AZMEX EXTRA 30 OCT 2019
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Puebla: "El Gato Felix" and 12 People Detained w 5 Tons of Explosives and Arms
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2019/10/puebla-el-gato-felix-and-12-people.html#more
Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: AnimalPolitico y Proceso
13 people with 5 tons of explosives and firearms arrested in Puebla
Authorities located a warehouse in the municipality of San Salvador Huixcolotla, Puebla, and 13 were arrested including "El Gato Felix" who works with "El Mamer". The detainees, according to the authorities, were dedicated to installing fake checkpoints to steal from motorists from the Puebla-Veracruz highway.
The Ministry of Public Safety reported on Monday about the arrest of 13 people
and the securing of a cargo of around five tons of explosives,
in addition to seven firearms of different calibers.
Elements of the National Guard participated in the operation, in coordination with elements of the National Defense Secretariat, the National Anti-kidnapping Coordination and the Office of the Kidnapping and High Impact Crimes of the General Prosecutor's Office of the state of Puebla.
Army elements arrested a subject known as Félix María Araya Arias, "El Gato Félix", and 11 of his operators during an operation in the municipalities of Acatzingo and Huixcolotla, Puebla , to recover five tons of explosives stolen from a truck last Thursday.
It is presumed that "El Gato Félix" is the right hand of "El Mamer" , a criminal leader with whom he carried out massive assaults on motorists and organized false checkpoints on the adjacent roads between Puebla and Veracruz, for the theft of cargo trucks.
Last Saturday, together with the State and Federal Police, elements of the Army implemented an operation in the municipality of Huixcolotla, where they recovered the stolen explosives, secured three vehicles and long weapons.
In that place nine men and two women were arrested, but the police actions continued on to the municipality of Acatzingo, where they located and arrested "El Gato Félix", one of the most dangerous members of the band of "El Mamer".
It should be remembered that last Thursday, October 24, an alert was issued in the states of the center of the country, since a truck carrying five tons and 150 kilograms of an highly explosive agent was stolen on the Puebla-Orizaba highway.
"In follow-up to the investigations derived from the theft of a truck loaded with explosive material, which occurred on October 24 in the state of Puebla,
federal troops carried out intelligence work that allowed us to locate a warehouse", explained the Secretariat.
"In a coordinated operation, federal troops detained 13 people in the possession of
seven firearms of different calibers, six magazines, about 950 cartridges,
eight tactical vests,
11 jackets, four T-shirts, a shirt and two pants from different police corporations,
eight cell phones, a ticket counting machine,
a vehicle with theft report and two vans, " he added.
It is unclear at this time what the haul of explosives was all about.
Borderland Beat Reporter Yaqui Posted at 2:15 PM
END
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
AZMEX I3 29-10-19
AZMEX I3 29 OCT 2019
Note: photo at link: Amado is in SE AZ, on I-19 between Nogales and Green Valley.
30 migrants locked in semitrailer taken into custody at I-19 checkpoint near Amado
Source: (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) (Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
October 28, 2019 at 3:06 PM MST - Updated October 28 at 3:06 PM
https://www.kold.com/2019/10/28/migrants-locked-semitrailer-taken-into-custody-i-checkpoint-near-amado/
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - U.S. Border Patrol agents at the I-19 Immigration Checkpoint near Amado
arrested two U.S. citizens for smuggling 30 immigrants by semitrailer Saturday night.
At approximately 10 p.m., Tucson Sector agents referred a semitrailer for secondary inspection
after a Border Patrol canine alerted to the vehicle.
During the inspection, agents found 29 individuals from Mexico and one from Ecuador
, including an unaccompanied minor, hidden inside the trailer. Agents determined all 30 were illegally present in the country.
The 30 foreign nationals were arrested and will be processed for immigration violations.
The U.S. citizen driver and passenger will face prosecution for human smuggling violations.
End
Note: photo at link: Amado is in SE AZ, on I-19 between Nogales and Green Valley.
30 migrants locked in semitrailer taken into custody at I-19 checkpoint near Amado
Source: (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) (Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
October 28, 2019 at 3:06 PM MST - Updated October 28 at 3:06 PM
https://www.kold.com/2019/10/28/migrants-locked-semitrailer-taken-into-custody-i-checkpoint-near-amado/
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - U.S. Border Patrol agents at the I-19 Immigration Checkpoint near Amado
arrested two U.S. citizens for smuggling 30 immigrants by semitrailer Saturday night.
At approximately 10 p.m., Tucson Sector agents referred a semitrailer for secondary inspection
after a Border Patrol canine alerted to the vehicle.
During the inspection, agents found 29 individuals from Mexico and one from Ecuador
, including an unaccompanied minor, hidden inside the trailer. Agents determined all 30 were illegally present in the country.
The 30 foreign nationals were arrested and will be processed for immigration violations.
The U.S. citizen driver and passenger will face prosecution for human smuggling violations.
End
AZMEX EXTRA 26-10-19
AZMEX EXTRA 26 OCT 2019
Mesa man recieves prison sentence for trying to smuggle guns into Mexico
BY KTAR.COM
OCTOBER 26, 2019 AT 9:22 AM
https://ktar.com/story/2816932/mesa-man-recieves-prison-sentence-trying-smuggle-guns-into-mexico/
PHOENIX — A prison sentence of 36 months was handed to a Mesa man attempting to smuggle nine handguns,
13 magazines and 200 rounds of ammunition into Mexico.
Miguel Sanchez Alvarez and an accomplice attempted to sneak the firearms and ammunition
through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales in 2017.
The accomplice, Victor Orlando Leal-Medina, plead guilty one count of unlawful smuggling of goods in December
and was sentenced to 14 months,
while Alvarez was found guilty in a trial by jury for the same offense.
All of the guns and ammunition recovered in the investigation belonged to the 43-year-old Alvarez,
who tried to conceal the weapons in a bucket filled with roofing tar.
Alvarez then provided the bucket to Leal-Medina who attempted to bring the bucket across the border, before being stopped by authorities.
An investigation was then conducted by ICE, ATF and the Phoenix and Nogales police departments.
END
Mesa man recieves prison sentence for trying to smuggle guns into Mexico
BY KTAR.COM
OCTOBER 26, 2019 AT 9:22 AM
https://ktar.com/story/2816932/mesa-man-recieves-prison-sentence-trying-smuggle-guns-into-mexico/
PHOENIX — A prison sentence of 36 months was handed to a Mesa man attempting to smuggle nine handguns,
13 magazines and 200 rounds of ammunition into Mexico.
Miguel Sanchez Alvarez and an accomplice attempted to sneak the firearms and ammunition
through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales in 2017.
The accomplice, Victor Orlando Leal-Medina, plead guilty one count of unlawful smuggling of goods in December
and was sentenced to 14 months,
while Alvarez was found guilty in a trial by jury for the same offense.
All of the guns and ammunition recovered in the investigation belonged to the 43-year-old Alvarez,
who tried to conceal the weapons in a bucket filled with roofing tar.
Alvarez then provided the bucket to Leal-Medina who attempted to bring the bucket across the border, before being stopped by authorities.
An investigation was then conducted by ICE, ATF and the Phoenix and Nogales police departments.
END
Monday, October 28, 2019
AZMEX SPECIAL 28-10-19
AZMEX SPECIAL 28 OCT 2019
Mexico's Culiacan tries to regroup after fierce gunbattles
By PETER ORSI
yesterday
https://apnews.com/0dcc46ad23b641cd9f4b97e9c842a8fe
CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) — A dozen or so charred vehicles sit in a government impound lot outside this northwestern city including a patrol car,
a military pickup and a tractor-trailer, casualties of a recent terrifying shootout between drug gang henchmen and Mexican security forces.
In a central district where the worst of the violence took place, blown-out windows have been replaced and bullet holes are plastered over
on restaurants, convenience stores and a home where the son of Mexico's notorious drug lord was believed to have been holed up.
Those physical scars of the Oct. 17 gunbattles — what's come to be known as "black Thursday" by residents of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa
and a stronghold of the Sinaloa cartel long led by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán — are beginning to heal.
But residents are still coming to grips with the worst cartel violence in recent memory, in which 13 people were killed
including at least three innocents caught in the crossfire. More than a week later, it's what's on everyone's lips
, from cab conversations to newspaper editorials, as the city of some 800,000 wonders how to move on.
"For people here in Culiacan, there is a psychosis that it could happen again at any moment,"
said Marco Castillo, a 52-year-old who works in the transportation industry, speaking on the street-side patio of a restaurant
outside of which the gunbattle raged.
"On a social level it is going to leave a scar that will be tarnished by what Culiacan has been through."
Set in an inland valley between the beaches of the Gulf of California and the marijuana plantations of the Sierra Madre Oriental range,
Culiacan is home to major exporters of crops such as tomatoes, chilis and eggplant to U.S. markets.
A low-slung city with few high-rises, its historic center teems with smoky minibuses and families strolling on weekend shopping trips.
Sinaloa has been "El Chapo" territory for about three decades since the cartel was founded, and it's seen dark times.
In 2011, around a high point of Mexico's drug war, nearly 2,000 people were murdered.
But homicides have been on a downward trend more recently with just 695 this year through September, compared with 1,202 for all last year.
So while locals long ago grew accustomed to crime and shootings — mostly between local gangsters — the Oct. 17 firefights were shocking.
Hundreds of gunmen with high-caliber weapons blockaded 19 key intersections and river bridges, setting vehicles aflame
and turning the cityscape into something resembling a war zone with staccato gunfire and columns of smoke rising skyward.
In the face of the fierce response to their ill-fated operation that had cornered Ovidio Guzmán,
federal security officials ordered a retreat and "El Chapo's" son was free to escape.
But the chaos abated only after residents spent hours hunkering down in homes, malls and auto dealerships as the bullets flew.
Outside a car wash where two people died, a smatter of small bloodstains can still be seen on the white exterior wall.
