DURANGO LOCALS BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO RAMPANT DRUG CARTEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MONTERREY 000030 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/23/2019 TAGS: SNAR CASC ASEC KCRM PGOV ECON MX SUBJECT: DURANGO LOCALS BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO RAMPANT DRUG CARTEL VIOLENCE MONTERREY 00000030 001.2 OF 003 CLASSIFIED BY: Bruce Williamson, Consul General, Monterrey, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Over the past few months, Conoffs have met with state security officials and private sector contacts to assess rising drug violence in Durango. The local police forces are stretched thin and drug gangs have substantial control of the Durango prison. Our interlocutors warned Consulate personnel not to use the main highway in Durango, connecting the state capital of Durango and the industrial city of Gomez Palacio. Two business contacts thought that the drug violence was largely confined to battles between rival drug cartels and enforcement actions the police and Mexican military. However, our reading is that they underestimate the spillover to local civil society. End Summary. Background: Quiet Durango Becomes Dangerous ¶2. (SBU) Durango is a large, sparsely populated, rural state (roughly the size of the state of New York but with a population of only 1.5 million) located in northern and central Mexico. Several years ago Durango was quiet, and locals liked to discuss how John Wayne used to own a ranch there. Durango has now succumbed to national trends and has become more dangerous as drug cartels battle each other and Mexican law enforcement. Execution style killings more than doubled in Durango in 2008, rising from 124 in 2007 to more than 280, according to the local newspaper El Siglo. There have been gun battles in the city streets between rival drug cartels, police and the military in the major cities, including both the capital of Durango and Gomez Palacio. The violence has reached the top levels of the local police. In one dramatic instance, the Deputy Director of the Durango State Investigative Agency was killed last October 27 when he was ambushed while driving on a busy city street at 4:00 p.m. In total, he suffered 20 bullet wounds. Other news reports featured headless bodies (sometimes wearing uniforms) discovered in plastic bags, corpses riddled with dozens or even hundreds of bullet wounds and victims otherwise mutilated or dismembered by their attackers. State Authorities Under Siege ¶3. (C) Conoffs met with local contacts to discuss security during two recent visits to Durango. In November, conoff met with Durango Deputy Attorney General Noel Diaz Rodriguez at his office, which was still under repair from damage from a recent grenade attack. During the initial 15 minutes of the meeting, Rodriquez frantically fielded calls regarding two separate narcotics related murders that had occurred that morning, and Rodriguez remained visibly shaken during the entire meeting. Rodriguez was interested in increased U.S. involvement through follow-up visits and joint efforts to combat narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Several of post's U.S. law enforcement agencies have contacts in and cover Durango, but our ability to provide support there remains limited. ¶4. (C) As part of their American Citizen Services duties, Conoffs visited the Durango state prison and found the situation to be highly unstable. Knife slayings are common and on November 2, 2008 nine prisoners were killed in a riot. The riot stemmed from competition among organized crime members for control of the prison and its internal drug trade. Conoffs met with the newly appointed prison director in November and December. The director, who assumed control on November 3 after the former director was relieved of duty following the riot, had no prior prison management experience. The night following the conoff's November 21 visit, the lone Amcit in the prison alleged that he and his entire cell block were robbed by federal officers. We understand the federal police sometimes conduct raids in the prison, and the state prison director has no control over them. The current prison director confirmed that federal police had conducted a raid and acknowledged limited control of the prison. In both interviews with conoffs, he attributed prison violence to overcrowding and rivalry between gangs. Violence Confined to Police and Drug Cartels? ¶5. (C) There are conflicting reports over how much the drug violence has affected people unrelated to the drug trade. Conoffs met with the local warden and a well connected businessman, who stated that the drug violence is largely contained to battles between drug cartels and with federal and state authorities. However, state authorities warned our law enforcement personnel not to travel on the road between Durango and Gomez Palacio (the two main cities in the state),and Monterrey's A/Legat has heard of reports of kidnappings near and in Durango. ¶6. (C) The Amcit warden in Durango, who has lived there for 10 years, said that while ordinary people have taken extra security MONTERREY 