barrio azteca leaders

[31] The relatives and witnesses interviewed after the massacre insisted that the teenagers had nothing to do with the drug trade and were "good kids. WASHINGTON A leader and two soldiers in the Barrio Azteca (BA), a transnational border gang allied with the Juarez Cartel, were sentenced in El Paso, Texas, to life, 30 and 20 years in prison, respectively, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Morgan of the FBIs El Paso Office and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011. We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. [68] Ciudad Jurez is filled with safe houses, armories and garages with stolen cars for the cartel members and assassins to use. Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations. 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. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. "Negotiating Violence and Protection in Prison and on the Outside: The Organizational Evolution of the Transnational Prison Gang Barrio Azteca." WASHINGTON, D.C. - A leader and two soldiers in the Barrio (BA), a transnational border gang allied with the Juarez Cartel, were sentenced in El Paso, Texas, to life, 30 and 20 years in prison, respectively, announced DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart, and other federal officials. Diplomatic Security Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriffs Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, N.M., Sheriffs Office; Las Cruces, N.M., Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico. Some, however, are beheaded. We will continue aggressively to pursue the Barrio Azteca and other gangs so that communities in the United States and Mexico can live free from the violence and destruction of organized crime., These sentences represent the FBIs commitment to the aggressive pursuit of criminal enterprises such as the Barrio Aztecas whose presence pose a significant risk to citizens on both sides of the border, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Morgan. [13] They are alleged by the Mexican authorities to have committed numerous brutal assassinations in the city, although the exact numbers are unknown. [3] The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. Witnesses also testified to the Barrio Aztecas practice of extorting quota or taxes on non-BA drug dealers who sold illegal narcotics in El Paso and the greater West Texas and Eastern New Mexico area. 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. Drug distribution is believed to represent over half of the gang's revenue. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. Evidence was presented that Gonzales and Garcia were BA soldiers, whose duties included distributing drugs, picking up money from dealers and enforcement operations within their area of responsibility. Official websites use .gov 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. These command sergeants, who are not always fully-fledged members, and finally soldiers, or "indios," who are often underage and are used for the local distribution of small amounts of drugs. [72] In November 2019, three members of La Empresa were arrested. Lotyn Amerikos stiliaus bistro Vilniaus Centre, "Go9", Gedimino pr. They began to recruit new inmates coming into the prison for violent gang crimes. [29][31] They pleaded for their names not to be released for the fear of the hit men returning and taking revenge. He also unveiled a billboard facing traffic in El Paso, Texas heading into Mexico that reads "No More Weapons," and criticized the United States for not renewing a ban on the sales of assault weapons that expired in 2004. [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. [65] In March 2010, the FBI and the police department in El Paso stated that Barrio Azteca was more powerful than Los Zetas in the Jurez plaza. 6 on a list of border crime suspects sought by U.S. and Mexican authorities. The states of Jurez and Chihuahua in Mexico; El Paso, Texas; Massachusetts; Pennsylvania; possibly New Mexico. The Barrio Azteca was able to quickly grow in large numbers without much problems. Specifically, he was the El Paso BA leader in 2010 until he was arrested on drug charges on April 30, 2010. [63] In and outside of prison, from gang beatings to drive-by shootings, Barrio Azteca disciplines its own members and rivals. [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 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. He allegedly pays his sicarios (hitmen) less than 500 pesos (or about $40 U.S. dollars) a week to carry out assassinations. Much of the rest of the Barrio Azteca leadership is based in US jails, where leaders use telephones, the postal service and secret messages filtered to visitors to communicate with members on the outside. March 16, 2010. [20] The brawl, which was between Barrio Azteca and Los Mexicles, erupted at around 6 a.m. after the conclusion of a series of conjugal visits. They were sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Texas. 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. [12] Some undocumented Mexicans arrested in the United States are imprisoned in Texan prisons and consequently join Barrio Azteca. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. 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 . Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Tango Blast, Aryan Brotherhood and Aryan Circle are the most active prison gangs in the region. [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. By 2013, it reportedly had up to 5,000 in the Jurez area alone and an estimated 3,000 in the United States. The group members face charges including drug trafficking and distribution, extortion, money laundering and murder. 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. The Barrio Azteca came out of Texas prisons but has since formalized its structure to become a drug trafficking cartel. Coachella 2023: What to pack for a weekend in the desert, Preorder 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' today, Create a bonsai tree out of bricks with this $40 LEGO set, Dyson's air purifying headphones have finally arrived, Save on AeroGarden indoor herb growing kits at Amazon. [54] With his arrest, all 35 suspects named by the U.S. Justice Department in 2011 for involvement in the consulate killings had been captured. 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. Testimony also indicated that the BA is well-organized and militaristic in structure. 