EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - REPORTED THREAT OF PLANNED SNIPER

184881 2008-12-24 23:59:00 08TIJUANA1253 Consulate Tijuana CONFIDENTIAL VZCZCXRO5003 PP RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS DE RUEHTM #1253/01 3592359 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 242359Z DEC 08 FM AMCONSUL TIJUANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8127 INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 5085 RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE RUEHTM/AMCONSUL TIJUANA 0870 TAGS: ASEC PINS CASC SNAR MX C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TIJUANA 001253 SENSITIVE NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR DS, DS/IP/WHA, DS/TIA/PII, CA, MEXICO CITY FOR RSO E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2018 TAGS: ASEC PINS CASC SNAR MX SUBJECT: EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - REPORTED THREAT OF PLANNED SNIPER ATTACK REF: DS/IP/WHA E-MAIL DATED 12/24/2008 TIJUANA 00001253 001.2 OF 004 CLASSIFIED BY: Angela D. Arroliga, Regional Security Officer, US Consulate General Tijuana, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (c),(g) CLASSIFIED BY: Angela D. Arroliga, Regional Security Officer, US Consulate General Tijuana, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (c),(g) 1.(SBU) On December 22, 2008, Post's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) Law Enforcement Subgroup (LEWG) met to discuss the investigation of a reported threat against DEA Special Agents assigned to Post. Post's Core EAC members had telephonically discussed the threat on December 20, 2008, when information was received that a drug cartel was planning a sniper attack against DEA agents working in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. EAC participants included CG, DHS-ICE, DEA, RSO, and CONS. THREAT SUMMARY ¶2. (SBU) Post law enforcement agency representatives (DHS-ICE, DEA, RSO) informed the EAC that, working in a joint effort since December 20, 2008, they had investigated the claimed "sniper" attack plan. On December 19, 2008 a Source of Information (SOI) contacted DEA Tijuana claiming that he overheard a sniper shooting was planned by a member of the Arrellano-Felix drug cartel (AFO),against any DEA agent assigned to the USCG Tijuana. The Subject planning the sniper attack said the majority of DEA agents live in the brown, high-rise apartment building right behind the U.S. Consulate building. The Subject said they would be able to identify the DEA agents since they were "Chicano" or "Puerto Rican", drove vehicles with Consulate plates, and were not armed. INVESTIGATION OF THREAT ¶3. (C/NF) On December 20, 2008, DEA and RSO agents interviewed the SOI on the reported threat, and obtained detailed information. Details of the SOI debriefing are at the end of this cable. As recommended by the EAC/LEWG, on December 23, 2008 the SOI underwent a Polygraph examination conducted by DEA San Diego Field Office, asking whether the SOI had overheard the conversation about the planning of a sniper attack against DEA agents working in Tijuana. The SOI passed the Polygraph, corroborating the reported threat information. Additionally, the SOI has been a reliable Confidential Source for DEA for approximately eight years and has provided reliable information in the past for several criminal investigations. ¶4. (SBU) There are no DEA or DHS-ICE agents housed in the brown, high-rise apartment building immediately behind the USCG Tijuana main building. However, there used to be a DEA agent from Puerto Rico living in a the apartment building who left about three years ago. The apartment does include three Mission residence apartments for three Foreign Service Officers (FSOs). None of the FSOs housed in the apartment building resemble the profile of male of Latino heritage, as two are males with light coloring (GSO, CONS) and one is female (RSO). RSO's spouse residing in the apartment building is of Latino heritage, but does not use Consular license plates. Housing for the agents of DEA, DHS-ICE, and ARSO, who may resemble the target profile, is in a different area of Tijuana, not near the apartment building. ¶5. (C/NF) Based on the results of the joint investigation, Post's law enforcement representatives, with the assistance of DHS-ICE San Diego and the DEA San Diego Field Office Arellano-Felix Task Force (AFO-TF),have been identified the Subjects named by the SOI as known drug cartel members. The SOI learned the information from hearing one side of a cell phone conversation and from one participant's statements, rather than hearing both sides of the attack planning discussion. The SOI provided names mentioned by the Subject, including a former TIJUANA 00001253 002.2 OF 004 State of Baja California Ministerial police officer who was previously trained as a sniper by San Diego Sheriff's office. The Subjects are known to be either current or former state-level law enforcement officers in Tijuana, so care must be taken in requesting GOM police support for protection of personnel or for any investigative or counter-surveillance operations. ¶6. (SBU) Proactive investigation continues in the San Diego and Tijuana areas with the goal of disrupting the attack and arresting the planners. From previous investigative of the Subjects named by the SOI , DEA agents believe them to be disciplined drug cartel members who will "do their homework" by spending one or two weeks identifying and locating DEA agents to target, with It is not consistent with the Subject group to send an amateur to shoot indiscriminately at any resident of the apartment building or driver of a Consular plated vehicle, without first determining whether they appear to be a DEA agent. The Subject would make the first attack "count", with the ultimate goal of getting DEA removed from Tijuana, instead of wasting their "one shot" on a non-DEA Consulate employee. However, Subjects may not be able to