Prison Sentences for Tijuana Cartel Leader

On 5 Jan 12, the New York Times reported Benjamin Arellano Felix, 58, will not be sentenced no more than 25 years under a plea agreement. After he serves his time in the US, he will then serve the remainder of his time in Mexico for crimes committed there.

Additional Excerpts:

"Francisco Javier Arellano Felix, a younger brother who led the cartel after Benjamin was arrested in Mexico in 2002, was sentenced in San Diego to life in prison in 2007, a year after he was captured by U.S. authorities in international waters off Mexico's Baja California coast."

"Jesus Labra Aviles, a lieutenant under Benjamin Arellano Felix, was sentenced in San Diego to 40 years in prison in 2010."

Full article link: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/01/05/us/AP-US-Drug-War-Arellano-Felix.html?ref=news&pagewanted=print

Mexican Drug War Death Toll from December 2006 to December 2012 is 50,000 NOT 38,000 - See 2012 Trends

On 1 Jan 12, Borderland Beat posted an article that should be considered a baseline read for assessing change in 2012.
The Article, Mexico's Drugs War: Lessons and Challenges cited some interesting observations from "Mexican political scientist Eduardo Guerrero Gutierrez".
Gutierrez made the following notable statements that he believes may shape the upcoming Presidential elections in July 12:
-Since 2006 the Mexican military was deployed to various locations in Mexico to blunt cartel efforts, most of it focused against fighting organizes crime...implying they are affecting police actions in lieu of effective police.
-The death toll in the Mexican Drug War is assessed to be 50,000; just under 17,000 for 2011 alone (based on the current numbers reported...an increase of nearly 10% from 2010. Despite this jump, article noted the "level of violence has stabilized" when compared to the 2009-2010 jump which was 60%.
-There were some positive gains that are noted in the source link listed below.
-The two dominant gangs in Mexico are the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas. The source article noted Sinaloa's focus of effort appears to be more on the business side of trafficking. Los Zetas is less sophisticated and tends to run as thugs in local communities through "extortion rackets".
-The creation of a hydra is a concern. As the Mexican government gains ground by taking down key leaders within the cartels, their actions are contributing to a natural consequence of splintering. Gutierrez seems to imply that without leadership, the cartels are going more localized in their efforts and focus...creating their own independent cells as they lack credibility and effectiveness to act on the level of a major transnational criminal organization. The threat therefore is more to local communities...hence this makes sense why Calderon is increasing his effort to improve/vet police forces providing security and stability in various communities.
Gutierrez's assessment makes sense as the US seemed to experience similar issues when al Qaida in Iraq started to weaken in late 2006-2009. Al Qaida in Iraq functioned very much like the drug cartels in terms of violence, criminal activity, coercion and extortion-the Jihad concept was really an excuse for many to be criminals under the banner of ideology. Actually, the cartels were more physically brutal and less considerate of the indigenous population than al Qaida in Iraq.
Link to last post: http://www.mexdrugcartels.com/2012/01/fw-2012-and-mexican-drug-war-38000.html
Source: Mexico's Drugs War: Lessons and Challenges http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/01/mexicos-drugs-war-lessons-and.html

Mexican Police Official Gets 10 Years In Prison

 

Borderland Beat reported on 30 Dec 11 that former Federal Police regional security coordinator Javier Herrera Valles was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Herrera Valles used his position to assist Sinaloa drug cartel operations. He received 70,000 dollars a month for his services.

Javier was also reported to have his own illegal operations in the Mexican state of Guerrero.

Source: http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/12/ex-police-chief-gets-10-years-for.html

Comment and some Background Information: Collusion between members of the Federal Police of Mexico and the drug cartels is not new. The seeds to the current Mexican Drug War were sown in the 70s...YES, I said that right...the 1970s.

The relationship between narcos and Mexican authorities existed since at least the 70s when Colombian cartels started figuring ways to use Mexico as a transit point for their product into the US. Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, a former Sinaloa Governor bodyguard, and trained Mexican Judicial Federal Police agent, prostituted his relationships (access to corrupt police and legal officials) and skills to Colombian Drug Lords.

Gallardo was the first Mexican Narco leader. He founded the Guadalajara cartel. 1989, Gallardo was arrested for his direct involvement in the early 1985 murder of a former US Marine/DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena.  While in prison, Gallardo’s Guadalajara cartel broke into the now known Tijuana and Sinaloa Cartels.

  

Head of 'Blondies' cartel arrested in Mexico City

28Dec11, Mexico City, Mexico. Mexican authorties reported Luis Rodriguez Olivera aka "Whitey" was arrested at the Mexico City airport. Olivera's gang, "The Blondies" formed short-term alliances with larger Mexican drug cartels to smuggle drugs and conduct other criminal activities.

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/12/28/20111228mexico-drug-cartel-blondies-arrest.html?

US targets money laundering activity for cartels

29Dec11, Associated Press reported the US levied sanctions against two "Lebanese-Colombian Nationals Jorge Fadlallah Cheaitelly and Mohamad Zouheir El Khansa" for moving money for Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. The effort aslo targeted nine other unspecified personalities as well as almost 30 "entities" in China, Lebanon, Panama and Colombia.
Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_US_DRUG_CARTELS?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Part 2 – US Targets Money Laundering Activity for the Cartels

Refer to Post: http://www.mexdrugcartels.com/2011/12/us-targets-money-laundering-activity.html… 29Dec11, Associated Press reported the US levied sanctions against two "Lebanese-Colombian Nationals Jorge Fadlallah Cheaitelly and Mohamad Zouheir El Khansa" for moving money for Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. The effort aslo targeted nine other unspecified personalities as well as almost 30 "entities" in China, Lebanon, Panama and Colombia.
Click on Graphic to access actual PDF of link chart.

