Borderland Beat

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Pancho Colorado gets 5 years for bribe attempt in Zetas Texas trial Posted: 02 Feb 2015 09:23 PM PST By Lucio Borderland Beat   Pancho second from left  Mexican business man, Francisco 'Pancho' Colorado Cessa, was a key figure in the Zetas horse ring, money laundering trial, held in an Austin federal court trial in 2013. His co-defendants were; Jesús Maldonado Huitrón, Eusebio Maldonado Huitrón, José Treviño Morales, and Fernando Solís García, in a trial that was loaded with information of the Zetas cartel, the interworkings of the organized crime information and insider testimony from witnesses such as Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar aka "El Mamito" or Z-7. Arguably,  the most jaw-dropping moment in the case came at its ending, when federal prosecutors unveiled a plot by Colorado, his son and business partner, attempting a 1.2 million dollar bribe to  the presiding judge in the Zeta case, in exchange of a light sentence for Francisco. The sting included, an informant, monitored jail house phone conversations, verbal code to be used by the judge, and payola stashed in golf club bags. Ramon Segura Flores and Francisco Colorado Jr were arrested in a parking lot across from the courthouse at the trial end just before sentencing.   Charges were brought against the two men in addition to the elder Colorado.  Segura and Jr. entered into a plea deal for a one year sentence and deportation. At their sentencing Segura and Jr were remorseful, vowing to follow the straight and narrow, and apologized to the court.    Said Jr.; "I am ashamed of how I insulted the law, this is going to affect the rest of my life." Once in Veracruz however, last month, Francisco Colorado Jr. and Ramon Segura Flores denied their guilt, saying the three men never agreed to a bribe and had no intention of ever proffering any money. Segura saying, "The case was a fabrication, there wasn't a crime."   Today Francisco was handed down a 5 year prison sentence, to be served consecutively to his 20 year sentence he was given in the money laundry case. Judge Sparks was never aware of the investigation or bribe attempt until it became public. The elder Colorado was convicted of money laundering charges, for his role in channeling Zetas funds through the U.S. Quarter horse racing and breeding business, and using his ADT Petroservicios for Zeta money laundering. Chivis and Havana covered the trial and posted weekly detailed reports.  The reports include the Zetas history, details of the case, Zeta criminality and money laundering structure. Read Trial begins here Read week 1 here  Read week 2 here Read week 3 here-Mamito testimony Read 'Story behind the Story here

Blockades & Shootouts Errupt in Northern Tamaulipas Posted: 02 Feb 2015 10:23 PM PST Beginning in the evening of Sunday, February 1, reports of blockades and shootouts in northern Tamaulipas has spread online.  It appears that the first reports were of blockades and spikes being dropped on the highway between Anahuac and Valle Hermoso. Later that night word spread of a shootout in Nuevo Progreso, followed by the highway between Rio Bravo and Reynosa being completely blocked.  Convoys of vehicles apparently carrying cartel members were also reported in Rio Bravo. Around the same time began reports of shootouts in Reynosa.  The largest of the shootouts, occurring near the Las Fuentes traffic circle, began around 4:20 AM on February 2 and lasted over an hour and a half.  Eyewitnesses claimed multiple dead bodies in the area.  As of 7:30 PM Central Time reports of shootings in Reynosa continue. While the situation is still developing and information is sporadic, there are indications that war is erupting between two factions of the Gulf Cartel, Matamoros and Los Metros of Reynosa.  The primary evidence supporting this is reports of vehicles with Escorpión, M3, XX, or 900 painted on the windows. Although it has been years since these factions were united under the same leadership, hostilities appeared to be sporadic and limited in scope.  With the sudden elevated level of violence, it appears that a major development has taken place within the Gulf Cartel, the nature of which has yet to be revealed.

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