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Guacamaya Leaks: Yucatan, among the states of southeastern Mexico plagued by cartels

- October 12, 2022

Sedena recognizes that the geographical location of Yucatan makes the State a strategic area for criminal structures.

Confidential reports that are part of the emails obtained by the group Guacamaya Leaks confirm that the southeast of Mexico is plagued by the struggles of criminal groups for the transfer of drugs, and Yucatan is no exception.

In the reports, Sedena acknowledges that the geographical location of Yucatan makes the State a strategic area for criminal structures involved in drug trafficking and illegal human trafficking, coming from Central, South America and the Caribbean.

La Sedena affirms that the Pacific Cartel operates in Panabá and Tizimín, and is headed by Roberto Nájera Gutiérrez, “La Gallina” (arrested in 2017), who directs through Arturo Becerra Ancona “El Borrego”.

In addition, the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel ( CJNG ) is in Progreso and Mérida, led by “Enzo” and/or “Chino” , and focuses its activity on illicit exports of fine wood, “without ruling out that they could be importing chemical substances for manufacturing of synthetic drugs.

The La Familia Epitacio cell, headed by Nicasio Epitacio José, has a presence in Mérida, Progreso and Kanasín, as revealed.

Drug trafficking in Progreso

But it is noteworthy that this  statement, made at a press conference, went almost unnoticed: the official denounced serious drug trafficking in the middle of Progreso maritime custom , surely carried out for years, with the usual money laundering, opening of front companies and the purchase of phantom invoices, an activity in which  Yucatan occupied the first places in the country».

“It will be interesting to follow what happened with the  arrest warrants  against  Calderón León  and the  progressive businessman, because they could be the tip of  something much more serious, involving not only local businessmen, but also foreigners and  Mexican officials “

Things must be so entangled that  Andrés Manuel  López Obrador ‘s team has responded with the militarization of customs and port administration, says Ratti Fernández.

Indeed, since the first days of this month, the new administrator of the  Progreso Customs is Rear Admiral Armando Caballero Vázquez and the general direction of the  Comprehensive Port Administration is in charge of  Vice Admiral  Jorge Carlos Tobilla Rodríguez.

“It is clear that the civilians could not with that package. Hopefully, the sailors will eradicate corruption and document the black and hidden history of the port and customs of Progreso ”, says Víctor Ratti.

The narco hits the southeast of Mexico

The southeast of Mexico is plagued by the struggles of criminal groups for the transfer of drugs (mainly cocaine ), theft of hydrocarbons, kidnapping, extortion, theft of cargo transport, fuel and vehicles, bribery of authorities and drug dealing, as well as the undocumented traffic, recognizes the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena).

In trades called “criminal activities”, the unit identified the groups that operate in states such as Veracruz, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Chiapas and Oaxaca.

Sedena highlights in each of these entities the main presence of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel ( CJNG ) and the Sinaloa Cartel, and to a lesser extent other organizations, such as the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, Los Pelones and cells of Rafael Caro Quintero, in the case of Oaxaca.

The confidential reports are part of the emails obtained by the Guacamaya hacker group, and are dated last August.

What cartels dispute in Veracruz

One of the emails indicates that the CJNG operates in Boca del Río, under the command of Víctor Hugo Meneses Mirón, “La Huga” or “El Choto”, and in Veracruz and La Antigua, under the command of Daniel Arsenio Chávez Cruz, “The black”.

In the southern zone, it has a presence in Cosoleacaque, Oteapan, Zaragoza, Coacotla, Jaltipan and Las Chopas, in the transfer and sale of drugs, collection of fees from migrants, payments to the authorities of the three levels of government and management of resources of origin. illicit

In the central zone, the CJNG has operations in Tres Valles, Tierra Blanca and Los Naranjos . Meanwhile, in the northern zone there is a criminal group called La Sombra, which operates through cells calling themselves the Shadow Group Special Forces, the Shadow Immediate Reaction Group and the Shadow Operational Group.

This group is allegedly led by Martín Martínez Hernández and/or Francisco Mendiola Cisneros, “Comandante Mirinda”, and/or “Comandante Fénix@, and/or “El Pelón”. The Gulf Cartel operates in the municipalities of Ixcatepec and Cerro Azul, headed by Francisco “N”, “Comandante Panchito” and/or “F1”, and the criminal group 35Z, in Emiliano Zapata, Coatepec and Banderilla, under the command of Erick Manuel Lee Becerra “El Güero Lee”.

Criminal cells of Los Zetas do it in the southern part of the state, says the report.

What cartels dispute in Tabasco

The municipalities with the greatest presence of criminal organizations due to the management of the transfer routes and illicit extraction of hydrocarbons, the transfer and distribution of drugs, as well as the smuggling of migrants by criminal organizations are Huimanguillo, Cárdenas, Cunduacán, Centro, Paraíso and Comalcalco. .

“In the state of Tabasco, a climate of insecurity has prevailed, mainly due to the confrontation of criminal groups, which are present, through executions and intimidating messages by placing banners, in whose image and text content is manifested the existing dispute”, says Sedena.

