La Frontera News

3 Persons Riddled - 2 Dead and 1 Gravely Injured

2008-08-22T07:35:00.012-05:00

Two Men & One Woman Riddled With Bullets - 2 Dead & 1 Gravely Injured

Two men were victims of a group of hitmen, being fired on with assault rifles.

This article appeared in Ojinaga Hoy on August 22, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Chihuahua – August 22, 2008 – Two men were fired on with assault rifles at 02:40 a.m. Monday morning when leaving a restaurant-bar known as ''Santa Cecilia,'' located on Tecnológico Avenue near the corner of Sicomoro Street.

Today's deceased were identified as Victor Manuel Romo, known as ''El Samudio,'' aged 28, who had been living in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, and Saúl Ibuado León, 28, who had his home in the colony Overview this city, informed the State Attorney General of Justicia.

The third victim, who was injured in the attack was first reported by the PGJE to be a man, turned out to be a woman named Felicia Chaparro, 21 years of age, who resides in Las Huertas Subdivision in the city of Delicias, Chihuahua.

Accused Hitman Arrested Worked As Public Security Officer

2008-08-22T07:15:00.022-05:00

Accused Hitman Arrested - Worked As Public Security Officer

Hospitalized In The Capital City

This article appeared in El Sol De Parral on August 22, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Chihuahua, Chihuahua – August 22, 2008 – For two years and two months he worked in the Directorate of Public Security of the city of Parral - in the K9 task force: Luis Fidel Mendoza Sánchez, alleged hitman, was arrested and shot by the army on Monday in Chihuahua, and is currently under guard at the General Hospital in the capital city.

Following a report that the person shot and arrested by the Army on Monday was a cartel hitman, it was found that his job history belonged to the Cuauhtémoc and Parral City Public Security Agencies.

Yesterday it was confirmed that Luis Fidel Mendoza Sánchez served in the Municipal Public Security Bureau of Parral July 31, 2002 until October 2 of 2004, when he submitted his resignation voluntarily.

During his stay in the agency, Mendoza Sánchez was among the ranks of the "K9" group training with engineer Bernard Avitia Talamantes (qepd) while Enrique Villagraán was the Director of Public Safety.

It is noteworthy that never showed an act of indiscipline nor was there any creditable report of any irregularity in his work.

However, on Monday elements of the army seized firearms from him: AK-47s, R-15s, 9 mm pistols, bulletproof vests, boots and military-style uniforms, and also an apocryphal document that proves him to be an active element of the Office of the Republic Prosecutor-General, or PGR.

The capture was recorded at three p.m. at the 115th kilometer of the Cuauhtemoc-La Junta highway, where elements of the army fired at the driver of a white Dodge pick up that did not stop for the military presence.

The driver was injured and upon his arrest they secured his voter card and other identification under the name "Orlando Cisneros Ibarra, also he was carrying a badge of the Attorney General of the Republic with a green stripe on the left side, with National colors of the flag on it and his photo, with his name and folio number 374582 as Agent certifying that was a Federal Investigation Agent of the AFI.

HE REMAINS UNDER GUARD

CAPITAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL

Elements of the Mexican Army guard the Regional Hospital where the ex-policeman of Parral City and Cuauhtemoc and hitman in the service of a drug trafficking cartel Fidel Mendoza is detained under guard.

Soldiers of the fifth military zone are watching the various entrances to Regional Hospital in order to prevent any armed group coming to the hospital with the intention of rescuing the hitman, who since January this year joined the ranks of a drug trafficking cartel.

It should be noted that the subject received three firearm wounds when he failed to stop when ordered by military elements, who chased the vehicle and shot him, as well as his tires to stop his flight.

Monday afternoon a man was shot and detained by members of an Army group who was an agent of the Municipal Police in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc named Fidel Mendoza, who was carrying the same credentials with other names but with his own photograph.

So far his involvement in crimes that occurred on Saturday in Creel have not been proved, however he was arrested in the course of an operation carried out to search for the hired assassins and he is not excluded as one linked to those assasinations.

The detainee is a ex police agent who worked in the administration of Israel Móntes Beltrán and left the agency last December, who regretted that Cuauhtemoc city agents are linked in such acts, but reiterated that his guilt has not yet been confirmed.

It should be noted that Fidel Mendoza was carrying credentials, both as a IFE shopping mall agent and a credential in the name of the PGR under the name of Orlando Cisneros Ibarra.

Elements of the Mexican Army seized him and took away his firearms (AK-47, R-15, 9 mm pistols), bulletproof vests, boots and military-style uniforms, plus a document that showed him to be an asset of the PGR.

The PGR reported that the detainee is under guard by the Mexican Army and that he had given a sworn statement on the facts about what he was wrapped in, and for which he was arrested.

The capture occurred last Monday at three p.m. on the 115 kilometer Cuauhtemoc-La Junta Highway, where elements of the army fired at the driver of a white Dodge pick up white which did not stop for the military presence .