Graphic Source:  http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Documents/Chart%20of%20Cheaitelly%20and%20Khansa%20Affiliates.pdf

Hacker Fight? Anonymous message to Zeta cartel and to the Mexican Government

Comment:  It appears the hacker fight is on as
Anonymous message to Zetacartel<http://anonopsibero.blogspot.com/2011/11/anonymous-message-to-zeta-cartel.html>
01:59 ANONYMOUS IBEROAMERICA 12 COMMENTS Y 193 REACTIONS<http://anonopsibero.blogspot.com/2011/11/anonymous-message-to-zeta-cartel.html#disqus_thread>
To los Zetas and other drug cartels and criminal organizations:
THIS IS NOW INTERNATIONAL. THIS IS GLOBAL. YOU CAN TRY TO STOP ANONS IN MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND PERHAPS THE UNITED STATES, BUT YOU CAN'T STOP ANONYMOUS AS IT IS A WORLDWIDE IDEA, A GLOBAL SPIRIT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHOT, IMPOSSIBLE TO BURN IN ACID. STOP YOUR REGIME OF TERROR.WE KNOW WE ARE RISKING OUR LIVES, BUT WE PREFER TO DIE STANDING THAN TO LIVE A WHOLE LIFE ON OUR KNEES. WE DON'T KNOW WHO OR WHAT IS REALLY BEHIND YOU. BUT BELIEVE US, WE WILL FIND OUT. WE RARELY FAIL.
To our fellow citizens of the world, and especially the Mexican People:
THIS IS THE TIME WHEN YOU CAN TAKE THE CHANCE TO ACT ON YOUR OWN BEHALF. THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE WORLD HOW CORRUPT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS, HOW IT IS NOT JUST UNABLE TO PROVIDE SAFETY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES, BUT ALSO IS AN ALLY OF THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT THREATEN EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE. AREN'T YOU TIRED? AREN'T YOU FED UP OF ALL THESE DEATHS? THIS IS THE CHANCE TO SHOW BOTH CRIMINALS AND GOVERNMENT WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE. PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, THIS IS A CALL TO GLOBAL REVOLUTION. THE TIME IS NOW. THE INFORMATION IS YOUR WEAPON. THE RESISTANCE IS YOUR MOTIVATION. YOU CAN COUNT ON US, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU ALONE. AND WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU. WE KNOW SOME OF YOU KNOW THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN YOUR COMMUNITY. SHARE THESE THINGS WITH US AND HELP STOPTHE CORRUPTION.
To the Mexican Government:
WE HAVE WATCHED PATIENTLY HOW SOME OF YOUR MEMBERS OPENLY MAKE DEALS WITH THE CRIMINAL GROUPS INSTEAD OF PROSECUTING THEM. WE HAVE WATCHED HOW YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO YOUR PEOPLE, MANTAINING A WAR ON DRUGS ACTING AS IF YOU WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN PUBLIC HEALTH. THIS IS AN HIPOCRISY FROM YOU. YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR PEOPLE. YOU ONLY WANT TO KEEP MAKING MONEY FROM THE BIG DRUG BUSINESS. YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM MORE POWER THAN PABLO ESCOBAR COULD ONLY HAVE DREAMED OF. AND THIS IS THE TIME WHEN YOU SHOULDSTART DOING SOME CLEANING UP IN YOUR HOUSE. YOU MUST STOP LYING TO YOUR PEOPLE, OR ELSE YOUR LIES WILL BE EXPOSED IN THE MOST DISHONORABLE MANNER. MR. FELIPE CALDERÓN, PLEASE RECONSIDER THIS WAR ON DRUGS. DON'T ATTACK THE SYMPTOMS; ATTACK THE CAUSE. YOU ARE BEING DENOUNCED TO THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT, LONG BEFORE YOUR OFFICE TERM EXPIRES. DOESN'T IT RING ANY BELLS? DOESN'T IT TELL YOU HOW TIRED IS YOUR PEOPLE OF THIS BLOODBATH? WE WOULDN'T TARGET CRIMINAL GROUPS, BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR PEOPLE IS CRYING FOR HELP AND IT ONLY FALLS ON DEAF EARS. DOESN'T IT HURT YOU? DO YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT? WE DON'T, AND WE WILL DEFEND THE PEOPLE WHO, SADLY, YOU SHOULD BE DEFENDING INSTEAD OF SPENDING YOUR TIME TRYING TO SELL THE WORLD THE BIG LIE THAT MEXICO IS A PARADISE. A LIE THAT NO ONE, BY THE WAY, BELIEVES ANYMORE. AND ONE LAST THING: DON'T BOTHER YOURSELF TRYING TO DELETE THIS BLOG AS YOU DID WITH THE LAST ONE<http://anonhispano.foroweb.org/t656-google-nos-ha-cerrado-el-blog-de-anonymous-hispano> ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2011. IT'S BACKED UP AND WE CAN REUPLOAD IT IN 20 MINUTES. STOP CORRUPTION AND CENSORSHIP. WE STILL WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU THINK AT LEAST 5 MINUTES A DAY IN THE WELFARE OF YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
Source: http://anonopsibero.blogspot.com/2011/11/anonymous-message-to-zeta-cartel.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AnonymousIberoamerica+%28Anonymous+Iberoam%C3%A9rica%29
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