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Latin America Military and Security Watch

Table of Contents MEXICO

ZACATECAS Confrontation between Marines and Gunmen Reported in Monte

Escobedo, Zacatecas – 12 July 2011 COAHUILA

Federal Police Seize Marijuana Nursery Run by Los Zetas in Saltillo,

Coahuila – 12 July 2011 Assailants Utilize Grenade to Attack PRI Building in Saltillo, Coahuila

– 12 July 2011 CHIHUAHUA

246 Kilograms of Marijuana Seized in Nuevo Casas Grandes,

Chihuahua – 11 July 2011 13 Kilograms of Opium Gum Seized in Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua

– 11 July 2011 JALISCO

Progress Report on Military Operations Conducted Within Two

Municipalities in Jalisco – 12 July 2011 300 Kilograms of Methamphetamine and Seven Metric Tons of

Chemical Precursors Seized from Two Drug Labs in Ameca and

Quitupan, Jalisco – 13 July 2011 MEXICO

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107 Murders Reported over the Weekend in Mexico – 11 July 2011

MICHOACAN Federal Police Arrest 20 Los Caballeros Templarios Operators and

Seize Vehicle with California Plates in Apatzingan, Michoacan – 07

July 2011 Murder Victim with the Letter Z Carved Into his Back Recovered in

Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan – 12 July 2011 SINALOA

Soldiers Dismantle Drug Lab in Culiacan, Sinaloa – 12 July 2011 Two Bodies with Narco Message Recovered in San Blas, Sinaloa – 11

July 2011

MEXICO STATE Nine La Familia Michocana Operators Arrested in Toluca, Mexico State

– 13 July 2011 Bodies of Male and Female Murder Victims Recovered in San

Sebastion, Mexico State – 13 July 2011 CARIBBEAN

Authorities Arrest Members of an International Drug Trafficking

Organization in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – 11 July 2011 CENTRAL AMERICA

Public Force Officers Seize 40 Kilograms of Cocaine in Coto Brus,

Costa Rica – 12 July 2011 Los Zeta Operators Arrested near Ixcan, Guatemala – 12 July 2011

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MEXICO

ZACATECAS

Confrontation between Marines and Gunmen Reported in Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas – 12 July

2011

At night on 10 July 2011, an intense confrontation between Marines and organized crime operators was

reported in the Laguna Grande community of [22.4431 -103.5043] Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas. Prior to

the confrontation, the suspects had allegedly been creating chaos in the community, during which time

authorities were called for assistance. During the confrontation, 14 gunmen were killed while another two

were arrested. Following this incident, narco roadblocks were set up throughout the community, one of

which was identified as being located on the Highway that leads to Jerez. Those items seized from the

gunmen following this confrontation were reported as follows:

An unreported number of weapons

An unreported quantity of ammunition

Numerous vehicles

Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/07/enfrentamiento-en-zacatecas-14-

muertos.html#more

Top of the Document

COAHUILA

Federal Police Seize Marijuana Nursery Run by Los Zetas in Saltillo, Coahuila – 12 July 2011

On 10 July 2011, Federal Police raided an indoor marijuana

nursery owned by Los Zetas in Saltillo, Coahuila. Following

the dismantling of this location, authorities noted that the

nursery was equipped with air conditioning to provide the

optimal temperature for the “Jairo” type of marijuana being

grown. Arrested in conjunction with the seizure were the

following Los Zetas operators:

Arturo DÍAZ Mejía

Rubén MARTÍNEZ Hernández, aka El Billy

Comment: No details regarding the quantity of marijuana seized were reported.

Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/07/descubren-narcolaboratorio-de-los-

zetas.html#more

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Assailants Utilize Grenade to Attack PRI Building in Saltillo, Coahuila – 12 July 2011

On 11 July 2011 at around 2230 hours, unknown assailants utiilized a grenade to attack the PRI

(Institutional Revolutionary Party) building located on Francisco Coss Boulevard [25.4336 -100.9983] in

Saltillo, Coahuila. One person sustained minor injuries as a result of the attack.

Comment: On 04 July 2011, the PRI won landslide victories in the governorship races for Coahuila,

Nayarit, and Mexico State.

Spanish Source: http://www.milenio.com/cdb/doc/noticias2011/3a54f799dae1ee4a27fac4c4ffe6a0f9

Top of the Document

CHIHUAHUA 246 Kilograms of Marijuana Seized in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua – 11 July 2011

Soldiers assigned to the XI Military Region and 5th Military Zone seized 246 kilograms of marijuana

while conducting land reconnaissance in the Corralitos sector of Nuevo Casas Grandes [30.4167 -

107.9167], Chihuahua. The marijuana in question was distributed within 21 packages. No arrests were

reported in conjunction with this seizure.

