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My honest opinion is that unless you speak spanish fluently, have a normal / non luxury vehicle, and know the geography, you should never drive from California into Tijuana.
If you don't have all three of those criteria, my personal belief is that you are asking for trouble driving down there as a non latino looking person with California driving plates.
Just stick to uber.
[QUOTE=MagicRancher;2934894]So last night I was leaving my hotel around 6:30 pm at the corner of Constitution and Flores Magon (aka Calle Sexta) and saw that police had closed off the entire block of Flores Magon from Constitution to Avenida Revolucion. The military was on each corner and down the street. Since I had just met up with my girl we didn't stop to ask anything and kept walking up Constitution to get to Revolucion on the next street. There was nothing out of the ordinary on Ave Revolucion. Today I heard that someone had been killed. I have no other details. Does anyone have any more information?[/QUOTE]Almost the same location and another shooting a week later. [URL]https://bajanews.mx/noticias/30688/Shooting-in-downtown-Tijuana-leaves-two-injured[/URL].
[QUOTE=MagicRancher;2936772]Almost the same location and another shooting a week later. [URL]https://bajanews.mx/noticias/30688/Shooting-in-downtown-Tijuana-leaves-two-injured[/URL].[/QUOTE]This is what happens when you have cowards in charge. About a month ago the police chief for this part of Tijuana was murdered. The Cartels weren't happy because he was arresting to many of their members. So now I'm not sure who's in charge but it's obvious the police aren't doing much to stop this. So the cartels just go around killing each other for territory and nothing happens.
I agree Tijuana driving in Tijuana is not worth the hassle. It is so much easier to walk /. Uber or use the taxi van. The lines are much shorter. The chances of being hassled by a cop is almost nil unless you are drunk. Going to Rosarito is. One unless you drive there. Occasionally I will take taxi van or go with a friend that lives in Tijuana.
[QUOTE=ABAJoeSmith123;2936689]My honest opinion is that unless you speak spanish fluently, have a normal / non luxury vehicle, and know the geography, you should never drive from California into Tijuana.
If you don't have all three of those criteria, my personal belief is that you are asking for trouble driving down there as a non latino looking person with California driving plates.
Just stick to uber.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=ABAJoeSmith123;2936689]My honest opinion is that unless you speak spanish fluently, have a normal / non luxury vehicle, and know the geography, you should never drive from California into Tijuana.
If you don't have all three of those criteria, my personal belief is that you are asking for trouble driving down there as a non latino looking person with California driving plates.
Just stick to uber.[/QUOTE]Do not give advice, please, on subjects about which you know little or nothing. The luxury vehicle thing may be partially true, but if you look around you'll see all kinds of expensive cars driving around Tijuana. Mercedes, BMW, and the like.
Unless you drive around for a while you will never learn the geography.
I am as non-Latino looking as it gets. I speak Spanish but far from fluently. I drive an old BMW with CA plates. The cops most certainly don't target me constantly. I've been pulled over like 4 times in maybe 10 years. Cops around the city have other things to do than to sit and look for cars with CA plates being driven by some white guy.
The only thing I do not do is to drive in the Zona Norte at night. That's asking for a police encounter. And when the drinking starts the car gets parked and it's taxi / Uber for the rest of the night. Oh, and if one does not have SENTRI then driving is best avoided because of the incredibly long lines to get back into CA.
I don't speak much Spanish besides the putas' official negotiation language, sometimes I drive expensive and exotic cars, I don't know much about geography, only use Google Maps, but I drive down to Tijuana just about every week, to Zona Rio for tacos, seafood, Mr. Pampas, to various Refaccionaria garages way down South for car repairs, body shops, buy fresh seafood at fish markets on Calle 6, drink and party with hot girls and wingmen all night.
By midnight I take the car out of Pepe's, drive back to Sentri lanes at the border on the same route as HK's limousines. It saves me a lot of time and sweat walking across the border, maximize the fun and use of time for me on weekends, also feel much safer in the car than walking back to the border at night.
Got pulled over a few times by policias, instead of traffic tickets, paid $40 for broken rear lights, $20 for handling the phone while driving, but paid nothing for the bullshit stops. Even if policias apes squeeze some money out of me, it's just small costs for having fun.
