01/04 VIOLENCE TIJUANA EL CAPITAN DE LOS BODYGUARDS OF EL AQUILES " CABRERA BENGOCHEA " CAPTURED IN TIJUANA - ROSARITO BEACH GETS GUARDHOUSES AND UPDATES

OMAR CONTRERAS BENGOCHEA AKA CABRERA BENGOCHEA AKA R - 15 (courtesy AFN):

01/05 @ 3:27 pm: UPDATE BELOW THAT BENGOCHEA IS STILL AT THE PGR FEDERAL BUILDING DOWNTOWN TIJUANA, ACCORDING TO THE NEWS SOURCES HE HAS NOT YET BEEN TRANSFERRED TO MEXICO CITY AND WE HAVE HAD A SHOOTING IN THE ZONA RIO AREA, UNKNOWN IF THIS IS RETALIATION FOR THIS ARREST OF IMPORTANCE DETAILS BELOW. EL MEX IS ADVISING PEOPLE TO STAY OUT OF THE ZONA RIO TO AVOID DRIVING THERE BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY SECURITY. THE PGR BUILDING WHERE BENGOCHEA IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD IS LOCATED IN THE ZONA RIO.

Director of AFN, Dora Elena Cortes is the first to report that the Jefe (chief) of the bodyguards for "El Aquiles" was arrested along with two other men early this evening at 6:30pm in the Los Pinos area of Tijuana.


This early report states that initially Tijuana Municipal Police were conducting an operation culminating in the arrest of a narcomenudista when they spotted who AFN is calling " Mencochea Cabrera." He was inside of a vehicle in the area of the police ops with two other people. There was a chase involved, this report does not mention a shoot out.


Mencochea Cabrera is a former police officer who was on SEIDO's list for his participation in federal crimes. He is currently being held under guard at the Military Headquarters in Tijuana.


El Aquiles is well known in our area, working for El Chapo Guzman of the Sinaloa cartel. AFN notes that the narco-tunnel discovered 11/16/11 in Otay belonged to El Aquiles; you might recall that sources close to AFN reported that most of the dope in that tunnel belonged to Sanchez Arellano of the CAF.


Mencochea Cabrera would be considered a big fish of importance arrest who is privy to intimate details of El Aquiles - whether these men have contingency plans to relocate after an arrest of this nature is not known, but they probably do. Here is the link, normally AFN updates their stories, so more information is expected during the hours tonight and tomorrow, check the links:


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01/05 updates on this story:


Although Frontera is reporting the identification of this man has not been confirmed by the authorities, both El Mex and AFN are printing his name - AFN is now referring to him as "Cabrera Bengochea" and "Omar Contreras Bengochea"; El Mex is referring to him as "Omar Contrera Bengochea aka R-12". He did have an outstanding warrant out for his arrest.


He is still being described as head of the bodyguards for El Achiles of the Sinaloa cartel and close to Raydel Uriarte ("The Crutches") arrested several months ago and who worked with El Teo.


According to AFN, Bengochea operated under El Teo and commanded a group of assassins and kidnappers in our area known as the "R's" during the 2008-2009 period. This was the old guard, or old armed wing of the Sinaloa cartel during the period of time when they had infiltrated the police department among others, and El Gil also a former police officer was part of this group. El Gil remains under arrest. Bengochea is linked to the balacera in Centenario in 2008 also known as "El Canaveral" where fifteen people were massacred, this was one of the bloody incidents representative of the fight between El Teo of the Sinaloa cartel and Sanchez Arellano of the CAF. Bengochea is also linked to the attacks against Tijuana Police Officers Jesus Hurtado and Raymundo Contreras. Currently or as of yesterday, Bengochea was believed to have been the leader of a Sinaloa drug trafficking cell in San Antonio de los Buenos.


We have different reports on the weapons seized during this arrest; one states that unofficially it was reported an AK-47 and a handgun were seized, the other under the Chief Capella story from AFN states that three weapons were seized. From all of the reports we are receiving, this arrest was happens chance - nowhere so far has it been reported that Bengochea was an actual target or that the operation yesterday was an effort to trap and arrest Bengochea.


From the following pictures, you will be able to see how the streets were closed down transferring Bengochea to the Federal PGR building downtown from Military headquarters for interrogation. From there it is reported that he will be transferred to the Office of Special Investigations for Organized Crime (OFDI) in Mexico City. Chief Capella has noted that this was an arrest of importance.

AFN includes video:


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Chief Capella:


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UPDATE 01/05 @ 3:31pm: None of the news sources here have reported that Bengochea has been flown out of Tijuana to Mexico City - those arrangements will most likely remain very secret, because Bengochea himself could be a target with all the information he has. As far as everyone knows right now he is still inside of the Downtown PGR building in Tijuana and we have just had a shooting in the Zona Rio. The PGR Federal building where Bengochea is being held is located in the Zona Rio. Let's take a look, unknown if this is related to the arrest of Bengochea:


- AFN reports in the Rio district (ZONA RIO) near to the City Hall buildings there was gunfire this afternoon @ 2:20pm. At least four shots were reported which caused alarm in the area. Police have been scrutinizing or canvassing the area including residential, shopping malls and parking lots as well as the inside and outside of the Palacio Municipal, more details as they become available:


AFN:

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- Frontera reports that a man and a woman have been arrested in connection with this shooting; this article says they lived in a building there and they were high on dope:


Detienen a hombre por tiroteo en zona rio

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- El Mex reports on these arrests and has a picture of the woman involved in this shooting being detained. They are also advising people to stay out of the area and avoid driving there because of heavy security:


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UPDATE 01/05 @ 8:38PM: It seems to have quieted down in the Zona Rio, there have been no more reports of attacks on the authorities or gunfire. Keep an eye on the links.


