F M S O Foreign Military Studies Office 731 McClellan Ave Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027 fmsoborder.watch@ugov.gov Use of these articles does not reflect official endorsement. Reproduction for private use or gain is subject to original copyright restrictions. This report is a compilation of extract translations of Mexican open source information and not evaluated intelligence. The complete articles in Spanish are available from FMSO. This briefing is FOUO and must be protected and controlled in accordance with U.S. standards. Latin America Military and Security Watch Table of Contents MEXICO CHIHUAHUA Gunmen Kill Two Women in Ciudad Chihuahua, Chihuahua 20 August 2011 Hitmen Kill Two Men and Three Women in a One Hour Time Period in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua 18 August 2011 GUERRERO Hitmen Kill Two Police Officers in Acapulco, Guerrero 18 August 2011 Five Dismembered Bodies Recovered in Acapulco, Guerrero 20 August 2011 Two Soldiers Murdered in Ajuchitlan del Progreso, Guerrero 20 August 2011 JALISCO More than Three Metric Tons of Chemicals Seized from Drug Lab in Acatlan de Juarez, Jalisco 19 August 2011 SSPEJ Officers Dismantle La Resistencia Criminal Cell in Jalisco 19 August 2011 GUERRERO UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 1
Authorities Recover Body of the Mayor of Zacaulpan in Teloluapan, Guerrero 20 August 2011 QUINTANA ROO Founder of Criminal Organization Working at the Service of the Sinaloa Cartel Killed in Cancun, Quintana Roo 19 August 2011 Los Caballeros Templarios Establish Themselves in Cancun, Quintan Roo 22 August 2011 NUEVO LEON Confrontation between Soldiers and Gunmen Reported in Agualeguas, Nuevo Leon 18 August 2011 Narco Banners Alluding to Imminent Prison Break Posted in Monterrey and Santiago, Nuevo Leon 20 August 2011 Confrontation between Soldiers and Gunmen Reported in Escobedo, Nuevo Leon 20 August 2011 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 2
MEXICO CHIHUAHUA Gunmen Kill Two Women in Ciudad Chihuahua, Chihuahua 20 August 2011 On 20 August 2011 at approximately 0300 hours, police recovered the bodies of two female murder victims from 17 de Junio Street [28.607431,-106.038494] in Ciudad Chihuahua, Chihuahua. According to witnesses, the women were pulled from one of the three vehicles that arrived in the area in which the murders took place. Once outside of the vehicles, the same women were shot to death in front of witnesses at the scene. At this point, neither victim has been identified. Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/08/levantan-y-ejecutan-dos-jovenesmujeres.html?m=1 Hitmen Kill Two Men and Three Women in a One Hour Time Period in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua 18 August 2011 On 18 August 2011, five individuals (two men and three women) were killed within a one-hour time period in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. These incidents were reported as follows: Incident one: at approximately 0700 hours, the bodies of Lorenza Vianey Munoz Medina, 26, and Veronica Rita Cortez Cruz, 48, were recovered on 20 de Noviembre and Ortiz Rubio Streets in the Partido Escobedo neighborhood [31.736343,-106.452713]. Both had been shot multiple times, were blindfolded, and appear to have been tortured before being killed. Incident two: also at around 0700 hours, police recovered the bodies of Norma Lucia Vazquez Gomez, 29, and Monserrat Guerra Guerra, 41, at the intersection of Valle de Juarez and Juan Herrera Street in the Partido Manuel Doblado neighborhood [31.738679,-106.403]. Both had multiple gunshot wounds to their bodies and appear to have been tortured before being killed. Incident three: the body of a young man was recovered in the Fuentes del Valle neighborhood. UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 3
Given the similarities between the murders, police believe that the same group is responsible for all of them. Spanish Sources: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/08/pistoleros-ejecutan-cinco-personasen.html#more, http://www.mundonarco.com/2011/08/identifican-las-cuatro-mujeres.html GUERRERO Hitmen Kill Two Police Officers in Acapulco, Guerrero 18 August 2011 On 16 August 2011, hitmen killed five individuals (to include two police officers) and kidnapped a police officer during separate incidents in Acapulco, Guerrero. The incidents were reported as follows: Incident one: Police Officer Antonio Vargas Serrano was gunned down by a group of hitmen while he was guarding a beer bus in La Fabrica neighborhood [16.858886,-99.897223]. After killing him, the hitmen took his weapon. Incident two: three individuals were killed by a group of hitmen on Constituyentes and Mexico Avenues in the Bella Vista neighborhood [16.858968,-99.869285]. The victims were identified as Teodoro Altamirano Cantu, taxi driver Alejandro Hernandez Bustamante, and Police Officer Jose Mercedes Adame de la Cruz. The hitmen took Officer Adame s weapon. Incident three: three auxiliary preventive police officers were attacked by hitmen on Cuauhtemoc Avenue [16.866894,-99.911685]. During the attack, the hitmen killed Officer Severiano Morales Rodriguez and kidnapped the other two. One of the kidnapped officers managed to escape but was wounded. Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/08/sicarios-siguen-matando-policias-en.html#more UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 4