Car wash worker Arturo González Verdugo, 18, said he, too, fears it could happen again and that people of Culiacan are resigned to living with violence.
"I think people are already accustomed to ... the fact that there are bad people," González said. "I don't think it will be forgotten."
Six 24/7 checkpoints have been set up on the main entrances to the city to search for weapons or contraband.
At one, next to a prison where over 50 inmates escaped during the chaos, soldiers and police waved over to the side of the road two young men in a Cooper Mini
with tinted windows and out-of-state plates this weekend.
They peered inside and made the annoyed passenger step out and unzip a backpack.
Clad head-to-toe in police black, a helmet and a heavy flak vest, an officer who was not authorized to speak to the media in an official capacity
said he expects the checkpoints aren't going away any time soon.
Local security officials did not respond to interview requests over the weekend.
There are certainly signs of a return to normalcy.
Hundreds of people came out Saturday to dine and listen to live music on a street off the main square that closes to car traffic at night.
Sinaloa Gov. Quirino Ordaz said state tourism and investment have not been harmed by the shootouts,
which made international news, and that an effort is under way to burnish the state's image.
"It is a team effort," Ordaz was quoted as saying by El Noroeste newspaper.
"We are in the streets, many people are going to the plazas, the malls.
On the contrary, I think Sinaloans are showing the world their great capacity to move ahead."
But plenty remain jittery.
A manager of a restaurant on the street where the worst of the gunbattles took place said business has fallen by 60% since.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons,
the manager said restaurateurs like him need government help to clean up the streets and convince people it's safe.
"We want to get back up," the person said. "Recovery is possible."
Ana Paula Inzunza Mascareño, a 35-year-old psychologist, took visitors from out of town to see the city's shrine to Jesús Malverde,
a Robin Hood-like folk saint revered by many in the narco world.
On tables outside, statuettes of Malverde were on sale plus necklaces bearing the images of "El Chapo"
and the Holy Infant of Atocha — Ovidio Guzmán had one of the latter around his neck in a mugshot-like picture
that surfaced purportedly showing him during the chaos.
Inzunza said she was shopping far from the shootouts when she learned about it.
Family members called each other to make sure everyone was safe, and then remained sheltered in their homes.
She's avoiding going out more than necessary and hopes for peace.
"I think a bit more time has to go by," Insunza said.
"Yes, we have entered normalcy in our jobs, schools and everything, but that uncertainty exists, that little fear ... the less we are outside, the better."
Hundreds of people marched Sunday from a soccer stadium parking lot to a riverside park to call for peace.
"We are here to promote peace, unity," Mayor Jesús Estrada Ferreiro said.
Billed as a nonpartisan demonstration, there was little in the way of concrete demands.
Rather, many say they just want to go back to a life where the dangers in the city,
historically one of the more violent places in Mexico, are a known, manageable quantity.
Guillermo Ibarra Escobar, an urban economist at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa and the author of "Culiacan: City of Fear,"
said his research suggests the drug trade and related economic activity represent about 20% of the state's gross domestic product.
With organized crime inextricably intertwined with society and government over the last 30 years through corruption,
collusion and money-laundering, residents have become used to narcos living in their midst.
"Just as the New Yorker accepts the traffic, just as the inhabitant of Mexico City accepts the smog …
the inhabitant of Culiacan knows how to negotiate the day-to-day of ecologies of fear," Ibarra said.
That was ruptured, he argued, by the ill-conceived raid and ferocious response,
and he believes it could be months before a return to the status quo.
Culiacan residents seem about evenly divided over whether authorities did the right thing in surrendering to the cartel,
and Ibarra predicted they will now be less supportive of future anti-cartel operations after this last one turned the city on its ear.
"There is a kind of routine that lets people calculate how they go about their daily lives," Ibarra said,
"that if they're going to take their child (to school) in the morning,
they won't run across a group of narcos that are going to be shooting at each other and might get their child killed."
___
Associated Press writer Andrés Villarreal and video journalist Gerardo Carrillo in Culiacan contributed to this report.
END
Mexico's Culiacan tries to regroup after fierce gunbattles
By PETER ORSI
yesterday
https://apnews.com/0dcc46ad23b641cd9f4b97e9c842a8fe
CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) — A dozen or so charred vehicles sit in a government impound lot outside this northwestern city including a patrol car,
a military pickup and a tractor-trailer, casualties of a recent terrifying shootout between drug gang henchmen and Mexican security forces.
In a central district where the worst of the violence took place, blown-out windows have been replaced and bullet holes are plastered over
on restaurants, convenience stores and a home where the son of Mexico's notorious drug lord was believed to have been holed up.
Those physical scars of the Oct. 17 gunbattles — what's come to be known as "black Thursday" by residents of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa
and a stronghold of the Sinaloa cartel long led by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán — are beginning to heal.
But residents are still coming to grips with the worst cartel violence in recent memory, in which 13 people were killed
including at least three innocents caught in the crossfire. More than a week later, it's what's on everyone's lips
, from cab conversations to newspaper editorials, as the city of some 800,000 wonders how to move on.
"For people here in Culiacan, there is a psychosis that it could happen again at any moment,"
said Marco Castillo, a 52-year-old who works in the transportation industry, speaking on the street-side patio of a restaurant
outside of which the gunbattle raged.
"On a social level it is going to leave a scar that will be tarnished by what Culiacan has been through."
Set in an inland valley between the beaches of the Gulf of California and the marijuana plantations of the Sierra Madre Oriental range,
Culiacan is home to major exporters of crops such as tomatoes, chilis and eggplant to U.S. markets.
A low-slung city with few high-rises, its historic center teems with smoky minibuses and families strolling on weekend shopping trips.
Sinaloa has been "El Chapo" territory for about three decades since the cartel was founded, and it's seen dark times.
In 2011, around a high point of Mexico's drug war, nearly 2,000 people were murdered.
But homicides have been on a downward trend more recently with just 695 this year through September, compared with 1,202 for all last year.
So while locals long ago grew accustomed to crime and shootings — mostly between local gangsters — the Oct. 17 firefights were shocking.
Hundreds of gunmen with high-caliber weapons blockaded 19 key intersections and river bridges, setting vehicles aflame
and turning the cityscape into something resembling a war zone with staccato gunfire and columns of smoke rising skyward.
In the face of the fierce response to their ill-fated operation that had cornered Ovidio Guzmán,
federal security officials ordered a retreat and "El Chapo's" son was free to escape.
But the chaos abated only after residents spent hours hunkering down in homes, malls and auto dealerships as the bullets flew.
Outside a car wash where two people died, a smatter of small bloodstains can still be seen on the white exterior wall.
Car wash worker Arturo González Verdugo, 18, said he, too, fears it could happen again and that people of Culiacan are resigned to living with violence.
"I think people are already accustomed to ... the fact that there are bad people," González said. "I don't think it will be forgotten."
Six 24/7 checkpoints have been set up on the main entrances to the city to search for weapons or contraband.
At one, next to a prison where over 50 inmates escaped during the chaos, soldiers and police waved over to the side of the road two young men in a Cooper Mini
with tinted windows and out-of-state plates this weekend.
They peered inside and made the annoyed passenger step out and unzip a backpack.
Clad head-to-toe in police black, a helmet and a heavy flak vest, an officer who was not authorized to speak to the media in an official capacity
said he expects the checkpoints aren't going away any time soon.
Local security officials did not respond to interview requests over the weekend.
There are certainly signs of a return to normalcy.
Hundreds of people came out Saturday to dine and listen to live music on a street off the main square that closes to car traffic at night.
Sinaloa Gov. Quirino Ordaz said state tourism and investment have not been harmed by the shootouts,
which made international news, and that an effort is under way to burnish the state's image.
"It is a team effort," Ordaz was quoted as saying by El Noroeste newspaper.
"We are in the streets, many people are going to the plazas, the malls.
On the contrary, I think Sinaloans are showing the world their great capacity to move ahead."
But plenty remain jittery.
A manager of a restaurant on the street where the worst of the gunbattles took place said business has fallen by 60% since.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons,
the manager said restaurateurs like him need government help to clean up the streets and convince people it's safe.
"We want to get back up," the person said. "Recovery is possible."
Ana Paula Inzunza Mascareño, a 35-year-old psychologist, took visitors from out of town to see the city's shrine to Jesús Malverde,
a Robin Hood-like folk saint revered by many in the narco world.
On tables outside, statuettes of Malverde were on sale plus necklaces bearing the images of "El Chapo"
and the Holy Infant of Atocha — Ovidio Guzmán had one of the latter around his neck in a mugshot-like picture
that surfaced purportedly showing him during the chaos.
Inzunza said she was shopping far from the shootouts when she learned about it.
Family members called each other to make sure everyone was safe, and then remained sheltered in their homes.
She's avoiding going out more than necessary and hopes for peace.
"I think a bit more time has to go by," Insunza said.
"Yes, we have entered normalcy in our jobs, schools and everything, but that uncertainty exists, that little fear ... the less we are outside, the better."
Hundreds of people marched Sunday from a soccer stadium parking lot to a riverside park to call for peace.
"We are here to promote peace, unity," Mayor Jesús Estrada Ferreiro said.
Billed as a nonpartisan demonstration, there was little in the way of concrete demands.
Rather, many say they just want to go back to a life where the dangers in the city,
historically one of the more violent places in Mexico, are a known, manageable quantity.
Guillermo Ibarra Escobar, an urban economist at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa and the author of "Culiacan: City of Fear,"
said his research suggests the drug trade and related economic activity represent about 20% of the state's gross domestic product.
With organized crime inextricably intertwined with society and government over the last 30 years through corruption,
collusion and money-laundering, residents have become used to narcos living in their midst.
"Just as the New Yorker accepts the traffic, just as the inhabitant of Mexico City accepts the smog …
the inhabitant of Culiacan knows how to negotiate the day-to-day of ecologies of fear," Ibarra said.