UPDATE 01/05 @ 11:30pm - It is official from AFN and somewhat of a mystery that at 10:00pm this evening, Omar Cabrera Bengochea is still in Tijuana. It was thought that he would be transported to the OFDI in Mexico City at some point today, but that hasn't happened. AFN states officials are giving no reason for this, and people are beginning to get nervous; there is speculation that maybe Oswal...sorry I meant Bengochea (by reading the comments)might know a little bit too much regarding other people's involvement with organized crime in the City, or perhaps there could be a legal glitch and local investigations will take priority. But this is unusual for local investigations to supercede OFDI in Mexico City. All of this is speculation right now, there has been no official statement - yet, he's still here. I'll leave you with the links:


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P.S. I won't be here tomorrow so you will probably know what happens before I do.

(c;


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In the past there have been complaints made here that organized criminal groups seemed to have the upper hand in Rosarito Beach regarding human and drug trafficking. Known for geographic open spaces, canyons and hills famous for popular hideaways and safe-houses for criminal groups, today's news will come as a relief to many the citizens of Rosarito Beach.



Five guardhouses have been installed in colonias La Mina, Los Ramos, Lomas Altos, Volcanes and Ejido Santa Ana and were presented today by Chief Magdeleno Luis Vazques. The guardhouses will be activated in the coming weeks operating 7-24.


36 million pesos is being invested into each of the guardhouses ( on edit: actually more than 36 million pesos will be invested into each guardhouse, and I apologize for the typo of "billion" instead of "million"); the Chief stated these will act as a security measure for the citizens. This means the authorities will have the upper hand this time around, with them surrounding the criminals and affording them with the ability to control security issues instead of the other way around. The Chief also stated that the installation of these guardhouses is being supervised by PRODEUR and have received the green light from senior management of the neighborhood committees.


So, good news for the citizens of Rosarito Beach. Now that area down by San Quintin.....


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01/05: MORE UPDATES AS LONG AS WE ARE HERE:


- In colonia Hacienda Las Delicias of La Presa Rural, four gunmen in a vehicle open fire on a man, killing him. One witness reported he was driving when he heard the gunfire and one of the bullets smashed through the back rear window of his vehicle, no arrests yet:


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- In the Granjas El Encanto neighborhood of Mexicali which is K12 on the Mexicali-San Felipe highway, a man who worked at a local grocery store and described by neighbors as quiet and trustworthy enough that the owner of the grocery store would let him stay there overnight gunned down on the road; no arrests so far:


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- More chemicals from China discovered at the Ensenada Port - this is the second seizure of chemicals within the past few weeks at the Port of Ensenada. 900 liters of the precursor chemical monomethylamine which could have produced fourteen tons of synthetic drugs was seized:


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- From a couple of days back in colonia Morelos II of Ensenada, one man executed, no arrests yet:

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- Ensenada in the picture again, this time for human smuggling. Frontera reports that in full view, broad daylight and in front of the Mexican authorities yesterday polleros openly were transporting migrants in six vessels en route to the USA. Strangely however according to this report, there were only two migrants in each boat. This is unusual because according to Deputy Chief of the USBP Liason Unit Miadra Botto, the pangas which are meant to carry only ten people are loaded down with 25 people. According to the Deputy Chief the polleros are coming out of Ensenada destined for Santa Barbara. ( I remember saying that awhile back...) Also of course, Rosarito Beach has always been a take off area and the Deputy Chief mentioned that once there was a load which departed from Playas. The going price now - according to the Deputy Chief it is ten thousand dollars per person:


Ven a traficantes cruzar por mar

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- Finally, Cuauhtemoc Cardona Benavides, head of the state internal politics is not pleased with the deal made between U.S. Authorities and Benjamin Arellano Felix. The academic feels that the capo deserved a full penalty of 140 years in prison instead of the 25 he was given in lieu of a trial.


Cardona Benavides feels that this is sending the wrong message to drug traffickers and that now the narcos would prefer to go the USA and receive reduced sentences. (Not to mention 3 squares a day) He believes the traffickers need stricter sentences which would act as a deterrent to their activities.


Well, many people agree with Cardona Benavides and I do not know this for a fact, but I imagine that Benjamin probably gave the USA authorities information on cartel activities in the USA, thus the reduced sentence. So, if that is true then what is better - an elongated sentence or a shorter sentence ? At any rate, you can see the conviction and how the narcos are absolutely despised by Cardona Benavides, and he represents how millions of Mexicans feel. (They're just outgunned, thanks to the USA.)


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Here are the links for all of the local news - see you guys in a few days:

AFN

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FRONTERA

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EL MEXICANO

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Noticias Ensenada.net - Ensenada News

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Encuentro 29.com - Mexicali News

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ZETA TIJUANA

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LA TIMES

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MUNDO NARCO (Formerly Blog del Narco)

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