determine which Post law enforcement agents are from DEA, or DHS-ICE, or RSO since each agency has Latino male agents assigned to USCG Tijuana. POST RESPONSE SUMMARY ¶7. (SBU) Since December 20, 2008 the following actions for protection of personnel are being taken with the recommendation of the EAC and RSO Mexico City. Surveillance Detection (SD) Team coverage is adjusted beyond business hours to include the apartment building in back of the USCG main building. ARSO/Inv, RSO/SD Coordinator, and Post's law enforcement agency representatives have re-assessed areas of vulnerability for sniper attack from various directions, including continuing review of area from high vantage points. As requested, additional Tijuana Municipal police coverage has been provided supplementing the 24/7 uniformed police officers with added marked patrol units during active hours. The Consul General and RSO section members met with the Tijuana Director of Public Safety of Tijuana in order to renew contacts and confirm response capabilities, without providing details of threat. Separate meetings and telephone contacts have been made with the Tijuana Municipal Police Supervisor, and with the State police counterparts, without providing details, but to update react plans. ¶8. (SBU) EAC/LEWG concurred that the additional protective measures appear consistent with the level of threat information available at this stage of the investigation. EAC/LEWG members are keeping in close contact with their local U.S. and Mexican contacts regarding any new development or any unusual persons or events in or around the apartment building or the USCG main building. DETAILS - INTERVIEW of SOI ¶9. (SBU) Post DEA section has sent a cable through their channels and provided the text to RSO section as it details the Interview of the SOI. The text from the DEA cable follows in paragraphs 10 through 18. Begin Quote: ¶10. (U) On 12-19-08, CS-01-103562 (CS) contacted XXXXXXXXXXXX regarding a possible threat to DEA agents working in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. ¶11. (SBU) On 12-20-08 XXXXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX, and XXXXXXXXXXXX TIJUANA 00001253 003.2 OF 004 XXXXXXXXXXXX met with and debriefed the CS regarding the aforementioned threat. The CS advised that on 12-19-08 s/he was at a restaurant in the company of a former Baja California State Ministerial Officer named Oscar LOPEZ. While together, LOPEZ received a telephone call from ARELLANO-Felix Organization (AFO) enforcer, Enrique JORQUERA. LOEZ received the call via his Nextel radio (approximately 4:30 pm) and the CS was able to overhear the entire conversation. ¶12. (SBU) JORQUERA advised LOPEZ that "INGE" (identified as the current AFO leader Fernando SANCHEZ-Arellano) had authorized another AFO enforcer named Gerardo VIZAIS aka MONSTER to locate and kill someone from the "Tres Letras" (Term commonly utilized by drug traffickers when referring to DEA). Per the CS, JORQUERA stated SANCHEZ-Arellano knew DEA existed in Tijuana and that DEA was responsible for sending Government of Mexico (GOM) authorities from Mexico City to Tijuana to arrest the leaders of the AFO. Therefore, JORQUERA was calling LOPEZ to have him assist VIZAIS with locating and targeting the DEA agents. ¶13. (SBU) JORQUERA further stated that if one or two agents were located and killed, DEA would move all agents out of Tijuana. LOPEZ was told that they believed the majority of DEA agents lived in a brown high rise apartment building located behind the U.S. Consulate (NOTE: This building is in the Consulate housing pool, but no DEA employees currently reside there. However, several Department of State (DOS) employees currently reside in the building.) ¶14. (SBU) JORQUERA stated the DEA agents would be easy to identify because they were all "Chicanos" (Term used to describe people of Mexican descent born in the United States) or "Puerto Ricans." Additionally, JORQUERA told LOPEZ the DEA agents would be easy targets because they travel in vehicles with Consular plates and are not armed. ¶15. (SBU) The CS provided the following additional details regarding JORQUERA, LOPEZ, and VIZAIS. The CS knows JORQUERA to be the current leader of an AFO enforcement cell known as the "HITLERS." JORQUERA was formerly the top lieutenant of Jorge BRISENO-Lopez aka CHOLO. However, after BRISENO was presumably killed on the orders of the AFO hierarchy, JORQUERA took over for BRISENO. JORQUERA now works directly under Fernando SANCHEZ-Arellano aka EL INGE. The CS believes JORQUERA is a Lawfully Admitted Permanent Resident and lives in San Diego, CA (NOTE: A query of the Immigration indices conducted by the Tijuana U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Attache office revealed JORQUERA is a naturalized United States Citizen). ¶16. (SBU) The CS also advised that VIZAIS is a former Baja California State Ministerial Officer who was trained as a sniper by the San Diego Sheriffs Office in 1998 or 1999. The CS stated VIZAIS is allegedly the individual who shot and killed 3 people in October 2008, from a distance, outside the GOM Naval base in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Those subjects were murdered because the AFO believed they worked with Eduardo GARCIA-Simental aka TEO. ¶17. (SBU) The CS provided LOPEZ' cell phone number as (52 664-126-0407 and LOPEZ' Nextel radio Identification number as 152*152782*3. ¶18. (SBU) The CS advised there was no mention of a time frame of when the threat was to be carried out. However, the CS has been tasked to attempt to obtain more details. End Quote. ¶19. (U) Post RSO section will update Post management, the EAC, RSO Mexico City, DS/IP/WHA, and DS/TIA/PII as needed as the TIJUANA 00001253 004.2 OF 004 investigation continues throughout the holiday time period. Post EAC will convene as soon as developments warrant. For comments or questions, please contact RSO at 011-52-664-622-7464, or 7451. KRAMER SIGNATURE