Drove down to Ensenada many times, both on toll road and the old road full of pot holes. Brought along an electric skillet, bought fresh seafood at the fish market, eat, drink, party all day on hotel Santa Tomas' balcony.
20 years ago in Cancun when the North South highway was under construction, just a dirt road being leveled out, I drove a rental car from Cancun past P the Carmel, Tulum to Chetumal, stopped at beaches and villages along the way. Wanted to cross Belize's border to visit the reef around Caulker Cay but ran out of time, turned back to Cancun. It was risky, potential flat tires, broken axles, stuck in the mud ect. That highway is now nicely paved.
Also drove a Jeep Wrangler along the coast of Jalisco, road full of pot holes, nearly rolled the Jeep over. Would not drive in that region now due to CJNG's control.
No risks, no funs.
It's obvious that the Mexico government at all levels and its officials are actively and deeply involved in the production, trafficking, distribution and sales of massive amount of narcotics all over the world, with extreme abuses and violence against the people of Mexico.
[URL]https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-08-10/el-mayo-zambada-attorney-mexico-allegations[/URL]
By Keegan Hamilton and Kate Linthicum Aug. 10,2024 Updated 1:56 PM PT.
The reclusive drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was famous for staying out of the public eye, ruling a multibillion-dollar narcotics trafficking empire from remote mountain hideouts and speaking to the press just once over the course of his decades-long criminal career.
But on Saturday, Zambada thrust himself into the spotlight, issuing a remarkable statement from jail in the United States, where he is being detained after an alleged betrayal by another cartel trafficker seeking to cut a deal with authorities.
In a two-page document in English sent to The Times by his attorney, Frank Perez, the Sinaloa cartel leader said he was kidnapped by the son of Joaquíand "El Chapo" Guzmáand, flown to a small airport near El Paso and handed over to authorities. He claimed that a prominent politician in Sinaloa was killed in the process.
Zambada, 76, the cartel's co-founder, was long believed to have police, soldiers and political leaders in his pocket. But the new statement includes unprecedented admissions of those ties. He described how a state police official served as his personal bodyguard and said he had agreed to leave his hideout at the request of 38-year-old Joaquíand Guzmáand López to "help resolve differences" between two feuding politicians.
Those politicians, he said, were Sinaloa Gov. Rubéand Rocha Moya and Héctor Melesio see youéand Ojeda, a former mayor of the state capital, Culiacáand.
Zambada said see youéand Ojeda was shot dead at the meeting. That's a different version of events than one shared by Sinaloa law enforcement authorities, who said they believed see youéand Ojeda had been killed in an attempted carjacking.
"I am aware that the official version being told by Sinaloa state authorities is that Héctor Cuen was shot in the evening of July 25th at a gas station by two men on a motorcycle who wanted to rob his pick-up truck," Zambada said. "That is not what happened. He was killed at the same time, and in the same place, where I was kidnapped. ".
Perez said he released Zambada's statement "to set the record straight and counter the false narratives. ".
Zambada said the two Sinaloa politicians were locked in a dispute "over who should lead" the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, where see youéand Ojeda, a onetime candidate for governor, had once been the rector.
At a news conference Saturday, Rocha forcefully denied any knowledge of the meeting described by Zambada, saying he was not in the state on the day it allegedly occurred. "We have not been complicit with anyone," he said.
Zambada has pleaded not guilty to federal charges in El Paso. The Justice Department is expected to transfer his case to Brooklyn, and. Why. , where he also faces charges, to the same court that hosted the trial of El Chapo, his longtime partner who is serving a life sentence in the USA After a 2019 conviction.
El Chapo's son, Guzmáand López, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges in Chicago, where he and his younger brother Ovidio are accused of leading a cartel faction, LOS Chapitos, known for manufacturing and exporting illicit fentanyl. Their lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday and has previously denied that the elder Guzmáand López sibling had struck a deal to cooperate with USA Authorities.