Five Dismembered Bodies Recovered in Acapulco, Guerrero 20 August 2011 The dismembered bodies of four male and one female murder victim were recovered on 20 August 2011 in separate areas of Acapulco, Guerrero. These incidents were reported as follows: Incident one: at 0120 hours, an anonymous tip led federal police to a location on Farallon del Obispo Avenue. Once at the scene, officers recovered: o Two torsos and 13 severed body parts were scattered in the area o The severed/skinned heads and 7 severed body parts were recovered from the interior sack o The skin that was taken from the heads was found inside a black purse A message left at the scene read as follows: Stop robbing gold you @$%^*#, we can tell you were incarcerated 17 years. You are a rat that doesn t even have the skills to steal. Your cousin the Governor won t even help you out. Time has come for that $%^*# cartel, Victor Aguirre Garzon: you are $%*&. Sincerely, Los Calentanos. Incident two: at 2215 hours, another anonymous tip led officers to a location on Costera Miguel Aleman Avenue, near the Diana Cazadora traffic circle [16.860508,-99.870293]. Once at the scene, officers recovered the bodies of three decapitation victims (two males and one female) from the interior of a Nissan Pathfinder. One of the victim s legs had been cut off. Three narco messages left inside the vehicle read as follows: o Message one: Los Calentanos work with the Sinaloa Cartel at 100%. Sincerely, Sinaloa Cartel. Coco: you are next. o Message two: Victor Aguirre and El Melon: don t think that because the Beltran Leyva (incomplete sentence). They will kill you just the way you killed their family. Sincerely, The Devil s Command Group. o Message three: I am the motherfucker Chapo Sur 13. Spanish Source: http://www.reforma.com/nacional/articulo/621/1240736/ Two Soldiers Murdered in Ajuchitlan del Progreso, Guerrero 20 August 2011 On the afternoon hours of 19 August 2011, Reynaldo Jaimes Rios, 20, and Gilberto Estrada Salgado, 20 (two 40 th Infantry Battalion soldiers) were gunned down by a group of armed individuals while sitting inside of a gray Ford with plates HFB-467. They were shot six and four times respectively. The attack in question occurred in Las Garzas neighborhood [16.861062,-99.870014] of Ajuchitlan del Progreso, Guerrero. UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 5
Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/08/pistoleros-desconocidos-terminan-conla.html?m=1 JALISCO More than Three Metric Tons of Chemicals Seized from Drug Lab in Acatlan de Juarez, Jalisco 19 August 2011 An anonymous citizen's tip regarding strong chemical odors led 79 th Military Zone soldiers and municipal police to a synthetic drug lab located on El Chino hill in the Acatlan de Juarez [20.423474,- 103.588886] municipality of Jalisco. Items seized from this drug lab included the following: 3,280 kilograms of chemical substances (68) 20 liter plastic barrels (36) 20 liter plastic buckets 4 metal barrels (2) 150 liter cooking container (2) 40 liter cooking container No arrests were reported in conjunction with the dismantling of this drug lab. Spanish Source: http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2011/315813/6/desmantelan-unnarcolaboratorio-en-acatlan-de-juarez.htm SSPEJ Officers Dismantle La Resistencia Criminal Cell in Jalisco 19 August 2011 Following an attack perpetrated by an organized crime group against Chapala municipal police officers, the SSPEJ launched an operation that led to the dismantling of a La Resistencia criminal cell operating in the Cienega region of Jalisco. The operation was initiated after officers noted four individuals in a 2007 Nissan Tiida with Jocotepec plates JJB-8575 (reported as stolen on 13 August 2011) travelling along the Guadalajara-Morelia highway, near the Roca Azul neighborhood, in Jocotepec [20.285707,- 103.427868], Jalisco. UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 6