Spanish Source: http://www.sedena.gob.mx/index.php/sala-de-prensa/comunicados-de-prensa-de-los-

mandos-territoriales/6744-11-de-julio-de-2011-chihuahua-chih

Top of the Document

13 Kilograms of Opium Gum Seized in Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua – 11 July 2011

Soldiers assigned to the 42nd

Military Zone seized 13 kilograms of opium gum while conducting land

reconnaissance in Las Carboneras village of Guadalupe y Calvo [26.096255,-106.965637], Chihuahua.

Other items seized at the same location were reported as follows:

8 rifles

3 handguns

24 magazines

480 rounds of ammunition

2 vehicles (one of them was reported as stolen)

Spanish Source: http://www.sedena.gob.mx/index.php/sala-de-prensa/comunicados-de-prensa/6740-11-

de-julio-de-2011-lomas-de-sotelo-df

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JALISCO Progress Report on Military Operations Conducted Within Two Municipalities in Jalisco – 12 July

2011

Two operations conducted by 15th Military Zone soldiers in two municipalities within Jalisco yielded the

following results:

Operation one: conducted in the San Pablo village of the Mixtlan [20.452106,-104.407196]

municipality. Here, soldiers seized the following items:

o 405 kilograms of marijuana

o 10 kilograms of marijuana seed

o 8 rifles

o 196 rounds of ammunition

The marijuana seized was destroyed on site.

Operation two: conducted in the Milpillas village of San Cristobal de la Barranca [21.045414,-

103.427095] municipality. At this location, soldiers seized the following items:

o 41 grams of marijuana

o 11 rounds of ammunition

o 7 cell phones

o 1 vehicle

Spanish Source: http://www.sedena.gob.mx/index.php/sala-de-prensa/comunicados-de-prensa-de-los-

mandos-territoriales/6827-12-de-julio-de-2011-zapopan-jal

Top of the Document

300 Kilograms of Methamphetamine and Seven Metric Tons of Chemical Precursors Seized from

Two Drug Labs in Ameca and Quitupan, Jalisco – 13 July 2011

Soldiers assigned to the 15th

Military Zone dismantled two synthetic drug labs while conducting

operations in Jalisco. Information regarding items seized each of these labs was reported as follows:

First Drug Lab: was discovered in the La Coronilla village of Ameca [20.550991,-104.046879]. Items

seized from this location were reported as follows:

300 kilograms of methamphetamine

4,180 kilograms of hydrochloric acid

990 kilograms of sodium acetate

850 kilograms of flaked soda

650 kilograms of tartaric acid

4 reactors

4 vehicles

3 LP gas tanks

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3 gas masks

Second Drug Lab: was discovered in the San Diego Village of Quitupan [19.947533,-102.872543].

Items seized from this location were reported as follows:

60 kilograms of caustic soda

30 liters of chemical substances

7 LP gas tanks

6 stainless steel pots

1 burner

1 container

1 roll of cable

Spanish Source: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/779042.html

Top of the Document

MEXICO

107 Murders Reported over the Weekend in Mexico – 11 July 2011

At least 107 individuals were murdered over the weekend of 8-10 July as a consequence of multiple

violent incidents linked to organized crime activity in Mexico. Details regarding some of these incidents

within their respective states were reported as follows:

Guerrero: six individuals were killed during separate incidents in Acapulco and Ciudad

Renacimiento.

Chihuahua: two men were killed in the Progresista neighborhood of Ciudad Juarez.

Michoacan: two bodies were recovered from the municipal garbage dump in Benito Juarez.

Nuevo Leon: 20 individuals were killed during an attack at the Sabino Gordo Bar in Monterrey.

Mexico State: 11 individuals were killed in Chalco.

Sinaloa: 5 members of the same family were killed.

Coahuila: 10 decapitated individuals were recovered in Torreon.

Spanish Source: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/81151.html

MICHOACAN

Federal Police Arrest 20 Los Caballeros Templarios Operators and Seize Vehicle with California

Plates in Apatzingan, Michoacan – 07 July 2011

On 11 July 2011, gathered intelligence regarding a meeting between Los Caballeros Templarios operators

led federal police to a cemetery located near in the Presa del Rosario-Apatzingan Highway in Apatzingan

[19.0833 -102.3500], Michoacan. Once at the scene, officers noted a group of individuals that attempted

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to escape from the area in a convoy. The same convoy was quickly stopped, and the following individuals

were arrested:

Baldomero VALENCIA Soberanes, 32, aka El Grande, hitman

Felipe LOPEZ Huerta, 54, aka El Cocinero, hitman and lookout

Pablo RAMOS Soberanes, 29, aka El Paroto, drug distributor

Jose Luis LORA Lopez, 39, aka El Thalia, car thief and drug distributor

Joel LARA Garcia, 33, hitman

Gonzalo ORGANIS Ramos, 28, aka El Cadereita, lookout. He was also identified as a former

Los Zetas operator.