He received wounds from three bullets, so he had to be subjected to some surgeries. Once the detainee recovers from injuries, he will be turned over to the PGR and subsequently to CERESO prison, authorities reported.

Cartel Infiltrates SIEDO

2008-08-13T12:03:00.012-05:00

Beltran-Leyva Drug Cartel Infiltrates the Deputy Attorney's office of Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime (SIEDO)

The Beltran Leyva brothers, who head one of the most violent drug cartels in the country, infiltrated the office of the Attorney General of the Republic, and created a cell comprised of federal public servants

This article appeared in El Universal on August 13, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

El Universal – August 13, 2008 –
From within the Deputy Attorney's office of Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime (English: OFDI, Spanish: SIEDO), three soldiers, two senior officials and an agent served as a shield to this group of drug traffickers.

So far, six civil servants commissioned to combat organized crime have been arrested and detained for 40 days, to be under investigation for their alleged links with Beltran.

PGR (the office of the Attorney General of the Republic) Authorities confirmed to THE UNIVERSAL that among those arrested were Miguel Colorado Gonzalez, who serves as coordinator of technical services for SIEDO, and José Antonio Mejía, coordinator of the Federal Police Agents assigned to this area, in addition to the Federal agent Jorge Alberto Zavala.

Miguel Colorado Gonzalez was a person very close to former head of SIEDO, Noé Ramírez Mandujano, who is not linked to this case.

7 Shot in Less Than 3 Hours

2008-08-12T08:55:00.009-05:00

Seven Riddled In Under Three Hours

These cases of border violence are highlighted with the murder of another transit officer of Ciudad Juárez.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on August 11, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Ciudad Juárez – August 11, 2008 – Within less than three hours, seven men have been executed with bullets and two more have been wounded seriously in this city, including a traffic officer and a teenager.

The traffic officer identified as Rogelio Vargas Lee, along with three other individuals, was mortally wounded at 8:00 in the evening outside his home at Iguala Valley Street and Tenayuca Street front of Technical Secondary School 64.

In the attack by heavily armed commando, a teenager of 12 years by the name of Ricardo Martínez was wounded, who saved his own life by hiding underneath a car, but had to be hospitalized in critical condition.

Rogelio Vargas Lee had already survived a similar attack a month ago, but on that occasion the hitman's weapon jammed and the officer miraculously survived.

For the moment, the crime against the traffic officer is a complete mystery to police agencies, especially since the assassination of the Chief Investigator of the PGJE (Attorney General's Justice Office) that happened this afternoon in Chihuahua.
(See referenced article here)

Decapitated Man Found in Cuauhtémoc

2008-08-11T08:44:00.010-05:00

Decapitated Man Found in Cuauhtémoc

This article appeared in El Diario De Juárez on August 11, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Cuauhtémoc – August 11, 2008 – The decapitated corpse of a yet unidentified person was found on the road leading to Ejido Táscate Águila yesterday during the early hours.

The Deputy Attorney Justice of the Western Zone reported that it was a male between 25 and 30 years of age, approximately 1.70 meters high with brown hair and a dark complexion.

The deceased was wearing a pink long-sleeve shirt, black dress pants, black boots, and a black belt with a cross-shaped buckle. He had a rosary around his neck and was wearing a silver bracelet.

The body was in a prone position with arms bent towards the chest, and was beheaded with his head above the body. On the corpse, there was a card with a message not revealed by the authorities.

According to information provided by the spokeswoman of the agency, Alexa Lara Meraz, the macabre discovery happened around 9:30 am on Sunday, when police officers from the Anahuac branch, gave notice of the facts.

The body of the victim was found on the road leading to the ejido Táscate Águila, about a mile away from Gómez Morín boulevard , where units from the Municipal Public Security arrived and cordoned off the area.

According to forensic pathologists from the Office of Justice in the Western Zone, the cause of death was cerebral laceration caused by the discharge of a firearm.

Ministerial police authorities are investigating the case that joins the long list of executions with similar characteristics happening on a daily basis which the PGJE records in the state.

Policemen Excecuted in Shootout

2008-08-08T15:13:00.011-05:00

Ministerial Police Agents Killed in Shootout

Both Were Stationed in Ojinaga

This article appeared in Ojinaga Hoy on August 8, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Aldama – August 8, 2008 – The two ministerial police agents who were filled full of holes in downtown Aldama, Chihuahua, were on detachment for two years in Ojinaga.

Just when the Secretary of the Interior, Juan Camilo Mouriño was arriving in Chihuahua City, two Ministerial Police officers were executed with bullets in this town, outside of the building's Public Ministery, beside the Municipal Presidency.

The policemen killed were known by the names Victor Alfonso Parada Moreno, aged 29 and Angel Enrique Olivas Stirk, 37, informed the Attorney General of Justice in the State.

Witnesses told police that the hitmen were traveling in a black recent model van, color black, apparently lika a Dodge Durango.