00000030 002.2 OF 003 precautions, life has not been brought to a standstill in the capital city. The warden agreed that some of his acquaintances are afraid to venture out at night, but despite a grenade attack and a police raid in his own housing development, he does not know of any people unconnected with drug trafficking (or the police or army) who have been caught up in the violence. The warden noted that petty crime was common, and his own church and offices have been broken into repeatedly, although they are located in one of the worst areas of the city. The warden has seen increased police presence. While driving conoffs around the city, he pointed out several groups of heavily armed state and federal police forces posted by the side of the road. The warden thought that the police were stationed in intervals so that they could respond quickly to a disturbance. Finally, he noted that most violence occurs at night and gunfire can sometimes be heard, even in the comfortable neighborhoods where post contacts reside. ¶7. (C) Another well placed contact concurred that the violence is largely confined to battles between the drug cartels, and with the police and Mexican military. He was also unaware of any recent kidnappings for ransom. Fidel Gutierrez Avalos, a longtime contact, is a local businessman from a prominent family. After successfully solving his own father's kidnapping, he became chief of the Durango State Investigative Office's anti-kidnapping unit, where he built a solid reputation combating organized crime. After becoming increasingly frustrated with his inability to effect change, several years ago he returned to his family business. Gutierrez is active in the local Chamber of Commerce and he continues to have well placed contacts throughout the state and municipal government. Gutierrez stated that while some wealthy businessmen have bodyguards, he is unaware of any recent kidnappings for ransom. Most kidnappings, he believes, are seizures of gang members by their enemies for torture and murder. Gutierrez has not heard of any cases of roadblocks by criminal elements or violence on the highways. He thought that the presence of the Mexican military has not transformed the situation and observed, offhandedly as though stating the obvious, that of course the police are corrupt and elements of them are in league with the drug cartels. ¶8. (C) Durango authorities have painted a much darker picture to post law enforcement officials. For example, post officials were strongly warned not to use the highway between the capital city of Durango and Gomez Palacio, the primary artery in the state, because it was controlled by drug cartels. Indeed, post officials were advised not to try to travel in armored vehicles, since the drug cartels neither understand (nor care to understand) the significance of diplomatic license plates, and driving armored cars would only draw their attention. [Note. Conoffs flew into Durango and did not stay overnight. End note.] ¶9. (C) Similarly, post A/Legat believes that kidnapping ordinary businessmen for ransom is likely to be a significant issue in Durango. Post A/Legat has worked two Amcit Durango kidnapping cases, although these victims appear to have been involved in the drug trade. A/Legat understands that there are bands of kidnappers operating in the state of Durango, preying on those who have money. For example, assailants attacked a labor leader in broad daylight in Durango, apparently seeking to kidnap him. Indeed, Gomez Palacio lies in the "Laguna region" and abuts the city of Torreon, one of the largest municipalities in the neighboring state of Coahuila. As the Durango/Coahuila border also constitutes the general dividing line between Sinaloa and Gulf cartel spheres of influence, the Laguna region is marked by constant confrontations between rival armed bands with little, or no, response by Mexican law enforcement. In neighboring Torreon, kidnapping and extortion have spiraled out of control in recent months, and the Mayor freely admits that organized crime has greater control over his police force than he does. However, notwithstanding all the problems in Torreon, city officials there note that the situation in Gomez Palacio is much worse. ¶10. (C) Comment. It is indeed puzzling that the local warden and businessman thought that the drug violence was confined to the drug cartels, police and Mexican military. One possible explanation is that they have become so accustomed to drug violence that they seek to explain it away. For example, the warden experienced a grenade attack and police raid in his housing development, hears gunfire at night, and sees heavily armed police and military posted alongside the road. Similarly, Gutierrez resigned from the anti-kidnapping unit when he was unable to change it; he knows that the police are corrupt and that wealthy businessmen are hiring bodyguards. Our view is MONTERREY 00000030 003.2 OF 003 that the drug violence is very serious in Durango, state authorities are intimidated, kidnapping for ransom is a real problem, and federal forces have not yet been able to turn the tide of the drug battle. End Comment. WILLIAMSONB