It is the entity that operates the CJNG-La Barredora, under the command of Hernán Bermúdez Requena, “Comandante H”; Carlos Tomas Diaz Rodriguez, “Tomasin”; Euler Ruvalcaba Colorado, “Comandante Rayo” (who is in prison), and Roger Pérez Salazar, “Profe”, plaza boss in Macuspana, Tacotalpa, Jalapa and Teapa, who was kidnapped on March 24 by a beloved command and to date is missing.

For his part, Felipe Mollinedo Montiel, “Águila”, is head of the plaza in Huimanguillo, and Eleazar Sierra Chávez, “Comandante Chelo”, in Playas del Rosario.

In Tabasco they operate, in addition to independent groups dedicated to huachicol, headed by Uriel García Flores, “Pescuezo”; Lucero Naranjo García, “La Patrona”; Tania Libertad Morales, “La Jefa”, and Gerardo Ovando Jiménez, “Yayo” and/or “Tigre”.

The Sedena named Gabriel Eduardo González Alejandro, “Gabo”, as the person who coordinates the transfer and sale of illicit hydrocarbons in Tabasco and Veracruz.

What cartels dispute in Campeche

Criminal activities are centered in El Carmen, Escárcega, Candelaria and Hopelchén, and it is suitable for crime to land aircraft with drugs, according to the military report.

In Campeche, the Sinaloa or Pacific Cartel is led by Adrián Farías Bailón, “Pico Farías”, “Picolín” and/or “Loco”; Antonio Farías González and Fernando Acosta Gutiérrez, with a presence in Escárcega, Candelaria and the Mexico-Guatemala border area.

The Valencia Family, led by the Valencia Salgado brothers, has a presence in Escárcega, Candelaria and Campeche, while Pura Gente Nueva, headed by Samuel Jilton Córdova Hernández, “Samy”, and his sister Soysiquibe Córdova Hernández, “La Bonita”, is in Carmen.

Two independent cells have as leaders Francisco Arcenio Ferrer Kuri, “El Panchillo” -with a presence in El Carmen, Escárcega and Candelaria-, and Franz Kauenhofen Wiebe, “Pancho Loco”, with a presence above all in Hopelchén.

What cartels dispute in Chiapas

The drug trafficking structures have taken advantage of the different routes (air, land, river, sea and rail), as well as the formal and informal border crossings, to introduce drugs into the country destined for the United States, Sedena warned.

The main criminal activities in the state are the transfer of drugs, weapons and illegal immigrants, money laundering through various establishments, in addition to the theft and sale of hydrocarbons, he said.

The Pacific Cartel operates in that entity, dedicated to the transfer of drugs from Central and South America, destined for the center and north of the country, as well as the United States.

In addition, the CJNG, which maintains a presence in Guatemala, was indicated.

There are also local criminal cells -dedicated to the sale and distribution of psychotropic drugs and theft of hydrocarbons- identified as “Los Collazo Gómez” and/or “Chamula Power”, with a presence in San Cristóbal de las Casas; “Los Pelones” and/or “Los Coyotes”, in La Concordia, Venustiano Carranza, Las Rosas, Tzimol and Socoltenango, and “Los Chumises”, related to the Pacific Cartel, with presence in Joaquín Gutiérrez (Quespala), in Frontera Comalapa.

What cartels dispute in Quintana Roo

The entity where Mara Lezama is inaugurated as governor is considered by Sedena as a strategic route for the transfer of drugs from the Caribbean, Central and South America to the United States.

“In addition, due to the important tourist centers, drug dealing, drug and arms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, collection of flats and vehicle theft, are the most profitable illicit activities,” he warned.

As of 2017, he indicated, criminal cells of the CJNG broke into different municipalities, mainly in Benito Juárez, generating an increase in the rates of intentional homicides.

The Pacific Cartel is present in the entity , led by Leticia Rodríguez Lara, “Doña Lety” (she is in prison), which operates through Carlos Alberto Torres, “El Chore”; Héctor Elías Flores Aceves, “El 15”, and Jonjairo Ku Uch, “Zeus”.

In addition , the CJNG , headed by Francisco Hernández Jiménez, “Negro” and/or “Chino”, with a presence in Benito Juárez, Solidaridad and Othón P. Blanco.

A subject identified as Juan José de la Cruz Sánchez, “JJ”, is linked to the CJNG in Cancun, according to the agency.

According to the report, a remnant criminal cell of the Gulf Cartel, with a presence in Playa del Carmen, is led by Pedro Galdámez Orozco, “Rizos”, and Dorian Eduardo Trejo Peña. Likewise, the “Los Pelones” cell is under the command of Omar Alejandro Lara Sánchez, “Soldado”, responsible for criminal activities in Benito Juárez, Puerto Morelos, Solidaridad and Tulum.

There is also an “independent” criminal cell, led by Edgar Armando Puch Rivero, “Alux”, with a presence in Cozumel.

