Some of the victims were stabbed with knives, while others were beaten to death; some were killed with home-made guns. Barrio Azteca ~ Borderland Beat The remaining U.S.-based defendant, Ramon Renteria, aka Spooky, took his own life while in prison during his trial. About. According to US estimates, it had around 3,500 members in 2011. Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox. [8], In 2008, Cartel de Azteca formed an alliance with La Lnea, the armed wing of the Jurez Cartel, to fight off the forces of the Sinaloa Cartel, who were attempting to take over the drug smuggling routes in the area. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Galindo was one of the ranking members of the BA who would receive laundered funds and disperse it within the Texas State prison system to further the criminal goals of the enterprise. [49] Gallegos targeted the American officials because he believed they had given visas to members of a rival gang, although some say it was a case of mistaken identity. In that role, Galindo maintained communication with other BA Captains and Lieutenants in the United States and Mexico and was specifically in charge of BA operations in Texas. He allegedly pays his sicarios (hitmen) less than 500 pesos (or about $40 U.S. dollars) a week to carry out assassinations. [69], On June 26, 2018, Barrio Azteca Capo Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo was arrested. [21], The Mexican authorities were able to militarize the area with more than 200 federal police officers, 50 soldiers, two helicopters, a plane, and an unknown number of state and municipal police forces. Witnesses testified that Renteria was a BA Captain, the highest rank of the Barrio Azteca, and the only U.S.-based Captain not currently serving a life sentence in prison. The gang also allies with other gangs including the Mexican Mafia and MS-13. [52] The speculation of this hypothesis was bolstered by the fact that the second victim was also in a white SUV, but U.S. authorities do not discard the possibility that the gunmen were searching for someone else in the second attack and coincidentally happened to be a white vehicle too, killing the consulate workers by mistake. Our work is costly and high risk. According to court documents and information presented in court throughout this case, the Barrio Azteca is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. [23] The violence continued elsewhere throughout the prison until around 2 a.m. the next day. As Gallegos-Castrellon arrived in chains, another leader and two soldiers in the Barrio Azteca were sentenced to life, 30 and 20 years in prison. A committee of "generals," both in and out of prison rule by consensus. The relationships between gangs and cartels are constant, but show no particular loyalties or allegiances. The states of Jurez and Chihuahua in Mexico; El Paso, Texas; Massachusetts; Pennsylvania; possibly New Mexico. [50] According to Reuters, the killings was an ongoing effort by Barrio Azteca to take control of the El PasoJurez drug trafficking corridor. These prison sentences send a strong message that even the most powerful and ruthless gangs cannot evade justice. According to court documents and information presented in court, Galindo was a top Lieutenant in the BA. Specifically, he was the El Paso BA leader in 2010 until he was arrested on drug charges on April 30, 2010. Barrio Aztecaknown as BAis an extremely violent gang, with as many as 3,500 members on the street and in jail, both in El Paso and across the Rio Grande in Juarez, Mexico. Through the ongoing and joint efforts of the law enforcement community we will continue the fight to bring to justice predators such as Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia.. The gang, which refers to itself as the "Familia Azteca," requires members to prioritize gang activities over all else and has a set of "sacred rules," the breaking of which is grounds for harsh punishment and even death for gang members and their families. [16] In the year 2005, an informant and former lieutenant of the gang testified that Ravelo was looking for a man who had stolen goods from the Jurez cartel. RELATED:21 alleged members of drug cartel-affiliated Barrio Azteca gang arrested in West Texas. In a relatively low-security area inside the prison, the gang members began to produce knives and force other guards to liberate 150 fellow members. Of the 35 defendants charged, 33 have been apprehended, including April Cardoza, who was found in Juarez, Mexico, last week. [38] The suspect said he acted as a lookout for the 24 gunmen that perpetrated the killing and had orders to "kill everyone inside. Once the money is collected, the Barrio Azteca members deposit it into the bank accounts of imprisoned leaders of their own organization, often using fake names and female associates by wire transfer. [65] The locus of power of Barrio Azteca is based inside prisons, prompting worries that the operational capacity of the gang is not hindered when its leaders are imprisoned. [23] Although there was no audio in the video, the footage shows how two gunmen order the guards to leave. Tango Blast, Aryan Brotherhood and Aryan Circle are the most active prison gangs in the region. However, the 2018 arrest of