Agustin CAMACHO Fonseca, 22

Jose Angel MENDOZA Navarro, 25

Gerardo ALAMILLO Ortiz, 30

Jesus BRAVO Orozco, 23

Martin TALAVERA Sanchez, 19

Julio Cesar CASTANEDA Perez, 23

Juan Gabriel SERRATO Calderon, 29

Martin GUERRERO Mendoza, 20

Daniel ESPINA Sanchez, 19

Luis Angel VILLA Camorlinga (also known as Luis VILLA Carmolindo), 27

Alberto VAZQUEZ Mortera, 42

Ruben SANCHEZ Maciel, 51

Ignacio Alejandro PASALLO Morales, 30

Apolonio SOBERANES Ramos, 22

Items seized from these individuals were reported as follows:

13 rifles

7 handguns

447 rounds of ammunition

8 fragmentation grenades

1 chemical hand grenade

1 container with an undetermined quantity of crystal meth

9 cell phones

Various documents

A gray Dodge Nitro with Michoacan plates PHK6440

A black GMC Yukon with Federal District plates 858XDW

A sand color Nissan Frontier with California plates 6L161S1

A silver Chevrolet Captiva without plates

A gray Ford F150 without plates

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Comment: To date in 2011, 40 Los Caballeros Templarios have been arrested by federal police in

Michoacan and Mexico State.

Spanish Source:

http://www.ssp.gob.mx:80/portalWebApp/portal/movil.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=SalaDePrensa

Controller_2&SalaDePrensaController_2_actionOverride=%2Fpageflows%2Fsspmovil%2FsalaDePrensa

%2Fdetallar&SalaDePrensaController_2identificador=856013#wlp_SalaDePrensaController_2

Top of the Document

Murder Victim with the Letter Z Carved Into his Back Recovered in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan

– 12 July 2011

State and municipal police recovered the body Isidro Castaneda

Sanchez, 48, from a road located near El Bordonal-La Mira highway in

Lazaro Cardenas [18.6792 -102.0556], Michoacan. Isidro had been

shot at least seven times, and according to authorities, the letter “Z”

had been carved into his back. The same individual was allegedly

kidnapped from his residence in La Mina community on 10 July 2011.

Comment: This murder supports the idea that Los Zetas are working within Michocana to support La

Familia Michoacana in their fight for this plaza.

Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/07/aparece-hombre-ejecutado-en-

michoacan.html?m=1

Top of the Document

SINALOA

Soldiers Dismantle Drug Lab in Culiacan, Sinaloa – 12 July 2011

On 11 July 2011, soldiers assigned to the III Military Region and 9th Military Zone dismantled a synthetic

drug lab in La Nanchi village of Culiacan [24.7994-107.3897], Sinaloa. Those items seized from this

location were reported as follows:

700 grams of solid methamphetamine

5 liters of liquid methamphetamine

325 liters of alcohol

410 liters of toluene

10 liters of acetone

5 liters of solvent

4 liters of acid

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15.1 kilograms of an unknown solid substance

1.6 liters of an unknown liquid substance

1 press machine

No arrests were made in conjunction with the dismantling of this drug lab.

Spanish Source: http://www.sedena.gob.mx/index.php/sala-de-prensa/comunicados-de-prensa-de-los-

mandos-territoriales/6756-12-de-julio-de-2011-culiacan-sin

Top of the Document

Two Bodies with Narco Message Recovered in San Blas, Sinaloa – 11 July 2011

The bodies of two male murder

victims were recovered on a road

located near La Bocatoma

recreation center in San Blas

[26.078602,-108.760099],

Sinaloa. Left with the bodies was

a narco message that read as

follows: “For being traitors and

robbers. Thank you. Elite Hitmen”. One of the now deceased victims was later identified as Jose Omar

Soto Cortez, 23. Earlier in the day, both of the victims mentioned above were kidnapped by gunmen

traveling in at least 10 luxury vehicles.

Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/07/levantan-dos-jovenes-aparecen.html#more.

Top of the Document

MEXICO STATE

Nine La Familia Michocana Operators Arrested in Toluca, Mexico State – 13 July 2011

Authorities recently arrested nine individuals tied to the La Familia Michoacana in Toluca, Mexico State.

These individuals are said to have been involved in six homicides committed between 10 and 11 July

2011 in the Nicolas Romero and Atizapan municipalities [approximate location 19.6196 -99.3115].