The events occurred around 2 p.m., a few meters from the building where the offices of the Ministerio Publico and Posts and Revenue Collection are, located on Juarez Street, between First and Third streets.

The agents were aboard a green Ford pick up owned by the state government.

After the attack, municipal police approached to try to assist the agents until they could be reached by a Red Cross ambulance, in which they placed one of the agents, but he did not live to arrive at the Regional Hospital in this city.

Dozens of police and federal ministerial arrived on the scene sealing the area where the body of the other agent was.

The bodies were transferred to the facilities of the Forensic Medical Service of Chihuahua, where they will be studied.

INFORMATION FROM COMMUNICATIONS LOG:

I. General Data

1. Crime: Murder

2. Victim: Victor Alfonso Parada Olivas and Angel Enrique Olivas Stirk

3. Place of the acts: Renato Nieto street and Av. Juarez, in front of Recaudación de Rentas in Aldama, Chihuahua

4. Place where found: Renato Nieto street and Av. Juarez, in front of Recaudación de Rentas in Aldama, Chihuahua

5. Date of events: August 5, 2008.

6. Date and time of the report to the Ministerial Police: August 5, 2008, at 14:20 hours.

7. Who generated the report to the Ministerial Police: Radio operations of the State Agency of Investigations.

8. Probable weapon used: firearm caliber 7.62 x 39

9. Unit in charge of research: Specialized Unit for Investigation of Crimes Against Life.

Death Penalty Requested for Kidnappers

2008-08-07T11:42:00.014-05:00

Felipe Calderón Asks for Death Penalty for Kidnappers

This article appeared in La Opción on August 7, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

NOTE: The phrase ''cadena perpétua,'' used in the original article (literally, ''perpetual chain''), is sometimes translated as ''death penalty, and sometimes translated as ''life sentence.''

Los Pinos – August 7, 2008 – President Felipe Calderón announced a new initiative he will send to Congress to introduce capital punishment for kidnappers who are or have been policemen, who plagued people with disabilities and minors, for those maimed or killed their victims and for those who want to take minors out of the country for profit.

Referring to the kidnapping and murder of 14 year old Fernando Marti, a federal agent said that it was urgent that the authorities do their job to fight crime and curb impunity.

"This cowardly act reflects the urgency of putting an end to the impunity with which criminal gangs operate, is an significant act representing thousands of people in Mexico have suffered crimes which remain unpunished," he said.

The Executive recalled that in March last year an initiative was sent Congress to toughen punishment for kidnappers and announced that prompted lawmakers to resume his proposal to "analyze the proposal and my government to penalize with greater force, including the death penalty. "

"It is necessary to stop those for whom cruelty knows no bounds," said a message from his official residence in Los Pinos.

Accompanied by the Attorney General of the Republic, Eduardo Medina Mora, Calderón reiterated his call so that, regardless of political affiliations,agreements will be reached to strengthen the fight against crime.

"This requires us to agree and we join in the fight against crime and society and do the work that we have not done.

"The damage to society requires drastic measures, requires on the one hand that we dispense with the impunity of investigation of crimes and on the other hand that punishments be trully prohibitive," he said.

The head of the Federal Executive reiterated his request for state and municipal governments to modernize and purge their police agencies to improve coordination with federal authorities.

Special Forces Preparing Against Narcotrafickers

2008-08-07T10:51:00.018-05:00

Special Forces Being Prepared Against Narcos

Sedena Trains Special Forces against ''Los Zetas'' (The Zees), ''La Familia'' (The Family), ''Los Pelón'' (The Bald Ones), and ''Los Halcones'' (The Hawks).

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on August 5, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

México DF – August 7, 2008 – The Mexican army high command was ordered to strengthen operational capabilities and logistics of Special Forces Corps, through training courses in which the military is specialized; in parachuting and airmobile military intervention operations.

Training was redirected to specialize in Airtroop Brigade rifle paratrooper operations against the hired assassins known as Zeta (in Tamaulipas), La Familia (in Michoacan), Los Pelon (in Sinaloa) and The Hawks (in Chihuahua), who have been trained in part in joint operations in northern Iraq.

Military sources assured ''The Universal'' that the first phase of these courses was given between December 10th to the 13th, 2007, at the Center for Special Forces training, Temamatla, state of México, and continued until February this year in three steps (levels) at the Military Air Base Number 7 (at Pie de la Cuesta, Guerrero) and the Military Air Base at Zapopán, Jalisco.

There the Special Forces Cells trained in leaping out at night, release of hostages, retaking buildings in urban areas and clashes against armed groups of more than 10 people.

The sources recalled that since April 2007, the Special Forces Rifle Paratrooper Brigade ceased to belong to the Corps, and Special Forces have come under operational and administrative control of the Brigade, whose commander is Brigadier General Pedro Escalera Cobián.

In late 2007, the high command received a detailed diagnosis on the operational capabilities of Special Forces in which they stated that they were not well trained to perform specific tasks, as they lacked the skills necessary to confront aeromobile insertion scenarios and, above all, required high level training to deal with a fire power of drug cartels that could be greater than that faced at other times.

