GOM ARRESTS CARLOS BELTRAN LAYVA - AN IMPORTANT PSYCOLOGICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 000079 SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA, DOM DEPT FOR WHA DAS JACOBSON AND MEX DIRECTOR LEE AND MCNAMARA PASS TO AMB PASCUAL NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR RESTREPO AND O???REILLY E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/25 TAGS: PGOV KCRM MX PINR PREL SNAR SUBJECT: GOM ARRESTS CARLOS BELTRAN LAYVA - AN IMPORTANT PSYCOLOGICAL VICTORY REF: 09 MEXICO 3573; 10 TIJUANA 0035; 10 TIJUANA 000058 CLASSIFIED BY: Gustavo Delgado, Minister Counselor, DOS, POL; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary - After some bad press and a less than expected public approval bounce following the Arturo Beltran Leyva take-down (Reftel A) , the arrest of his brother Carlos Beltran Leyva provided the GOM with a public relations boost and additional motivation for agencies to conduct future operations. End Summary. A Touch of Luck and Awareness ¶2. (SBU) On January 3, the Calderon administration announced the Federal Police (SSP) captured Carlos Beltran Leyva (CBL) on December 30 in Culiacan, Sinaloa State. During a traffic stop, he presented police a fake Sinaloa State driver's license bearing the name "Carlos Gamez Orpineda," and a search of his vehicle revealed weapons, ammunition and packets of what appeared to be cocaine. He later confessed to being the brother of Arturo and was transported to Mexico City. During his arraignment on January 3, the judge ordered Carlos held in preventive detention for 40 days while police continue their investigation of drug trafficking, criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and firearms charges against him. ¶3. (SBU) The SSP reported that the arrest of Carlos Beltran Leyva was the result of intelligence and investigative work. U.S. law enforcement sources said that Carlos' arrest was the result of a routine stop at a traffic check point. Nevertheless, The SSP can be credited with identifying suspicious behavior and taking the steps necessary to identify and detain a criminal trying to slip through the cracks. Carlos' Takedown Won't Affect BLO ¶4. (C) The Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO) is known for being a family-run business, led by five brothers. Of the five, two (Alfredo and Carlos) have been arrested, one (Arturo) has been killed, and two (Mario and Hector) remain at large. Unlike the other brothers, Carlos is not believed to be a major player in the BLO, and his arrest will probably not have any impact on the cartel's daily operations. The GOM has very little evidence on criminal activities by CBL other than illegal weapons possession at the time of the traffic stop. Fearing that it does not have the evidence necessary to appropriately charge and convict CBL, the GOM has reached out to the USG and requested that the USG extradite and prosecute CBL in the U.S. Ultimately a Positive Outcome ¶5. (C) U.S. law enforcement sources state that the ABL and CBL take downs have resulted in increased competition between GOM security agencies as they see the benefit of high level arrests. The arrests and subsequent positive press accounts have given the SSP greater confidence, a boost in credibility, and the willingness to take further risks. A good example is the January 12 arrest of Teodoro Garcia Simental 'El Teo' in La Paz (Reftel B and C). These "wins" are helping the SSP establish itself as a reliable go-to organization at a time when the press continues to call into question its creditability and integrity. MEXICO 00000079 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Comment. While the arrest of CBL is not a game changer for the GOM's fight against the BLO or its broader security agenda, it is a psychological victory for the SSP and, particularly given its proximity to the take down of ABL, motivation for other security agencies to up the ante in HVT operations. Nevertheless, the USG will continue to support efforts to create genuine interagency coordination in Mexico to ensure such wins are not the zero-sum victory of one organization, but rather part of a program to build strong institutional coordination capable of achieving maintained success in the counterdrug fight. End Comment. FEELEY