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. Lock And, their numbers total in the thousands on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Their members are behind the killing of a pregnant U.S. consulate and her husband. Scroll through the slideshow for 10 facts you need to know about the Texas-Mexico border gang. While incarcerated in the Texas Department of Corrections, he served as the right hand man to BA Captain Manuel Cardoza. [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. Gustavo "Tavo" Gallardo, formerly a leader of the Barrio Aztecas in El Paso, testified in court that long before the drug cartel wars began in 2008 in Juarez, the Carrillo Fuentes drug cartel wanted to kill off the Aztecas because they were suspected of stealing millions of dollars from the cartel. [38] He confessed to the authorities that the Jurez Cartel had received reports from within the organization that members of a rival drug trafficking organization were at the party the night the teenagers were killed. He previously covered real estate, economic development, retail and tourism. [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. [46] Later on that same day, gunmen killed the husband of another consulate worker and wounded his two young children. The gang began to directly buy large sums of cocaine from the cartel at cheaper rates, and in return the gang would buy weapons in so called straw purchases from Texan gun shops and then smuggle them across the border. According to the testimony of an alleged Barrio Azteca member, gang members torture and kill their victims by digging up holes in the ground, throwing a bunch of mesquite, and then pouring in some gasoline. In addition, the gang has reportedly fixed some tactical errors that put it at an initial disadvantage, including beginning to use older model vehicles to maintain a lower profile and providing better training to its members. [72] Santana is accused of being a major force in the recent bloodshed which occurred in Jurez. 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., This investigation highlights an unfortunate reality: leaders within growing trans-national prison and street gangs like the Barrio Azteca continue to promote violence and manage their drug trafficking activities even after the cell door closes, said DEA Administrator Leonhart. In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with La Linea, which is part of the Juarez Drug (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or VCF). Inside and outside of prison, the gang thrives on violence from gang beatings to drive-by shootings to murder all in order to discipline its own members or fight against rivals. As Barrio Azteca grew in power, it began to work directly with the Juarez Cartel and their alliance grew stronger. [68] They work day in and day out, often with a list of people to kill. [23] The violence continued elsewhere throughout the prison until around 2 a.m. the next day. [64] To prevent officers from understanding their communication network, Barrio Azteca also created a secret language based on Nahuatl. [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. According to US estimates, it had around 3,500 members in 2011. RELATED:Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping. [17] In El Paso Ravelo's gang is known as Barrio Azteca, a gang originally morphed from the so-called Mexican Mafia prison gang. The gang's key ally is the Jurez Cartel and its armed wing, La Linea. Some of the victims were stabbed with knives, while others were beaten to death; some were killed with home-made guns. The so-called "hybrid members" allow the gangs to grow their empires with increased influence both in prisons and on the streets. A committee of "generals," both in and out of prison rule by consensus. Des Linden unveils new book, shares race day must-haves. However, the successful prosecutions of Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia, and the conviction of other Barrio Azteca members reinforce another reality: that wherever these dangerous organizations operate, DEA and its partners will aggressively follow, investigate and prosecute., As members of the Barrio Azteca gang, Hector Galindo, Ricardo Gonzales and Adam Garcia participated in a brutal criminal enterprise dedicated to spreading fear and violence on both sides of the border, said Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer. [18] When drug loads go missing while being smuggled, suspects are kidnapped and taken to Ciudad Jurez. [30] Videos from the crime scene depict a sparsely furnished home with large puddles of blood and taints smeared on the walls; in addition, more than 100 AK-47 bullet casings were found at the crime scene. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A locked padlock - coordinate teams logistics (plan the trips, book tickets) - organize and analyze the data of the accommodation/travels expenses. [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. The attacks brought down a great deal of pressure from the US government, which issued a federal indictment of 35 Barrio Azteca members in Texas in March 2011 on counts of extortion, murder, drug trafficking and money laundering. [35] But Caldern was widely criticized for his initial comments after the massacre, where he claimed that the investigations had showed that those killed were almost certainly targeted for being involved in organized crime. [11] Los Salazar, a powerful cell of the Sinaloa Cartel, had by this point also managed to build a significant presence in Ciudad Jurez and was seen as on par with La Lnea in the Ciudad Jurez drug trafficking market as well. RELATED:21 alleged members of drug cartel-affiliated Barrio Azteca gang arrested in West Texas. The gang's highly organized nature has helped it gain membership on both sides of the border, and it could now be in a position to make the leap into large-scale transnational organized crime. A total of 35 BA members and associates based in the United States and Mexico were charged in the third superseding indictment for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice and murder, including the 2010 Juarez consulate murders. At that point, the triggermen opened the doors of another room, and that is when the firing began. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS "[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. [3] The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. [5] Outside of prison, members would contact imprisoned leaders to verify a status of a person using the name of Barrio Azteca to operate and see if they were in good standing with the organization. A cross-border drug gang born in the prison cells of Texas has evolved into a sophisticated paramilitary killing machine. According to evidence presented in court, witnesses testified to the brutality of the BA. 2019. [68] Barrio Azteca has also authorized the killings of U.S. law enforcement officials for cracking down their criminal operations, offering up to $200,000 U.S. 