Ravelo, the gang's reputed top leader, suggests authorities are aware of the threat posed by the group and are working to confront it. [78], "Negotiating Violence and Protection in Prison and on the Outside: The Organizational Evolution of the Transnational Prison Gang Barrio Azteca - R. V. Gundur, 2020", "Barrio Azteca Leader Gets Life in Prison", "Cartel de Azteca G Poised for Leap into International Drug Trade", "Colombian Trafficker with Links to Mexican and Colombian Cartels Extradited from Mexico to the United States", "Raids Aim to Find Killers of 3 in Mexico", "Why the Jalisco Cartel Does Not Dominate Mexico's Criminal Landscape", "Alleged mastermind of Jurez rehab massacre arrested", "Mexican traffickers get help from US prison gangs", "He's called the face of Ciudad Juarez terror", "20 killed in riot at Ciudad Juarez prison", "At least 20 dead in Mexican prison riot", "Rival drug gangs in Juarez prison clash, leaving 20 convicts dead RIOT: 200 police needed to gain prison control", "Mexican prison massacre that left 17 dead captured on video", "Sinister Details Emerge of Mexico Jail Massacre", "Video suggests Mexico prison guards' apparent involvement in shootings", "Jurez llora; exigen justicia tras matanza", "Death toll at 16 in Juarez party shooting", "Death toll in Mexican party massacre rises to 16", "Gunmen in Mexico Kill 16 in Attack on a Teenagers' Party", "More than a dozen die in Jurez massacre", "Families of 16 killed in Juarez massacre may seek safety in U.S.", "Presidential follow-up: Felipe Caldern visits families of young massacre victims in Jurez", "Mayor believes massacre at Juarez party that killed 16 was random", "Court convicts 4 in Mexico massacre case", "Mexico arrests suspect in Ciudad Juarez shooting attack on party", "Men convicted in Jurez birthday party massacre each get 240-year prison sentences", "Juarez Drug Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to U.S. Consulate Murders and Is Sentenced to Life in Prison", "Mexican Drug Gang Leader Confesses to Killings", "Ciudad Juarez's drug war death toll hits 3,000", "Killing for kudos the brutal face of Mexico's 21st-century war", "Special report: Jurez deserves the title of most dangerous city in the world", "Two Drug Slayings in Mexico Rock U.S. Consulate", "Cartel Hit Men Blamed For Latest Juarez Slayings", "Mexico killings: Gunmen kill 3 with ties to US consulate", "Mxico extradita a EU al presunto lder del grupo criminal Barrio Azteca", "Mexico extradites suspect in US consulate killing", "Mexico extradites suspect in U.S. consulate killing", "Suspect Says Jurez Killers Had Pursued Jail Guard", "Mexican gang member sentenced to life in U.S. prison for murders", "Manhunt ends; final suspect in U.S. Consulate in Juarez murders captured", "Mexico Arrests Gangster Wanted for US Consulate Murders", "Death Toll in Jurez Attack Rises to 14", "13 partygoers killed by gunmen in attack in Ciudad Juarez", "Mexico: 13 dead in massacre at Ciudad Juarez party", "13 youths killed in massacre at birthday party in Ciudad Juarez", "13 Are Killed as Gunmen Storm House in Mexico", "Massacre At A Ciudad Juarez Family Party Leaves 13 Dead", "El ataque en Jurez estaba dirigido a un joven apodado El Ratn, indican pesquisas", "Barrio Azteca Leader Extradited from Mexico to United States to Face Charges Related to the U.S. Consulate Murders in Juarez, Mexico", "Barrio Azteca Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison and Two Barrio Azteca Soldiers Sentenced to 20 and 30 Years in Prison", "New adversary in U.S. drug war: Contract killers for Mexican cartels", "Barrio Azteca threat targets law officers", "FBI fugitive Barrio Azteca gang leader Eduardo Ravelo wanted in el Paso, caught in Mexico", "BREAKING: Alleged Barrio Azteca leader, FBI Most Wanted, arrested - KVIA", "Mexico federal police arrest reputed Barrio Azteca gang leader 'El 300' in Chihuahua City", "Chaos erupts in Juarez as warring cartels retaliate against recent police arrests", "Jurez police, Mexican army arrest 9 suspected members of la Empresa cartel crime group", "Jurez police arrest reputed Azteca 'Old Guard' gang leader on binational wanted list", "Cartel's alleged heroin distributor nabbed trying to cross 11 pounds into US", "Attacks on Jurez police erupt after arrest of reputed gang leader 'El Iraqui', "Gang leader's arrest triggers backlash in Chihuahua", R. V. Gundur. The. [64] To prevent officers from understanding their communication network, Barrio Azteca also created a secret language based on Nahuatl. [12] In addition, Barrio Azteca controls most of the drug sales for the Jurez Cartel in Ciudad Jurez's streets and prisons, although other gangs and independent operators abound. [53], On March 9, 2020, Mexican police arrested Luis El Tio (The Uncle) Gerrado Mendez, a former member of Barrio Azteca who later became the reputed founder of La Empresa (The Company), for his connection to the consulate murders as well. Twenty-four of those defendants have pleaded guilty, one defendant committed suicide while imprisoned during his trial and six others are pending extradition from Mexico. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Witnesses also testified to the extensive communication web of the BA, including utilizing coded letters, contraband cell phones within state and federal prison facilities, and distribution of membership rosters and hit lists. A principal enemy is the Sinaloa Cartel, along with its subcontractor, the Mexicles gang. Barrio Azteca Leader's Arrest Casts Doubt on Trump Border Rhetoric The recent arrest of a top Barrio Azteca leader in Mexico offers additional insight into the criminal and drug trafficking dynamics along the US-Mexico border at a time when US President Donald Trump continues his rhetorical onslaught against the MS13. According to evidence presented in court, witnesses testified to the brutality of the BA. Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo had been wanted for . According to the February 2014 testimony of one jailed Azteca member serving as a witness in the trial of former leader Arturo Gallegos, members of the gang have received training from the Zetas in assassination, extortion and security. The killings angered the White House, who had quietly allowed the families of the U.S. consulate workers to live across the border in Texas even before they were killed. Official websites use .gov Our prosecution of the Barrio Azteca gang, including for the U.S. Consulate-related murders in Juarez, Mexico, in 2010, has led to convictions against 24 gang members and leaders. The Jurez Cartel's armed wing, "La Linea," recruited members from Barrio Azteca to fight the Sinaloa Cartel in 2008, and many gang members were killed or arrested. The case was investigated by the FBIs El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field Office (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso. While incarcerated in the Texas Department of Corrections, he served as the right hand man to BA Captain Manuel Cardoza. Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011. Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations. [21] Back in 2005, the Barrio Azteca gang had carried out a murderous attack against members of Los Mexicles inside the same prison, leaving six dead. [21] The exact reasons for the massacre are unknown, but the feud between Barrio Azteca and Artistas Asesinos runs deep, and they often fight for the control of drugs, guns, and other illicit contrabands inside prisons. [54], During a boy's birthday party at the Horizontes del Sur neighborhood in Ciudad Jurez, Chihuahua, several gunmen broke into a house and killed 14 people and wounded more than a twenty on 23 October 2010. According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Barrio Azteca also has members in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and Texas authorities have reported a Barrio Azteca presence in New Mexico. Tango Blast, Texas Syndicate, Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples and MS-13 all were identified as active in human smuggling operations in 2014. Roughly 33 percent of gang members entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system in 2014 were from the southeast Texas region, with 90 percent of those coming from Greater Houston. 3 Five things to know about the return of Barrio Azteca as top gang threat; 4 Negotiating Violence and Protection in Prison and on the Outside; 5 Ink in the Clink: Prison tattoos explained | Truecrimedaily.com; 6 Reputed Barrio Azteca 'Old Guard' gang leader on wanted list arrested; 7 El Paso Intelligence Center: Mexican U.S. Consulate . [59] The Mexican police declined to comment if the killing was drug-related, but Felipe Caldern's response was remarkably different from the Villas de Salvrcar massacre, where he claimed that the massacre was most likely due to internal adjustments between the cartels. WASHINGTONA leader and two soldiers in the Barrio Azteca (BA)a transnational border gang allied with the Juarez Cartelwere sentenced in El Paso, Texas, to life, 30, and 20 years in prison,. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. Infighting Hurt the Barrio Aztecas Who Worked for Juarez Cartl U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are actively seeking to apprehend the two remaining fugitives in this case, including Luis Mendez and Eduardo Ravelo, an FBI Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitive. Hector Galindo, 38, aka Silent, of El Paso, currently serving a 25-year Texas state sentence for murder, was sentenced to life prison. Besides drug trafficking, they have been charged with a medley of different crimes. Because of the BAs alliance with the Juarez Drug Cartel, the gang receives illegal drugs at low cost and profits on its importation, sale and distribution within the United States. [65] There are around 500 small gangs working for the Barrio Azteca and looking to earn a position by "joining the big shots. According to the US Department of Justice, Barrio Azteca profits by moving heroin, cocaine and marijuana across the border. [28] Then they stormed the party and opened fire at the victims as they were watching a soccer game. [12] The Barrio Azteca has long sold drugs moved by the Jurez Cartel. [15], On April 5, 2012, the authorities concluded that the Barrio Azteca murdered the three U.S. consulate members as part of an agreement with Jos Antonio Acosta Hernndez (El Diego), a former top lieutenant of the Jurez cartel who was imprisoned after being convicted and receiving a life sentence. A