That was ruptured, he argued, by the ill-conceived raid and ferocious response,
and he believes it could be months before a return to the status quo.
Culiacan residents seem about evenly divided over whether authorities did the right thing in surrendering to the cartel,
and Ibarra predicted they will now be less supportive of future anti-cartel operations after this last one turned the city on its ear.
"There is a kind of routine that lets people calculate how they go about their daily lives," Ibarra said,
"that if they're going to take their child (to school) in the morning,
they won't run across a group of narcos that are going to be shooting at each other and might get their child killed."
___
Associated Press writer Andrés Villarreal and video journalist Gerardo Carrillo in Culiacan contributed to this report.
END
AZMEX EXTRA-2 19-10-19
AZMEX EXTRA-2 19 OCT 2019
AMLO and Trump agree to take actions to "freeze" arms trafficking
López Obrador received a call from Trump, who expressed his solidarity with the case of Ovidio Guzmán that unleashed violence in Culiacán.
By El Universal
October 19
https://www.elimparcial.com/mexico/AMLO-y-Trump-acuerdan-tomar-acciones-para-congelar-trafico-de-armas--20191019-0046.html
AMLO and Trump held a phone call where they played the subject of Culiacán, Sinaloa.
OAXACA, Oaxaca.- The presidents of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the United States, Donald Trump,
agreed to take immediate action to "freeze" the traffic of high-power weapons to our country,
such as those used by organized crime last Thursday in Culiacán, Sinaloa,
in the failed operation against Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
This was reported by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón
when he announced the issues discussed in the telephone conversation between both leaders.
"I want to ask you, said the President (López Obrador) that using technology in the two countries,
we will close, at the border, freeze the arms traffic that is causing casualties in Mexico,
and President Trump's response was that he it seemed very good that it is done based on technology
, "Ebrard said that was one of the issues in the call that both heads of state held this morning.
The Foreign Minister said that the 50-caliber weapons used by criminal groups last Thursday are typical of a war
and had continued the operation against the alleged drug trafficker, he estimated, would have caused more than 200 civilian casualties.
Ebrard Casaubón explained that yesterday an extraordinary work table of the high-level group of Mexico-United States
was held in which the Security Cabinet, its American counterpart, Ambassador Cristhoper Landau,
as well as representatives of the DEA and of The American embassy
They agreed that next week together with the Secretary of Security, Alfonso Durazo and his counterparts from the United States
would meet to present immediate actions to achieve the objective of freezing,
not reducing, freezing arms trafficking to Mexico from the United States.
END
AMLO and Trump agree to take actions to "freeze" arms trafficking
López Obrador received a call from Trump, who expressed his solidarity with the case of Ovidio Guzmán that unleashed violence in Culiacán.
By El Universal
October 19
https://www.elimparcial.com/mexico/AMLO-y-Trump-acuerdan-tomar-acciones-para-congelar-trafico-de-armas--20191019-0046.html
AMLO and Trump held a phone call where they played the subject of Culiacán, Sinaloa.
OAXACA, Oaxaca.- The presidents of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the United States, Donald Trump,
agreed to take immediate action to "freeze" the traffic of high-power weapons to our country,
such as those used by organized crime last Thursday in Culiacán, Sinaloa,
in the failed operation against Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
This was reported by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón
when he announced the issues discussed in the telephone conversation between both leaders.
"I want to ask you, said the President (López Obrador) that using technology in the two countries,
we will close, at the border, freeze the arms traffic that is causing casualties in Mexico,
and President Trump's response was that he it seemed very good that it is done based on technology
, "Ebrard said that was one of the issues in the call that both heads of state held this morning.
The Foreign Minister said that the 50-caliber weapons used by criminal groups last Thursday are typical of a war
and had continued the operation against the alleged drug trafficker, he estimated, would have caused more than 200 civilian casualties.
Ebrard Casaubón explained that yesterday an extraordinary work table of the high-level group of Mexico-United States
was held in which the Security Cabinet, its American counterpart, Ambassador Cristhoper Landau,
as well as representatives of the DEA and of The American embassy
They agreed that next week together with the Secretary of Security, Alfonso Durazo and his counterparts from the United States
would meet to present immediate actions to achieve the objective of freezing,
not reducing, freezing arms trafficking to Mexico from the United States.
END
AZMEX EXTRA 19-10-19
AZMEX EXTRA 19 OCT 2019
Note: some very interesting details . photos, etc. at the link: Thanks again to Borderland Beat.
Gracias
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Ovidio Guzman: Weapons used by Sinaloa Cartel sicarios in Culiacán, Mexico
Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat TY Doc from ARES
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2019/10/ovidio-guzjman-weapons-used-by-sinaloa.html#more
Yesterday, Mexican law enforcement units, supported by elements of the Mexican military, arrested Ovidio Guzmán López, son of Joaquín "Chapo" Guzmán Loera, during an operation in Colonia Tres Ríos, Culiacán. It remains unclear how targeted this operation was. According to government officials, a patrol came under fire from a house during routine operations and detained Mr. Guzmán López after securing the building.
In response to this arrest, dozens of sicarios ('hitmen'; sometimes translated as 'soldiers') of the Sinaloa cartel unleashed chaos in the streets of Culiacán, the capital of the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Over more than four hours, they set up at least 19 blockades in the streets by seizing large buses and trucks, and setting fire to them. Armed criminals fanned out across much of the city. In effect, they managed to lay siege to the central area near the Humaya and Tamazula rivers. Reinforcements from both government (military, federal and state police, and Guardia Nacional) and cartel units streamed towards the area, but were hampered by roadblocks.
After a series of intense shootouts resulting in casualties on both sides, government forces released Mr. Guzmán López. Reports of kidnapped Mexican soldiers and police and military family members spread via WhatsApp channels monitored by ARES, followed by voice messages stating that the "patrón" was finally being released. During the operation at least six sicarios were killed. It seems that a prison heist was also staged, facilitating the escape of more than 40 criminals. According to government statements, at least 14 different shoot-outs took place, and a small unit of Mexican soldiers appears to have been captured and later released.
Sicarios were equipped with a mix of small arms. These include a range of both AK (primarily 7.62 × 39 mm; at least one 5.56 × 45 mm example was observed) and AR-15 (5.56 × 45 mm) platform rifles, as well as FN Herstal Minimi / M249 SAW belt-fed machine guns (5.56 × 45 mm), and handguns including Beretta and Glock models. Many of the AK rifles had features consistent with Romanian origin. At least one M72-series shoulder-fired rocket launcher and two unidentified revolvers were also observed. Following the woundings and capture of police and military members, it is possible cartel forces have acquired additional firepower. Videos purported to show at least two captured weapons: an AR-type rifle and a short-barrelled FX-05 Xihucóatl.
Body armour and load-bearing equipment were used by many cartel members, including examples marked 'Marina' (Marines) or 'Policía Estatal' (State Police). Even ballistic helmets were seen in use. Modern optics, including AimPoint types and the distinctive Vism ECO 4×34 model were seen. Other firearms accessories were also observed, including laser aiming modules; aftermarket furniture such as fore-ends, stocks, vertical grips; and white lights. Many sicarios were observed carrying small UHF radios. The cartel operated primarily from white-coloured vehicles, with some sources indicated that as many as 50 vehicles may have been stolen to facilitate the cartel response.
Despite this range of personal weaponry and equipment, the cartel's firepower superiority inside the city was achieve due to light weapons, and especially the employment of technicals: civilian pick-up trucks used to carry heavy machine guns. At least four different technicals were used during the incident, with one being disabled by government forces. It's noteworthy that the disabled technical is the one with a gunner cupola on it, which negates a clear advantage that these technicals exploit: being able to pass visually as civilian vehicles until they manoeuvre to firing positions, and later merge again into traffic. Several more technicals were observed moving toward the affected area during and following the most intense periods of fighting.
.50 BMG (12.7 × 99 mm) calibre heavy machine guns have historically been used by cartels to disable armoured vehicles, belonging to both police and military units, and those belonging to other cartels and criminal groups. Weapon chambered for this calibre are also much more effective against targets in cover, especially in an urban environment, than small arms fire. These are also the primary reasons for the acquisition and use of .50 BMG anti-materiel rifles. In Culiacán, several M2-type heavy machine guns were observed fitted to the technicals described above. In addition, at least one Barrett M82-series anti-material rifle was employed. One .30 calibre M1919 machine gun was also seen.
Access to light weapons and the platforms to deploy them provided a significant advantage. Range, accuracy, and anti-armour capability can provide a tremendous advantage in an urban area, especially where government forces were restricted in their ability to reinforce units in the besieged area. Numbers and violence of action, supported by capabilities traditionally associated with non-state actors in areas of open conflict, gave the upper hand to the Sinaloa cartel.
Editor's Note: Readers should be aware that an unusually large number of false posts have been associated with the incident in Culiacán. These include images and video from movies, TV shows, and various other incidents in Mexico and elsewhere around the world, presented as being from this incident. Numerous sources have also presented images of police personnel, including plainclothes personnel, as sicarios. The material presented herein has been subjected to an abbreviated verification process, in order to keep this article timely. Readers are advised accordingly. ARES is currently preparing more detailed analyses for our clients. At the time of publication, sporadic clashes are continuing. New information may not be reflected in this article.
With thanks to confidential sources in Mexico, @abraxasspa and @on_point_skillz. All images sourced from Mexican social media via the ARES CONMAT Database. Header image from MbS News.
End
Note: some very interesting details . photos, etc. at the link: Thanks again to Borderland Beat.
Gracias
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Ovidio Guzman: Weapons used by Sinaloa Cartel sicarios in Culiacán, Mexico
Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat TY Doc from ARES
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2019/10/ovidio-guzjman-weapons-used-by-sinaloa.html#more
Yesterday, Mexican law enforcement units, supported by elements of the Mexican military, arrested Ovidio Guzmán López, son of Joaquín "Chapo" Guzmán Loera, during an operation in Colonia Tres Ríos, Culiacán. It remains unclear how targeted this operation was. According to government officials, a patrol came under fire from a house during routine operations and detained Mr. Guzmán López after securing the building.
