NARCO-VIOLENCE SPIKES; BORDER AFFECTED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 003586 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SNAR KCRM MX SUBJECT: NARCO-VIOLENCE SPIKES; BORDER AFFECTED REF: MEXICO 3498 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Mexican media redoubled their focus on the country's spiral of violence, noting that &drug-related8 killings had either approached or topped 5000 for the year, so far. While tallying the actual number of such killings is a highly inexact science here, it is clearly evident that the past several months have been particularly bloody. Moreover, geographic patterns that emerged some months ago are holding ) and strongly suggest that the cartels remain engaged in a violent struggle over key trafficking routes into the U.S. Much of the violence is concentrated along the U.S. border, and in particular in the states of Chihuahua and Baja California. Although Calderon has managed to maintain relatively high levels of popular support nationwide, there is increasing concern in the border region that his counternarcotics operations are not working. End Summary. Narco-Homicides Said to Top 5000 -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The running tally of cartel-related slayings in 2008 is on track to easily double 2007,s figure of approximately 2,500 which was itself a record in Mexico. The GOM's own statistics through September register 3,636 narco-related homicides, and local newspaper Reforma tallies 669 in October and 559 through November 28 contributing to a figure of some 4,864 thru the year. The six Mexican border states account for more than 50 percent of these types of killings, with more than 1400 (30 percent) in Chihuahua alone ) a dramatic increase from approximately 300 in 2007. (Note: The total body count in the state stands at 1900 for the year, with over 1400 in Ciudad Juarez alone. End note.) Baja California has the third highest narco-death-toll following Sinaloa. Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The state of Chihuahua, accounting for close to a third of the entire country's drug-related killings, has not registered a significant uptick in killings over recent months. Rather, violence has occurred at such disturbingly high rates beginning in March 2008, and now only intermittent incidents of a particularly gruesome nature (such as two Thanksgiving weekend mass killings which resulted in 15 deaths) seem to capture the broader public's attention. Historically, Chihuahua has been a violent state. Law enforcement (LE) sources, however, attribute the origin of Chihuahua's most recent wave of violence to a decision in December 2007 on the part of the Sinaloa Cartel, under Joaquin &el Chapo8 Guzman to take over the state of Chihuahua and the Juarez &plaza8 from the Carrillo Fuentes drug trafficking organization (aka Juarez Cartel). (Note: A previous cooperative arrangement between the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels fell apart beginning in September 2004, when the Sinaloa Cartel was alleged to have directed the murder of Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes and his wife in Culiacan, Sinaloa. ¶4. (SBU) As the cartels have found it more difficult to transport narcotics through the Juarez &plaza,8 they have branched out into other forms of criminality in order to meet their expenses. In 2008, auto theft has doubled from 2007,s already record-setting number to 15,000 incidents. Bank robberies have risen from six in 2007 to 78 in 2008. There were no reported incidents of kidnapping in 2006, and 9 in ¶2007. The number of reported kidnappings stands at 36 for 2008, an many more are thought to have gone unreported. Incidents of extortion have increased dramatically as well. Threats and extortion attempts against business owners and even school teachers (in which criminals insist that teachers turn over their year-end bonuses),have become a constant worry. ¶5. (SBU) In addition, tit-for-tat attacks between the Sinaloa cartel and the Juarez-ABLO-Zeta cartel alliance have created a chaotic &free-for-all8 atmosphere, where local gangs ) such as the Barrio Aztecas -- are increasingly engaging in illicit activities. Disturbingly, consulate law enforcement officials and contacts, particularly businessmen who have sought safe haven in El Paso have reported some spillover north of the border. ¶6. (SBU) The violence in Ciudad Juarez and throughout the rest of the state has contributed rifts between the federal and local government, with local authorities complaining that MEXICO 00003586 002 OF 003 their resources are strapped and accusing the federal government of ignoring their plight. In October, Chihuahua Governor Jose Reyes Baeza Terrazas complained that the federal Attorney General,s Office (PGR) had not investigated a single killing in the state in 2008. Baeza and other elected officials also question whether the Army, which is deployed in large numbers but rarely engages directly with cartel shooters, is committed to restoring security in the state. Meanwhile, on November 16, representatives of the business sector, religious leaders ) both Roman Catholic and evangelical, university rectors, and 62 of the state's 67 mayors wrote an open letter to President Calderon describing the state's murder rate as completely out of control and calling on the President to order the Mexican Army to engage in more direct and aggressive action against the cartels. Tijuana, Baja California -------------- 7.