In his statement, Zambada said he arrived early for a meeting scheduled for 11 am At a ranch and event center called Huertos del Pedregal, just outside Culiacáand. He said he also expected to see Iváand Guzmáand Salazar, an older half-brother of Guzmáand López who remains a fugitive in Mexico, wanted for co-leading LOS Chapitos.
"I saw a large number of armed men wearing green military uniforms who I assumed were gunmen for Joaquíand Guzmáand and his brothers," Zambada said.
Zambada said he brought his own bodyguards, including José Rosario Heras López, a commander in the State Judicial Police of Sinaloa, and Rodolfo Chaidez, whom he described as "a longtime member of my security team. ".
"While walking toward the meeting area, I saw Héctor Cuen and one of his aides. I greeted them briefly before proceeding inside to a room that had a table filled with fruit," Zambada said. "I saw Joaquíand Guzmáand Lopez, whom I have known since he was a young boy, and he gestured for me to follow him. Trusting the nature of the meeting and the people involved, I followed without hesitation. I was led into another room which was dark. ".
Zambada continued: "As soon as I set foot inside of that room, I was ambushed. A group of men assaulted me, knocked me to the ground, and placed a dark-colored hood over my head. They tied me up and handcuffed me, then forced me into the bed of a pickup truck. ".
Zambada said he was "subjected to physical abuse, resulting in significant injuries to my back, knee and wrists," and driven to a landing strip "about 20 or 25 minutes away, where I was forced onto a private plane. ".
He said that once on board the airplane, Guzmáand López removed the hood and "bound me with zip ties to the seat. ".
Photos taken by USA News media inside the plane after it landed showed a bag from the Mexican gas station chain Oxxo containing zip ties, along with cookies and snacks.
Zambada said the two bodyguards who were with him, including the state police official, have been missing since the ambush. The statement said see youéand Ojeda was killed at the scene and that his body was taken away.
"The notion that I surrendered or cooperated voluntarily is completely and unequivocally false," Zambada said. "I was brought to this country forcibly and under duress, without my consent and against my will. ".
Mexican officials have said the Guzmáand López brothers reached an agreement to cooperate with USA Authorities in hopes of receiving leniency in their cases, which could carry long prison sentences.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday morning.
Zambada, should he choose to cooperate with USA Authorities, could spill more than 40 years of secrets about whom he and his cartel have corrupted in Mexico. Twice during criminal trials in the United States, allegations have surfaced that the Sinaloa cartel made payments to an early and unsuccessful presidential campaign by Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2006. The president, who was elected when he ran again in 2018, has vehemently denied any links to drug traffickers.
With a president-elect from his own party, Claudia Sheinbaum, poised to replace him in October, López Obrador called this week for Zambada and Guzmáand López to reveal whatever they might know about political corruption in Mexico to USA Investigators.
"If they can tell how much support was given to authorities, if they can inform on who was protecting them, all of that will help a lot, and also their agreements with the USA Agencies. . Make it all transparent. That would help a lot," the president said at a news conference.
López Obrador and Sheinbaum were scheduled to appear Saturday in Sinaloa at the opening of a hospital. The president and president-elect are from the same political party as Rocha, the Sinaloa governor.
State authorities in Sinaloa have said see youéand Ojeda was declared dead by doctors at a private clinic in central Culiacáand on the night of July 25. An autopsy showed he died from the impact of four bullets, one of which hit a major artery on his right leg.
Sinaloa Atty. Gen. Sara Bruna Quiñonez Estrada said in a statement last week that police are investigating "all possible causes" in see youéand Ojeda's case.
"The State Attorney General's Office does not rule out any line of investigation. And continues to carry out all relevant investigative acts to clarify the facts and bring those responsible to justice," Bruna said.
Zambada called for "the truth to come out" about the events of July 25.
"I call on the governments of Mexico and the United States to be transparent and provide the truth about my abduction to the United States and about the deaths of Héctor Cuen, Rosario Heras, Rodolfo Chaidez, and anyone else who may have lost their life that day," he said. "I also call on the people of Sinaloa to use restraint and maintain peace in our state. Nothing can be solved by violence. We have been down that road before, and everyone loses. ".
Sinaloa authorities said the man who brought see youéand Ojeda to the Culiacáand clinic reported that the shooting had occurred in a failed carjacking attempt at a gas station.
