Borderland Beat |  |
- Zetas falling like a house of cards
- Falcon Lake Texas- Zetas regional leader arrested, named in the David Hartley Murder
- On Tour of US Survivor of Iguala Tells Story of Missing 43 To San Antonio Audience
- The Mission of the Journalist; "To tell others what they would rather not hear." Denise Dresser Speaks About Aristegui
| Zetas falling like a house of cards Posted: 19 Mar 2015 02:50 AM PDT Two more Zetas leaders captured in Nuevo Leon Translated for Borderland Beat from a Proceso article by Otis B Fly-Wheel  Monterry N.L. Federal forces detained in three operations in Nuevo Leon, two leaders of Los Zetas, one of them a Municipal Policeman from Monclova, they operate in drug trafficking in Coahuila, informed today the Secretary of the Government (SEGOB). In these actions, carried out on 16th of March in the Nuevo Leon Municipalities of Monterrey and Escobedo, elements of the Marines and Semar took down two men and women of the same criminal group, See Link. The detained are Artemio Olvera Garza, 40 years of age, and his financial operator Severo Gonzalez Lunas. Olvera Garza was a Municipal Policeman in Monclova, Coahuila, and led a Zeta cell in that Municipality as well as those of Cuatro Cienegas, Castanos, San Buena Ventura, Escobedo and Abasolo. With him was captured Cristian Arias Valencia, 21 years of age, also a Municipal Policeman said the statement of the Federal Agency. According to SEGOB, Olvera Garza worked at the side of Daniel Menera Sierra, another leader of the same band of criminals detained in San Pedro this past weekend. The captures were made by Federal Forces headed by the Marines, in a joint investigation with the Secretary for the National Defence (SEDENA), SEIDO , the PGR and the Centre of Investigation and National Security (Cisen). Otis: looks like combined Mexican forces might actually be getting their shit together. During these actions, were found four rifles and five handguns, magazine and ammunition, 40 wraps and four bags of Marijuana, 2000 wraps and 200 grams of Cocaine, and four vehicles. The detained were put at the disposition of SEIDO. The capture of the named criminals has incremented in Nuevo Leon since this past 4th of March, when in the Municipality of San Pedro Oscar Omar Trevino Morales " Z-42" was detained, the alleged overall leader of Los Zetas. Original article in Spanish at Proceso Otis: these new arrests with those detailed today by my BB Colleague Lucio in Falcon Lake, Texas, bring a tally of 15 Zetas of some note captured since the arrest of Z 42 and his financial operator. | ||
| Falcon Lake Texas- Zetas regional leader arrested, named in the David Hartley Murder Posted: 18 Mar 2015 07:57 PM PDT Lucio R. Borderland Beat Material from BB archives and Laredo Morning Times  Brothers Juan Pedro and José Manuel Zaldívar Farías, also known as "El 27" and "El 31", are suspects in the murder of American (Reynosa resident) David Hartley on Falcon Lake. They are also named in the killing of the lead investigator of the PME group in Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, Rolando Flores, who was allegedly decapitated and his head sent in a briefcase to a military base in Mexico. (Mexico would not confirm this only that he was assassinated) At the time of the Harley murder rumors began tagging a "Zetitas" gang (teens to early twenties) were responsible. Subsequently, a Mexican investigator began sharing information with Texas channel 5 ABC news, that identified the Saldivar Farias brothers as leaders of the gang and lead suspects of the murder.  From Channel 5 who was working with the investigator accessing information on the Falcon Lake Murder: "the victim was identified as homicide investigator Rolando Armando Flores Villegas, (Commander of state investigators in Ciudad Miguel Aleman). This is the same investigator who delivered documents to a local ABC channel 5 Laredo Texas station crew over the weekend in Reynosa. He also provided our crew with information about two Mexican brothers, Zeta Cartel members, suspected of involvement in the alleged murder of David Hartley. [Flores]Villegas said Juan Pedro and Jose Manuel Saldivar Farias are suspected members of the Zeta drug cartel, wanted criminals, and members of a pirate gang (Zetitas) that has been terrorizing boaters on Falcon Lake and residents of a nearby town." Tamaulipas state police commander confirmed information with respect to the brothers: "Commander Juan Carlos Ballesteros reported that research conducted in coordination between the sheriff of Zapata, Texas, Sigifredo González and the group leader of the Ministerial Police Miguel German, Tamaulipas, Juan Carlos Ballesteros, those responsible (for Hartley's murder) were already identified as Juan Pedro Saldivar Farias alias "The 27 " (below left) and José Manuel Saldívar Farias alias" El 31 ". Today from LMT:  Jose Manuel Saldivar-Farias, also known as "Z-31" or "El Borrado," was charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana allegations after illegally entering the U.S. Saldivar-Farias, 27, is alleged to be a regional commander for the Zetas. Initially arrested on immigration charges related to his illegal presence in the U.S., a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday charges him and Osiel Hernandez-Martinez, 26, with conspiracy to possess more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Salidvar-Farias is also charged with giving false statements to government agents. They appeared in federal court in Laredo on Wednesday morning and are set for a detention and probable cause hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Guillermo R. Garcia on Friday. The criminal complaint alleges that on the night of March 12, Texas Department of Public Safety Quick Reactionary Force, in conjunction with the Texas Air National Guard, were conducting fly-over operations over Falcon Lake.  