Federales in Training (US & Mexico join forces)

Within a mile of the U.S./Mexico border, agents from both countries are in the midst of a politically sensitive operation that for the first time has Federales training with American officers. For my eight years covering this story here in southern Arizona this has been a question asked more than a few times, why isn't there more cooperation and training together? Well, now there is an answer and we found that answer in Nogales, on the U.S. side.

Three Mexican police officers dressed in blue, lined shoulder to shoulder, sweep their rifles 180 degrees from left to right, following english and spanish instructions. American agents dressed in green are standing with them, providing instruction and demonstrating stances. An interpreter makes sure everyone is on the same page, as this close combat training continues throughout the day. Eventually agents from our side explain how to approach a building and then get in safely by providing cover on all sides, the Federales tell me they have never been shown any of this before.

So far about 50 Mexican police officers have completed this three-week course and there are plans for the U.S. to help train several hundred more.

Tom Pittman from the U.S. Border Patrol agrees and says, “There’s always been cooperation, but maybe tense cooperation, if you will but we’re getting to know each other as people.”

It's a politically sensitive alliance intended to save lives and possibly lead to the creation of a Mexican counterpart to the U.S. Border Patrol.

According to Tom, “We’re very excited to do it, we’re helping brother cops that don’t have the opportunity, or haven’t had the opportunity yet to get this type of training, so we’re happy to help fellow cops stay alive, that’s for sure !”

More news from Nafbpo today.
http://www.nafbpo.org/

D. DRUG HITMAN CLAIMS TO CAPTURE TWENTY FIVE RIVALS

21 April 2010

El Paso Times

Police have found the bound bodies of two men in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca, alongside a banner that threatens to kill 25 more drug cartel members. Police say the killings are part of a battle between traffickers Hector Beltran Leyva and U.S.-born Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as “La Barbie”. Cuernavaca police say the bodies were found early Wednesday outside a bar. The message left near the cadavers said 25 of Beltran Leyva’s henchmen are being held and interrogated in the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco and would be executed soon. State police reported that three men were found shot to death Tuesday in a taxi in Acapulco. It was unclear whether they were related to the drug dispute.

Source: [www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_14923852]

E. FIFTY GUNMEN SIMULTANEOUSLY ATTACK TWO HOTELS IN NUEVO LEON

21 April 2010

El Universal

Early Wednesday morning, approximately 50 gunmen raided two downtown hotels in Monterrey and kidnapped seven people. First, two groups of masked gunmen used two delivery trucks, a tow truck and an Eclipse vehicle to close off the intersection of Cuahutémoc and Colón Streets to block military personnel. At around 3:00 a.m., gunmen arrived at the Mision Hotel and the Holiday Inn located near Padre Mier and Garibaldi Streets. At the Holiday Inn, a guard, the receptionist and four guests including an American woman were removed by force. One of the victims attempted to escape but was recaptured by one of the gunmen who fired his weapon. It is unknown if the victim was injured. Simultaneously, another group of gunmen raided the Mision Hotel which is also located on Padre Mier Street and just meters from the Holiday Inn. Here, the gunmen kidnapped another man. After the two attacks and while soldiers were investigating the blockade on Colón Avenue, the gunmen escaped in 10 vehicles heading west along Constitución Street.

In other news, masked gunmen in two vehicles kidnapped and shot to death two young men south of the city in Colonia Arturo B. de la Garza and Colonia Alfonso Reyes. The victims are identified as Felipe de Jesus Ricaut Tenorio, age19 and Francisco Javier Garza Chavez Aguilera, age 16. A third victim, Jonas Reyna Aleman, 27 was injured.

Summary Translation of Spanish Article:[www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/674444.html]

Editorial Comment: This is the full report of an attack which was covered briefly by way of editorial commentary in yesterday’s Joint Task Force North Open Source Report.

F. METHAMPHETAMINE SEIZURE AT PHARR INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

21 April 2010

The Monitor

Customs officers netted more than 31 pounds of methamphetamine Sunday at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers encountered a pewter 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck headed north at the bridge on Sunday. Court records state the driver, 48-year-old Jose Ernesto Arredondo Rodriguez, declared a liquor bottle and said he was traveling to Houston for four days. A customs officer referred Arredondo to secondary inspection after he noticed he had only a small bag of clothing. During an X-ray inspection of the vehicle, officers found 17 packages of methamphetamine that weighed 31.3 pounds in the truck’s floor boards, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. The drugs carried a street value of $469,579, customs officers said.

CBP arrested Arredondo, of Allende, Nuevo Leon, on federal drug charges. Arredondo told an Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent he purchased the truck at a Wal-Mart in Dallas last month, the complaint states. He also said a friend bought the truck, but fraudulently signed his name.

