Tagged: cartel violence

May 29th, 2023 About the Book Comments Off on Against the Wind: Fighting America’s Drug War on the Rio Grande Paperback

Against the Wind: Fighting America’s Drug War on the Rio Grande Paperback

TAKE A LOOK at this new and important book by former federal drug agent David Regela about our lawless border with Mexico, now undergoing a virtual migrant invasion along with the usual massive smuggling of dangerous drugs. The author came to the border just as drug trafficking exploded with the arrival of tons of Colombian cocaine. He stood his ground against a seeming wall of smugglers who took advantage of our poorly guarded border to bring in harmful drugs. Regela arrested many of them, sending them off to jail to serve often long sentences. Against the Wind is an exciting account of his work, and an eye-opener about the ever-worsening state of our border with Mexico.

From the Amazon book page for Against the Wind:

Pablo Acosta and Amado Carrillo-Fuentes have become infamous . . . but the agents who risk everything to stop the drug lords remain in obscurity. Now, Agent David Regela exposes the shocking truth about the real enemies in the war on drugs.

As a new federal agent for the U.S. Customs Service, David Regela was eager to help stabilize the situation along the southern border. On the front lines in this lawless territory, his survival depended on quick reflexes and even faster thinking. At any moment, he might be in an Old West–style gunfight or deep undercover within a multimillion-dollar drug operation.

During his career, Regela’s courageous contributions resulted in several noteworthy successes. Award-winning journalist Charles Bowden (Down by the River) names Regela the only undercover agent to get close to Amado Carrillo-Fuentes, the fabled Lord of the Skies. Regela also interacted extensively with Mexican warlord Pablo Acosta.

But success came at a price. Corrupt, self-serving agents within various U.S. agencies benefited by perpetuating the war on drugs, and Regela became the target of an unethical internal investigation designed to arrest him.

He would have to choose between his career and his integrity.
Regela’s fascinating account provides an inside look at how the war on drugs has created a killing field along the border today. Against the Wind is a must-read for citizens seeking to be more informed about this volatile region.

A sampling of praise for Against the Wind:

“Bandidos, shootouts, undercover capers, close calls, drug lords—Regela takes you for a wild ride in the still Wild West.” —Daryl Barnes, Attorney at Law

“An accurate account of the undercover king. I know. I lived many of those pages with Special Agent Regela.” —James Marchant, Retired Special Agent, U.S. Customs Service

“Regela’s tale is artfully crafted and leaves the reader wishing for more stories at the end. His moral code seems to have emerged intact after repeated challenges. Personally brave, sometimes reckless, Regela interestingly avoided deadly force in multiple instances where it was justified.” —Former Criminal Prosecutor, National Wildlife Magazine Publisher

“I had the honor of working narcotics during the tenure of David Regela. He was known for his undercover ability and the unreal cases he brought to the table—admired by other top investigators and hated by those incapable of doing the job. This account brings those days stunningly back to life.” —Johnny Eoff, Former El Paso Police Department Swat Team Leader

[AMAZON]

April 21st, 2018 Breaking News Comments Off on 11 killed in Tijuana in 24 hours — 650 murdered in 2018

11 killed in Tijuana in 24 hours — 650 murdered in 2018

(BREITBART) — by Robert Arce

Cartel violence in Tijuana continues with no end in sight as 11 killings were registered in a 24-hour period earlier this week. The deaths brought the number of homicides to 650 in 2018, according to government statistics as reported by local media. Authorities reported more than 100 homicides during the month of April.

Breitbart Texas previously reported that according to the attorney general’s office of Baja California, most homicides are going unsolved. This has contributed substantially to the current drug cartel violence. Of 132 registered homicides to start 2018, only five resulted in arrests with a total of 11 suspects detained.

This week’s violence began during the early morning hours of Monday, April 16 in the colonia Reforma neighborhood, local news outlets reported. Officials discovered the decapitated corpse of an unknown male, 30-35 years of age.