The witness reportedly said a gas station attendant was fueling see youéand Ojeda's truck when two men on a motorcycle ordered him out of the vehicle. After see youéand Ojeda refused to comply, officials said, the men shot him and sped off.
Two gas station employees interviewed by journalists for the local news site areíodoce said that they did not see a motorcycle approach the vehicle or see an altercation.
Ken Salazar, the USA Ambassador to Mexico, released a statement Friday that said Guzmáand López surrendered to USA Authorities voluntarily and that "the evidence at the moment indicates El Mayo was brought against his will. ".
Salazar said no USA Resources were used in the "rendition" of Zambada: "It was not our plane, not our pilot, and not our people. ".
Salazar said USA Authorities did not receive a flight plan for the plane in advance, and that the plane took off somewhere in Sinaloa, contradicting previous statements from Mexican officials that said the craft disembarked from Hermosillo in the neighboring state of Sonora.
A prominent figure in Sinaloa, where his leadership of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa earned him the affectionate nickname "El Maestro," see youéand Ojeda pivoted from an academic career to politics in 2010, later forming his own party. He also ran for Senate and served as state secretary of health until 2022.
A statement released by see youéand Ojeda's family remembered "his tireless commitment to work, his hand always outstretched to help others and the big heart that he always had open to those around him. ".
The family's statement made "a firm and respectful call" for the case to be investigated "free of any speculation to provide the justice that his work and legacy have left us in his time in this life and that he rightly deserves. ".
Former federal prosecutors have told The Times that even if it's true that Zambada was kidnapped and other crimes occurred as he was brought to the United States, it's unlikely that the charges against him will be dismissed due to a violation of Mexico's extradition treaty or for other procedural reasons.
In 2019, the Mexican government forced the return of Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, a former defense secretary who had been arrested that year on narco-corruption charges by the Drug Enforcement Administration while traveling to the USA With his family.
López Obrador was furious about the general's arrest, arguing that the country's sovereignty had been violated. The Justice Department ultimately dropped all charges and allowed Cienfuegos to return home. Mexican authorities later released evidence from the case and maintained the general was innocent.
There is some evidence to support Zambada's claims that he was in league with corrupt Mexican officials. During the trial of El Chapo in Brooklyn in 2019, Zambada's eldest son, Vicente Zambada Niebla, testified that the cartel paid an estimated $1 million per month in "salaries" to officials at all levels of government. Zambada Niebla testified that a commander of the state judicial police, the agency his father mentioned in his statement Saturday, would receive around $50,000 per month.
State police commanders were given the nickname "Yankee," Zambada Niebla testified, and his father liked to hand-deliver the bribes.
"My dad is the kind of person who liked to see the Yankees or commanders personally," he said.
Zambada Niebla also detailed payments on his father's behalf to a military general, federal police officials, and agents from the Mexican attorney general's office tasked with investigating organized crime.
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador listens to Mexican Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez (out of frame) during his usual morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on July 26,2024. Mexican authorities did not participate in the arrest of Ismael "Mayo" Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, and a son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, carried out on July 25.
Tim Sloan, former head of the USA Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Mexico, noted that López Obrador was once photographed shaking hands with El Chapo's mother in Sinaloa, a gesture that did little to quiet speculation about the president's sympathies.
Pushing to return Zambada, Sloan said, would be untenable: "It would be really bad politically for Mexico to go out on a limb for this guy who has been one of America's most wanted for decades. ".
Hamilton reported from San Francisco and Linthicum from Mexico City. Special correspondent Cecilia Sánchez Vidal in Mexico City contributed to this report.