locked padlock [54][55] Mendez, who was the El Paso FBI office's most wanted fugitive and the last person sought for the attacks, also made La Empresa a hybrid of Barrio Azteca. [24] Officials of the state of Chihuahua said they were unable to locate the five weapons used in the massacre; nonetheless, an AR-15 assault rifle, one of the weapons thought to be used in the massacre, was confiscated. Week 1: Barrio Aztecas U.S.Consulate Murder Trial [52] Others had other speculations on the attack; it was unclear whether the consulate worker was targeted for being slow with the visas of some cartel members; whether the worker had angered some members inside a Texan prison; whether the attack intended to be a message to the American drug agents; or whether simply case of mistaken identity. The Barrio Azteca ( Spanish pronunciation: [barjo asteka] ), or Los Aztecas ( pronounced [los astekas] ), is a Mexican-American street, and prison gang originally based in El Paso, Texas. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph A. Cooley of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney Brian Skaret of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal of the Western District of Texas - El Paso Division. Total of 24 Barrio Azteca Members and Associates Convicted to Date. The Barrio Azteca prison gang - which has chapters in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico - has historically been linked to the Juarez Cartel. [72] Santana is accused of being a major force in the recent bloodshed which occurred in Jurez. The violence resulted in the deaths of 20 inmates. Then they light the whole thing on fire. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Texas Mexican Mafia comes in a distant second with 4,700 members, followed by the Texas Syndicate (3,400 members), Latin Kings (2,100 members) and MS-13 (800 members). [60] The killing in Horizontes del Sur bore striking similarities with the massacre in the Villas de Salvrcar neighborhood earlier that same year, which took place just a mile away and where 15 were gunned down at a party too. Knocking Down Barrio Azteca | Police Magazine As of March 2015, the organization's top leader was Eduardo Ravelo, who formed part of the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list until he was arrested in July 2018. "[29][31] What was troubling for the authorities was that the victims were not gathered inside a bar or at a rehab center, but rather at a private home. The motorcycle gang has roots going back to the 1960s, but only debuted on the DPS's Texas Gang Threat Assessment in 2015 after a deadly clash with the Bandidos Motorcycle Club in Waco on May 17 that left nine people dead. Key responsibilities: - find and book accommodation for platers/brush cutters teams. [9] The gang's primary source of income derives from smuggling drugs across the border from Mexico to the United States. At that point, the triggermen opened the doors of another room, and that is when the firing began. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 10 facts about the Barrio Azteca, one of the most dangerous gangs in Texas, Mark Lambie/AP Photo/El Paso Times, Mark Lambie. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article. [12] Some undocumented Mexicans arrested in the United States are imprisoned in Texan prisons and consequently join Barrio Azteca. The group has control over other local gangs, has members across the border, and already moves drug shipments across the border. All of these factors create a very real possibility that, if the gang were to gain control over US-bound drug shipments moving through Jurez, Barrio Azteca could move into full-blown international drug trafficking. None of the threats were materialized, however. The group has as many as 5,000 members in the Juarez area alone. These prison sentences send a strong message that even the most powerful and ruthless gangs cannot evade justice. "[26] Their reports state that the inmates had broken the rules of the jail and held large parties, possibly with the guards' permission. Of the 35 indicted, 33 had been arrested and 26 had been convicted as of March 2015. [77] Soto was also revealed to be the leader of the La Empresa cartel at the time of his arrest, and that his successor was identified as "The Gnome. The gang members then beat up their victims and throw them in the hole. The United States has sanctioned four suspected members of Mexicos powerful CJNG cartel, alleging that they controlled drug operations at, The Chapitos are winning the internal war for the Sinaloa Cartel and doing it in a different way than their, A package bomb that killed a restaurateur and his manager underscores the escalating use of explosives and the terror, This week, InSight Crime deputy editor, Juan Diego Posada, was interviewed by theAssociated Pressabout connections between theex-FARC mafiaand Brazilian criminal groups, and, As Ecuadors security crisis worsens, global media outlets have called on InSight Crime to provide expert knowledge on the criminal dynamics fueling the growing criminality.Americas Quarterly cited our work on, InSight Crime senior investigator Douwe den Held was interviewed by Chilean newspaperEl Mercuriothis week.
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