The first phase was completed with difficulty, since the aeromobile insertion exercises were interrupted by flooding of homes in Tabasco and later in other parts of the country.

The Special Forces Brigade Integrated Rifle Paratroopers were sent to the operational headquarters in Chihuahua and Culiacan to confront heavily armed and hired assassins and to head operations against insertion of cells composed of hired assassins from former military (or defectors). According to data from the Army Second Section (Intelligence) and Seventh (operations against Drug Trafficking), they are highly mobile, moving in groups of no more than ten and have increased their capacity in handling weapons of high power.

Another Mexican Public Safety Agent Killed

2008-08-07T10:23:00.004-05:00

Another Mexican Public Safety Agent Killed

Continuing violence on the rise in this region of the state

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on August 7, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Juárez – August 7, 2008 – Another agent belonging to the Municipal Secretariat of Public Security was executed this morning around 6:30 am onboard his vehicle in the colony ''North Division.'' Unofficially, he was identified as Hector Galot, who belonged to the Táctcal Delta Force and had just finished his shift at Chihuahua Station.

Neighbors in the area of Private Pascual Ortiz Street, said that apparently they (the hitmen) did not live in that area, however the red vehicle was constantly seen in the area.

Also, according to witnesses, there were at least two units which participated in the crime with heavily armed men on board.

With this crime, it adds up to 23 municipal policemen killed in this year, three traffic agents, an equal number of officers from the Cipol (Chihuahua Preventative Police), 5 from the State Agency of Investigations, one of the Federal Preventive Police and a sergeant of the Mexican Army.

Meanwhile, arrests of the killers remains at zero for these cases.

The impunity that exists with regard to crimes of the various agencies' officers encourages them to continue occurring on the city streets, according to the same witnesses who see how officers are riddled (filled with holes) in broad daylight. Instead of the Medical Service, Forensics Agents arrived to remove the body which received several shots from a firearm.

The Killing Continues in the State

2008-08-07T10:07:00.009-05:00

Killing Continues in Chihuahua State

Former Municipal Policeman Dies in Fierce Shooting Between Gangs In Delicias; Two more Killed in Chihuahua.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on August 5, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Ciudad Juárez – August 6, 2008 – A former agent of the Municipal Police of Chihuahua died today during a clash between gangs of drug traffickers in the city of Delicias, while in the meantime the owner of a lot of cars and his assistant were executed in Chihuhua when they were within their office.

The event in Delicias occurred in the afternoon when Luis Rodriguez Pacheco, who was a ex-police officer of the municipality of Chihuahua, died in a clash between gangs of drug traffickers. Additionlly, another person named Eloy Renteria was reported injured.

The execution occurred at South San Pedro River Street and Second Street in the downtown area, generating an intense police mobilization ending in the detection of an abandoned Suburban truck, inside which were found weapons and traces of blood.

Moments before in Chihuahua, two men including the owner of a car lot called ''Bravo Automotive,'' which is located on Technological Street at Walnut Street, was found murdered.

So far the names of those killed have not been released, but unofficially it was learned they were the owner of the place and his assistant.

Sías' Second in Command Executed

2008-08-06T11:50:00.019-05:00

Martín Sías' Second In Command Executed

The man was shot point blank in the front doorway of his home.,

This article appeared in El Agora de Chihuahua a on August 6, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Ciudad Juárez - August 6, 2008: The Ministerial Police official known as José Vidal Barraza was executed with heavy caliber weapons. When he was in his house, hired assassins knocked on the door of his home and shot him when he opened the door.

The facts were recorded at 10p.m. at ''Article 32 Street'' and ''March 10th Street,'' resulting in the arrival of dozens of governmental ministry personnel.

It turns out that the executed officer was an agent of the Ministerial Police in Ciudad Juárez and son-in-law of the owner of the Rios Funeral Home.

It is worth noting that with this act there were three state agents executed, because on Tuesday afternoon two ministerial officers were executed in the town of Aldama.

It turns out that the executed man was a close collaborator of Commander Martín Sías, who has been threatened repeatedly with death.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS STORY FROM REUTERS
(See the original story here)

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed a senior police homicide investigator in Ciudad Juarez on the U.S.-Mexico border, the fourth policeman killed in the city this week, an attorney general's office said on Wednesday.

State police commander Vidal Barraza, who was investigating the 600 drug murders in Ciudad Juarez this year, was shot on Tuesday night as he stepped out of his house to meet a friend, the Chihuahua state attorney general's office said.

Barraza was appointed Chihuahua state murder investigator in July. He was barefoot and wearing only a pair of shorts when he was shot in his driveway.

"Witnesses told us they heard rounds of gunfire and then a few single shots," said the spokesman in the Mexican city across the border from El Paso, Texas. He declined to give more details.

Despite the deployment of 3,000 troops and federal police in Ciudad Juarez this year, the city has become Mexico's most violent front in a drug war that has killed 1,900 people nationwide in 2008.