[QUOTE=ScvRusher;2936246]This is 80% the cops' fault for being corrupt and 20% mine for being sloppy. Learn from my mistake. I'm usually fine because I'm a white latino and blend in reasonably well with the locals, but I got a little careless and paid the price. . . The appointment was early, so I was one of the only people on the street at 7 AM . . . Starting from Cascadas I headed west with the intent of hanging out in front of the southwest corner of Tropic Bar to hail an uber to get to my appointment. I crossed the street in front of a police cruiser and I think I had right of way. They pulled up next to me and asked why I was trembling (I wasn't). They then put me in the back of their squad car and searched my pockets. The younger cop "found" some drugs in my pocket and they informed me I was under arrest . . . they ended up with all the money in my pocket (about $300-$400). The streets are abandoned that early, what I should have done is simply have the uber meet me in front of cascadas. [/QUOTE]Though I agree with the getting the Uber at Cascadas is best, wandering down the block that early seems not unreasonable. The sun is out and there are normal people begining their day. In my trips to Tijuana, often I leave my hotel at sunrise to explore the zona at daybreak. It's a unique time of day and there were always a few working girls out before the fog even lifts. Actually, I've felt safe doing so, as criminals are more active at night than day. However, in Tijuana the cops are also criminals so I make it a point to stay away from cops. It just comes with the territory and the law of averages, sooner or later someone is going to get got in TJ, a matter of luck really. Lately I've just been staying home and drinking tea, but but life is boring.
Cartels 'squeeze' small businesses, sidewalk vendors in Tijuana by: Salvador Rivera.
Posted: Aug 16,2024 / 01:26 PM MDT.
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Small businesses in Tijuana, including sidewalk vendors, are having to pay about $100 per week to cartels in order to remain in business, officials say.
Gina Villalobos González, with the Small Business Chamber of Commerce in the city, says small grocery stores, pharmacies, tire shops, garages, hair salons and even taco carts are being "squeezed" by cartels, paying what's known as "cobro de paso," which roughly translates into a toll.
"They are threatened with violence or destruction of their property," she said. "At the beginning of the year, it was 500 to 1,000 pesos per week depending on the scope of the business, now it's gotten more expensive. ".
Villalobos stated that since the beginning of the year, 40 small businesses have filed complaints with their office, saying they are being forced to pay fees to cartels.
Business leader gunned down after complaining about cartels, extortion on TV.
And she said, so far this year, 10 small businesses have shut down because they couldn't pay the extortion fees. That's on top of 30 businesses last year.
"These are victims; we have to keep fighting against this dark crime," she said. "Many times the victims are afraid to come forward and follow through with formal complaints, we're trying to work on their behalf. ".
Baja California's Secretary of Public Safety says it has received 26 formal complaints of extortion from business owners in Tijuana this year, but prosecutors say it's difficult going to court when most people are too afraid to testify.
"Merchants also don't always trust authorities or the court system, and that's why many crimes go unreported or prosecuted," Villalobos González said. "And whenever you do get a conviction, the sentences are very light, it's not a deterrent. ".
A friend's wife owns a bar & do notl believe.
She has had any problems. Hopefully Mexico's new president will help the drug cartel problem. She has already had made a lot of progress in Mexico city. !
[URL]https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/mexico-claudia-sheinbaum-organized-crime-us-assistance-a8e9d15c[/URL]
[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;2937856]Cartels 'squeeze' small businesses, sidewalk vendors in Tijuana by: Salvador Rivera.
Posted: Aug 16,2024 / 01:26 PM MDT.
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) Small businesses in Tijuana, including sidewalk vendors, are having to pay about $100 per week to cartels in order to remain in business, officials say.
Gina Villalobos Gonzlez, with the Small Business Chamber of Commerce in the city, says small grocery stores, pharmacies, tire shops, garages, hair salons and even taco carts are being "squeezed" by cartels, paying what's known as "cobro de paso," which roughly translates into a toll.
"They are threatened with violence or destruction of their property," she said. "At the beginning of the year, it was 500 to 1,000 pesos per week depending on the scope of the business, now it's gotten more expensive. ".
Villalobos stated that since the beginning of the year, 40 small businesses have filed complaints with their office, saying they are being forced to pay fees to cartels.
Business leader gunned down after complaining about cartels, extortion on TV.
And she said, so far this year, 10 small businesses have shut down because they couldn't pay the extortion fees. That's on top of 30 businesses last year.
"These are victims; we have to keep fighting against this dark crime," she said. "Many times the victims are afraid to come forward and follow through with formal complaints, we're trying to work on their behalf. ".
