UNPRESCEDENTED ESCALATION OF NARCO-VIOLENCE IN MONTERREY

101817 2007-03-23 21:14:00 07MONTERREY334 Consulate Monterrey SECRET 07MONTERREY290 VZCZCXRO4382 OO RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM DE RUEHMC #0334/01 0822114 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 232114Z MAR 07 FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1904 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO IMMEDIATE 2693 INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC RUEABND/DEA RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 7036 S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000334 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/23/2017 TAGS: SNAR PGOV PTER ASEC MX SUBJECT: UNPRESCEDENTED ESCALATION OF NARCO-VIOLENCE IN MONTERREY REF: MONTERREY 290 MONTERREY 00000334 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Luis Moreno, CG, Monterrey, DOS. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (S) SUMMARY. Monterrey has experienced an unprecedented escalation of narco-related violence with the assassination of six police officers in five separate incidents over the course of one week. On March 20 and 21, the dead bodies of two unidentified men were found with notes attached to them. The notes, addressed to both the State of Nuevo Leon Secretary of State and Attorney General, threatened to kill the senior state officials' families unless they stopped protecting the rival Sinaloa drug cartel. Post's contacts in the local law enforcement community agree that the Secretary of State is potentially involved in corrupt and illegal activities, and said that the Attorney General is paralyzed with fear of retribution if he investigates these recent high-level assassinations. While there is no immediate threat to USG personnel or their families, Post has taken steps to reinforce the use of daily security practices to all Consulate community members and will continue to monitor the situation closely. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Since January 1, 2007, there have been 33 murder victims in the State of Nuevo Leon, compared with 55 for all of ¶2006. Of that 33, fourteen have been active-duty law enforcement officials and three have been former law enforcement officers. In the last week, six police officers were killed in five separate incidents in the Monterrey area. All the officers were ambushed by multiple assailants using high-powered weapons. Referring to the most high-profile case of this past week, the Police Chief of San Pedro (the Monterrey suburb where all Consulate families reside) told Post law enforcement officers that he believed that his Director of Special Operations was killed on March 14 (reftel) because San Pedro had made a concerted effort to crack down on street-level drug trafficking. As the Police Chief explained, street sales account for a large portion of drug cartels' earnings, particularly in wealthy San Pedro neighborhoods. This is why no other Monterrey suburb has engaged in such a bold and risky attack on street-level dealing. ¶3. (SBU) In a separate incident in Monterrey on March 20, the dead body of an unidentified man was found bound, gagged, and tortured with a large poster board note attached to the chest with an ice pick. The note was a message addressed to two high-ranking Nuevo Leon state officials - Rogelio Cerda, the Lieutenant Governor/Secretary of State for the State of Nuevo Leon, and Luis Carlos Trevino, the Nuevo Leon State Attorney General. The message stated that the killings will continue in Nuevo Leon until these two officials stop protecting high-ranking, powerful members of the rival Sinaloa drug cartel. The note further warned Secretary Cerda that the perpetrators will not stop until they have killed his bodyguards and family members. On the following day, March 21, the body of another unidentified man was found 20 meters from the victim of the March 20 murder, bound and gagged in the same manner. Another note, addressed to Nuevo Leon Attorney General Trevino, said that Secretary Cerda, his family, and anyone else working with the Sinaloa cartel were going to "be taken out or taken down". It further stated that the killings would not stop until they (most likely the Nuevo Leon Government) understood and stopped working with the Sinaloans. -------------- COMMENT & ANALYSIS -------------- ¶4. (S) While this type of violence is not new to Mexico or to the Monterrey region, the latest string of executions has caused newfound concern among the local population. Post's contacts in the law enforcement community have long rumored that Secretary Cerda, the second-in-command in the Nuevo Leon State Government, has been involved in corrupt activities involving Governor Natividad Gonzalez Paras's brothers and members of the Sinaloa drug cartel operating in the state. Local police have confided in Post's law enforcement officers that they have little support from the Nuevo Leon state government. Similarly, they have also said that Attorney General Trevino and the head of the Nuevo Leon State Investigative Unit, Hector Santos, are completely paralyzed with fear and intimidation. As a result, there has been no follow-up on the investigation into these and other high-profile assassinations for fear of retribution. ¶5. (SBU) While there is no indication of any threat against USG personnel in the Monterrey area, the local police and government officials targeted in the latest wave of narco-related violence are close contacts of the Consulate with whom Consulate law enforcement officials meet regularly. RSO re-issued security notices to all Post personnel and their families about daily security habits and dealing with police stops and military checkpoints. In addition, Surveillance Detection team coverage has increased in residential areas, focusing on the CGR and USG Law Enforcement Officers' residences. Finally, while there is no immediate threat to Consulate families, many of the assassinations and incidents of violence have taken place along the primary route used by the American School transportation service to drive Consulate children to and from school everyday. As such, the RSO has worked with the transportation service to ensure that drivers continue to vary their routes and that each driver has direct cell-phone communication capabilities to notify the RSO or other Consulate staff in the event of an emergency. Post will continue to monitor the situation closely and inform the Department of any direct threats against USG personnel or their families. MORENO