Gun battles have erupted on busy city streets and buildings have been set on fire as Mexico's most-wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, fights drug baron Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, boss of the Juarez cartel, for control of Ciudad Juarez and its lucrative smuggling corridor into the United States. (Reporting by Ignacio Alvarado, editing by Patricia Zengerle)

Mexican Drug Cartel Threatens to Kill Texas News Reporters

2008-08-05T15:25:00.001-05:00

Mexican Drug Cartel Threatens to Kill Texas News Reporters

A CNN video posted on YouTube in mid July, 2008:

In Whose Hands Are We?

2008-08-05T11:41:00.014-05:00

In Whose Hands Are We?

Editorial Commentary by Claudia Lerma Arzola, published in ''Segundo a Segundo'' on August 5th, 2008

This editorial appeared in ''Segundo a Segundo'' a on August 5, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

The latest news that occupies the headlines in the eight columns of our media are frightening because in recent days we learned of the existence of two groups of hired assassins; learned recently in Ciudad Juárez trails were leading back to municipal police, active members of what was supposed to be an agency purified of bad elements (officers). Through a work of fate it was discovered that there are two agents of this corrupt agency, the unscrupulous heads or leaders of criminal groups. One of them, John Gallegos Acosta, was in charge of a group of kidnappers, and another drug agent was responsible for the execution of commander Francisco Norberto Ventura Barrientos, head of the Anti-Gang Unit.

These policemen, who in the mornings are members of the police fighting drug trafficking, and in the evening cover their faces with ski masks and become the executioners of their own comrades, those who were their own fellow academy mates, who partied together and had so many things in common in living the difficult life of being a policeman.

This is more than treason; human corruption being carried to the limit. How is it possible to forget that these people, of whom they take away lives, are their peers and sometimes even their friends?

And that is after all the fuss made by the government to clean up the police forces and to provide evidence of reliability. After they sent "highly qualified" staff from Mexico City, supposedly to give the people security of having a clean policeman force - and then didn't use them much because agencies are still infiltrated by corrupt officers. It seems that the tests were not very reliable or these bad policemen were very intelligent and able to circumvent the entire series of tests applied to them.

Speaking of tests of reliability, what happened with the results? The initiation of these tests was announced with drum and cymbal and our leaders promised the removal of those officers that provide the slightest fault and promised exemplary punishments for those who were discovered with links to organized crime. These promises were in all eight news columns. What happened to all this? Nothing! Everything remained in oblivion and the results of those famous tests of reliability have not been brought to light publicly.

After so much violence and corruption, one no longer knows who to trust. It was not a secret that there was a lot of corruption within the police agencies, but the fact that the policemen have been discovered participating in executions leaves us with a chilling question: ''In whose hands are we?''

Traffic Officer Riddled in Juárez

2008-08-05T11:03:00.008-05:00

Traffic Officer Riddled in Juárez

Add Another Police Agent To The Count At The Border

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on August 5, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Ciudad Juárez – August 5, 2008 – Once again, count another police officer killed at the border:

A traffic officer identified as Miguel Angel Alvarez Hernandez was executed in front of the ''Monument to Cigar,'' shortly after 6 am.

These facts happened on just the second day of work in Ciudad Juárez for Governor Reyes Baeza, when the officer was traveling to work driving a black Durango van.

He was intercepted by an armed commando that effectively riddled the vehicle with more than 50 shots without giving time for anything.

The lightning-fast action was captured by the cameras that monitor undocumented border-crossers at the Rio Bravo (Rio Grande) nearby.

The hired assassins ran, while traffic police fled their jobs. Faced with a commotion due to the resulting protest, the mavericks returned to the ranks of Traffic Police, whose agents returned to work under protest because they are still working disarmed by instructions from 'above.'

Narco-Decapitation Found in Comargo

2008-08-05T10:41:00.004-05:00

Narco-Decapitation Found in Camargo

Continuing violence on the rise in this region of the state

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on August 5, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Ciudad Juárez – August 5, 2008 – One person was found decapitated and gagged last night at kilometre 45 of the road from Camargo to Jimenez.

The discovery occurred yesterday at 23:00 hours (11:00 p.m.), next to an orange gate with metal poles and barbed wire, which is located on that road.

The man, who was not identified, had his hands handcuffed behind the waist, and was wearing blue trousers, a black leather belt, a brown t-shirt, and was wearing a leather bracelet with chrome links chrome on his right wrist.

The head ''today's dead'' was located 4 meters away from the body and presented impacts from projectiles from a firearm in the front.