In response to this arrest, dozens of sicarios ('hitmen'; sometimes translated as 'soldiers') of the Sinaloa cartel unleashed chaos in the streets of Culiacán, the capital of the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Over more than four hours, they set up at least 19 blockades in the streets by seizing large buses and trucks, and setting fire to them. Armed criminals fanned out across much of the city. In effect, they managed to lay siege to the central area near the Humaya and Tamazula rivers. Reinforcements from both government (military, federal and state police, and Guardia Nacional) and cartel units streamed towards the area, but were hampered by roadblocks.
After a series of intense shootouts resulting in casualties on both sides, government forces released Mr. Guzmán López. Reports of kidnapped Mexican soldiers and police and military family members spread via WhatsApp channels monitored by ARES, followed by voice messages stating that the "patrón" was finally being released. During the operation at least six sicarios were killed. It seems that a prison heist was also staged, facilitating the escape of more than 40 criminals. According to government statements, at least 14 different shoot-outs took place, and a small unit of Mexican soldiers appears to have been captured and later released.
Sicarios were equipped with a mix of small arms. These include a range of both AK (primarily 7.62 × 39 mm; at least one 5.56 × 45 mm example was observed) and AR-15 (5.56 × 45 mm) platform rifles, as well as FN Herstal Minimi / M249 SAW belt-fed machine guns (5.56 × 45 mm), and handguns including Beretta and Glock models. Many of the AK rifles had features consistent with Romanian origin. At least one M72-series shoulder-fired rocket launcher and two unidentified revolvers were also observed. Following the woundings and capture of police and military members, it is possible cartel forces have acquired additional firepower. Videos purported to show at least two captured weapons: an AR-type rifle and a short-barrelled FX-05 Xihucóatl.
Body armour and load-bearing equipment were used by many cartel members, including examples marked 'Marina' (Marines) or 'Policía Estatal' (State Police). Even ballistic helmets were seen in use. Modern optics, including AimPoint types and the distinctive Vism ECO 4×34 model were seen. Other firearms accessories were also observed, including laser aiming modules; aftermarket furniture such as fore-ends, stocks, vertical grips; and white lights. Many sicarios were observed carrying small UHF radios. The cartel operated primarily from white-coloured vehicles, with some sources indicated that as many as 50 vehicles may have been stolen to facilitate the cartel response.
Despite this range of personal weaponry and equipment, the cartel's firepower superiority inside the city was achieve due to light weapons, and especially the employment of technicals: civilian pick-up trucks used to carry heavy machine guns. At least four different technicals were used during the incident, with one being disabled by government forces. It's noteworthy that the disabled technical is the one with a gunner cupola on it, which negates a clear advantage that these technicals exploit: being able to pass visually as civilian vehicles until they manoeuvre to firing positions, and later merge again into traffic. Several more technicals were observed moving toward the affected area during and following the most intense periods of fighting.
.50 BMG (12.7 × 99 mm) calibre heavy machine guns have historically been used by cartels to disable armoured vehicles, belonging to both police and military units, and those belonging to other cartels and criminal groups. Weapon chambered for this calibre are also much more effective against targets in cover, especially in an urban environment, than small arms fire. These are also the primary reasons for the acquisition and use of .50 BMG anti-materiel rifles. In Culiacán, several M2-type heavy machine guns were observed fitted to the technicals described above. In addition, at least one Barrett M82-series anti-material rifle was employed. One .30 calibre M1919 machine gun was also seen.
Access to light weapons and the platforms to deploy them provided a significant advantage. Range, accuracy, and anti-armour capability can provide a tremendous advantage in an urban area, especially where government forces were restricted in their ability to reinforce units in the besieged area. Numbers and violence of action, supported by capabilities traditionally associated with non-state actors in areas of open conflict, gave the upper hand to the Sinaloa cartel.
Editor's Note: Readers should be aware that an unusually large number of false posts have been associated with the incident in Culiacán. These include images and video from movies, TV shows, and various other incidents in Mexico and elsewhere around the world, presented as being from this incident. Numerous sources have also presented images of police personnel, including plainclothes personnel, as sicarios. The material presented herein has been subjected to an abbreviated verification process, in order to keep this article timely. Readers are advised accordingly. ARES is currently preparing more detailed analyses for our clients. At the time of publication, sporadic clashes are continuing. New information may not be reflected in this article.
With thanks to confidential sources in Mexico, @abraxasspa and @on_point_skillz. All images sourced from Mexican social media via the ARES CONMAT Database. Header image from MbS News.
End
Friday, October 25, 2019
AZMEX EXTRA 25-10-19
AZMEX EXTRA 25 OCT 2019
Note: photo at link:
Best contribution from the US to Mexico: stop the arms trafficking
Details Published on Friday, October 25, 2019,
Written by Notimex
http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=138267
CDMX
The head of the SRE, Marcelo Ebrard, considers that this is better than the delivery of weapons or helicopters; asks the US to monitor its border line to avoid arms trafficking
Foreign Secretary (SRE), Marcelo Ebrard, said that the most important contribution that the United States government can make in the fight against crime is not that it gives Mexico weapons or helicopters, but that it stops the illegal arms traffic .
At the morning press conference of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the foreign minister indicated that the illicit arms trade determines the fire capacity of the adversary of the institutions responsible for public security in Mexico and therefore, said,
(stop that traffic ) would be the most important contribution that the US government can make.
In National Palace, he commented that a meeting was held on Monday attended by the head of the Secretariats of Citizen Protection, National Defense and Marine, as well as the National Guard, which was attended by the United States ambassador to Mexico , Christopher Landau, and his team, to know specifically what that country will do in the fight against arms.
He recalled that since August 27, when there was still no ambassador, there was a high-level group to establish a security strategy with the U.S. and Mexico put their proposals on the table.
"For Mexico, there is a real effort by the United States to reduce illicit arms trafficking" and to do its homework on security in the area of security in the border area that corresponds to it, he said.
He commented that at the meeting this Monday, the Ministry of Public Safety presented a catalog of weapons, not only for what happened last week in Culiacán, Sinaloa, but for the recount that was made so far this year on this issue.
Marcelo Ebrard mentioned that next week, the Secretariat will share the catalog of weapons, the United States measures to stop traffic and what Mexico has done on the matter, in a coordinated manner with customs and other instances.
What is involved is to prevent illicit arms trafficking, what we ask the United States is to monitor its border and that they review what they see passing to the Mexican side, as Mexico does from its territory, he said.
END
Note: photo at link:
Best contribution from the US to Mexico: stop the arms trafficking
Details Published on Friday, October 25, 2019,
Written by Notimex
http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=138267
CDMX
The head of the SRE, Marcelo Ebrard, considers that this is better than the delivery of weapons or helicopters; asks the US to monitor its border line to avoid arms trafficking
Foreign Secretary (SRE), Marcelo Ebrard, said that the most important contribution that the United States government can make in the fight against crime is not that it gives Mexico weapons or helicopters, but that it stops the illegal arms traffic .
At the morning press conference of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the foreign minister indicated that the illicit arms trade determines the fire capacity of the adversary of the institutions responsible for public security in Mexico and therefore, said,
(stop that traffic ) would be the most important contribution that the US government can make.
In National Palace, he commented that a meeting was held on Monday attended by the head of the Secretariats of Citizen Protection, National Defense and Marine, as well as the National Guard, which was attended by the United States ambassador to Mexico , Christopher Landau, and his team, to know specifically what that country will do in the fight against arms.
He recalled that since August 27, when there was still no ambassador, there was a high-level group to establish a security strategy with the U.S. and Mexico put their proposals on the table.
"For Mexico, there is a real effort by the United States to reduce illicit arms trafficking" and to do its homework on security in the area of security in the border area that corresponds to it, he said.
He commented that at the meeting this Monday, the Ministry of Public Safety presented a catalog of weapons, not only for what happened last week in Culiacán, Sinaloa, but for the recount that was made so far this year on this issue.
Marcelo Ebrard mentioned that next week, the Secretariat will share the catalog of weapons, the United States measures to stop traffic and what Mexico has done on the matter, in a coordinated manner with customs and other instances.
What is involved is to prevent illicit arms trafficking, what we ask the United States is to monitor its border and that they review what they see passing to the Mexican side, as Mexico does from its territory, he said.
END
Thursday, October 24, 2019
AZMEX SPECIAL 24-10-19
AZMEX SPECIAL 24 OCT 2019
Note: Thanks to the good guys at Borderland Beat. AMLO is, of course, a leftist.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Narco Suspicions Against AMLO
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2019/10/narco-suspicions-against-amlo.html#more
In a low voice, Mexico has been talking, for a long time,
about the peculiar relationship of the Government of President López Obrador with the drug cartels,
particularly with the one headed by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán (now imprisoned for life and convicted in the United States), the Sinaloa Cartel.
The comments rose in tone after the serious incidents of last Thursday, when the city of Culiacán was held by the cartel for several hours
and subtracted authority of the Mexican State.
Culiacán is not just any city: it is the capital of the state of Sinaloa and has about 900,000 inhabitants (a population similar to the total of Cyprus,
a third more than the total of Luxembourg, almost three times that of Iceland,
or similar to cities like San Francisco or Indianapolis in the United States),
with a state GDP per capita of 148,680 pesos per year, equivalent to $7,780 US dollars (data from INEGI 2017),
lower than the Mexican average but higher than that of India, for example.
It is therefore not a city without importance, isolated or marginal.
The city of Culiacán, Sinaloa was taken hostage by the Sinaloa Cartel, last Thursday, October 17
, in order to achieve the release of the son of "El Chapo", Ovidio Guzman,
apparently arrested by the Mexican Government in an operation at his girlfriend's house
to complete an extradition request from the United States Government.
