MONTERREY'S TROUBLING TRENDS - MURDER, KIDNAPPING, AND

108918 2007-05-18 21:43:00 07MONTERREY527 Consulate Monterrey CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN VZCZCXRO0281 PP RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM DE RUEHMC #0527/01 1382143 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 182143Z MAY 07 FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2104 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 2867 INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 7276 C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000527 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/ITA AND DS/IP/WHA; AND INL E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/18/2017 TAGS: SNAR PINS PGOV SOCI ASEC ELAB ECON MX SUBJECT: MONTERREY'S TROUBLING TRENDS - MURDER, KIDNAPPING, AND INTIMIDATED JOURNALISTS MONTERREY 00000527 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Luis G. Moreno, CG. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Following the Mexican national model, in one week Monterrey witnessed a fierce rise in narco-related violence, including police and journalist kidnappings. Already Nuevo Leon has quickly surpassed previous records for the number of murders and kidnappings in the state. To date, there have still not been any arrests or convictions in connection with any of them. Sensing local law enforcement's fear and obvious reluctance to pursue serious investigations, perpetrators of lesser crimes (i.e. robberies) have been able to take advantage of the situation. Despite a history of some narco-violence, Monterrey has been known as one of Mexico's safest major cities, but in one week there were two massive armed robberies. Most disturbing about the week's events is the apparent fear and intimidation that narco-traffickers have struck into the hearts of local news reporters who seem to be practicing self-censorship. END SUMMARY. MORE BRUTAL KILLINGS ¶2. (U) On May 17, a group of armed men shot and killed a man as he was trying to run into his house. Particularly disturbing about this incident is that the perpetrators were able to force their way into a gated community (not unlike the ones in which Consulate families reside) by putting a gun to the head of the community's private security guard. He was the 61st murder victim in the State of Nuevo Leon. ¶3. (U) On the morning of May 18, three cadavers were found in San Pedro, the Monterrey suburb where all Consulate families reside, with their hands bound and exhibiting signs of torture. Two of the three men were wearing police uniforms and were later identified as Santa Catarina police. The third man was dressed in civilian clothing. Apparently they had been kidnapped the night before. Their deaths bring the total number of murders in the State of Nuevo Leon to a record 64, a significant increase over the 55 murders for all of 2006. A DISTURBING RISE IN KIDNAPPINGS ¶4. (SBU) On May 10, a reporter and cameraman for TV Azteca were presumably kidnapped in Monterrey. They did not report for work that day and have not been heard from since. A week later, 17 people were kidnapped in six separate incidents in the greater Monterrey area over a 48 hour period. On May 16, a Monterrey police officer was kidnapped while patrolling the home of Francisco Carlos Esquivel, (AKA "El Capi"). Esquivel was recently released from a Jalisco prison where he had been held since 2005. Earlier that same day, eight people were kidnapped in Guadalupe at a used car lot. On May 17, a passerby discovered the abandoned vehicle of an investigator with the State Attorney General's office. The details of the case are still unclear, with authorities trying to definitively determine if the investigator was the victim of kidnapping. Also on May 17, four people, including the local leader of the PEMEX (Mexican Petroleum) oil company union, were kidnapped in Cadereyta. Finally, on the afternoon of May 18, an additional police officer from Guadalupe, another Monterrey suburb, was reportedly kidnapped. ¶5. (U) While kidnappings are nothing new for Mexico, "regios" (Monterrey residents) traditionally regard them as something that happens elsewhere. In the last month, however, Monterrey has seen a disturbing rise in the number of kidnappings and the total number has exceeded any previous record for Nuevo Leon. Including these latest victims, there have been 49 total kidnappings in the state, compared to the previous record of 35 in 2006. CONSEQUENCES FOR GREATER PUBLIC SECURITY ¶6. (SBU) In a new disturbing trend, other criminals have taken advantage of local authorities' inability to curb narco-related crime in Monterrey and the city has seen an increase in the number of robberies. On May 12, over 250 people were held by armed gunmen and robbed at a night club in Guadalupe, greater Metropolitan Monterrey. During the two hour hold-up during which gunmen came around and took money from club patrons, several victims reportedly used their cell phones to call the police. Still, no police showed up and, as is the case with most crimes in Nuevo Leon, the culprits got away scot-free. ¶7. (SBU) On May 14, a man was driving on the highway between Monterrey and Reynosa on his way to the U.S. border. A group of MONTERREY 00000527 002.2 OF 002 armed men forced him off the road and then car-jacked his SUV. On May 17, another armed robbery took place in San Pedro, minutes from where Consulate families reside. The victims were all in one house and were tied-up while the robbers took over $30,000 in cash and jewelry. Despite the fact that local police set-up a perimeter when they learned of the robbery, the two armed culprits once again escaped. FEAR AFFECTING MEDIA REPORTING ¶8. (C) In addition to increased crime rates, Post has begun to notice a disquieting trend in the local media connected to the rising levels of violence: because of fear and intimidation, some in the media appear to be practicing self-censorship in reporting drug-related crimes. On May 18, Rogelio Lozano (STRICTLY PROTECT),San Pedro's Chief of Police, was interviewed by TV Azteca just hours after the discovery of the three cadavers in San Pedro. Lozano told RSO of his surprise at not being asked about this crime. Lozano added that the interviewer, the News Director for TV Azteca Northeast Luis Padua (STRICTLY PROTECT),told him afterward that he had intentionally avoided the topic and that he didn't "want to know about it." This occurred one week after the May 10 disappearance of the TV Azteca reporter and cameraman, rumored to be narco-related, that went unreported in the media (including in TV Azteca itself) until May 13, three days later. Local reporters from Televisa and El Norte, the most prestigious daily in northeastern Mexico, have told PAO that they now often report only the basics of narco-related violence, deciding not to dig further for fear of retaliation. ¶9. (C) COMMENT. Unfortunately, an increase in arrest rates has not occurred along with the increase in murders, kidnappings, and other related criminal acts in Nuevo Leon. Post believes that local law enforcement, and now local media, are paralyzed with fear and are unwilling to risk personal harm to investigate these crimes. Interestingly, on May 18 rumors swirled that Nuevo Leon Governor Natividad Gonzalez Paras had been killed. Local and state police contacted Post's law enforcement officials to ascertain whether or not the rumors were true. While this is a positive demonstration of the close working relationship shared between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement entities, it also further demonstrates local law enforcement's inability to get a handle on the situation. That said, Governor Gonzalez Paras appears committed to continuing the fight against narco-violence and will do what he can to do so. As always, Post will continue to closely monitor the situation. END COMMENT. MORENO