Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MONTERREY412
2009-11-03 19:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Monterrey
Cable title:  

SAN PEDRO'S NEW MAYOR: BOTH FRIEND AND FOE OF ORGANIZED

Tags:  KCRM PHUM PINS SNAR ASEC PGOV MX 
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INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 5145
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RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
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RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000412 

SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/3/2025
TAGS: KCRM PHUM PINS SNAR ASEC PGOV MX
SUBJECT: SAN PEDRO'S NEW MAYOR: BOTH FRIEND AND FOE OF ORGANIZED
CRIME

REF: A) MONTERREY 379, B) MONTERREY 344

MONTERREY 00000412 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Bruce Williamson, Principal Officer, Consul
General Monterrey, State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000412

SIPDIS

DS FOR IP /ITA AND IP/WHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/3/2025
TAGS: KCRM PHUM PINS SNAR ASEC PGOV MX
SUBJECT: SAN PEDRO'S NEW MAYOR: BOTH FRIEND AND FOE OF ORGANIZED
CRIME

REF: A) MONTERREY 379, B) MONTERREY 344

MONTERREY 00000412 001.2 OF 002


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

1. (C) Summary. In his October 31 inauguration address, San
Pedro Mayor (and former PAN federal Senator) Mauricio Fernandez
lauded the execution of four suspected narco-traffickers --
four hours prior to the discovery of their bodies in the
Mexico's Federal District. Fernandez's revelation, combined
with his prior public statements that he has organized an
off-the-books `bad-boy' squad in San Pedro (an upper-class
suburb of Monterrey),has made it even clearer that as mayor he
plans a hardhitting, but wrong-headed, approach to organized
crime. Based on an audiotape which surfaced during Fernandez's
mayoral campaign, to the effect that he would negotiate with the
cartels, and our own conversations with him, our belief is that
Fernandez's "bad-boy" squad (his terminology) has links to the
Arturo Beltran Leyva cartel. In any event, Fernandez has
sparked controversy in Monterrey, with some applauding him and
others, including many of his fellow incoming mayors, labeling
him misguided. End Summary.


2. (C) As reported in reftel A, on October 9, Post alerted
then-San Pedro Mayor-elect Mauricio Fernandez about DEA
information indicating a potential threat to his life. (San
Pedro is the municipality where all of Post's U.S. direct-hires
are housed.) Fernandez, a former PAN federal Senator and a
member of Monterrey's influential Garza Sada clan, surmised that
the threat came from Hector and Alan Saldana, brothers who were
renegade cadres of the Arturo Beltran Leyva cartel and sought
protection (which was provided) from local Mexican army
authorities. On October 27, in a brief encounter with the
Consul General, Fernandez stated that he was no longer worried
about the Saldanas as they had been "picked up" (he did not
specify by whom) in Mexico City. Three days later, on October
30, San Pedro police officials told RSO that the Saldana

brothers were dead. Notwithstanding earlier Consulate requests
to refrain from making the source of the threat information
public, Fernandez did just that, stating in October 30
television and newspaper interviews that the Consulate had taped
a conversation of a threat from the Saldanas and had passed it
to him.


3. (C) In his October 31 inauguration address, Fernandez went
even further. He stated that the Saldanas had been killed in
Mexico City, a declaration which reportedly generated applause
from the audience. Later that day, the bodies of Hector and
Alan Saldana, along with two others, were discovered in the
Federal District, along with signs indicating that such was the
fate of kidnappers. (The Saldanas were suspected to have been
behind many of the kidnappings in San Pedro.) According the
local press, however, the bodies were only discovered by Mexican
authorities four to five hours after Fernandez's statement,
provoking the still unanswered question of how Fernandez knew
about the execution.


4. (C) On November 2, Fernandez continued his barrage. He
said that his administration in San Pedro would take on
organized crime notwithstanding the fact that under Mexican
jurisprudence this responsibility falls to federal and state
authorities. He accused his fellow mayors of "hacerse gueyes,"
which roughly translates to playing dumb or looking the other
way. (In past, private conversations with Conoffs , he has made
this same point regarding other local mayors.) Again, Fernandez
reiterated his intent to form an intel squad to eradicate
organized crime in San Pedro.


5. (C) Local reaction to Fernandez's many statements has been
varied. Some have applauded his tough public stance while
others note that he is only speaking out because he has
protection. Although the incoming PRI Governor has not weighed
in, the new state Attorney General has publicly declared that he
"supports" Fernandez. (In an earlier, October 16 private
conversation with Consul General and A/Legatt, the state
Attorney General indicated that he viewed San Pedro law
enforcement as just as corrupt/infiltrated as that of all the
other municipalities in the region.) Incoming Monterrey Mayor
Fernando Larrazabal (PAN),publicly challenged Fernandez's
assumption of the role as principal anti-crime fighter, noting
that as Mayor of Monterrey he was elected to respect the law and
would do just that. Larrazabal added that security would only
improve through actions, not talk. Miguel Angel Granados Chapa,
commentator for the leading local daily "El Norte" was more
explicit: his November 3 column ran with the headline "Death
Squads?"


6. (C) Based on Fernandez's demonstrated closeness to the
Arturo Beltran Leyva (ABL) cartel, see reftel A, Post believes

MONTERREY 00000412 002.2 OF 002


that Fernandez's so-called "bad-boy" squad has links to that
group. Particularly worrisome have been Fernandez's statements
to us that he has obtained assurances from the ABL cartel that
they will cooperate in ridding San Pedro of kidnappers and his
acknowledgements that he has received phone calls from ABL reps.
In addition, during the spring mayoral campaign, a
surreptitiously-obtained audiotape surfaced which contained
comments by Fernandez about negotiating with organized crime to
improve security in terms of kidnapping and common crime.


7. (C) On October 23 Consul General spoke with outgoing San
Pedro Mayor Fernando Margain Berlanga about Fernandez's course.
Margain, who noted that he had strong personal and family ties
to Fernandez (their fathers help found the PAN party),
characterized Fernandez as "eccentric." Controversy should be
expected, he said, as during Fernandez's prior term as Mayor of
San Pedro during the late 1980s, a mail bomb was sent to his
house and exploded. Margain further stated that given
Fernandez's considerable wealth and social status -- he is a
member of Monterrey's influential Garza Sada clan -- Fernandez
did not see the need to respect the restraints that other
policymakers worked under. Fernandez is accustomed to taking
his own counsel and not listening to anyone, Margain added.
Comment. This has been Consul General's experience with
Fernandez as well. End Comment.


8. (C) However, some law enforcement authorities here think
that despite his "royalty" status, Fernandez may have bitten off
more than he can chew; they speculate that SIEDO may call him
in to depose regarding his knowledge of the Saldana executions.
Even if the feds don't act, Post believes Fernandez's apparent
bargain with the bad guys is fraught with peril for him; his
future survival may now depend upon his ability to keep on good
terms with the ABL cartel. Ironically, it is likely that the
new Mayor's efforts/actions will eventually do more to
destabilize San Pedro than to create a safer, more secure, city.
WILLIAMSON