The aforementioned operation was conducted by the new National Guard, with only 30 elements,
without an arrest warrant or strategy, without communication or request for support with the Army or local authorities.
In response, it only took the cartel 15 minutes to change to a small but fearfully armed army, surround the National Guard,
control the city through blockades and threaten the housing unit where the families of soldiers from the military headquarters in the region live.
In the end, after a few hours,
López Obrador's government had to hand over Ovidio Guzmán to them, to restore order in the city and cease the threats of the cartel.
In this manner, the Cartel demonstrated to his own and strangers that it can easily destabilize the Mexican Government,
paralyze and kidnap any city in the country, attack the Army with impunity in their own homes
and subject the population at will through terror and blackmail. In view of the ease and its results,
it would not be uncommon to see other similar cases soon.
In his apology, López Obrador argues that by freeing the son of the boss he saved thousands of lives. Maybe.
But it should not be forgotten that he himself and his Government were who first put them in grave danger,
with an insufficient, chaotic and improvised operation.
So thanking or cheering for your decision is a nonsense: it means rewarding incapable planning and failed execution of the operation,
parts of a public safety strategy that simply does not work.
It is to excuse irresponsibility. It is to agree with a ridiculous rule of law.
It is as the old Mexican adage goes: to want to cover the sun with a finger, to defend a government
that to those who were in the middle of the shooting or hiding and terrified in their homes or jobs, simply does not help them.
It is fooling ourselves.
Governor of Sinaloa with Pres Lopez Obrador
The Government of López Obrador simply does not work, public institutions have been inoperative and overwhelmed.
This, in principle, by the inability of a government that does not distinguish between the use of force to repress
and its use to enforce the rights of life, property and freedom of its fellow citizens.
López Obrador does not seem to understand that not every use of government force is repression.
In this sense, avoiding deaths happens precisely by preserving the individual rights of citizens.
Otherwise, given the manifest incapacity, allow citizens to arm themselves and defend themselves, on their own.
On the sidelines, however, it is urgent in Mexico to legislate for the free acquisition and carrying of firearms.
What happened in Culiacán would be a great negligence and incapacity of López Obrador and his government.
But it could also mean something else, different, intentional.
Therefore, we must ask ourselves the question that many today can only think:
Was López Obrador financed by the Cartel at some point in his long political career,
which would force him to preferential treatment at least towards that cartel?
Maybe.
The opacity of his personal income in the last 14 years, the suspicion about the resources of his different campaigns,
the endless scandals about his financing (Bejarano, Mandoki, contracts in the government of Marcelo Ebrard,
the «voluntary cooperations» to the PRD and MORENA of government employees or Eva Cadena)
speak at least of an unscrupulous handling in financial matters.
A preferential treatment to the Sinaloa cartel can be traced at least from the management of immigration privileges
for the mother of "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, Consuelo Loera, so that she could visit her son in the United States,
and López Obrador's condolences for the conviction of the narco criminal:
"Nobody deserves something like that," López Obrador said, untouched by the fate of the multi assassin.
Or that the "lopezobradorista" Security Secretary himself possesses properties that once belonged to drug traffickers,
or that in other posts he has employed characters linked to the cartels
or that one of his children has shared a school classroom with Ovidio Guzmán himself. ( The Security Secretary, ie)
Like cherry on the cake, there was the press conference of the lawyers of the Guzmán Loera family,
thanking President López Obrador for having released Ovidio.
We saw criminals thanking a president publicly in a media show for not arresting a known criminal with an extradition warrant ?
On top of all that they invited him to their operations center, Badiraguato,
to celebrate it and inaugurate a university for which the Guzmán family will fund!
All this throws a disturbing suspicion, which transcends the possible inability of the government:
the operation to detain Ovidio Guzman was planned and deliberately executed to fail.
Thus, the president sought to look good with the cartel,
externally earning the animosity of the United States Government.
He simply tried to look good with God and the Devil.
In the end, whether it was an operation "planned" for incompetence or ill-intentioned,
the serious thing is the message it sends to the other drug cartels
(some with much greater fire capacity than that of Sinaloa)
and other criminal groups: anything goes against an accomplice kneeling government.
So what happened last Thursday, will happen again, sooner or later,
and perhaps more seriously, to everyone's misfortune.
Sol Prendido for Borderland Beat from: Lapolaka
End
Note: Thanks to the good guys at Borderland Beat. AMLO is, of course, a leftist.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Narco Suspicions Against AMLO
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2019/10/narco-suspicions-against-amlo.html#more
In a low voice, Mexico has been talking, for a long time,
about the peculiar relationship of the Government of President López Obrador with the drug cartels,
particularly with the one headed by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán (now imprisoned for life and convicted in the United States), the Sinaloa Cartel.
The comments rose in tone after the serious incidents of last Thursday, when the city of Culiacán was held by the cartel for several hours
and subtracted authority of the Mexican State.
Culiacán is not just any city: it is the capital of the state of Sinaloa and has about 900,000 inhabitants (a population similar to the total of Cyprus,
a third more than the total of Luxembourg, almost three times that of Iceland,
or similar to cities like San Francisco or Indianapolis in the United States),
with a state GDP per capita of 148,680 pesos per year, equivalent to $7,780 US dollars (data from INEGI 2017),
lower than the Mexican average but higher than that of India, for example.
It is therefore not a city without importance, isolated or marginal.
The city of Culiacán, Sinaloa was taken hostage by the Sinaloa Cartel, last Thursday, October 17
, in order to achieve the release of the son of "El Chapo", Ovidio Guzman,
apparently arrested by the Mexican Government in an operation at his girlfriend's house
to complete an extradition request from the United States Government.
The aforementioned operation was conducted by the new National Guard, with only 30 elements,
without an arrest warrant or strategy, without communication or request for support with the Army or local authorities.
In response, it only took the cartel 15 minutes to change to a small but fearfully armed army, surround the National Guard,
control the city through blockades and threaten the housing unit where the families of soldiers from the military headquarters in the region live.
In the end, after a few hours,
López Obrador's government had to hand over Ovidio Guzmán to them, to restore order in the city and cease the threats of the cartel.
In this manner, the Cartel demonstrated to his own and strangers that it can easily destabilize the Mexican Government,
paralyze and kidnap any city in the country, attack the Army with impunity in their own homes
and subject the population at will through terror and blackmail. In view of the ease and its results,
it would not be uncommon to see other similar cases soon.
In his apology, López Obrador argues that by freeing the son of the boss he saved thousands of lives. Maybe.
But it should not be forgotten that he himself and his Government were who first put them in grave danger,
with an insufficient, chaotic and improvised operation.
So thanking or cheering for your decision is a nonsense: it means rewarding incapable planning and failed execution of the operation,
parts of a public safety strategy that simply does not work.
It is to excuse irresponsibility. It is to agree with a ridiculous rule of law.
It is as the old Mexican adage goes: to want to cover the sun with a finger, to defend a government
that to those who were in the middle of the shooting or hiding and terrified in their homes or jobs, simply does not help them.
It is fooling ourselves.
Governor of Sinaloa with Pres Lopez Obrador
The Government of López Obrador simply does not work, public institutions have been inoperative and overwhelmed.
This, in principle, by the inability of a government that does not distinguish between the use of force to repress
and its use to enforce the rights of life, property and freedom of its fellow citizens.
López Obrador does not seem to understand that not every use of government force is repression.
In this sense, avoiding deaths happens precisely by preserving the individual rights of citizens.
Otherwise, given the manifest incapacity, allow citizens to arm themselves and defend themselves, on their own.
On the sidelines, however, it is urgent in Mexico to legislate for the free acquisition and carrying of firearms.
What happened in Culiacán would be a great negligence and incapacity of López Obrador and his government.
But it could also mean something else, different, intentional.
Therefore, we must ask ourselves the question that many today can only think:
Was López Obrador financed by the Cartel at some point in his long political career,
which would force him to preferential treatment at least towards that cartel?
Maybe.
The opacity of his personal income in the last 14 years, the suspicion about the resources of his different campaigns,
the endless scandals about his financing (Bejarano, Mandoki, contracts in the government of Marcelo Ebrard,
the «voluntary cooperations» to the PRD and MORENA of government employees or Eva Cadena)
speak at least of an unscrupulous handling in financial matters.
A preferential treatment to the Sinaloa cartel can be traced at least from the management of immigration privileges
for the mother of "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, Consuelo Loera, so that she could visit her son in the United States,
and López Obrador's condolences for the conviction of the narco criminal:
"Nobody deserves something like that," López Obrador said, untouched by the fate of the multi assassin.
Or that the "lopezobradorista" Security Secretary himself possesses properties that once belonged to drug traffickers,
or that in other posts he has employed characters linked to the cartels
or that one of his children has shared a school classroom with Ovidio Guzmán himself. ( The Security Secretary, ie)
Like cherry on the cake, there was the press conference of the lawyers of the Guzmán Loera family,
thanking President López Obrador for having released Ovidio.
We saw criminals thanking a president publicly in a media show for not arresting a known criminal with an extradition warrant ?
On top of all that they invited him to their operations center, Badiraguato,
to celebrate it and inaugurate a university for which the Guzmán family will fund!
All this throws a disturbing suspicion, which transcends the possible inability of the government:
the operation to detain Ovidio Guzman was planned and deliberately executed to fail.
Thus, the president sought to look good with the cartel,
externally earning the animosity of the United States Government.
He simply tried to look good with God and the Devil.
In the end, whether it was an operation "planned" for incompetence or ill-intentioned,
the serious thing is the message it sends to the other drug cartels
(some with much greater fire capacity than that of Sinaloa)
and other criminal groups: anything goes against an accomplice kneeling government.
So what happened last Thursday, will happen again, sooner or later,
and perhaps more seriously, to everyone's misfortune.