Arredondo told the investigator he was going to Houston to visit a friend and did not know the drugs were in his truck. (…)

Source: [www.themonitor.com/articles/pharr-37715-bridge-cbp.html]

G. ARREST OF “EL INDIO” IN GUERRERO

22 April 2010

El Universal

Summary Translation of Spanish Article: CW3 Brian Woodworth

The Army arrested 15 members of the Beltran Leyva cartel on Wednesday in Huixquilucan, including Gerardo Álvarez Vazquez, alias El Indio, or El Chayan, and Ascensión Sepúlveda Salto, alias El Gato, the local drug boss in the Costa Grande region in Guerrero. According to authorities, Gerardo Álvarez Vazquez controlled drug trafficking in Naucalpan and Huixquilucan in Estado de México as well as in the Costa Grande and Acapulco regions in Guerrero. Gerardo Álvarez Vazquez was fighting for the leadership of the Beltran Leyva organization in alliance with Edgar Valdez Villareal, “La Barbie” and against Hector Beltrán Leyva, alias El H and Sergio Villareal Barragán, alias El Grande.

He was also in contact with drug traffickers in Central and South America in regard to purchasing and shipping drugs and was in charge of clandestine drug labs which produced methamphetamine and “crystal”. The drug trafficker was also in charge of smuggling synthetic drugs into the United States through various organizations such as the Beltran and Sinaloa cartels. Officials assert that the arrest of Gerardo Álvarez Vazquez and Ascensión Sepúlveda significantly affected the operational capacity and security of the Beltran Leyva cartel. Both were arrested during a confrontation with the Army in which three members of the criminal organization were killed and two others were wounded. Following the arrest, authorities seized 10 rifles, 2 handguns, 1 fragmentation grenade, 3 gas grenades, 800 grams of cocaine, chemical precursors, and fake Federal Investigative Agency uniforms. Álvarez Vazquez also used the aliases of Salvador Sanchez Salamanca, Gerardo Aguilar Ávila, Joel Álvarez Vazquez, José Gerardo Álvarez Velasquez and Javier Saldívar Vega to hide his identity and to conduct money laundering activities.

Spanish Source: [www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/674811.html]

Editorial Comment: Another open source report indicates that former Miss Universe and actress, Alicia Machado of Venezuela, had a relationship with the drug trafficker, Gerardo Alvarez Vazquez, alias El Indio. Their relationship apparently resulted in the birth of their daughter, Dinorah. In response to the allegations, the actress stated that the father of the child is a businessman from Jalisco by the name of Rafael Hernandez Linares. The actress also claims a relationship with a baseball player for a Los Angeles baseball team.

Spanish Source for Comment: [www.eldiariodecoahuila.com.mx/notas/2010/4/22/closeup-176168.asp] 22 April 2010

I. OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ATTACKED IN NAYARIT

21 April 2010

El Universal

Gunmen in a vehicle entered the parking lot of the Office of the Attorney General for Justice and opened fire. Army and Navy personnel secured the facilities for approximately an hour and then left. Police who were guarding the facility refused to make any comments regarding the incident. It is speculated, however, that arrests were made and an official press release regarding the incident is expected. News reporters observed State police carefully searching the parking lot for shell casings.

Summary Translation of Spanish Article: [www.elsoldenayarit.com/inf/nota.php?id_nota=547]

J. SEVEN KIDNAPPED FROM BIRTHDAY PARTY IN MADERA, CHIHUAHUA

22 April 2010

Segundo a Segundo

Summary Translation of Spanish Article: CW3 Brian Woodworth

On Saturday night, seven people were kidnapped during a girl’s 15th birthday part in the town of Nicolas Bravo in the municipality of Madera, Chihuahua. People who reported the incident anonymously out of fear for their lives indicated that several gunmen arrived and after threatening the people who were present at the party they kidnapped the victims. “Help us get out of this Hell”, stated the residents to reporters. Authorities failed to go to the crime scene when the kidnapping occurred. As of today, the names of the victims have not been reported.

Spanish Source: [www.segundoasegundo.com/html/46048_0_1_0_C.html]

K. CONCERNS REGARDING POSSIBLE ZETAS – M13 ALLIANCE

20 April 2010

Valley Central

El Salvadoran officials are worried that a Mexican drug trafficking organization may be forming an alliance with a feared Central American gang. Mexico’s El Universal newspaper is reporting that members of the Zetas are in El Salvador where they may be working on an alliance with the Mara Salvatrucha gang. El Salvador’s President Mauricio Funes told reporters the Zetas are believed to be in his country and working on forming the alliance. El Universal reported that the Zetas and other Mexican drug trafficking organizations are vying for control of cocaine smuggling routes through Central America.