Spanish Source: http://www.informador.com.mx/mexico/2011/306732/6/detienen-a-nueve-presuntos-

integrantes-de-grupo-delictivo.htm

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Bodies of Male and Female Murder Victims Recovered in San Sebastion, Mexico State – 13 July

2011

On 13 July 2011, a citizen’s tip led authorities to the bodies of two murder victims (male and female) that

were located along a road that leads towards the Amigo Ranch in Chalco, Mexico State. Details

regarding these victims were reported as follows:

The female victim was estimated to be around 30 years of age, her hands were bound, and her

eyes were taped shut.

The male victim was recovered from the interior of a plastic bag. He was bound at both the hands

and feet.

At this point, neither of the victims have been identified by authorities.

Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/07/hallan-hombre-y-mujer-ejecutados-en.html

Top of the Document

CARIBBEAN

Authorities Arrest Members of an International Drug Trafficking Organization in Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic – 11 July 2011

A large-scale operation recently carried out in the Dominican Republic

led to the arrest of multiple members of an international drug

trafficking and money laundering organization. This same group was

said to be operational in countries to include Canada, the United States,

Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. Key

operational cities of this group within the U.S. included Miami,

Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Following theirs arrests,

bank accounts with millions of dollars pertaining to these individuals

were frozen. Those individuals arrested as a result of this operation were identified as follows:

Luis FERNANDO Bertulucci Castillo, from Mexico

Marwan CHEBLI Chebli, from Lebanon. This individual was arrested along with Hedí Junior

DE LOS SANTOS Minaya, from the Dominican Republic. At the time of their arrest, they were

in possession of two packages of cocaine.

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Leonel GÓMEZ Guzmán, aka Tony, from the Dominican Republic. This individual was arrested

on Las Amapolas Street in the Lucerna neighborhood within the eastern sector of [18.5178 -

69.8461], Santo Domingo. This individual was also identified as the leader of the group.

Miguel Antonio ROSA Ureña, aka El Gato. This individual was identified as airplane mechanic

from the Dominican Republic. He was arrested on 2nd Street in the El Dorado II section of

Santiago.

José Antonio CONTRERAS Reyes, aka Pepe/ El Viejo was arrested in apartment F-8 in the Torre

Las Perlas complex located on Víctor Garrido Puello Street [18.4702 -69.9322], in the exclusive

sector of Piantini. Following his arrest, this individual was identified as being from Jimani

[18.9355 -70.4046], in the Dominican Republic. On a previous occasion, he was arrested with

449 kilograms of pure cocaine in Boca Chica.

Spanish Source: http://eldia.com.do/nacionales/2011/7/11/57087/Capturan-miembros-red-narcos-operaba-

desde-Republica-Dominicana

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CENTRAL AMERICA

Public Force Officers Seize 40 Kilograms of Cocaine in Coto Brus, Costa Rica – 12 July 2011

Public force officers arrested a man with last names MORALES Montiel after discovering he was

transporting 40 kilograms of cocaine in La Union de Limoncito sector of Coto Brus [8.963419,-

83.069344], Costa Rica. The arrest was made after officers stopped the Honda Civic he was driving for a

routine inspection along the highway that connects Ciudad Neily, Corredores with San Vito-Buenos

Aires. During the inspection, officers found the cocaine within the seat backs and inside the trunk of the

vehicle.

Comment: The area in which MORALES Montiel was stopped was noted as being located near the

border of Panama.

Spanish Source: http://www.prensalibre.cr/pl/suceso/46666-nervios-delatan-a-conductor-con-40-kilos-de-

cocaina.html

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Los Zeta Operators Arrested near Ixcan, Guatemala – 12 July 2011

Authorities recently arrested four individuals believed to be tied to the Los Zetas organization. These

arrests were carried out at the Santa Marta farm in the Región de los Copones sector of Guatemala. This

area was noted as being located in an area of remote access approximately 50 kilometers from Ixcán

[15.8167 -91.0667], Quiché (in the northern sector of the country). In 2009, this same farm was raided,

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and subsequently dismantled. At that point, it was identified as a Los Zetas safe haven, and with this

recent raid, it appears to have been reactivated. Those individuals arrested in conjunction with this raid

were identified as:

Abner MILIÁN Quijada

Edgar LUCAS Quijada

Jesús MÉNDEZ Guerra

Mario ANTONIO Gómez

Viviana LÓPEZ, female from Veracruz, Mexico

The items seized from the farm were identified as follows

1 rifle

2 pistols

Unspecified quantity of ammunition

Exotic animals

Horses of high pedigree

Comment: It was also noted that approximately 10-12 individuals managed to flee during this operation.

Spanish Source: http://www.narcoguerra.com/index.php/easyblog/entry/capturan-a-cinco-integrantes-de-

los-zetas-en-ixcn

Top of the Document