What cartels dispute in Oaxaca

The planting, processing and transfer of all types of drugs is key to organized crime, in addition to being an obligatory step for their trafficking through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to the center and north of the country, Sedena warned.

The CJNG has a presence in that entity through a criminal cell in Loma Bonita, as well as an alliance with local cells that are split from Los Zetas and independent criminal groups in the Papaloapan region.

The Caro Quintero Faction, through criminal cells, has a presence in the coastal region for the transfer of drugs by sea and air, where the local criminal group Los Yglesias operates, led by Manuel Yglesias Rivas, “Pantera”, and Bogar Soto Rodríguez. , “El Bogar”, who at the end of 2019 established alliances with envoys of Rafael Caro Quintero, to facilitate drug trafficking, according to reports.

The Díaz Pantoja criminal cell operates in the Valles Centrales, Sierra Sur and Istmo regions, considered the main drug hoarders (opium gum and marijuana).

Meanwhile, local groups that were part of Los Zetas, known as “Los Oaxaqueños”, “Los Coyunda”, “Los Terán” and “Los Chehuis”, have a presence in the Valles Centrales, Istmo, Costa and Mixteca regions.

In the Mixteca, “Los Alacranes”, “Los Putlecos” and “Catapitas” commit common law crimes.

In the Isthmus region, it is added, there are local criminal cells such as “Los Coyunda” and “Los Reyes”, as well as “Los Chukis”, led by Ángel Alexis Hernández Castillo, “Comandante Phoenix”; “El Cheturo”, headed by José Arturo López Betanzos, “El Cheturo”, and “Los Pilos”, led by the brothers Bricio Vásquez Cruz, “El Pilo”, and Ali Vázquez Cruz, “Ali”.

In the Central Valleys Region, there is a presence of the “Hermanos Ríos Suárez” group, led by Iván Ríos Suárez, “Cuqui”, and Indira Janet Ríos Suárez, “La Chamaca”, who mainly carry out activities related to drug dealing.

Sedena added that in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, especially in the municipality of Juchitán de Zaragoza, violent executions between the “Los Chehuis” criminal gangs, headed by José Luis Terán de la Rosa, “El Chehui”, intensified. and “Los Terán”, headed by Juan Terán Regalado, “El Loco” (currently in prison).

What cartels dispute in Yucatan

Although it is among the entities with the lowest crime rates, Sedena recognizes that its geographical location makes it a strategic area for criminal structures involved in drug trafficking and illegal human trafficking from Central, South America and the Caribbean.

“The criminal activities in the municipalities where the Pacific Cartel has a presence are characterized by the storage, distribution, commercialization and transfer of drugs,” he observed.

This group operates in the municipalities of Panabá and Tizimín, and is headed by Roberto Nájera Gutiérrez , “La Gallina” (arrested in 2017), who directs “El Borrego” through Arturo Becerra Ancona, the Army said.

The CJNG is in Progreso and Mérida, led by “Enzo” and/or “Chino”, and focuses its activity on illicit exports of fine wood, “without ruling out that they could be importing chemical substances for the manufacture of synthetic drugs.”

The La Familia Epitacio cell, headed by Nicasio Epitacio José, has a presence in Mérida, Progreso and Kanasín, with drug distribution, marketing and transfer activities, according to Sedena.

In  Yucatán,  Los Zetas, for example, who were very important more than ten years ago  -the twelve headless men found in  Mérida and other towns in  2008 are attributed to them- now have little presence, says Razur Antonio.

“Its members, in any case, act as  independent criminal cells  and among these, the most relevant, would be that of its former members who are now accountable to  the Northwest Cartel, led by  Juan Gerardo Treviño Chávez ,” he says.

This is a relative of  Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, “el  Zeta 40 “, leader of that group until his arrest in  2013, the date that marked the beginning of the  Los Zetas debacle.

A year earlier, in  2012, in  Mérida, the state police arrested the strong man of  Los Zetas  in the Peninsula:  Mateo Gabriel Domínguez Bouloy

This person, says Razur Antonio, supervised drug dealing operations in  Cozumel and  Cancún, but lived in  Mérida, from where he coordinated his operations.

Domínguez Bouloy, along with the “ Zeta 40 ” and his brother, Omar Treviño Morales, were being held in the Puente Grande high-security prison in  Jalisco, at least until it was closed a few days ago, says the interviewee.

Although there is no updated information, it is known that many of the members of the network managed by Domínguez in the  Peninsula  continue to work for the  Northwest Cartel, in  Quintana Roo and  Yucatán.

By the way, a prominent member of this organization,  Moisés Escamilla May, alias “ El Gordo May ”, a native of  Escárcega, and head of  Los Zetas in  Cancún when twelve people were beheaded in Yucatán in August 2008,  died  last May . , in the infirmary of the  Puente Grande prison, a victim of Covid-19.

Escamilla May was accused of participating in these murders and was serving a  37-year prison sentence.

The Yucatan Post