At this point, officers ordered the vehicle to stop, but the driver ignored the indication which led to a pursuit that ended at a house located on 317 Carpa Street of the same neighborhood. Arrested from this residence were four individuals identified as: Liberio Ovanibaldo ZARAGOZA, 35, from Acatlan de Juarez. He confessed to being close to Jose RUIZ Perez. Ruiz is the leader of the La Resistencia criminal cell known as El Molino; a group dedicated to kidnapping and killing the victims even after requests for ransoms are fulfilled. Jose MENDEZ Islas, 35, from Acatlan de Juarez Jesus Manuel PERALES Ruvalcaba, 35, aka La Vibora, from Membrillos Sandra CARRANZA Melendrez, 21, from La Piedad, Michoacan These individuals confessed to being kidnappers, car thieves, extortionists, and lookouts for La Resistencia criminal group. Authorities have linked them to at least 10 kidnappings and murders. Items seized from the Nissan mentioned above were identified as follows: 2 AK-47s with 33 rounds of ammunition 1 AR-15 with 1 magazine and 20 rounds of ammunition 760 grams of cocaine 40 grams of crack cocaine After searching the house, officers seized six vehicles to include: A white 2003 4x4 Ford Super Duty with Jalisco plates JJ-47832 A blue Chevrolet Chevy with Jalisco plates JEB-5666 A blue 2005 Jeep Gran Cherokee with Jalisco plates JHH-2425 A gray 2006 Hummer H-3 without plates A white 2008 Ford Transport with Jalisco plates JHD-7625; this vehicle had about 30 bullet holes A green Jeep Wrangler Limited with Jalisco plates JHS-8124 While searching a house, it was also reported that officers discovered two clandestine graves that contained the bodies of two murder victims. Authorities estimate that the murder victims had been buried there for at least 30 days. Spanish Source: http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2011/315663/6/policia-estatal-desarticula-celulade-la-resistencia-localizan-narcofosas.htm UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 7
GUERRERO Authorities Recover Body of the Mayor of Zacaulpan in Teloluapan, Guerrero 20 August 2011 On 19 August 2011, Jose Eduviges Nava Altamirano, the Mayor of Zacaulpan, Mexico State, and five municipal police assigned as bodyguards were attacked while traveling along the Zacualpan-Coatepec Harinas Highway. During this incident, the Mayor was kidnapped, four of the bodyguards were injured, and another was killed. On 20 August 2011, the body of the Mayor was recovered from the dirt road located near the Itzcaputzalco y Teloluapan community [18.366297,-99.873662] in Iguala, Guerrero. At this point, authorities have hypothesized that La Familia Michoacana could be responsible for this attack given the fact that they issued multiple threats to the Mayor prior to this incident. Spanish Source: http://www.mundonarco.com/2011/08/hallan-muerto-alcalde-de-zacualpan.html and http://www.mundonarco.com/2011/08/confirman-imagenes-muerte-por-tortura.html QUINTANA ROO Founder of Criminal Organization Working at the Service of the Sinaloa Cartel Killed in Cancun, Quintana Roo 19 August 2011 On 18 August 2011, Miguel RODRIGUEZ Olivera, aka el Guero, was killed by unidentified gunmen while eating lunch at the Zen Shushi Bar in Cancun, Quintana Roo. Details regarding this individual were reported as follows in this article: He is originally from Zapopan, Jalisco, and has been in Cancun, UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 8
Mexico for approximately one year For appearance purposes, Olivera worked in the textile industry He utilized two names to include Miguel RODRIGUEZ Olivera, aka el Guero and Miguel Ángel GUTIÉRREZ Sánchez He started the criminal group Los Gueros with his brothers Daniel, Luis, and Esteban This group work at the service of the Sinaloa cartel, and was dedicated providing money laundering services and trafficking drugs for them Between 1996 and 2008, it is estimated that this group shipped 100,000 kilograms of cocaine to the United States for the Sinaloa cartel In 2000, Foreign Control Assets (OFAC) (a branch of the US Treasury Department) designated Los Gueros as a specially designated narcotics trafficker pursuant to El Chapo Guzman Comment: Sharon Quintan Muro, the wife of RODRIGUEZ Olivera, is an active socialite in Cancun and was recently photographed at a party in which Carlos Enrique OSORIO Teyer, aka Charly was in attendance. Osorio is the owner of the Nectar Bar and was recently arrested by INTERPOL on moneylaundering charges. The Nectar Bar has also been reporting as being a venue utilized for drug trafficking and is known to employ organized criminal operators. Spanish Source: http://www.lapoliciaca.com/nota-roja/hay-mar-de-fondo-en-el-asesinato-del-guerorodriguez/ Los Caballeros Templarios Establish Themselves in Cancun, Quintan Roo 22 August 2011 Los Zetas have traditionally