Borderland Beat

Castillo solves the mystery of who fired the first shot: Hipolito's deceased son
Auto defensas in jail while " La Tuta " remains free
New Video of El Americano-Hipólito Mora Shootout

Castillo solves the mystery of who fired the first shot: Hipolito's deceased son

Posted: 06 Jan 2015 11:48 PM PST

Castillo 'the magician'

Yesterday, first court district judge Consuelo Lopez, reported that it had not been possible to determine which of the two battling groups; Luis Antonio Torres 'El Americano' vs Hipolito Mora, fired the first shot in the December 19^th gun-battle that left 11 dead.

Then magically hours later, Alfredo Castillo Cervantes, the President Peña's appointed commissioner of security of Michoacán, was able to solve the mystery.

Not only determining which side fired first, but who pulled the trigger.

He is blaming the dead guy.

Not some random dead guy, but Manolo Mora the son of autodefensa founder Hipolito Mora.

According to Castillo, it was Mora's group who fired first.

If that is not impressive enough, Castillo also knows who Manuel fired at, it was "El Gringo", who as he fell returned the shot, leaving them both mortally wounded.

It was always thought that Castillo reserved his most aggressive action and harm for Dr. Manuel Mireles, but after Castillo's actions of today, it is clear Hipolito Mora has moved into the top target position. Going after a man's dead son, even for Castillo, it doesn't get much lower.

PGJE Evidence

Castillo says, the conclusion that the gunfight was initiated by Manolo, was based on "witnesses" accounts and the infamous Mexican forensic evidence, collected by Michoacán's PGJE.

Today Castillo reported there are 113 testimonies, and expert testimony explaining what occurred.

Road Ownership

For months, according to reports from residents and Mora, in addition to video footage evidence, the Americano group has driven through La Ruana in large convoys of 25-50 vehicles. The purpose of the convoys has been intimidation, driving by Mora's home hurling threats.

Castillo says, a day before the clash, Americano had tried to enter the Ruana, but that Mora's group did not allow the Americano group to enter.

"He had every right to be on the road. No one can assume ownership of a road, or take control the road."

He said the barricade caused great inconvenience, so residents had spoken against it and demanded it to be withdrawn, but Mora and his group refused, says Castillo.

The video below is of one of the El Americano convoys driving in Ruana

Auto defensas in jail while " La Tuta " remains free

Posted: 06 Jan 2015 05:49 PM PST

Translated for borderland beat from a zetatijuana article

Luis Antonio Torres " El Americano ", followed the footsteps of his bitter rival Hippolito Mora and was delivered to the authorities for the battle of La Ruana on 16th of December 2014 that left 11 dead.

Presumably before the confrontation, Mora thought to register himself as an independant candidate for Deputy.

The destiny of the leaders of the Auto-defensa of Michoacan and 35 of their followers, who a couple of weeks ago entered battle in La Ruana, and left 11 dead, are now in the hands of the Judge of the first penal district , of the Morelia Judiciary.

Later following voluntarily was Luis Antonio Torres " El Americano", this Tuesday 30th of December, and Hipolito Mora Chavez on Saturday the 27th, with their respective groups of followers, the Judge Maria Consuelo Lopez Ramirez will be in charge of resolving the judicial problem of the implications in the crimes of homicide.

For reasons of security both groups were imprisoned in " Mil Cumbres", the second penal Judge of Apatzingan, wrote the apprehension orders, and requested that a tribunal of the Michoacan capital take charge of deciding the case. His wishes were heard ,and he revealed his knowledge of the criminal case.

Also Hipolito Mora like "El Americano", said they would only be delivered for trial if this existing guarantees that " nothing is going to happen". It appears that the guarantees in their communication with The Commissioner for Security and Development of Michoacan Alfredo Castillo Cervantes, don't reveal dates of any pact Castillo made.

The poor performance of Castillo since he was appointed by the Federal Executive has attracted a lot

of crticism from residents of Purepecha , who have found no peace in their communities, the voices of politicians from different parties have come together to put the Commissioner under scrutiny, before the escalation of violence that has recently occurred.

In the first session of the Permanent Commission for Congress of the Union, the deputy for the working party, Lilia Aguilar, posed the possibility that the Functionary of Mexican origin would be called to appear, to explain the level of social decomposition of general society in Michoacan in recent months.