Baja California's Secretary of Public Safety says it has received 26 formal complaints of extortion from business owners in Tijuana this year, but prosecutors say it's difficult going to court when most people are too afraid to testify.
"Merchants also don't always trust authorities or the court system, and that's why many crimes go unreported or prosecuted," Villalobos Gonzlez said. "And whenever you do get a conviction, the sentences are very light, it's not a deterrent. ".[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Sol12;2935476]I didn't say it happens daily. I said "almost daily" which means that it happens often especially lately I have noticed an increase. I look at the Tijuana news every day so if you want to see for yourself what I mean you are welcome to look for yourself. Just going back to this girl was shot on Thursday I think, the guy that Baxter mentioned was shot on Friday then two more guys were shot on Sunday. So it happens much more often than you realize.
Also the Zona Norte is not just the block with HK and the alley. Once you get away from that part it's a very very dangerous area because of all the drugs and criminals. So just because you don't see or read about people getting killed in the part of Zona Norte you visit doesn't mean it's not happening in the rest of the area.
I don't have much faith in Sheinbaum but I look forward to Papa Bear coming back to take control of the police with the new Tijuana mayor.[/QUOTE]Damn here is another incident on that same block.
#NDTInforma.
They abandon a Honda with two lifeless bodies in the Central Zone.
Tijuana be. See —— The discovery of two lifeless bodies inside a vehicle occurred on the night of Sunday, August 18, on Sixth Street between Constitucióand Avenue and Revolucióand Avenue in the Zona Centro neighborhood.
The first preliminary reports indicate that, after a surveillance tour, a National Guard unit notices a gray Honda vehicle with the passenger window open and the keys in the ignition, parked next to the "Tarros" bar.
Authorities reported that in the back seat of the car, there was the body of a lifeless man tied by the hands and feet. Likewise, in the trunk area, the body of a man was found tied by the neck and wrapped in a rug.
After verifying the history of the vehicle, it had a report of theft since August 16 in the Herrera neighborhood.
The scene was guarded by agents from the State Attorney General's Office, as well as personnel from Expert Services, who are in charge of processing the bodies and the scene.
Photographs: Arturo Rosales.
[URL]https://insightcrime.org/news/cold-war-raging-inside-sinaloa-cartel-following-el-mayo-capture/[/URL]
A Cold War Is Raging Inside the Sinaloa Cartel Following El Mayo's Capture.
By Victoria Dittmar and Mike LaSusa 20 Aug 2024.
On a deserted, unpaved street in the rural community of La Loma, a young man in his twenties stands on a street corner in the early hours of a cloudy morning. On his hip he holds several walkie-talkies and at least one pistol.
His eyes scan his surroundings, registering who is walking down the street, who is heading for the cornfields on the outskirts of town, and anyone behaving suspiciously. If unknown cars pass by, the young man radios his colleagues, and two people on motorcycles immediately appear to chase the vehicle down and make sure they are not intruders.
SEE ALSO: Truth or Lie? A Letter From El Mayo Fuels Mexico-US Tensions Over Sinaloa Cartel Arrests.
La Loma has eyes like this everywhere. With just over a thousand inhabitants, the town lies next to Federal Highway 15 D, which, according to several sources consulted by InSight Crime, is one of the invisible borders that carve up the areas controlled by either the Mayiza or the Chapitos here in Culiacán, the capital of the state of Sinaloa.
Both groups are factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. The first is linked to Ismael Zambada Garcia, alias "El Mayo," who was arrested on July 25 at a private airport in New Mexico in the United States, and will be tried in federal court on various drug trafficking charges. The second group includes four of the sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias "El Chapo," who has been behind bars in the United States since 2017.
Following the capture of El Mayo, tension between the Mayiza and the Chapitos factions has worsened in Culiacáand, which has historically been the epicenter of the Sinaloa Cartel's activities. The version currently dominating international discourse — and the one believed by most sources consulted by InSight Crime — suggests that Zambada was betrayed and taken against his will to US authorities by Chapitos member Joaquíand Guzmán López, also arrested that day when he turned himself in.