Bloody Weekend In Juárez, MX

2008-08-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

Bloody Weekend in Juárez, Chihuahua, México:

An older but informative video found on YouTube (Probably from first week of June, 2008):

Juárez businessmen threatened on YouTube

2008-06-12T09:20:00.017-05:00

The Internet ''narcomessages'' continue, say they will burn businesses.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on June 3, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Ciudad Juárez – June 3, 2008 – To all employers and to the community at large, Zaragoza family, Fuentes family, Vega family, Escobar family, Otero family. You already saw what happened with Willy Moya and that their businesses burn, the beginning of the video mentions. (READ MORE - CLICK LINK BELOW VIDEO)

In the next frame, the video says that they will begin to receive calls demanding they pay a fee for protection; if they fail to do so it states, ''we will begin to abduct you and you already saw that you don't play around with us – there are going to be decapitated bodies found laying around.'' The message is signed the drug traffickers known as ''La Línea.''

According to reports from the Deputy Attorney Justice of the state, in the northern village of Caseta, East of Juárez in the farming area of Valle de Juárez, two subjects were executed with bullets.

Meanwhile, on the main street of Villa Matamoros, in the southeast of the state, an individual identified as Enrique Nunez Barrón Núñez, aged 43 was executed with bullets.

In addition to these cases, the ejido Benito Juárez, at the town of Nuevo Casas Grandes, elements of the Ministerial Police located three terminated people, who were tied hand and foot with signs of torture over various parts of the body.

La Frontera News note: Here is the abovementioned YouTube video:

Cartels take drug war to Internet - Video

2008-06-10T10:46:00.002-05:00

Mexican Drug Cartels Take Drug Wars to the Internet

YouTube video with Spanish Audio - we will provide a transcription later...

Drug Lords go after Feds - YouTube CNN video

2008-06-10T10:43:00.003-05:00

A CNN report on the Mexican Drug Cartels' fight against the Mexican Federal agents:

CNN Video from YouTube

2008-06-10T10:26:00.002-05:00

Finally someone in the US sees what's going on!

CNN's Glenn Beck conducts a discussion of these issues:

12 Executions in Chihuahua State

2008-06-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

12 Executed in Chihuahua

8 of them in Juárez, narcoviolence has left 450 in Ciudad Juárez so far this year...

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on June 8, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Ciudad Juárez – June 8, 2008 – The clashes between organized crime gangs left 12 dead in Chihuahua. Eight of the crimes occurred in Ciudad Juarez, adding up to 450 in this city so far this year.

The Ministry of Public Security in Ciudad Juárez said that during Saturday night, in the south of the city, a body was found tied hand and foot, with gunshot wounds in various parts of the body.

Also in Juárez, beside of the church of San Lorenzo, north of the city, they found a man with various impacts of firearm in the body; another man was executed aboard a Chevrolet pickup truck on Juan Gabriel Road and another man found murdered in the Waterfill colony, was inside a 1998 Ford Expedition without registration plates.

Two more yet unidentified men were killed in the Hidalgo colony, north of the city and to the west of Guadalajara colony.

According to reports from the Deputy Attorney Justice of the state, north, in Caseta Village, in the valley farming area of Juárez, two subjects were executed with bullets.

On the main street in Villa Matamoros, in the southeast of the state, an individual identified as Enrique Nunez Barrón, aged 43 was executed with bullets.

In addition to these cases, in Ejido Benito Juárez, near the town of Nuevo Casas Grandes, elements of the Ministerial Police located three people who were terminated, tied hand and foot and with signs of torture over various parts of the body.

Civilians shot at army checkpoint

2008-06-09T10:41:00.002-05:00

Civilian encounter at army checkpoint

There are 4 dead, soldiers lose their heads.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on June 8, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Cuauhtemoc – June 8, 2008 – Confusion triggered a confrontation shortly before 6 pm, at a military checkpoint at the village of Casa Colorada. Uunofficial information indicates that at least four people were killed in an armed confrontation led by elements of the Army, and two soldiers were transferred to an emergency hospital as well.

At present more than 300 soldiers remain in the besieged town.

According to statements by eyewitnesses, these events began when troops were reviewing a black pick up, and a sedan type car, also black, was unable to stop when it arrived at the checkpoint, and the tires squealed loudly.

Immediately troops without a word began firing against civilians in the sedan, causing the vehicle to impact against a pole belonging to the Federal Electricity Commission; the mishap is keeping the whole town without electricity.

Apparently the two people who manned the sedan lost their lives, as did two men travelling on board the black pick up mentioned above. Likewise, two soldiers were injured seriously in the crossfire.

Also it is known that the businessman Corral Salvador Perez was arrested, along with two of his security escorts, who apparently crossed the military checkpont at the precise moment that these events occurred.

Lifeless body found in vehicle

2008-06-09T10:26:00.007-05:00

Lifeless body found in vehicle

The authorities reported that the vehicle had at least 60 bullet holes.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on June 6, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Guachochi – June 6, 2008 – The lifeless body of a man was found in the interior of a vehicle abandoned on the road from Creel to Guachochi. Authorities who arrived on the scene informed us that the vehicle had 60 impacts from bullets.

The deceased, who responded in life to the name of Wilfrano Chaparro Aguirre, aged 43, was found dead from several gunshots in the body, aboard a pick up truck.
A man passing by the road informed the authorities about the incident, and they moved to the scene to establish the facts.

