello 6:53. Unfortunately we cannot always get to every story since we are all volunteer writers. But we are always open to readers who share stuff with us. I'll look into the Madera incident, feel free to email me any relevant info you may have. Thanks for reading!

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    2. Don’t listen to this idiot. The team here covers the whole country.

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    3. 6:53 send in the links, instead of being a crybaby 😭.

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    4. I already did when them stories came out lmao I posted all them links but got ignored but I aint even crying about it 9:29 & 11:56 and yeah I'm the idiot huh but still gets listened too

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    5. 10:18 - Where did you post them? You can always email me (click my profile) or email us at BB. Links in the comment section get lost pretty easily becase we sometimes approve en masse.

      Sending links is fine, but if you're able to help with translating, vetting/comparing sources, and putting information together that would be greatly appreciated too.

      Hope you take this as an invitation to collaborate instead of claiming you were ignored. That is never the intention.

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    6. 10:18 thanks for trying. Would like to know more on that incident but yeah they volunteer here so you can't really complain.

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    7. Damm foo mexico too big to cover all at once

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  3. Nutty event. No respect for cops

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  4. Good article. Sad event.

    No response spirals faith in MX security forces. Civilians don't like seeing those who are supposed to be protecting them get slapped around.

    Too heavy handed of a response like we see in Tamps, and the NGOs descend on the scene, also discrediting security forces.

    Tough position to be in.

    Good regional context too. Interesting switch from drugs to human trafficking.

    Be well,
    Huaso

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    1. I’m guessing the human smuggling has larger margins. With the influx of migrants on the border, I’m sure it’s good times for cartels to make decent money off them.

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  5. A blessing to be released

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  6. I wonder if CDS intentionally chose the name GN, so they could essentially clone and be confused for the guard..

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    Replies
    1. The National Guard/GN wasn't formed until 2019.

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    2. @1158 — thanks for clarifying my crazy thoughts lol 🦉

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  7. The Empresa gang in Juarez is like the Mexicles which is PRM or Pura Raza Mexicana. These fuckers attacked Los Aztecas in order to keep only Mexican nationals in control of Prisons and street level drug dealers in Juarez after the original Aztecas fought Sinaloa for control of cd Juarez for La Liena and beat Sinaloa in the city and Chihuahua city as well.
    They betrayed them because of course Aztecas have American leadership and Aztecas are deported Ponchos.
    This is why Juarez is a shit hole and Sinaloa is taking over at least 60 percent of Chihuahua state. Because these betrayers cannot handle Sinaloa itself and they betray each other because they have zero loyalty. They even attack innocents as proven in recent events.

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    Replies
    1. Ncdj has 60 percent of chihuas not cds. They control bigger chunks then cds

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    2. @4:18 what is the longest river in the world?
      De Nile!

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  8. Por la culpa de la Empresa traicionera y los Mexicles Juarez es un cagadero.
    La Empresa traiciono a los Aztecas que defendieron a la plaza de Juarez y Chihuahua capital que callera a manos de Sinaloa. Estos cuates por racistas contra los Aztecas que son Americans ahora tienen in desmadre en Juarez y se siguen traicionando. Los Mexicles tambien.
    Sinaloanocupa in 60 por ciento o mas de Chihuahua y entre tanto pendejo como estas dos pandillas no pueden para a Este cartel. Pinche idiots.

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