Borderland Beat |  |
- San Antonio: Former Coahuila Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering
- CAF cell leader arrested in Mazatlan, Sinaloa.
- Breaking: "El Atlante" Rumored to Have Been Arrested in Jalisco
- Texas Identifies 7 Mexican Cartels operating in the state
- Calderon "I would have started sooner, with greater force"
San Antonio: Former Coahuila Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Posted: 18 Sep 2014 02:40 AM PDT By Chivís Martínez for Borderland Beat  The former treasurer of Coahuila, during the Humberto Moreira governorship, Javier Villareal Hernandez, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy of money laundering in federal court in San Antonio, Texas. He continued as treasurer for a short while in 2011, during the interim governorship of Governor Jorge Juan Torres-Lopez, who took the helm when Moreira resigned to become the national PRI president. Torres was charged with money laundering and other financial crimes in the state of Texas Among other Coahuila charges, Villareal is accused of being involved in falsifying documents to obtain loans on behalf of the State. Villareal, and the Moreira administration racked up a debt from around 200 million to 35 billion dollars in just five years. From 2008, while serving as Coahuila's treasurer, Villarreal took out loans worth $246 million dollars in the state's name. He also is charged with receiving kickbacks for state contracts, and from a Coahuila coal mining company, a front for Los Zetas cartel. He funneled the funds into extensive Texas real estate holdings, and bank accounts in Bermuda and Texas, in the names of family members. In October 2011, Villarreal Hernandez was arrested and admitted to a prison in the state capital of Saltillo proceeding an arrest warrant issued by the Second Judge of in Criminal Matters of the judicial district of Saltillo, for his alleged responsibility in the commission of offenses Using False Documents and to Fraud. However, after posting bond, he fled, and was a fugitive in Mexico and Texas. In February  Ultimately,he gave himself up in El Paso Texas in February, 2014. He was charged with money laundering of drug trafficking proceeds, bribery and fraud. Today the 43 year old Villareal, plead guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and conspiring to transport stolen money in foreign commerce in the San Antonio case and guilty in another charge in Corpus Christi of conspiring to launder money. Prosecutors dismissed one count of money laundering for the guilty plea of conspiracy of money laundering. He could receive a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the money laundering counts and to five years on the money transporting charge. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez presided over the case, and has not yet set a sentencing date.  Astonishingly, former governor Humberto Moreira, is yet to be charged with any wrongdoing, although the scandal forced his resignation as chief of the PRI national presidency. His brother Ruben became the governor after Torres, and currently is the governor of Coahuila The brothers suffered a fracture in their once close relationship, and no longer speak. Humberto Moreira was named by Forbes Magazine as one of "The 10 Most Corrupt Mexicans in 2013". He was enraged at the infamous nod, and threatened to sue the magazine. As expected, his bluster amounted to nothing. (photo of the Ten is below) Too bad. If he filed a civil suit against Forbes, he would not have a choice but to testify and answer some interesting questions about all the missing Coahuila funds during his governorship.   | ||
CAF cell leader arrested in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. Posted: 17 Sep 2014 04:53 PM PDT
Salvador Alcala Gonzalez aka "El Chava" a prominent member of the Tijuana cartel and one of the most wanted criminals by the FBI was arrested in Mazatlan, Sinaloa by elements of the Mexican Army and Federal Police. Mexican authorities arrested Alcala Gonzalez under an extradition warrant issued against him. The Mexican National Security Commission informed of the capture of CAF´s cell leader and mentioned it was the result of intelligence work which followed Alcala over several cities in the northern pacific in Mexico in which he moved. It was noted that at the moment of his arrest Alcala tried to bribe the authorities to no avail. Salvador Alcala Gonzalez is wanted in the United States of America facing charges of conspiration to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine in the southern district of California. In 2013, and as a result of the same investigation, Cesar Alfredo Meza Garcia aka "El Tachuelas" (former CAF cell leader) was deported to the US, Miguel Angel Bravo Peña and Jose Luis Casillas remain at large as of this writing. In 2012 and 2013, Salvador Alcala tried several legal actions to stop his extradition order to no avail. Alcala Gonzalez has already been taken to Altiplano´s Maximum Security Prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Estado de Mexico. SOURCE ZETA Tijuana  | ||
Breaking: "El Atlante" Rumored to Have Been Arrested in Jalisco Posted: 17 Sep 2014 03:59 PM PDT  As reported by Uriradio, Alfonso "El Atlante" Lira Sotelo, a member of the Sinaloa Cartel was allegedly captured Tuesday, September 17 in Jalisco. "El Atlante" is reportedly in charge of retail drug sales in Tijuana, Tecate, and Playas de Rosarito, as well as trafficking to California. Borderland Beat reporter J wrote in August in the article "Blood & White Gold in Tijuana" that "El Atlante" has been fighting against fellow Sinaloa Cartel member Alfredo "El Aquiles" Azarte for power in Tijuana and Rosarito, ignoring calls from leadership to keep the plaza calm. It is also worth noting that deelucky1 has said multiple times on the forum that "El Atlante" is currently aligned with Jose Antonio "El Tigre" Soto Gastelum and José Luis "El Güero Chompas" Mendoza Uriarte in the fight against "El Aquiles".  | ||