Later that day, at 11 am, police located the body of a 40-45-year male with gunshot wounds in the Hacienda Las Delicias Tercera Sección. At around 2 pm, in colonia El Lago neighborhood, officials located the body of a 41-year-old female who sustained numerous knife-type stab wounds.

Several hours later, a 25-30-year-old male died after being shot in a vacant lot in colonia Los Venados neighborhood. Shortly thereafter, officials discovered the decomposing corpse of an unidentified female in the colonia San Ángel neighborhood. Several minutes later, police found the body of a 35-year-old male in the colonia García neighborhood with gunshot wounds.

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April 17th, 2018 Breaking News Comments Off on Cartel attacks leave 6 Mexican border state cops dead, 8 wounded

Cartel attacks leave 6 Mexican border state cops dead, 8 wounded

(BREITBART) — by Robert Arce

A deadly April in Chihuahua has so far left six police officers dead and eight wounded in at least seven attacks.

The events required the State to deploy additional personnel to affected areas to quell cartel violence, according to local media.

On April 14, three separate attacks were recorded with the first occurring at 8:30 am in Valle de Zaragoza. Two ministerial police commanders of the State Attorney General’s Office (PGE) were ambushed on the Parral-Chihuahua highway while heading to training exercises. The two victims, identified as Commander Salvador Bárcenas Saavedra and Deputy Commander Ricardo Ruvalcaba González, were both assigned to the municipality of Parral.

According to media reports, the two police commanders attempted to repel the attack then flee but were outnumbered. During an ensuing chase, the two were murdered and their police vehicle torched.

The second attack occurred in Jiménez where a convoy of state police searching for the gunmen responsible for the earlier attack was shot at on the Parral-Jiménez highway. The head of security for State Security Commissioner Óscar Aparicio Avendaño was wounded.

The third event occurred in Álvaro Obregón in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc when cartel gunmen attacked municipal police officers outside the Pollo Bronco Restaurant. Local media reported that one officer was wounded a second died from his injuries. A cell phone video was later posted online, capturing the aftermath of the attack with one wounded police officer lying in the street and what appeared to be a long rifle abandoned several feet from him. The second officer appeared next to a marked police vehicle which had been parked in front of the restaurant.

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March 8th, 2018 Breaking News Comments Off on Tracking Mexico’s Cartels in 2018

Tracking Mexico’s Cartels in 2018

(STRATFOR) — By Scott Stewart, VP of Tactical Analysis, Stratfor

Highlights

Factional competition resulting from the breakup of large organized crime organizations continues to drive violence in Mexico.
The lucrative fentanyl trade, built on the backbone of methamphetamine and opiate smuggling networks, is furthering the expansion of criminal groups in Tierra Caliente.
While most cartel violence is directed at other cartels and the government, the widespread use of military-grade weapons raises the risk of collateral damage.

Since 2006, Stratfor has chronicled the dynamics of the organizations that make up the complex mosaic of organized crime in Mexico in the form of an annual cartel report. Back when this process began, the cartel landscape was much simpler, with only a handful of major groups to track. But by 2013, the splintering of the cartels into smaller factions had made it difficult to analyze them the same way. Indeed, many of the once-dominant umbrella groups, such as the Gulf cartel, have fragmented into several, often competing, organizations. In response, the focus of the analysis shifted to the clusters of smaller groups that emanate from a specific geographic area. Nevertheless, the organizations that arose in the Tierra Caliente region and in the states of Tamaulipas and Sinaloa remain on the radar.
2017 in Review

The dynamics outlined in last year’s cartel forecast have changed little over the past year. Organized crime organizations in Mexico remain heavily fragmented, and this fragmentation is driving most of the violence in the country. As noted, there really is no Gulf cartel anymore. Instead, localized gangs that arose from the remnants of that once powerful cartel are now at war with one another over control of the smuggling routes, retail drug sales and other criminal activity formerly monopolized by the group. This drove the heavy violence in Reynosa during 2017 and in other parts of the state of Tamaulipas. The violence spawned by the fractionalization also led to a record number of murders last year: 29,168, which surpassed the previous record of 27,213, set in 2011.

