NARCO-VIOLENCE STRIKES CLOSE TO WORK AND HOME

207793
2009-05-19 19:20:00
09MONTERREY183
Consulate Monterrey
CONFIDENTIAL

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DE RUEHMC #0183/01 1391920
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 191920Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3707
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 4761
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA HQ WASHDC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USNORTHCOM
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 9280

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000183

SIPDIS

SECSTATE FOR DS/IP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/19/2019
TAGS: ASEC SNAR CASC KCRM MX
SUBJECT: NARCO-VIOLENCE STRIKES CLOSE TO WORK AND HOME

MONTERREY 00000183 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Bruce Williamson, Consul General, Monterrey,
State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (C) Summary. Several local law enforcement sources think
that Monterrey will become increasingly violent in coming months
as lower level drug cartel members compete among themselves to
rise on the `corporate ladder.' On May 14 there were two narco
attacks, one on the street leading to the U.S. Consulate in
Monterrey and the second on a busy street near a large number of
Consulate residences. The attack near the Consulate occurred at
night when assailants in several SUVs followed and attacked the
driver of another car right in front of a federal police
station. The police officer driving the car, believed to have
been the target of the attack, escaped into the station.
Fifteen minutes later, numerous SUVs pursued a car on a major
street close to Consulate residences, which Consulate personnel
use every day to commute to work. The attackers left two
occupants of the vehicle riddled with bullets, although the
victims are still alive and are being treated in local
hospitals. Finally, in another incident, post received a
credible threat from a drug cartel against a Mexican LES
employee in the consular section. Although the three cases are
unrelated, they illustrate the drug cartels' sense of impunity
and the risks faced by U.S. Consulate personnel and their
families. End Summary.


2. (SBU) While Monterrey has been relatively quiet recently,
the area could heat up following the arrests of local drug
kingpins. Nuevo Leon is generally considered territory of the
Gulf/Zeta drug cartel, except for the wealthy suburb of San
Pedro (i.e., where all Consulate families reside) which falls
under the sway of the Beltran/Leyva faction of the Sinaloa
cartel. On March 20 the Mexican military arrested the Gulf/Zeta
cartel boss for Nuevo Leon (and neighboring Coahuila) Sigifredo
Najera Talamantes `el Canicon.' The military followed up by
arresting the head of the Sinaloa cartel in Nuevo Leon, Hector
Huerta Rios `la Burra', on March 24. The military continued its
operations on May 18, when they arrested Rodolfo Lopez Ibarra
`el Nito', i.e., Huerta's replacement.


3. (SBU) In addition, in recent weeks the Mexican military has
arrested over 20 state and local police officers for links to
the drug cartels. For instance, on May 17 the military raided a
house and detained one armed man. Within minutes, several
carloads of armed accomplices, carrying inter alia, a .50
caliber firearm, showed up to try to free the first arrestee.
The army repelled the would-be rescuers and found a list of
Monterrey municipal police apparently on the payroll of the
Zetas. Finally, on May 14 the drug cartels placed 14 large
signs throughout the state in public locations warning President
Calderon not to arrest the families of drug cartel members.
Similar signs were placed in other states. Several local law
enforcement sources think that the area will become increasingly
violent in coming months as lower level drug cartel members
compete among themselves to rise on the `corporate ladder.'

Recent Attacks and a Credible Threat


4. (C) The night of May 14 at 10:15 p.m. an unmarked federal
highway police car in desperation drove the wrong way up a one
way street to reach the safety of federal police headquarters.
The car was pursued by several SUVs, and the attackers shot over
50 rounds at their target, wounding the driver before he escaped
into the building. The police in the headquarters returned fire
and drove the assailants away. Police sources speculate that
the target of the attack was a commander of the Mexican federal
highway police, but despite reaching out to post law enforcement
contacts this has not been confirmed. Post is very concerned
because the attack occurred 1.5 blocks away from the Consulate,
that particular street is a choke point, and nearly all
Consulate personnel take this road daily to arrive at work.


5. (C) The same night, gunmen in numerous SUVs pursued and
attacked people in another car on a major street in San Pedro,
near a large percentage of Consulate housing. The attackers
shot two people and left them for dead, although they are still
alive in local hospitals. The motive for the attack is unknown,
but it appears to be unrelated to the attack near the Consulate.
Post personnel are again concerned because the attack occurred
in a prosperous area on a street used by Consulate employees and
families on a daily basis.


6. (C) In another incident, RSO received through U.S. law
enforcement sources credible information of a threat against a
Mexican LES employee in the consular section. The employee had
interviewed a NIV applicant who had presented a false job
letter. The information developed in the interview led a
consular officer to revoke the woman's recently issued non
immigrant visa. At the time of the revocation in late April,

MONTERREY 00000183 002.2 OF 002


the woman's relationship to a plaza level boss in the Sinaloa
cartel was not known to the consular section. The employee had
used a pseudonym during the interview, which should provide an
element of protection. The Consulate has placed the Mexican
employee on indefinite administrative leave for her own safety,
and the Consulate continues to work the case.


7. (C ) Comment. Although Nuevo Leon is not experiencing the
wave of killings common in some Mexican states, the drug cartels
still enjoy a sense of impunity. They do not have any
compunction against attacking a police commander in front of a
federal police station, assaulting targets on major
thoroughfares, or making credible threats against U.S. Consulate
personnel. These incidents have again proven that the drug
cartels possess the ability to strike where the Consulate
employees work and live. End Comment.
WILLIAMSONB