During that time, they saw a boat traveling northward into the U.S. from Mexico at a high rate of speed. Suspecting the individuals were undocumented foreign nationals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, DPS immediately apprehended the individuals aboard the boat, which included Saldivar-Farias and Hernandez-Martinez. Upon arrest, the criminal complaint alleges Saldivar-Farias lied to agents about his identity. According to the criminal complaint, Saldivar-Farias is the regional commander of the northern region of Mexico to include the states of Coahuilla, Taumalipas and Nuevo Leon, Mexico, as well as Zapata. As such, he is allegedly in charge of all narcotics moving through the area. The criminal complaint alleges several multi-ton quantities of marijuana have been crossed into U.S. over this area every week. If convicted on the drug charges, Saldivar-Farias and Hernandez-Martinez each face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible maximum fine of $10 million. Saldivar-Farias also faces up to five years and a $250,000 fine if convicted of making false statements. The arrest was a collaboration effort between FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations which are all investigative partners within the South Texas corridor to include Customs and Border Protection components Office of Border Patrol, Office of Field Operations and Office of Air and Marine. DPS also provided invaluable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal Alaniz are prosecuting the case. | ||
| On Tour of US Survivor of Iguala Tells Story of Missing 43 To San Antonio Audience Posted: 18 Mar 2015 06:48 AM PDT Borderland Beat Posted by DD Republished From KSAT Written by Jessie Degollado
SAN ANTONIO - The mass disappearance of 43 students that rocked Mexico last fall has triggered a call for action in the U.S. with a national tour including San Antonio. Omar Garcia Velasquez survived the abduction and said he came to America for the first time in hopes of generating support for their continued demands for justice. "We are seeking solidarity with the public," Garcia said. Garcia, who spoke Monday at the Guadalupe Theater and Trinity University, is among 16 students, parents and advocates divided into three groups traveling to 30 cities, converging in Washington and New York City next month, according to organizers. They said the mother of one of the students will be joining Garcia in his leg of the tour. Garcia described how he and 90 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College in the state of Guerrero were in two buses bound for a national day of protest dating back to a 1968 massacre allegedly by police and the military. He said police in the town of Iguala opened fire as they chased them down. "We yelled at them, 'We're students. Why are you shooting at us?' But they didn't stop," Garcia said. "They said we were criminals." He said some of his companions were killed, others were beaten. "No one helped us," Garcia said. "Not even the military when they arrived." He said the soldiers even kept medical personnel from attending to the wounded. Garcia said as 43 students were taken away, he and about 40 others escaped. "We ran until we couldn't run any further," Garcia said. He said now he and the others must live with their survivor's guilt. Looking at the photos of the 43 missing students, Garcia said he would give anything to switch places with them. He said that is why "we are trying not to remain silent in honor of our companions who suffered." It is believed after the students were abducted, they were tortured and killed then buried in mass graves. Three men were arrested, but Garcia said he and much of the nation remain skeptical of the investigation's findings. A protest Monday afternoon in front of the Mexican Consulate in downtown San Antonio accused the Mexican government of not seeking the truth. "We are Ayotzinapa!" the protesters chanted. Garcia said he urges Americans to join in their non-violent movement by staging peaceful protests of their own, launching letter-writing campaigns and using social media. Given Garcia's distrust of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, he said he would ask President Barack Obama to reconsider America's policies with Mexico," to avoid becoming an accomplice in the crime we have in our country." | ||