Sol Prendido for Borderland Beat from: Lapolaka
End
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
AZMEX SPECIAL 23-10-19
AZMEX SPECIAL 23 OCT 2019
El Chapo's son believed to be hiding out in Mexico after release
by Yami VirginTuesday, October 22nd 2019
https://kfoxtv.com/news/nation-world/el-chapos-son-believed-to-be-hiding-out-in-mexico-after-release
SAN ANTONIO — Unlike his father, El Chapo's younger son, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, only lasted a few hours in custody.
He was captured and released last week when the Mexican government claimed it was "too dangerous" to keep him in custody.
The video of the scene gives an idea of what happened after his arrest.
Thursday, "El Raton" or "Raton Nuevo" was found in his home by Mexican law enforcement.
Although he was released by the Mexican government, it hasn't changed anything here in the states
where El Chapo's son continue to be on the DEA's most wanted list.
"El Chapo Guzman's son Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar has been involved in narcotics trade, involved with his father,
trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, across the southwest border," DEA Agent Dante Sorianello said.
Guzman-Salazar has been charged federally out of Illinois with conspiring to distribute
cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico and other countries into the United States.
Authorities said they believe he's hiding out in Mexico.
So is there an amount of time before a warrant just disappears and the DEA doesn't find them?
"No it will stay on the books," Sorianello said. "To have it removed from the books or a warrant removed
you would have to request dismissal charges."
If he is arrested in Mexico again, and not released again as the Mexican president has promised,
the United States would ask for them to be extradited
and be brought to justice here in the U.S.
following in the footsteps of their father El Chapo.
END
El Chapo's son believed to be hiding out in Mexico after release
by Yami VirginTuesday, October 22nd 2019
https://kfoxtv.com/news/nation-world/el-chapos-son-believed-to-be-hiding-out-in-mexico-after-release
SAN ANTONIO — Unlike his father, El Chapo's younger son, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, only lasted a few hours in custody.
He was captured and released last week when the Mexican government claimed it was "too dangerous" to keep him in custody.
The video of the scene gives an idea of what happened after his arrest.
Thursday, "El Raton" or "Raton Nuevo" was found in his home by Mexican law enforcement.
Although he was released by the Mexican government, it hasn't changed anything here in the states
where El Chapo's son continue to be on the DEA's most wanted list.
"El Chapo Guzman's son Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar has been involved in narcotics trade, involved with his father,
trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, across the southwest border," DEA Agent Dante Sorianello said.
Guzman-Salazar has been charged federally out of Illinois with conspiring to distribute
cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico and other countries into the United States.
Authorities said they believe he's hiding out in Mexico.
So is there an amount of time before a warrant just disappears and the DEA doesn't find them?
"No it will stay on the books," Sorianello said. "To have it removed from the books or a warrant removed
you would have to request dismissal charges."
If he is arrested in Mexico again, and not released again as the Mexican president has promised,
the United States would ask for them to be extradited
and be brought to justice here in the U.S.
following in the footsteps of their father El Chapo.
END
Fwd: [FWD: Mexico Proves it]
Note: another "Need to Read"Thx
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Mexico Proves it
From: "Gun Dynamics" <news@gundynamics.com>
Date: Wed, October 23, 2019 10:47 am
To:
VIEW IN BROWSER
Patriot,
Mexico undeniably fits the definition of a failed state. Last Thursday the Mexican government launched a poorly planned operation in Culiacán, Sinaloa to capture, Ovidio Guzman, a son of jailed Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. The operation was a total failure.
Ovidio Guzman was taken captive by the Mexican Military and an all-out battle ensued. The Mexican military underestimated the Sinaloa Cartel's rapid response. The cartel blockaded streets and patrolled Culiacán with Kalashnikovs and .50 caliber machine guns mounted on trucks. Government forces were surrounded by the cartel and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador order the military to release Guzman and called for peace. Lopez Obrador said, "This decision was taken to protect citizens. You cannot fight fire with fire," Obrador continued, "We do not want deaths. We do not want war."
This is a weak president negotiating from a weak position. The President of Mexico admitted that the Sinaloa Cartel could launch a war against the country. Who has control of Mexico?!
Politicians and "journalists" are already pointing the finger at U.S. gun laws. But, few blame systemic corruption in Mexico, the illegal drug trade, the porous border, or culture. You the law-abiding armed citizen are the problem.
Culiacán should be the final wakeup call for U.S. politicians. But it won't be. Politicians will continue to call for the disarmament of the Americans while the border remains open.
If the Mexican State of Sinaloa has been coopted by the cartels, what gives lawmaker the hubris to think that the United States will remain unaffected by violence?
It's immoral to ask citizens to disarm while the border remains open.
With your help, Gun Dynamics advocates politically and technically on behalf of the armed citizen. We provide the platform to crowdfund for gun entrepreneurs and alert you to the latest in gun politics. Together we will work to keep the individual armed and free.
For Freedom,
Larry Lapota
Gun Dynamics, President
P.S. The Sinaloa Cartel doesn't care if there is a border and neither do U.S. politicians. Stay vigilant and help Gun Dynamics' efforts to bring the citizen the latest in Gun Technology.
Gun Dynamics
211 Greenwood Avenue, STE 150
Bethel, CT 06801
USA
info@gundynamics.com©2018, All Rights Reserved
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Tuesday, October 22, 2019
AZMEX SPECIAL 18-10-19
AZMEX SPECIAL 18 OCT 2019
El Chapo's family to cover costs of those killed in botched arrest
A civilian, a member of the National Guard, an escaped inmate and five cartel henchmen were among those who died.
Saturday 19 October 2019 06:04, UK
• MEXICO
https://news.sky.com/story/mexico-admits-failure-as-eight-die-in-attempt-to-arrest-el-chapos-son-11839132
The family of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have said they will cover the expenses of those injured and killed
during a failed attempt to capture his son in Mexico.
At least eight died and more than 20 were injured after National Guard officers were overpowered by heavily armed gangsters
as they tried to apprehend Ovidio Guzman on charges of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
Jose Luis Gonzalez Mesa, a lawyer for Guzman's family, said:
"The family apologises to the people of Sinaloa, and particularly to the people of Culiacan.
However many there were, man, no problem, they will help them economically."
A civilian, a member of the National Guard, an escaped inmate and five attackers were among those who lost their lives,
and officials fear the death toll could rise.
Image:
Cartel gunmen took control of the city following the shootout
Ovidio Guzman ended up walking free as the police retreated to prevent loss of life.
A heavy gun battle took place on the streets of the city following the botched operation,
with members of Guzman's cartel attempting to take control of the city from security forces.
Mexico's government has admitted that the operation was bungled - and at a news conference on Friday,
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said:
"The capture of one criminal cannot be worth more than the lives of people.
You cannot fight fire with fire. We do not want deaths. We do not want war."
More from Mexico
• El Chapo's son arrested - then escapes as cartel overpowers police in gun fight
• 13 police officers killed in ambush by gunmen from drug cartel
• Mexican mayor dragged through streets by angry villagers on truck
• Mexico City rollercoaster deaths: Two killed after carriage flips over
• Gunmen steal £2m worth of gold coins and valuables from federal mint in Mexico City
• Peter Chadwick: Property investor on the run over wife's murder arrested in Mexico
Lopez Obrador has been fiercely criticised by security experts for his stance,
as it could encourage copycat incidents and more bloodshed in future.
Image:
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is now serving a life sentence at a supermax prison in the US
Mike Vigil, a former executive at the US Drug Enforcement Administration,
described the violence as a "massive black eye" for Mexico's government, adding:
"This is going to set an example for the other groups.
"It sends them the message that if they capture a member of the cartel,
all they have to do is go in the city and intimidate the citizenry and security forces."
Mexico's defence minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval admitted:
"It was done hastily, the consequences were not considered, the riskiest part wasn't taken into account."
Security minister Alfonso Durazo also acknowledged the National Guard's sting was a "failure" -
and he said that he and top brass in the military had not been informed about the operation owing to a bureaucratic error.
El Chapo's son escapes arrest amid gunfight
During the unrest, cartel gunmen blocked main roads and seizing toll booths,
with others occupying major junctions.
Some of the cartel gunmen even turned their fire on to a housing complex where the wives and children of soldiers live,
in an effort to show their power and influence.
As a result of the frenzy in the city, 56 inmates at the local prison rioted,
seized weapons and escaped, with 49 still at large on Friday.
Lopez Obrador set up the National Guard to replace the federal police and take in thousands of soldiers,
but instead many of them are working an immigration beat
as a result of US President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal migration through the country and over the country's shared border.
The shootout became the third clash in less than a week between police and cartel gunmen.
END
El Chapo's family to cover costs of those killed in botched arrest
A civilian, a member of the National Guard, an escaped inmate and five cartel henchmen were among those who died.
Saturday 19 October 2019 06:04, UK
• MEXICO
https://news.sky.com/story/mexico-admits-failure-as-eight-die-in-attempt-to-arrest-el-chapos-son-11839132
The family of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have said they will cover the expenses of those injured and killed
during a failed attempt to capture his son in Mexico.
At least eight died and more than 20 were injured after National Guard officers were overpowered by heavily armed gangsters
as they tried to apprehend Ovidio Guzman on charges of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
Jose Luis Gonzalez Mesa, a lawyer for Guzman's family, said:
"The family apologises to the people of Sinaloa, and particularly to the people of Culiacan.
However many there were, man, no problem, they will help them economically."
A civilian, a member of the National Guard, an escaped inmate and five attackers were among those who lost their lives,
and officials fear the death toll could rise.
Image:
Cartel gunmen took control of the city following the shootout
Ovidio Guzman ended up walking free as the police retreated to prevent loss of life.
A heavy gun battle took place on the streets of the city following the botched operation,
with members of Guzman's cartel attempting to take control of the city from security forces.