Police agents who arrived at the scene of the crime managed to secure 98 .223 caliber cartridges and 14 .308 caliber cartridges.

Another execution in Ciudad Chihuahua

2008-06-09T10:13:00.004-05:00

Another executed in the Capitol

This afternoon another person was executed between Americas and República de Cuba streets.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on June 6, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

Chihuahua – June 6, 2008 – A man was executed this afternoon at the Pan American zone of the state capital right at the intersection of the streets Republic of Cuba and americas.

The deceased and another person were riding in a cherry colored Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck when they received the bullet wounds causing the death of one and the immediate transfer of the other to the hospital.
Witnesses stated that the assassins were aboard a blue pick up. According to un-official sources, the name of the person killed is Victor Chaparro, while the injured goes by the name of Carlos Munoz.
The injured was immediately transported to a hospital, and his status is not yet known.
More information later…

Yearly Narco Death Record Broken

2008-06-05T17:16:00.004-05:00

Narco Death Record Broken

In Durango, Chihuahua and Sinaloa, war between cartels.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on May 21, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. (See the orginal article here).

No Location Provided – May 21, 2008 – Yesterday the country experienced 34 executions, the most violent day of 2008, starring the narcotraffickers.

Chihuahua and Sinaloa, the entities with the greatest number of assassinations of the year, registered

together 14 executions; meanwhile Tamaulipas and Guerrero reported two assassinations in each state.

The nine assassinations in Chihuahua placed the state at 400 victims of organized crime. In Juarez, on the U.S. Border, there were six murders.

The violent acts were combined with a gunfight in Durango that left at least 16 fatalities, according to mayors, and one wounded, which brought the total to 1,356 executions in 141 days.

The North, especially, is the scene of a bloody war between the drug cartels. Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango have been converted in recent hours into the operations of a battle for control of territories.

These three states, together with Baja California, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí accounted for 980 of the 1,356 victims so far this year.

The federal government maintains that the blows to the financial and operational structures of the cartels have forced the reshuffling of the same, which has generated violence and even executions of relatives of the leaders themselves.

For the Solicitor Justice of the state of Sinaloa, Luis Cardenas Fonseca, his state is experiencing a rise in executions and explains that this is due to two causes: one that responds to the reaction of criminal groups operating in the running in tandem the Federation and the states, and one that has to do with the rearranging of the cartels.

Given this scenario the government restructured its local commanders and police and put career military leaders at the head of the three major police organizations. In Ciudad Juarez a retired military officer assumed leadership of public security, after his predecessor was assassinated nine days ago.

Three Men Riddled in Ojinaga

2008-06-05T17:04:00.005-05:00

Three Men Riddled in Ojinaga

They lose their lives to hit men after intense chase.

This article appeared in El Ágora de Chihuahua on May 20, 2008. This translation is rendered as closely as possible to the original wording. The gory picture is a stock photo of two men in a car, not a truck and not the men in this incident. (See the orginal article here).

Ojinaga – May 20, 2008 - Authorities informed us that three men were assasinated by gunshot after an encounter with those chasing them on the city streets.

The acts occurred at 12 noon, when Aarón Alonso Flores Hernández, 16 years of age, Fernando Flores Solís, 25 years of age, and Alonso Flores Solís, 38 years of age were killed by gunfire.

The last two are brothers and the first, a minor, was Alonso's son (Comment by Frontera News: incorrect – Alonso was Aaron's uncle).

It seems the three men arrived on the streets of Ojinaga from Porvenir, a town located near Juárez City.

The victims fled in the direction of El Mulato, and although chased by the city police, succeded in fleeing without being detained.

The acts occurred on Tercera Street and Hombres Ilustres, in the Magisterial Zone, where the gunfight between the two groups was seen.

The bodies were picked up immediately by Red Cross paramedics. Two died at the hospital and one died in the ambulance during transport.

The deceased lived on 36^th Street and Justo Sierra, in the Porfirio Ornelas Zone, and according to neighbors, had been only arrived in Ojinaga a short while ago.

At the scene of the acts were found a pistol and a dark colored pick up truck with Texas plates and bullet impacts in its body.

Sergio Urías, valet and driver for the Isste Clinic was injured in the scuffle, presenting with a bullet wound in the neck.

He was transferred immediately to Chihuahua City aboard an Isste Ambulance to be attended in the State Capitol.

La Frontera News Note: The Flores (Flores-Solis) family has lived for years in Van Horn, Texas with Alonzo fleeing to México to escape US justice (being wanted by the law in Texas) a few years back. Their parents and many relatives are still living there. Alonzo had been living in Lomas De Arena (see the Geographical Information post earlier) and had fled elsewhere for a while, reportedly to Ciudad Chihuahua, in order to avoid persecution by the cartel. He had apparently recently returned to Ojinaga thinking things had cooled off for him and his family.