| Posted: 18 Mar 2015 06:22 AM PDT Borderland Beat posted by DD Republished from Mexico Voices For Reforma by Denise Dresser Translated for MV by Amanda Moody Every day, Carmen Aristegui** sat in front of the microphone and did her job. The mission of the journalist, so well described by George Orwell: "To tell others what they would rather not hear." That Father Maciel was a pedophile. That Emilio Gamboa [PRI senator] negotiated legislation in the Senate with a protector of pedophiles. That Mario Marín [former governor of Puebla] celebrated "slapping down" Lydia Cacho [jounalist who exposed his involvement in pederastry ring] with bottles of cognac. That Cuauhtémoc Gutiérrez de la Torre [President of PRI in Mexico City] operated a prostitution ring funded with public monies. That the first lady [Angélica Rivera] "bought" a house whose title is in the name of a contractor who benefitted from multimillion dollar government contracts. So many investigations, so much rot revealed, so much corruption detected, so much professional journalism.  DD Note: In 2012 Mex. govt. initiated a process to "rescue" frpm all existing concessions in the 2.5ghrtz range (which included concessions held by MVS). This legal battle has been going on for 10 years The govt. canceled the concession and refused to renew several others held by MVS. Televisa filed injunctions to stop govt. from restoring concessions. Last court battle was Nov. 2014. Rumor is that Televisa attorney had several hour meeting with MVS the day it fired Carmen. Speculation is widespread that the govt. told MVS to fire Aristegui and MVS would get it's licenses back..(Revenge of EPN?) Every day Carmen Aristegui defended the rights many Mexicans didn't even know they had, nor do they now understand that she was working to safeguard them. The right to freedom of expression. The right to be a counterbalance to the power which is—increasingly—exercised in Mexico with impunity. The right to show the truth, walking on ground which is mined with lies. The right of Mexicans to have journalism which is independent, autonomous and critical. There she was, every morning from 6:45 to 10:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, the archipelago of freedom. One of the few who remained. Right there was the place that millions of Mexicans tuned to in search of what they wanted to know, listen to, learn about their country, about those who govern them, about how power is being exercised. The place that informed and challenged and offended and angered. That essential place. The defense of freedom in a country where freedom is rare is difficult, arduous and risky. It means defending the right to disseminate even what is perceived as offensive or "destabilizing" or uncomfortable for the government. Carmen leads that defense because that's how she is She is known for her work, respected for her intelligence, honored for her courage. She is brave. Stubborn. Combative. Audacious. Authentic. And because the freedom of expression she exercises is like that; that's the nature of the beast. Sometimes she has a duty to throw fuel on the fire. Sometimes she faces the imperative to light a match in a parched landscape. Sometimes she bothers the President and the Secretary of the Treasury and the PRI and the PRD and the National Electoral Institute and the Federal Institute for Access to Information and the Supreme Court and the Senate and the Army. And in doing so, she protects the vital place in which pluralistic discourse—increasingly under attack—can survive. There are many who don't like her work They dismiss her as "supporter of Andrés Manual López Obrador" or "lesbian" or "biased" or "strident" or "leftist" or "politically correct". Those who didn't like the kind of journalism she promoted, had every right to change channel. What they did not have the right to do was what MVS did: put together a conflict that was a pretext to remove her from the air, along with two journalists who did the research on the [president's wife's] "White House". Using the excuse of the misuse of the "brand" as a smokescreen. Using the argument of "breach of trust" as a muzzle. Using "guidelines" developed in an untimely fashion as a form of fencing or censoring, because they would be unacceptable for any self-respecting journalist. As explained by the MVS Ombudsman, the guidelines announced by the company unilaterally modified the terms of the contract signed by Carmen in which she was responsible for the content of her broadcast. Suddenly, and in a manner which was hostile, rude and belligerent, the company issued non-consensual terms, with probable legal implications given the contract that it had previously held with her. Suddenly, the Vargas family acted in a manner which was in total contrast to what its name had represented. We don't know if it was due to economic rewards, political pressure, petitions from Los Pinos, or simple fear when faced with the implications of the work that Carmen does and has done. And because of this we will have to defend and rally round and fight for Carmen Aristegui and her spaces. Because they are ours. Because we, as beneficiaries of her work, are responsible for building a robust defense of freedom of expression, of pluralism and of the need to be irreverent and challenging. It is our responsibility to support the daily practice of freedom. To stand up, protest, expose MVS as a dishonest business, stand together with anyone who challenges corruption, abuse of power, violence or intolerance. The slogan for what must be done is simple and says it all: "I Am Carmen." Reforma only allows subscribers to access its articles online.  **Carmen Aristegui F. is a journalist. A graduate of the UNAM, she is a radio and TV host and commentator. A lecturer and author of books, she has been awarded the National Journalism Award, the Iberoamerican Prize, the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, and the Order of the Legion of Honor by the French Government. Until March 15, 2015, she was director of the First Edition of MVS News (radio). She appears on the program "Aristegui" on CNN in Spanish and operates the web portal Aristegui News. S She is a Reforma columnist. Her grandfather had fled Spain with his family when Francisco Franco won the Spanish Civil War. |
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