Mexico's government has admitted that the operation was bungled - and at a news conference on Friday,
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said:
"The capture of one criminal cannot be worth more than the lives of people.
You cannot fight fire with fire. We do not want deaths. We do not want war."
More from Mexico
• El Chapo's son arrested - then escapes as cartel overpowers police in gun fight
• 13 police officers killed in ambush by gunmen from drug cartel
• Mexican mayor dragged through streets by angry villagers on truck
• Mexico City rollercoaster deaths: Two killed after carriage flips over
• Gunmen steal £2m worth of gold coins and valuables from federal mint in Mexico City
• Peter Chadwick: Property investor on the run over wife's murder arrested in Mexico
Lopez Obrador has been fiercely criticised by security experts for his stance,
as it could encourage copycat incidents and more bloodshed in future.
Image:
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is now serving a life sentence at a supermax prison in the US
Mike Vigil, a former executive at the US Drug Enforcement Administration,
described the violence as a "massive black eye" for Mexico's government, adding:
"This is going to set an example for the other groups.
"It sends them the message that if they capture a member of the cartel,
all they have to do is go in the city and intimidate the citizenry and security forces."
Mexico's defence minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval admitted:
"It was done hastily, the consequences were not considered, the riskiest part wasn't taken into account."
Security minister Alfonso Durazo also acknowledged the National Guard's sting was a "failure" -
and he said that he and top brass in the military had not been informed about the operation owing to a bureaucratic error.
El Chapo's son escapes arrest amid gunfight
During the unrest, cartel gunmen blocked main roads and seizing toll booths,
with others occupying major junctions.
Some of the cartel gunmen even turned their fire on to a housing complex where the wives and children of soldiers live,
in an effort to show their power and influence.
As a result of the frenzy in the city, 56 inmates at the local prison rioted,
seized weapons and escaped, with 49 still at large on Friday.
Lopez Obrador set up the National Guard to replace the federal police and take in thousands of soldiers,
but instead many of them are working an immigration beat
as a result of US President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal migration through the country and over the country's shared border.
The shootout became the third clash in less than a week between police and cartel gunmen.
END
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
AZMEX UPDATE 8-10-19
AZMEX UPDATE 8 OCT 2019
Border Patrol agent found dead while on duty in Arizona
BY KTAR.COM | OCTOBER 7, 2019 AT 11:00 AM
UPDATED: OCTOBER 7, 2019 AT 6:47 PM
https://ktar.com/story/2780035/border-patrol-agent-found-dead-while-on-duty-in-arizona/
PHOENIX – A U.S. Border Patrol agent died after apparently falling and hitting his head while on duty in a remote part of southern Arizona on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
Robert Hotten, 44, was responding to sensor activity on Mount Washington when he stopped communicating with fellow agents via radio, Tucson Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Roy Villareal said during a news conference Monday.
"The agents began to search for him, found him unresponsive and then immediately began lifesaving efforts," Villareal said.
Hotten couldn't be airlifted because of the rugged terrain in the area, Villareal said, and it was difficult to get medical equipment to him.
"It appears that he had fallen and may have hit his head on some rocks. … At this stage we're not sure if that was the cause of death or if there was some other underlying effect," Villareal said. (?).
Agents wound up hiking up the mountain with a defibrillator and rescue basket in efforts to safe Hotten's life, he said.
They eventually carried Hotten for 25 minutes in the basket, known as a litter, to where he could be airlifted. He was transported to a hospital in Nogales, where he was pronounced dead.
"The effort that was put forward by the agents out there was heroic," Villareal said, noting that the rescue attempt went on for several hours.
Hotton, who is survived by a wife and son, is the 14th Tucson Sector border agent to die in the line of duty, Villareal said.
Villareal said a group of around seven migrants in the country illegally apparently set off the sensor that Hotten and two other agents responded to. One person was taken into custody, he said.
The FBI was investigating the incident, he said.
Agent Joe Curran told KTAR News 92.3 FM that Hotten was found south of Patagonia, about 18 miles northeast of Nogales.
"Anytime one of our own passes away in the line of duty, it's just a stark reminder of the dangers that all our Border Patrol agents face day in and day out in doing this job," Curran said.
Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan
✔
@CBPMarkMorgan
Last night, we lost one of our own, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Hotten. Agent Hotten was found unresponsive while on patrol in AZ. Agent Hotten, Class 910, served for 10 years in USBP. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, son, loved ones, and colleagues.
Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan said Hotten had served in the agency for 10 years.
END
Border Patrol agent found dead while on duty in Arizona
BY KTAR.COM | OCTOBER 7, 2019 AT 11:00 AM
UPDATED: OCTOBER 7, 2019 AT 6:47 PM
https://ktar.com/story/2780035/border-patrol-agent-found-dead-while-on-duty-in-arizona/
PHOENIX – A U.S. Border Patrol agent died after apparently falling and hitting his head while on duty in a remote part of southern Arizona on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
Robert Hotten, 44, was responding to sensor activity on Mount Washington when he stopped communicating with fellow agents via radio, Tucson Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Roy Villareal said during a news conference Monday.
"The agents began to search for him, found him unresponsive and then immediately began lifesaving efforts," Villareal said.
Hotten couldn't be airlifted because of the rugged terrain in the area, Villareal said, and it was difficult to get medical equipment to him.
"It appears that he had fallen and may have hit his head on some rocks. … At this stage we're not sure if that was the cause of death or if there was some other underlying effect," Villareal said. (?).
Agents wound up hiking up the mountain with a defibrillator and rescue basket in efforts to safe Hotten's life, he said.
They eventually carried Hotten for 25 minutes in the basket, known as a litter, to where he could be airlifted. He was transported to a hospital in Nogales, where he was pronounced dead.
"The effort that was put forward by the agents out there was heroic," Villareal said, noting that the rescue attempt went on for several hours.
Hotton, who is survived by a wife and son, is the 14th Tucson Sector border agent to die in the line of duty, Villareal said.
Villareal said a group of around seven migrants in the country illegally apparently set off the sensor that Hotten and two other agents responded to. One person was taken into custody, he said.
The FBI was investigating the incident, he said.
Agent Joe Curran told KTAR News 92.3 FM that Hotten was found south of Patagonia, about 18 miles northeast of Nogales.
"Anytime one of our own passes away in the line of duty, it's just a stark reminder of the dangers that all our Border Patrol agents face day in and day out in doing this job," Curran said.
Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan
✔
@CBPMarkMorgan
Last night, we lost one of our own, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Hotten. Agent Hotten was found unresponsive while on patrol in AZ. Agent Hotten, Class 910, served for 10 years in USBP. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, son, loved ones, and colleagues.
Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan said Hotten had served in the agency for 10 years.
END
Saturday, October 5, 2019
AZMEX EXTRA 4-10-19
AZMEX EXTRA 4 OCT 2019
Mother, daughter sentenced in federal ammo case
Lorenzo Zazueta-Castro -
September 28, 2019
https://www.themonitor.com/2019/09/28/mother-daughter-sentenced-federal-ammo-case/
A mother and daughter from Rio Grande City were sentenced for their roles in an attempt to transport more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico received their sentence Wednesday, court records show.
U.S. District Judge sentenced Edna Yaritza Zamarripa and her mother, Consuelo Teresita Ramirez Zamarripa, to 46 and 37 months in prison, respectively, records show.
The mother-daughter duo pleaded guilty in December 2018 to federal smuggling charges in an effort to avoid a federal jury trial. In exchange, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining smuggling and transportation charges, records show.
Zamarripa, 26, and her 49-year-old mother, along with a third woman, Sonia Sussette Lucio, were accused of conspiring with each other to export more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition from within the U.S. into Mexico. All three women are United States citizens.
Zamarripa was accused of recruiting Lucio, 23, also of Rio Grande City, to help her export ammo from the U.S. into Mexico.
Lucio, who was sentenced to time served in April of this year, remains on home confinement through April 2020, after which, she will be required to serve three years of supervised release, court documents state.
Federal agents began investigating the trio's conspiracy in 2017, when Lucio was arrested while attempting to export thousands of rounds of ammunition into Mexico through the Rio Grande City port of entry.
On Sept. 5, 2017, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents were conducting surveillance at a sporting goods store in Edinburg and came across Lucio and Ramirez Zamarripa, who were purchasing "a significant amount of ammunition," according to the complaint.
"HSI agents observed Lucio and Consuelo Zamarripa load the ammunition into a black Chrysler 300 and observed them depart from the sporting goods store to Consuelo Zamarripa's residence in Rio Grande City, Texas," the complaint stated.
After dropping off Consuelo at her residence, Lucio headed toward the Rio Grande City port of entry and attempted to cross into Mexico.
HSI agents contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the port and advised them Lucio's vehicle was loaded with ammunition.
CBP officers inspected Lucio's vehicle and found more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition hidden within a speakerbox in the back of the vehicle.
During an interview with federal agents, Lucio admitted her role in the movement of ammo and implicated Edna Zamarripa as the person who recruited her in the scheme.
Less than a year later, in June 2018, HSI agents interviewed Edna and Consuelo Zamarripa at their Rio Grande City residence.
During the interview, Edna admitted to moving ammunition into Mexico on past instances, and at least on one occasion, she told agents she got a hold of a semi-automatic weapon for a person in Mexico, the complaint stated.
"Edna Zamarripa admitted to recruiting Lucio to procure and illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico," the court record shows.
Zamarripa, after the sentencing, was remanded into custody. She and her mother will be required to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.
Her mother, Consuelo, who has been free on a $30,000 bond, will remain free on bond pending a date for self-surrender.
END
Mother, daughter sentenced in federal ammo case
Lorenzo Zazueta-Castro -
September 28, 2019
https://www.themonitor.com/2019/09/28/mother-daughter-sentenced-federal-ammo-case/
A mother and daughter from Rio Grande City were sentenced for their roles in an attempt to transport more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico received their sentence Wednesday, court records show.