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November 25th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Mexican border city suffers 60 cartel murders in November

Mexican border city suffers 60 cartel murders in November

(BREITBART) — REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — The raging cartel violence in this border city resulted in 60 murders in November.

Rival factions of the Gulf Cartel continue their fight for control of drug trafficking territories and access to Texas. The 60 victims include military and police officers killed in shootouts as well as innocent civilians killed in the crossfire.

Breitbart Texas has been tracking the murders and executions that have been taking place in Reynosa since early May. At that time, two rival factions of the Gulf Cartel went to war for territorial control. Since May, the violence has left more than 324 victims. The fighting followed the death of former regional leader Juan Manuel “Toro” Loiza Salinas, a ruthless cartel boss who terrorized Reynosa for almost two years until he was gunned down by Mexican Marines.

After El Toro’s death, another Gulf Cartel commander named Petronilo “Panilo” Moreno Flores claimed control of the city. However, a faction claiming to be relatives and followers of the late leader led by Luis Alberto “Pelochas” Blanco Flores and Toro’s nephew Humberto “Betillo” Loza Mendez, who also went by the name of Alberto Salinas, have been fighting against Panilo’s forces.

The fighting resulted in fierce gun battles where convoys of gunmen clash along the city’s main avenues, those firefights have killed not only gunmen but also police officers and military personnel tasked with keeping the peace. The firefights also led to various innocent bystanders being killed or wounded by stray bullets.

The fighting between cartel forces also manifested itself in a dramatic increase in kidnappings and executions. As Breitbart’s Texas has reported, cartel gunmen have resorted to incinerating the bodies of their victims as well as to using shallow pits to dump the bodies of their rivals.

The most recent casualty took place on Friday early morning when a State police officer died in a gun battle. A squad of state cops was responding to a call of help from military forces who had been battling a team of gunmen. Two cartel gunmen also died during that clash in the Jarachinas Sur neighborhood.

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October 29th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Mexican cartels in Michoacan carry out 20 executions in one day

Mexican cartels in Michoacan carry out 20 executions in one day

(BREITBART) — MORELIA, Michoacan — Mexican authorities appear powerless to stop the cartel violence that continues to rage in one southern state. The fighting between rival criminal organizations left 20 people dead in a single day.

The executions on Friday followed a week of gun battles that continue spreading terror in this state located west of Mexico City. Despite the large-scale gun battles, state authorities continue ignoring the violence. The government has yet to issue any security alerts.

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September 15th, 2017 Breaking News Comments Off on Cartel gunmen attack funeral procession in Mexican border state

Cartel gunmen attack funeral procession in Mexican border state

(BREITBART) — CIUDAD VICTORIA, Tamaulipas — The raging cartel violence that continues to envelop this border state took an odd turn when gunmen killed two underage brothers and an adult woman who were taking part in the funeral procession of a recently murdered cartel member.

The multiple homicides took place south of this city along the highway that connects with the rural community of Soto La Marina.

Those attacked were taking part in the funeral procession of 20-year-old Jose Ramon Sandoval Garcia who was murdered in his home last week. Jose Ramon was linked to one of the cartels that operate in the city and was believed to have carried out local extortions. During the funeral procession, a team of rival cartel gunmen riding in various SUVs pulled up next to the procession and opened fire.

When the attack took place, the two 13-year-old brothers, Adolfo and Angel Ramizez Avalos, were struck by multiple bullets as they rode in the back of an older Ford F-150.

The sudden attack sent others fleeing in a panic as they attempted to avoid being shot by automatic bursts of gunfire. On the side of the road next to a barb wire fence, authorities located the body of the unidentified woman who appears to have been hit by a stray bullet and collapsed.

One of those in attendance rushed to a local gas station to call for help, asking for the military and the red cross to respond. By the time emergency personnel arrived, the two teenagers had died. Paramedics were able to tend to another teen named Cristian Azael Perez Torres, shot twice in the groin area and was rushed to the local children’s hospital in critical condition.

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