Source: [www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?list=195030&id=446320]

Today’s NAFBPO foreign news report

http://m3report.wordpress.com/

Travel Alert issued for Nuevo Leon

Monterrey, N.L. – The Consul General of the United States issued a travel warning for U.S. Citizens in Nuevo Leon, the sixth this year, which calls for extreme caution for travelers in Nuevo Leon because of the violence that occurred yesterday at the hotels in Monterrey and the kidnapping of seven people.

The new alert calls for U.S. citizens to exercise caution when travelling to Mexico, particularly in the border region which includes the area of Monterrey. The warning cites incidents of violence which occurred in various parts of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila and Durango.

____________________

La Voz de la Frontera (Mexicali, B.C. Mexico) 4-22-10

Two strikes against narcotics

San Luis, R.C., Sonora – 29,157 kilos (64,145 lbs.) of marijuana, valued on the United States black market at 58 million dollars was destroyed by fire yesterday at a military installation at Ejido Las Adelitas. The contraband had been seized by three different governmental agencies and various narcotics traffickers were arrested. In Tijuana, authorities seized 19 additional tons of marijuana, detained 8 henchmen of the Sinaloa Cartel and seized 5 vehicles.

_____

Young couple abducted in the San Fernando Business District

Mexicali-The Public Security Police received a noon report of gunshots at Central and Oriente. When they arrived at the scene, they found an abandoned car with an open door and the engine overheated.

Witnesses said a young man had been driving with a young female passenger. The young man was pushed into a black Mitsubishi Galant and the young lady was taken away in a white Ford Explorer. At the scene of the crime, police found three 9mm cases. Police found blood in the abandoned vehicle, and $1900 dollars in $20 bills which indicates the abduction was not a robbery.

____________________

Cambio de Michoacán (Morelia, Michoacán) 4-22-10

Michoacán Migrants are victims of child prostitution

Morelia, Michoacán, – Child prostitution, inhumane treatment and extortion are the principal crimes against Michoacán migrants according to Arnulfo Sandoval Cervantes, Director of Victim’s Rights for the Federal Attorney General’s Office.

Child prostitution is a major cultural phenomenon and most cases go unreported. The major portion of such cases involves violence and deprivation of rights as the victims are in transit across the state to other areas. In the year 2009 there were only six cases involving foreigners investigated. One was them was a 12 year old girl who was a victim of child prostitution.

The crimes are committed not only by smugglers but also by corrupt public officials of the local, state and federal governments in acts of abuse of authority in litigation against the parents. A major portion of the migrants, said Sandoval Cervantes, “Suffer violations of their rights as they are in transit through the state to other areas.” “Like I said, it requires recognition of the serious risk they are confronting, and to provide legal, psychological and medical assistance,” said Sandoval.

_____

Federal Police capture eight members of La Familia

Edomex, Mexico – Federal Police patrolling on the Valle de Bravo-Toluca Highway, observed a group of suspicious suspects. It turned out they were heavily armed. Shortly before, the Federal Police had developed information that the suspects were transporting unauthorized weapons. Intelligence reports were that those who were arrested were part of La Familia and were convoying on the highway. Eight people were detained and were in possession of 70 doses of powdered cocaine, an AK-47 Assault rifle, a .22 caliber pistol, 140 doses of rock cocaine, an M1 rifle, a 12 gauge shotgun, a .410 shotgun, a 9mm pistol, and a bag containing 1,103 cartridges of various calibers, 4 boxes of 9mm ammo, and 117 AK-47 bullets.

The arms, the people and the vehicles were taken to the Public Ministry Offices for investigation.

____________________

El Diario de Juarez (Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua) 4-22-10

Minors threaten to set off dynamite

D.F. – Unemployed miners of the Cananea Copper Mine in Sonora threaten to set off explosives in various parts of the mine if the Mexican Government attempts to remove them. Early yesterday the Mexican Supreme Court rejected a union claim filed after the Grupo Mexico refused to invalidate a previous a labor agreement with the miners. The court considered the labor agreement to be legal and binding. A spokesman for the miners union said that they are ready to fight with “teeth and fingernails.”

Eventually the Federal Police will remove the miners who have been striking for more than two years. The strike has been declared illegal.

Sergio Beltran, the leader of the Miner’s Union, said, “The decision of this court has empowered the owner of the mine, Grupos Mexico, to exploit the workers. This, we will not permit.”

The government of Mexico says it will not interfere.

-end of report-

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.