U.S. District Judge sentenced Edna Yaritza Zamarripa and her mother, Consuelo Teresita Ramirez Zamarripa, to 46 and 37 months in prison, respectively, records show.
The mother-daughter duo pleaded guilty in December 2018 to federal smuggling charges in an effort to avoid a federal jury trial. In exchange, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining smuggling and transportation charges, records show.
Zamarripa, 26, and her 49-year-old mother, along with a third woman, Sonia Sussette Lucio, were accused of conspiring with each other to export more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition from within the U.S. into Mexico. All three women are United States citizens.
Zamarripa was accused of recruiting Lucio, 23, also of Rio Grande City, to help her export ammo from the U.S. into Mexico.
Lucio, who was sentenced to time served in April of this year, remains on home confinement through April 2020, after which, she will be required to serve three years of supervised release, court documents state.
Federal agents began investigating the trio's conspiracy in 2017, when Lucio was arrested while attempting to export thousands of rounds of ammunition into Mexico through the Rio Grande City port of entry.
On Sept. 5, 2017, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents were conducting surveillance at a sporting goods store in Edinburg and came across Lucio and Ramirez Zamarripa, who were purchasing "a significant amount of ammunition," according to the complaint.
"HSI agents observed Lucio and Consuelo Zamarripa load the ammunition into a black Chrysler 300 and observed them depart from the sporting goods store to Consuelo Zamarripa's residence in Rio Grande City, Texas," the complaint stated.
After dropping off Consuelo at her residence, Lucio headed toward the Rio Grande City port of entry and attempted to cross into Mexico.
HSI agents contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the port and advised them Lucio's vehicle was loaded with ammunition.
CBP officers inspected Lucio's vehicle and found more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition hidden within a speakerbox in the back of the vehicle.
During an interview with federal agents, Lucio admitted her role in the movement of ammo and implicated Edna Zamarripa as the person who recruited her in the scheme.
Less than a year later, in June 2018, HSI agents interviewed Edna and Consuelo Zamarripa at their Rio Grande City residence.
During the interview, Edna admitted to moving ammunition into Mexico on past instances, and at least on one occasion, she told agents she got a hold of a semi-automatic weapon for a person in Mexico, the complaint stated.
"Edna Zamarripa admitted to recruiting Lucio to procure and illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico," the court record shows.
Zamarripa, after the sentencing, was remanded into custody. She and her mother will be required to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.
Her mother, Consuelo, who has been free on a $30,000 bond, will remain free on bond pending a date for self-surrender.
END
Friday, October 4, 2019
AZMEX EXTRA 4-10-19
AZMEX EXTRA 4 OCT 2019
Mother, daughter sentenced in federal ammo case
Lorenzo Zazueta-Castro -
September 28, 2019
https://www.themonitor.com/2019/09/28/mother-daughter-sentenced-federal-ammo-case/
A mother and daughter from Rio Grande City were sentenced for their roles in an attempt to transport more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico received their sentence Wednesday, court records show.
U.S. District Judge sentenced Edna Yaritza Zamarripa and her mother, Consuelo Teresita Ramirez Zamarripa, to 46 and 37 months in prison, respectively, records show.
The mother-daughter duo pleaded guilty in December 2018 to federal smuggling charges in an effort to avoid a federal jury trial. In exchange, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining smuggling and transportation charges, records show.
Zamarripa, 26, and her 49-year-old mother, along with a third woman, Sonia Sussette Lucio, were accused of conspiring with each other to export more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition from within the U.S. into Mexico. All three women are United States citizens.
Zamarripa was accused of recruiting Lucio, 23, also of Rio Grande City, to help her export ammo from the U.S. into Mexico.
Lucio, who was sentenced to time served in April of this year, remains on home confinement through April 2020, after which, she will be required to serve three years of supervised release, court documents state.
Federal agents began investigating the trio's conspiracy in 2017, when Lucio was arrested while attempting to export thousands of rounds of ammunition into Mexico through the Rio Grande City port of entry.
On Sept. 5, 2017, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents were conducting surveillance at a sporting goods store in Edinburg and came across Lucio and Ramirez Zamarripa, who were purchasing "a significant amount of ammunition," according to the complaint.
"HSI agents observed Lucio and Consuelo Zamarripa load the ammunition into a black Chrysler 300 and observed them depart from the sporting goods store to Consuelo Zamarripa's residence in Rio Grande City, Texas," the complaint stated.
After dropping off Consuelo at her residence, Lucio headed toward the Rio Grande City port of entry and attempted to cross into Mexico.
HSI agents contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the port and advised them Lucio's vehicle was loaded with ammunition.
CBP officers inspected Lucio's vehicle and found more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition hidden within a speakerbox in the back of the vehicle.
During an interview with federal agents, Lucio admitted her role in the movement of ammo and implicated Edna Zamarripa as the person who recruited her in the scheme.
Less than a year later, in June 2018, HSI agents interviewed Edna and Consuelo Zamarripa at their Rio Grande City residence.
During the interview, Edna admitted to moving ammunition into Mexico on past instances, and at least on one occasion, she told agents she got a hold of a semi-automatic weapon for a person in Mexico, the complaint stated.
"Edna Zamarripa admitted to recruiting Lucio to procure and illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico," the court record shows.
Zamarripa, after the sentencing, was remanded into custody. She and her mother will be required to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.
Her mother, Consuelo, who has been free on a $30,000 bond, will remain free on bond pending a date for self-surrender.
END
Mother, daughter sentenced in federal ammo case
Lorenzo Zazueta-Castro -
September 28, 2019
https://www.themonitor.com/2019/09/28/mother-daughter-sentenced-federal-ammo-case/
A mother and daughter from Rio Grande City were sentenced for their roles in an attempt to transport more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition into Mexico received their sentence Wednesday, court records show.
U.S. District Judge sentenced Edna Yaritza Zamarripa and her mother, Consuelo Teresita Ramirez Zamarripa, to 46 and 37 months in prison, respectively, records show.
The mother-daughter duo pleaded guilty in December 2018 to federal smuggling charges in an effort to avoid a federal jury trial. In exchange, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining smuggling and transportation charges, records show.
Zamarripa, 26, and her 49-year-old mother, along with a third woman, Sonia Sussette Lucio, were accused of conspiring with each other to export more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition from within the U.S. into Mexico. All three women are United States citizens.
Zamarripa was accused of recruiting Lucio, 23, also of Rio Grande City, to help her export ammo from the U.S. into Mexico.
Lucio, who was sentenced to time served in April of this year, remains on home confinement through April 2020, after which, she will be required to serve three years of supervised release, court documents state.
Federal agents began investigating the trio's conspiracy in 2017, when Lucio was arrested while attempting to export thousands of rounds of ammunition into Mexico through the Rio Grande City port of entry.
On Sept. 5, 2017, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents were conducting surveillance at a sporting goods store in Edinburg and came across Lucio and Ramirez Zamarripa, who were purchasing "a significant amount of ammunition," according to the complaint.
"HSI agents observed Lucio and Consuelo Zamarripa load the ammunition into a black Chrysler 300 and observed them depart from the sporting goods store to Consuelo Zamarripa's residence in Rio Grande City, Texas," the complaint stated.
After dropping off Consuelo at her residence, Lucio headed toward the Rio Grande City port of entry and attempted to cross into Mexico.
HSI agents contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the port and advised them Lucio's vehicle was loaded with ammunition.
CBP officers inspected Lucio's vehicle and found more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition hidden within a speakerbox in the back of the vehicle.
During an interview with federal agents, Lucio admitted her role in the movement of ammo and implicated Edna Zamarripa as the person who recruited her in the scheme.
Less than a year later, in June 2018, HSI agents interviewed Edna and Consuelo Zamarripa at their Rio Grande City residence.
During the interview, Edna admitted to moving ammunition into Mexico on past instances, and at least on one occasion, she told agents she got a hold of a semi-automatic weapon for a person in Mexico, the complaint stated.
"Edna Zamarripa admitted to recruiting Lucio to procure and illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico," the court record shows.
Zamarripa, after the sentencing, was remanded into custody. She and her mother will be required to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.
Her mother, Consuelo, who has been free on a $30,000 bond, will remain free on bond pending a date for self-surrender.
END
Thursday, October 3, 2019
AZMEX EXTRA 15-9-19
AZMEX EXTRA 15 SEP 2019
Note: from a few days ago.
Tucson couple sentenced in weapons smuggling case
Posted: 1:00 PM, Sep 10, 2019 Updated: 5:22 PM, Sep 10, 2019
By: Phil Villarreal
A Tucson couple was sentenced to five years in prison for weapons smuggling.
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/tucson-couple-sentenced-in-weapons-smuggling-case
TUCSON, Ariz. - A Tucson couple was sentenced to five years in prison for weapons smuggling.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 29-year-old Michael Justin Huynh
and 28-year-old Katie Ellen O'Brien pleaded guilty to smuggling
AK-type and .50 caliber semiautomatic assault rifles from the U.S. into Mexico.
Huynh was sentenced Sept. 3 and O'Brien was sentenced Jan. 16.
The ATF and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
End
Note: from a few days ago.
Tucson couple sentenced in weapons smuggling case
Posted: 1:00 PM, Sep 10, 2019 Updated: 5:22 PM, Sep 10, 2019
By: Phil Villarreal
A Tucson couple was sentenced to five years in prison for weapons smuggling.
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/tucson-couple-sentenced-in-weapons-smuggling-case
TUCSON, Ariz. - A Tucson couple was sentenced to five years in prison for weapons smuggling.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 29-year-old Michael Justin Huynh
and 28-year-old Katie Ellen O'Brien pleaded guilty to smuggling
AK-type and .50 caliber semiautomatic assault rifles from the U.S. into Mexico.
Huynh was sentenced Sept. 3 and O'Brien was sentenced Jan. 16.
The ATF and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
End
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