(SBU) This past weekend (November 28-30),a total of 42 people were murdered in Tijuana including nine decapitated bodies discovered on November 29. Consulate law enforcement officials believe the weekend at least part of the killing spree was prompted by the killing of a 25 year-old woman thought to be the friend/girlfriend of a cartel member. ¶8. (SBU) Baja California Governor Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan expressed his concern in August about a renewed surge in cartel-related violence in Tijuana after weeks of relative quiet. In the past, the victims have generally had narco-trafficking links, but more recently the killings have become a bit more indiscriminate with a 3 year-old and 13 year-old caught up in the latest violence. Much of the violence is attributed to less mature, lower tier players/leaders of cartel factions (i.e. Arellano Felix's son and nephew Teo) as the GOM as taken out top-tier leaders. The US Consul General notes that tourism to the city from the U.S. side has plummeted and 40 percent of the businesses in the tourist district have closed down over the last year. Despite the spike in narco-homicides, there is little evidence to suggest the violence is spilling over to the other side nor that Amcits are being targeted. ¶9. (SBU) As part of an effort to clean-up the 2,000 officer strong Tijuana police force and restore a sense of order, the GOM sent marines, soldiers and federal and state police officers onto the streets of Tijuana on November 18, replacing the better part of its police in over half of the state's nine boroughs, located primarily on the east side where much violence has occurred historically. Once the police officers from the east side have been either trained or purged, they will return to the streets and the same process will be applied to the police on the west side. The mayor of Tijuana Ramos has denied that Tijuana is effectively under martial law. Meanwhile, according to the US Consul General in Tijuana, the federal police and military replacements seem to be winning the respect of the population and extending dominion slowly over the entire city. Calderon Promises to Fight On -------------- ¶10. (SBU) President Calderon appears undeterred in his commitment to fight the cartels. In a November 30 speech, he maintained that organized criminal gangs had become powerful as a result of past governments, failure to confront corruption. He, on the other hand, was committed to rooting out corruption as evidenced by the government's anti-corruption initiative &Operation Limpieza8 (See reftel) which has produced the arrest of senior law enforcement officials over recent months. Calderon also drew attention to record breaking numbers which spoke to the effectiveness of his government's two-year efforts to combat narcotraffickers ) the arrest of over 53,000 people linked to organized crime and the seizure of over 70 tons of cocaine, 3,700 tons of marijuana, 28,000 guns and 2,000 grenades. Comment -------------- ¶11. (SBU) A series of recent high profile arrests ) including the October 20 arrest of Sinaloa cartel leader Jesus "El Rey" Zambada and the Nov. 7 arrest of Zeta leader Jaime "El Hummer" Gonzalez -- has contributed to the spike in MEXICO 00003586 003 OF 003 already high-levels of narco-violence along the border. Although we may see a lull during the holiday season (December 15 ) January 6),most expect the violence to resume shortly after the new year and likely not abate until the rival cartels strike a truce or one side wins. Lacking confidence in the ability of local police to tackle organized crime effectively, the GOM will continue to rely on the military to assume a major role in this battle while it seeks the adoption of legislation to strengthen security measures and reform the police. The uptick in violence has not hurt Calderon's approval ratings which registered 64% in a December 1 Reforma poll -- up 2 percentage-points from the newspaper's September poll. Moreover, at least 40% of those surveyed said Calderon was doing a good job fighting crime and drug gangs ) up from around a third in the September survey. Nevertheless, while Calderon has managed to maintain popular support, there is increasing concern in the border region ) particularly the state of Chihuahua ) that the government's counternarcotics operations are not working. As Mexico heads towards mid-term elections in July 2009 and the opposition parties turn up their criticism of the GOM, his popularity could take a hit. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BASSETT