dominated the northern sector of Quintana Roo, but recent changes to include the arrests of key leaders within this group, a shortage of weapons, and financial difficulties have allowed Los Pelones to take over some of their territory. Other groups to include Los Caballeros Templarios and La Familia Michoacana are following the lead taken by Los Pelones in an attempt to establish themselves in Cancun. As a direct result of the presence of Los Caballeros Templarios, residents living in the area have relocated due to the fact that they were given two choices: work for the them or be killed. Two particular areas of interest to this group include Playa del Carmen and the Isla Dorada sector [21.134785,-86.758862] which UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 9
is located in the hotel zone of Cancun. Previously, the Isla Dorada sector was exclusively controlled by Los Zetas. There is also speculation that Los Caballeros Templarios provided information that led to the arrest of Ricardo BENITEZ Servin aka El Mudo/El Nino. Prior to his arrest, this individual served as a lieutenant for the Beltran Leyva organization, and had been hiding out in Cancun. Spanish Source: http://radioquintanaroo.com/cartel-de-lo-caballeros-templario-llegan-a-cancun/ NUEVO LEON Confrontation between Soldiers and Gunmen Reported in Agualeguas, Nuevo Leon 18 August 2011 On 18 August 2011, soldiers were attacked while conducting a raid at a residence located near the 40 kilometer mark 40 along the Sabinas Hidalgo-Agualeguas Highway in Agualeguas [26.31342,- 99.538879], Nuevo Leon. Ten gunmen were killed during this attack while another 20 were able to flee. Those items seized following the confrontation included: 10 rifles A handgun 2,000 rounds of ammunition Around 100 magazines A fragmentation grenade (8) 40mm grenade rounds (40) 40mm grenade launcher attachments An unspecified amount of marijuana Ammo vests Bulletproof vests Military style uniforms 4 communications radios 2 cell phones UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 10
5 vehicles Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/08/militares-realizan-operativo-en-nuevo.html#more Narco Banners Alluding to Imminent Prison Break Posted in Monterrey and Santiago, Nuevo Leon 20 August 2011 On 20 August 2011 at around 0700 hours, narco messages were hung by a group of approximately 25 gunmen hung on a pedestrian bridge on Fernando Ancira Street and Revolución Avenue [25.670607,- 100.284866] in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, and an unspecified location in Santiago, Nuevo Leon. In Monterrey, the gunmen set up a blockade and hung the banner in plain view of pedestrians in the area. When finished, they shot 80 rounds into the air in an attempt to cause panic. The message was not signed, but was directed to President Calderon and Nuevo Leon Governor Rodrigo Medina and read as follows: Mr. President: Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and Mr. Governor: Rodrigo Medina: Pay more attention to the prisons in Nuevo Leon, especially the one in Apodaca, as certain inmates have the priviledge of coming and going as they please. A massive prison break has been planned in the coming days. There are people interested in getting an inmate known as Fito out from the prison in Apodaca. An arrest warrant was issued for Fito in the U.S., as he was the principal cocaine distributor working for La Rana, who is in charge of Los Z and is the principal exporter of drugs into the U.S. Fito s real name is RODOLFO PEÑA TERCERO, but is listed in Apodaca CERESO Prison records as ABELARDO GARCIA PEÑA. Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/08/aparecen-narcomantas-en-nuevo-leonvan.html#more UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 11
Confrontation between Soldiers and Gunmen Reported in Escobedo, Nuevo Leon 20 August 2011 On 20 August 2011 at around 0100 hours, Municipal Police repelled an attack by a group of gunmen that was perpetrated near the 7-Eleven convenience store [25.779652,-100.318024] on Raúl Salinas Avenue in the Villas del Parque neighborhood of Escobedo, Nuevo Leon. The police were aggressed as they were nearing the gas station, but repelled the attack. Following this incident, it was reported that an individual identified as Israel López Bustos, 18, was killed, while all of the other gunmen managed to escape. Those items seized from the now deceased individual included: Nissan Sentra (Nuevo Leon plates SPL-41-04) An unreported number of weapons An unreported amount of cash Doses of cocaine and marijuana Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/08/arman-balacera-en-escobedo-nuevoleon.html#more UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 12