This has fueled speculation about a potential escalation of violence motivated by revenge or settling of scores. The Mexican army, for example, announced the deployment of more than 200 soldiers to Sinaloa the day after the capture to "guarantee security and allow all societal activities to continue. ".
Warning Shots.
Three weeks later, there are some signs of violence. On August 17, for example, seven people were killed, including at least three Mayiza operatives, in the municipality of Elota. And on August 2, the army killed six people during an alleged confrontation in La Loma. At least one of them reportedly had no links to organized crime and worked in the corn fields nearby, his family told InSight Crime.
During interviews with several people in La Loma, few dared to talk about the incident or its possible link to the fallout from El Mayo's capture. Under constant surveillance by "punteros" like the young man, the tension and uncertainty about the future was palpable.
"Who knows what is going to happen, but right now I don't trust anyone," a woman in her 40's, who asked not to reveal her name for fear of reprisals, told InSight Crime.
These perspectives are reflected in the underworld. InSight Crime interviewed five people involved in various stages of drug trafficking in Sinaloa. All were aware of the current tension between the Chapitos and the Mayiza and had adopted more cautious stances as a result.
However, like the inhabitants of La Loma, they shared the uncertainty about when this tension might flare up. Engaging in a frontal war in their own stronghold did not seem to be an attractive option. At least, for now.
The Iron Curtain in Sinaloa.
The departure of El Mayo has reportedly left Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias "Mayito Flaco," in charge of La Mayiza. He is the only son of El Mayo who is allegedly still operating in Culiacáand, following the arrest of several of his brothers. Some of them have served sentences in the United States, where they have collaborated with the justice system.
It is not clear why El Mayito Flaco has not reacted directly to the Chapitos' alleged betrayal. However, sources who spoke to InSight Crime believe it could be an attempt to keep a low profile and avoid attracting government attention, or because he does not yet have the resources to take on the Chapitos, who have amassed a large number of gunmen in their ranks over the years.
Regardless of the reason, the dividing lines between the two factions — historically linked by ties of marriage and close friendship known as compadrazgo — are becoming more pronounced, according to sources. This has turned "border" communities, such as La Loma, into points of high tension.
"There are no words for what the Chapitos did," said one methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficker in a town outside Culiacáand, also close to the dividing line, who spoke to InSight Crime on condition of anonymity. "Of course a lot of us are angry. ".
The divisions could even be replicated in the prison system. One person who worked independently in fentanyl production in Sinaloa and is currently held in Aguaruto Prison in Culiacán told InSight Crime that choosing sides between the two criminal groups has become more important for those behind bars.
"There's a lot of fear and panic with the new rules that El Mayito Flaco might put in place," he said.
Fight or Flight.
Ultimately, a decision on whether or not to respond to the alleged betrayal of El Mayo will be made by the Mayiza's top leadership. Meanwhile, some of those working in the lower echelons of the organization are adapting and remaining particularly vigilant, like the punteros of La Loma.
For some, these measures have been drastic. One man who oversees several clandestine laboratories and has worked with both the Chapitos and the Mayiza, spoke to InSight Crime on condition of anonymity and said the current situation forced him to leave Sinaloa indefinitely.
"Right now I can't go back. I have to wait for things to stabilize," he said during a telephone interview. His main concern is that he has collaborated closely with both sides, which puts him in a delicate situation should a war break out.
The methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficker on the outskirts of Culiacán added that he also knows several people who have left Sinaloa for similar reasons.
Those who decide to stay in Culiacán are trying to be more discreet about their illegal activities. All sources consulted by InSight Crime agree that an increase in violence between the Chapitos and the Mayiza would be bad for their business. It would bring greater pressure from the government, require the redirection of resources towards the purchase of weapons, and generate a deterioration in the relationship with the local population.
A synthetic drug producer working in another Mayiza-controlled town on the outskirts of Culiacán, for example, commented that the increased presence of the army after the capture is already causing him problems, so he thinks it unwise to attract more attention.
"There is a high government presence around here now. That worries me. I have to watch my back better," he said at a meeting in the living room of his house, where he made sure to close all the curtains so that no one would see him meeting with people from out of town.
