INTENSIFYING VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO SHAKE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE

221792 2009-08-21 14:00:00 09MONTERREY318 Consulate Monterrey CONFIDENTIAL 09MONTERREY274|09MONTERREY284 VZCZCXRO8243 RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM DE RUEHMC #0318/01 2331400 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 211400Z AUG 09 FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3892 INFO RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 9492 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 4966 RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USNORTHCOM RUEABND/DEA HQ WASHDC RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000318 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/21/2019 TAGS: KCRM PHUM PINS CASC SNAR ASEC PGOV MX SUBJECT: INTENSIFYING VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO SHAKE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN LOCAL AUTHORITIES REF: A) MONTERREY 274 B) MONTERREY 284 MONTERREY 00000318 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Bruce Williamson, Consul General, Monterrey, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Cartel violence in Monterrey has continued to shake public confidence in local authorities and burnish the military's image as a viable counter to the criminals. On August 17, the military dealt a major blow to Gulf Cartel operations in the Monterrey area with the take-down of San Nicholas plaza boss `El Rambo' (Refugio Garza-Pescador). Meanwhile, the media and public roundly criticized state police for taking 80 minutes to respond to a major cartel shootout that terrorized an upscale Monterrey neighborhood on August 13. The events come during a wave of violence that saw the murder of a prominent narco-attorney take place a few hundred meters from the Consulate, and an assassination attempt on a municipal public security chief in Coahuila state. Post expects El Rambo's death to spark new turf battles in the Monterrey area. End Summary. A Major Disruption to Cartel Operations ¶2. (SBU) In an early morning operation on August 17, Mexican military forces killed the San Nicholas (a Monterrey suburb) plaza boss for the Gulf Cartel `El Rambo' (Refugio Garza-Pescador). Rambo succeeded Juan Daniel Carranco (aka `El Colosio') who was promoted to be the Cancun, Quintana Roo plaza boss earlier this year. (Note: Mexican authorities arrested Carranco in Cancun on August 8. End note.) Rambo was killed during a two and a half hour gun battle with the military that involved large caliber automatic weapons and fragmentation grenades. In addition to Rambo, three other cartel members were ;killed and five cartel members were captured (including the daughter of the police chief of the neighboring city of Apodaca). The military seized a cache of handguns, automatic rifles, grenades, and uniforms bearing the insignias of Mexico's FBI equivalent, the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI),the San Nicholas local police, and private security firms. The military also discovered journals with detailed police and troop movements, and a list of potential assassination targets at the scene. ATF sources indicated that of four pistols discovered during the raid, three were illegally imported from the U.S. and one was legally imported through the Mexican military. ¶3. (C) According to Post DEA, Rambo's death has severely hampered the cartel's operations in the area. There is currently confusion among drug traffickers and prostitution rings, both of which he oversaw, since he has no known successor. After assuming charge of the area, Rambo had been successful in consolidating his power and keeping violence in San Nicholas low to avoid attracting official attention. It is likely his death will result in more violence as his lieutenants vie for control. Cartel Lawyer Assassinated ¶4. (C) Assassins killed Silvia Raquenel Villanueva, a notorious drug cartel lawyer in Monterrey on August 9. She was shot to death in a popular Gulf controlled flea market only blocks away from the U.S. Consulate and the Federal Police headquarters. Villanueva primarily represented members of the Beltran-Leyva faction of the Sinaloa cartel, but has also defended members of most of the major cartels and police officers accused of corruption, including those in the Metro Monterrey area recently accused of cooperating with the Gulf Cartel. As there were four previous attempts on her life, Villanueva travelled with bodyguards provided by the federal police (SSP). ¶5. (C) Post has not been able to confirm the motive for her assassination, and the reason may never come to light. However, Post DEA sources indicated that the murder was connected to her defense of Hector `La Burra' Huerta Rios, of the Beltran-Leyva cartel, who was detained by the Mexican military in Monterrey in March. Huerta is currently in Mexico City awaiting formal charges and Huerta did not feel Villanueva was doing enough to defend his interests. (Comment: If this proves to be accurate, her assassination would most likely have had Gulf Cartel approval given that: 1) the location where the assassination took place was deep within a Gulf-Cartel controlled area and 2) she had ties to the Gulf Cartel. End comment.) Monclova Police Chief Attacked ¶6. (SBU) In a separate incident on August 14, in the city of Monclova, Coahuila, the city's public security chief, Juan Carlos Pacheco, was attacked by armed gunmen traveling in two pickup trucks. Pacheco is one of a number of active and retired military officers assigned to local police forces throughout Mexico to help weed out corruption. He was not injured in the MONTERREY 00000318 002.2 OF 002 attack, but three members of his security detail were killed. The town of Piedras Negras, north of Monclova, had two police chiefs murdered in a three month period earlier this year - including a military colonel assigned to the city. ¶7. (C) On August 13, Zeta drug gang members attacked a residence in an upscale neighborhood that allegedly harbored a former state police officer and an unknown number of federal police officers, reputedly working for another faction of the gang. Local news media prominently displayed photos of homes in the neighborhood pockmarked with bullet holes. State police received public widespread criticism for not arriving until 80 minutes after the shootout began. Indeed, ambulance personnel were first to arrive in the area but were told by the gunmen to stay clear (which they did). On August 20, the local press reported that State Secretary for Public Security Aldo Fasci had suspended 20 state police officers for their failure to respond. Police then made a gruesome discovery in the hills above Monterrey often frequented by hikers: a cave that contained barrels with corrosive liquids used to dissolve bodies. ¶8. (C) Comment. The military continues to be the only generally trusted law enforcement force in Northern Mexico. The capture of Rambo by the military is an example of their ability to successfully gather and act on intelligence. The local police forces also continue to disappoint public expectations. The state of Nuevo Leon recently suspended all checkpoints, including anti-drunk driving checkpoints, because officials admitted the checkpoints only served to extract bribes from drivers. The deterioration in public confidence, combined with a cascade of evidence on police collaboration with drug cartels (refs A and B),has left many in Monterrey wondering which public officials they can turn to for security. End Comment. WILLIAMSONB