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. The Barrio Azteca gang is known to engage in a wide range of criminal activity including contract killing, murder, torture, drug trafficking and human trafficking among other offenses. [51] After the arrest of a suspect in connection with the killings, the gang member said that Barrio Azteca was pursuing a guard from the El Paso County Jail and not the U.S. officials, but this information has not been confirmed. [37] It has fed up $400 million to repair the city's social fabric. Currently one of the most violent gangs in the United States, they are said to have over 3,000 . Hector Galindo, 38, aka Silent, of El Paso, currently serving a 25-year Texas state sentence for murder, was sentenced to life prison. [24] According to The Guardian, the video suggests that the guards may have allowed the assassins to kill the inmates, proving that the prison was plagued by "weak controls, disorganisation and possible corruption. The gang's control over Jurez puts it in a position to move into major transnational drug trafficking. The Barrio Azteca was organized in the El Paso, Texas, County Jail in 1987 from where it moved to the streets and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison system. [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. [62], In June 2020, it was reported that La Lnea was the Jurez Cartel's most powerful fraction in Ciudad Jurez. "[38] By mid-2011, four men linked to the massacre were found guilty of the killings and were sentenced to 240 years each by the state of Chihuahua. According to testimony presented at sentencing, Cardona was a leader in the Barrio Azteca gang. [17] The informant said that Ravelo was taken to a house in El Paso where a gang member was being held, his mouth, wrists, and ankles bound with duct tape. The Barrio Azteca is one of the most violent prison gangs operating. Their leader is one of the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals. The gang expanded after 1996, due in part to increasing deportations of imprisoned Mexican criminals by the United States. Of the 35 indicted, 33 had been arrested and 26 had been convicted as of March 2015. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Its members, or soldiers, are governed by captains, various lieutenants and numerous sergeants in the United States and Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations. [69], On June 26, 2018, Barrio Azteca Capo Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo was arrested. Ravelo then ordered the traitor to be sent to the Jurez cartel, and he was never heard from again. By 1996, the Barrio Azteca had grown to become the one of the most powerful criminal enterprises of southern Texas. [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. [24], Initial reports had stated that the massacre had started as a clash between prison gangs,[25] but the surveillance video shows "cold-blood executions," and that the members of the Barrio Azteca gang carried out the shootout without any provocation from their enemies. Key responsibilities: - find and book accommodation for platers/brush cutters teams. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Some are shot dead, while others are tortured and then shot. 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The power of Barrio Azteca in Jurez puts it in an advantageous position. [68] After fulfilling their mission, the gang members return to safe houses throughout the city or return across the international bridge to El Paso. 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. [8], Some believe that the growth of Barrio Azteca in Mexico is due to the area's distinctive cross-border nature. [56] After firing more than 70 bullets, the attackers fled the scene in three different cars at around 11:00p.m.[57][58] According to the witnesses' descriptions, the attackers were teenagers who had secured the area by blocking traffic. > With a broad range of experience across engagement, performance management, HR systems, culture, learning and development . Our work is costly and high risk. [28] Some of the teenagers were shot as they tried to flee and their corpses were found in the neighboring houses. "I never even gave the United States much thought," said one of the family members, "But Mexico has abandoned us, betrayed us. A total of 35 BA members and associates based in the United States and Mexico were charged in the third superseding indictment for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice and murder, including the 2010 Juarez consulate murders. [23] Although there was no audio in the video, the footage shows how two gunmen order the guards to leave. The group has as many as 5,000 members in the Juarez area alone. "[26] Their reports state that the inmates had broken the rules of the jail and held large parties, possibly with the guards' permission. Barrio Azteca also draws recruits from Jurez jails who are attracted by the strict order that the gang enforces on members. [46] The attack came during a violent weekend across Mexico, were nearly 50 people were killed across the country. 10 were here. 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. Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. [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. International Criminal Justice Review, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrio_Azteca&oldid=1147392901, This page was last edited on 30 March 2023, at 17:18. About. Inside and outside of prison, the gang thrives on violence - from gang beatings to drive-by shootings to murder - all in order to discipline its own members or fight against rivals. Barrio Azteca has approximately 600 active members who engage in murder, assault, extortion, human and drug trafficking, and other crimes. The gang also controls local drug distribution, extortion rackets and human smuggling in Jurez, and uses other smaller, local gangs for manpower, as well as charging other criminals to operate in its territory. However, it counts among its rivals some cartel heavyweights such as the Sinaloa Cartel, headed by notorious drug lordJoaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

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