Mayo Zambada himself reportedly called for peace to be maintained in Sinaloa and for violent reactions to be avoided in a letter published by his lawyer.
"We have been down that road in the past and we all lost out," the letter, originally published in English, said.
Eventually, war might be inevitable, especially since the Chapitos' alleged betrayal of El Mayo implies a breaking of "codes" that the various factions of the Sinaloa Cartel have traditionally respected to keep the peace at home.
"I don't know what's going to happen, but if they attack us, here the Mayiza has several armored trucks ready," said the synthetic drug trafficker in the "border" town.
"They just need to give the order. "
Proxy War on the Border.
Some 1,500 kilometers from Culiacán, the situation could be different. In the area near the US border, in the states of Sonora and Baja California, the Chapitos and the Mayiza have been engaged in a proxy war for years through their respective armed groups: the Salazar and the Rusos.
The disputes began after El Chapo's capture, and center mainly on control of border corridors and local drug consumption markets, according to a security official who spoke to InSight Crime on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the subject.
In recent weeks, signs of a possible uptick in tensions between the two groups have emerged. On July 31, for example, the Chapitos-associated Salazar group allegedly posted a message outside the border city of Mexicali, threatening authorities for allegedly collaborating with the Rusos.
But even if this war escalates, the decentralized nature of drug trafficking, especially of synthetic drugs, means that there will not necessarily be disruptions in supply across the border. In addition to the Chapitos and the Mayiza, there are dozens of criminal networks in the country that will continue to operate.
Two individuals involved in fentanyl production and transshipment in Baja California, as well as a methamphetamine wholesaler in the western United States, told InSight Crime that their workflow has not slowed in recent weeks.
"I am not affected by El Mayo's capture. If we don't work with him, it will be with someone else," the wholesaler said.
*Miguel Ángel Vega contributed reporting for this article.
Featured image: Police and military patrol Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico. Credit: Associated Press.
Man. I've been in Thailand for 3 months now (minus a week in jakarts and what a week it was) and what a glorious time I'm having not having to worry about all the corrupt cops and cartel crime in Tijuana. Having said that the zona has its place in my heart as my first international mongering destination.
I'm starting my 4th month in Thailand this week and life is just so much better here cost wise. I knew Thailand was cheaper than Tijuana but had no idea what Jakarta was like until a buddy showed me around about a month ago. For 30 bucks US you can get short time with 2 hot indonesian chick's at a few of their hotel / discos. While I did have an unpleasant experience entering Jakarta by their airport staff (fuck those guys they thought because I came in from thailand that I was bringing in marijuana) the rest of my time there was filled with banging hot chick's for 20 or 30 bucks at a time.
The cops here in Pattaya don't even give me a second look in Thailand. Just another fat farang with money to spend.
Before I left for my extended sabbatical I was more concerned with quality above quantity but when the cost is 20 to 40 a pop I've been going on "fuck fests" 6 is my record in a day lately which I have achieved twice this trip. I also have a live in girlfriend who works during the day so I've been using a short time hotel for my exploits where (according to one of the girls I saw) the hotel has nicknamed me Mr. Sanook which means Mr. Fun. LOL most guys see one girl and take off after their short time I will regularly see 2 or 3 during the 2 or 3 hours I have the room. I wish Tijuana had a website like the one we use out here called Thai Friendly. It's like ordering pizza. Find a girl you like and 30 minutes later she's at your door and ready to play!
I'll go back to Tijuana in October. But my Tijuana trips are just to tide me over till my Thailand trips now. A night or two to escape the rigormortis that has become Las Vegas and the US.
I have noticed that there is private security guards in Tijuana. I believe they are hired by the merchant association. Before I used to see a lot of off duty police at the bars. I do not see the securidad officers in the zona.
[QUOTE=Daytonamonger;2941441]While I did have an unpleasant experience entering Jakarta by their airport staff (fuck those guys they thought because I came in from thailand that I was bringing in marijuana) the rest of my time there was filled with banging hot chick's for 20 or 30 bucks at a time. [/QUOTE]Jakarta security uses white chalk on bags that are checked in that signal inspection to look closer. The border cops look for that- my friend keeps a wet napkin ready to wipe it off when she sees it.