The detention of both characters has aroused controversy amongst residents of the municipalities of Buena-vista Tomatlan and the Tierra Caliente. Hipolito Mora Chavez , the originator of Auto-defensas in this region is the one who has generated the most sympathy, he's considered a leader of the community, meanwhile Luis Antonio Torres " El Americano", is supported in some sectors even though it is an open secret that he is identified with Servando Gomez Martinez "La Tuta" or " El Profe", the presumed leader of the Knights Templar drug trafficking cartel.

The priest of the dioscese of Apatzingan, Gregorio Lopez Jeronimo, described " like an error" the imprisonment of Hipolito Mora for the gun fight of 16th of December in La Ruana, he predicted that a decision against Mora will naturally result in a stoppage of activities in this lemon growing region, and probably other regions who support the community police.

Hipolito and his political aspirations

As soon as the burial of his son Manuel Mora was concluded, who was killed in the battle for which his father was imprisoned, Hipolito Mora met with his fellow party members, to agree how they would respond and in what form they would put their case forward to the Federal Authorities. Saturday 27th of December it materialised was the date for the pact they entered into with Commissioner Castillo.

Mora and 26 other persons who entered " Mil Cumbres " prison, are accused of causing ten of the eleven deaths , only the death of his own son is not being attributed to his group.

His judicial situation will be resolved on 31st of December, or failing that to extend the constitutional deadline to 144 hours, also his right to unburden or contribute evidence on Saturday 3rd January.

According to Attorney for the Auto-defensa groups, Eduardo Quintero, his client could be free for lack of evidence at the end of the constitutional process. , well Hipolito and his people were the ones attacked and only sought to defend themselves against " El Americano ". Quintero confided that the Judge at the most in six days , resolves the issue with automatic freedom for Hipolito and his followers as a result.

Beyond the formal aspects of the accusation against Hipolito Mora , his defender said that his client was trying to get candidacy for Federal Deputy. Its a big coincidence that the battle happened on a date very close to the registration date for independant candidates. , but he does not reject what happened in La Ruana, but said it had been planned to affect the political plans of Hipolito Mora.

Eduardo Quintero said that when his client regained his freedom , he would register as an independant candidate, or he would search for a candidacy for a political party, and that he would promise to act in a autonomous way.

For his part , when questioned on the matter by mass media in Michoacan , Edgar Eduardo Pasallo Cachu , Vocal Secretary of the advice council of the National Electoral Institue , with headquarters in Apatzingan , said the leader of the Auto-defensas might not be a candidate for any post of popular choice , in the assemblies of 2015, since the term of notice of intention has finished , and before that date Hipolito did not register his intention before this institution.

The Imperceptible Americano

Of Luis Antonio Torres " El Americano " , whilst he is not well known, this has resulted in the popular suspicion that he has links with the leader of the Knights Templar Drug Trafficking Cartel. The image of him in the Tierra Caliente , is that he is a strong character , that also has dragged hundreds of people to form groups of Auto-defensas.

All of this appears to indicate that the detention of Torres, would not be a simple task for the Authorities, since the term of grace granted by Commissioner Castillo for the participants in the battle of La Ruana to submit themselves voluntarily , after seeing his men die , some resistance actions were carried out on the part of H3 ,( reference the road blocking by H3 and Los Viagras: spike ), finally Torres submitted himself with nine of his followers.

Meanwhile Hipolito Mora , put himself at the disposition of the Authorities on Saturday 27^thof December , this same day since the morning , the followers of Torres , blocked the highway Cuatro Caminos-Apatzingan, and otherhighway administration of Buenavista Tomatlan, presumably to hide from the Army and Ministerial Police of Michoacan, who wanted to detain the leader. After some hours of blockages , finally the traffic returned to normal circulation.

All this points to suspicious attitudes of El American and his people , Monday 29^th of December, the commission for security and integral development of Michoacan informed that they had the location of Torres and that at anytime they might arrest him and complete the order of detention against him and 25 of his men.

It was not necessary to go for him , as already in the morning of 30^th of December Torres and nine of his people surrendered themselves to the Michoacan Authority to designate his responsibilities in the incident at La Ruana. Torres appeared in a few sports fields in Buena-vista tomatlan , where already waiting was the Local Attorney of Justice , Martin Godoy Castro and other functionaries.