Texas Identifies 7 Mexican Cartels operating in the state Posted: 17 Sep 2014 04:05 PM PDT Chivís Martínez for Borderland Beat  Cartels in Texas Seven Mexican cartels operating in Texas, representing the greatest threat the security of the state. (click chart to enlarge) Criminal organizations smuggle drugs, people and are involved in the laundering of money, trafficking of weapons and stolen vehicles. The Department of Public Safety Texas (DPS)identifies the Gulf Cartel (CDG), Sinaloa Federation, Juarez Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, the Beltran Leyva cartel, "Los Zetas" and the Knights Templar(Caballeros Templarios) operating in its territory. The report states that Mexican mafias throughout the United States dominate the business of narcotics and human trafficking. The analysis was presented by the DPS the Texan Congress after lawmakers requested the government provide a breakdown statistics of incidents on the border with Mexico and the criminal activity that has been recorded since the entry into force Operation Strong Safety (OSS), on 23 July. The DPS prepared with declassified information board of Texas border security and report relevant incidents in the border, which are published on the website of the corporation for any citizen to consult them. “The goal of this data-driven, multi-agency operation in high-threat areas for a sustained period of time is to deny Mexican cartels and their associates the ability to move drugs and people into Texas between the ports of entry, as well as reduce the power of these organizations, whose success depends on their ability to operate on both sides of the border,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “ At the request of the Texas Legislature, DPS is providing unclassified, detailed information about the trends that have been developing along the border for some time, as well as the current activity occurring in the OSS area of operation.” A website is available to the public that highlights "significant, cartel incidents". Narco Danger Texas on June 23 deployed to its south border with Mexico, thousand troops.of the Texas state National Guard. The action, aims to help the DPS to combat criminal activity in the region, by air, water and land. Rick Perry, governor of Texas, said on July 21 that the initiative "is the result of the failure of the federal government to secure the border." He stressed: "There can be no homeland security without border security and the Texans have paid a heavy price for the failure of the federal government. The action command will stop the crisis, multiplying our efforts to combat criminal cartel activity, trafficking in persons and criminals who threaten the safety of Texas and America."  Perry's office reported that strengthening border yielded immediate results. In the first three weeks of operation, the arrests of illegal immigrants resulted in 36 percent fewer seizures weekly. The Safety Board, which compiled information throughl September 3, 2014, recognizes that the insecurity of the border with Mexico is the main factor in public vulnerability Texas. Not specified was an analyzation of how each cartel operates. The number of undocumented immigrants has declined significantly rescued in the state, with deployment on the border of the National Guard. With the purpose of evading review road points, coyotes take their victims by off roads and ranches, and often abandon them. . As an example, the board says Brooks County, near the border with Reynosa, where from 2011 to date have been found remains of 332 humans. The cartels are big business in human smuggling, as going rates ranging from $2000 up to $20,000. The chart below is of 2013, indicating areas of operation of each cartel, Templarios were not considered a factor in 2013. (Click image to enlarge)  Sources: Texas DPS-OSS website  | ||
Calderon "I would have started sooner, with greater force" Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:37 AM PDT  In an interview with El Pais on Tuesday, former Mexican President Felipe Calderon concedes that he made mistakes in Mexico’s war on drugs. He admitted that 60,000 to 70,000 dead represented a lot of casualties in his war on drugs, which spanned from 2006 to 2012. “Yes, that’s a lot. And each one weighs on me more than anything, but those homicides were committed by criminals that I was fighting against,” he said. The National Commission on Human Rights has also alleged there was a sharp increase in torture and mistreatment complaints during that period. "It’s true that federal operations increased and that there were abuses. However, they were the exception, not the norm. In all cases, the government took note and acted according to rule of law to bring to justice those responsible,” Calderon said. Asked what part of his strategy he would have changed, Calderon said: “I would have started the changes a lot earlier, with greater force and more resources.” If he had done nothing, Mexico today would have been an open stage for organized crime, he argued. Calderon referred to organized crime as a national sickness, which like a cancer patient, needs radical chemo-therapy like measures to cure. It leaves the patient in pain, but “it’s not the doctor’s fault.” Moving forward, the ex-statesman said that now “I sleep better. I have less problems to think about.” EL Pais and Telesur |
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