Geographical Information

2008-06-05T10:09:00.002-05:00

Geography of the Region
Cities, Towns and Places Mentioned in These Articles

Ojinaga - Across the Rio Grande from Presidio, Texas.
Juárez - Across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.
Ciudad Chihuahua - The State Capitol of the state of Chihuahua, México, about 100 miles southsouthwest of Ojinaga.
Zaragosa - East of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México.
Guadalupe Praxedes - Across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.
Caseta - Across the Rio Grande from Tornillo, Texas.
El Porvenir - Across the Rio Grande from Fort Hancock, Texas.
San Antonio Del Bravo - Across the Rio Grande about halfway between El Paso, Texas and Presidio Texas.
Bosque - Across the Rio Grande from Sierra Blanca, Texas.
Babilón - Across the Rio Grande and roughly across the river from Van Horn, Texas. This is the name shown on Google Maps where Nuevo Porvenir should be.
Ejido Emilio Carranza - Roughly Across the Rio Grande from Van Horn, Texas.
Lomas De Arena - Across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas side-by-side with Ejido Emilio Carranza.
Nuevo Porvenir - Roughly across the Rio Grande from Van Horn, Texas.
Pilares - Across the Rio Grande and southeast of Nuevo Porvenir.
Mulato - Across the Rio Grande from Presidio, Texas and southeast of Ojinaga, Chihuahua, México.

Personalities

2008-06-05T08:21:00.001-05:00

Mexican Officials, Mexican Cartel Personalities, and Other Known Participants
{Note about names in Spanish: The last surname is the mother's maiden name and
the penultimate (next to last) surname is the father's surname.}

Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza - Attorney General from 2006 to present.
Genaro García Luna - Secretariat of Public Safety.
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa - President from December 1, 2006 to present. (65th president)
Vicente Fox Quezada - President from to December 1, 2006 (64th president)

Governmental Organizations

2008-06-05T08:09:00.001-05:00

Governmental Organizations in México

PGR - (Procuraduría General de la República) - Attorney General of México. Wikipedia article is here.
PFP - (Policia Federal Preventiva) - Federal Preventative Police; the uniformed federal police force in México. Wikipedia article is here.
PAN - (Partido Acción Nacional) - The National Action Party - one of the major political parties in Mexican politics, founded in 1939.
PRI - (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) The Institutional Revolutionary Party - one of the major political parties in Mexican politics, founded in 1929 as the "Federal Revolutionary Party" - changed to its current name in 1946.

Cartels & Crime Organizations

2008-06-04T21:35:00.001-05:00

Major Cartels and Criminal Organizations
Operating in México

Gulf Cartel - Based in
Juárez Cartel- Based in Juárez, Chihuahua, México.
Sinaloa Cartel - Based in Sinaloa, México.
Tijuana Cartel - Based in Tijuana, Baja California, México.
Los Zetas - A group of hitmen / enforcers drawn from trained special forces of the Mexican military.

Terminology - Definitions

2008-06-04T21:33:00.001-05:00

Definitions of English terms used

Cartel - A formal (explicit) agreement among firms, usually agreeing on pricing, product output levels, allocation of customers and territories, and the division of profits. In the drug world, read "Narcotics Trafficking Organizations" for "firms." Drug cartels have the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations.

Terminology - Translations

2008-06-04T17:31:00.005-05:00

Translations of Spanish words you will see in this blog

El Ágora - (Ehl AH-goh-rah) - The Meeting Place; one of the major online news sites is "El Ágora De Chihuahua" - the meeting place of Chihuahua. A link is in the "Sources" links on the right hand side of this page.
Acribillar - (Ah-cree-bee-YAHR) - To riddle, as in to fill full of bullet holes.
Acribillan - (Ah-cree-BEE-yahn) - They riddle, they fill full of bullet holes; is riddled, is filled full of bullet holes.
Acribillaron - (Ah-cree-bee-YAH-rohn) - They riddled, they filled full of bullet holes.
Acribillaban - (Ah-cree-bee-YAH-bahn) - They riddled, they filled full of bullet holes.
Calcinar - (Cahl-see-NAHR) - To burn up, to cremate.
Calcinan - (Cahl-SEE-nahn) - They burn up, they cremate; is burned up, is cremated.
Calcinaron - (Cahl-see-NAHR-ohn) - They burned up, they cremated.
Calcinaban - (Cahl-see-NAH-bahn) - They burned up, they cremated.
El Diario - (Ehl Dee-AH-rdee-yoh) - "The Daily." A newspaper, published in several cities, including Ciudad Juárez in the State of Chihuahua. A link is in the "Sources" links on the right hand side of this page.
Ejido - (Eh-HEE-though) - Something similar to a rural commune community; a collective group of people that live and work on a determined piece of property as a community.
La Plaza - (Lah PLAH-ssah) - The franchise to allow drugs to be moved in and through a particular zone or territory.
La Placita - (La plah-SEE-tah) - same as la plaza.
Sicario - (See-CAH-rdee-yoh) - Hitman - derived from Latin Sicarii via Italian.