NARCO-VIOLENCE STRIKES CLOSE TO WORK AND HOME

207793 2009-05-19 19:20:00 09MONTERREY183 Consulate Monterrey CONFIDENTIAL VZCZCXRO8366 RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM 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