Luis Antonio and his followers were transported by helicopter of the Mexican Marines , and were transferred to the headquarters of the PGJE in Morelia, to be interned in the " Mil Cumbres " prison. The nine detainees with Torres are , Jose Alberto Ayala Chavez , ruperto Anaya Diaz, Gustave Gonzalez Sanchez , Adrian Eudardo Zamora Cortes , Jorge Negrete Vargas , Rene Salvador Esquivel Nunez , Eladio Cisneros Flores , and Jose Pablo Ochoa Gutierrez.

The lawyer for the members of the H3 group, Oscar Salazar Esquivel , assured that during the submitting of evidence , they offered a diverse range of videos of the battle of 16^th of December, in which appears "El Americano" and his followers. He said that during the action even though they were with women and children , Hipolito Mora and his people fired indiscriminately. The litigator added that the other 15 people being sought by the authorities will submit themselves in groups of five.

The Silence of Tuta

We are doing everything possible to find " La Tuta "

The leader of the Knights Templar cartel , Servando Gomez Martinez " La Tuta " or " El Profe " left the scene. It has been some weeks since the last of his videos found their way onto social media announcing his retirement. He reiterated the same thing he said to CB Television in June of 2009, when he assumed operation control of " La Familia Michoacana " , " They are not going to take me alive ".

After more than five years that the PGR offered a bounty of 30 million pesos , to whoever offers information leading to the arrest of " La Tuta ". the nacro-trafficker has not been located and in addition to that he has stopped appearing in videos , and the Authorities have stopped speaking about him.

It is more than 12 years ,since Federal Authorities first had news about " La Tuta " , a primary school teacher who involved himself in drug trafficking. Zeta investigations uncovered the first demand for an amparo promoted by " La Tuta " on 19th of December 2002, at the fifth District Court in Michoacán.

For a possible arrest warrant against Servando, a trial of guarantees against the Agent of the Public Prosecutors Office , with its head quarters in Lazaro Cardenas, the State delegate of the PGR in Michoacán and other Authorities, was dismissed on January the 7th 2003 in the absence of the claimed act.

One week after, Gomez Martinez interposed a new demand of amparo before the same Judge and against the same Authorities. His family member and authorised legal representative Viviano Gomez Armenta, claimed against an arrest warrant that did not exist and the case was eventually shelved the following March 19th.

On the 28th of April 2003 in the constitutional trial 272/2003 , before the 8th District Court in Michoacán, " La Tuta " was able to learn that there was a prior investigation 56/2003LC inquiry in the Agency of the Public Prosecutors Office , head quartered in Lazaro Cardenas. More so they did not have even an arrest warrant against him , and the case was dismissed on 29th May 2003.

It was not until the fourth amparo promoted by the then " humble rural teacher", on the 23rd June 2003, for the arrest warrant issued against him. The 8th District Judge based in the city of Uruapan, acknowledged before the 6th District of Michoacán Judge , that " La Tuta was wanted for crimes against health.

The " humble rural teacher "

On the following 26th of August 2003, the Judge granted a Federal Judicial amparo in respect of the arrest warrant issued against him for possession of Marijuana, but refused an amparo in respect of cultivation of Marijuana.

On the 10th of October that year , the Public Prosecutors Office filed an appeal for review , but on 19th of February 2004, the 1st Appeal Court of the 10th Circuit upheld the contested judgement.

His lawyers were again Viviano Gomez Armenta and Edgar Julian Cabrera Estrada. At the trial it became clear that to date there were no prior criminal records for " La Tuta ".

There followed two more amparo trials , one before the 8th District Court and another in the 6th District Court both in Michoacán, again " La Tuta " claimed against arrest warrants that didn't exist , so the cases were closed with no further problem.

It is not known if this Lawyer Viviano Gomez Armenta , titled in 2003 by the Michoacán University San Nicholas de Hidalgo, is the same subject to which " La Tuta " refers to as " Vivi " in any of the videos that are currently circulating in social networks , and in which sometimes he calls on subordinates to carry out work.

Time marches on and the alleged drug trafficker has not been caught. To date the reward announced by the PGR since 23rd March 2009 , is still on offer from the unit, when it was said that " La Tuta " was one of the leaders of " La Familia Michoacana " , besides the deceased Nazario Moreno Gonzalez " El Chayo " , J Jesus " Chango " Mendez Vargas and Dionysius Loya Plancarte Costilla " El Tio ".

Original post in Spanish at http://zetatijuana.com/

New Video of El Americano-Hipólito Mora Shootout

Posted: 06 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST