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13 October 2011

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Latin America Military and Security Watch

Table of Contents

MEXICO

MEXICO

SPECIAL INTEREST Middle Eastern Terrorist Groups Attempting to Work with Mexican

Drug Cartels – 11 October 2011

SINALOA 86 Kilograms of Solid Methamphetamine and 280 Liters of Liquid

Methamphetamine Seized from Drug Lab in Culiacan, Sinaloa – 09

October 2011 TAMAULIPAS

Marines Conduct Large Scale Operation Targeting the Gulf Cartel in

Areas throughout Tamaulipas – 10 October 2011 NUEVO LEON

Soldiers Seize Nearly One Metric Ton of Marijuana Following

Confrontation with Gunmen near Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon – 09

October 2011

ZACATECAS Authorities Recover Bodies of Municipal Police Officers in Valparaiso,

Zacatecas – 09 October 2011 DURANGO

Soldiers Arrest Six Los Zetas Operators in Nuevo Ideal, Durango – 10

October 2011

CHIHUAHUA

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Nine Murders Reported on 09 October 2011 in Ciudad Juarez,

Chihuahua – 09 October 2011 CENTRAL AMERICA

Bulgarian National Arrested with Cocaine Pellets at the Juan

Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica – 10 October 2011 National Police Seize 315 Kilograms of Narcotics in Less than 24

Hours in Panama City, Panama – 11 October 2011 National Police Arrest Suspects with Safe Containing Over $(USD) 1

Million in Panama City, Panama – 11 October 2011

CARIBBEAN DNCD Seizes 1,434 Kilograms of Cocaine during Two Operations in

the Dominican Republic – 10 October 2011 Dutch National Arrested with 78 Cocaine Capsules at Las Americas

International Airport, Dominican Republic – 11 October 2011

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MEXICO

SPECIAL INTEREST Middle Eastern Terrorist Groups Attempting to Work with Mexican Drug Cartels – 11 October

2011

On 29 September 2011, U.S. authorities arrested Mansor Arbabsiar,

56, after it was discovered that he offered an undercover DEA agent

posing as a Los Zetas operator $(USD) 1.5 million to murder Adel al-

Jubeir, the Saudi Ambassador to Washington. The arrest in question

was carried out at the JFK International Airport following Arbabsiar’s

return from Mexico. Following his arrest, Arbabsiar, was identified as

a naturalized U.S. citizen who possesses both a US and Iranian

passport.

At this point, Gholam Shakuri, a second Iranian national believed to

have been involved in this incident has managed to allude authorities. Preliminary investigations indicate

that Arbabsiar and Shakuri may have also been in the initial phases of planning attacks to target

individuals and Saudi embassies on US soil.

FMSO Analysis of the Possible Involvement of Mexican Drug Cartels with Terrorist Organizations:

How an Iranian national managed to get involved with an undercover DEA agent posing as a Los Zetas

operator is not known, but it is possible that actual Los Zetas operators were contacted by the Iranian

nationals, and in an attempt to redeem themselves in the eyes of both U.S. and Mexican authorities, they

directed the Iranian nationals to the undercover DEA Agent.

Recent incidents that have brought negative attention to Los Zetas include:

The August 30, 2011 attack on the Casino Royal that left 52 individuals dead in Monterry, Nuevo

Leon. During this attack, Los Zetas operators discriminately opened fire on customers in the

Casino due to the fact the owner had not paid his extortion fees to the group.

The murder of 29 campesinos in the Peten Department of Guatemala in May of 2011. In this

instance, Los Zetas were actually looking for Otto Salguero, the owner of Los Cocos Ranch,

where the murders were carried out.

The murder of ICE Agent Jaime Zapata in San Luis Potosi on February 15, 2011. According to a

Los Zetas operator arrested following this incident, the attack was a case of mistaken identity.

The attack against US citizens on Falcon Lake on 30 September 2010 that resulted in the death of

David Hartely.

The incidents mentioned above clearly demonstrate that Los Zetas have begun to veer down a path that

deviates from committing murders related strictly to drug trafficking incidents in the sense that they do

not hesitate to involve innocent parties. However, Mexican drug cartels, even extreme groups like Los

Zetas, are far from likely to collaborate with terrorists for the simple fact that it would be incredibly

unbeneficial given the negative attention it would draw from both Mexican and U.S. authorities.

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Furthermore, even if Los Zetas would have earned $1.5 million dollars for the assassination of Adel al-

Jubeir, it would not be enough cash to mediate the repercussions of the decision had it really been

presented to them.

On the other hand, a possible reason Los Zetas may have considered this offer had it truly been presented

to them is their fight to maintain their territories in light of the offensive that has been mounted against

them by the Sinaloa and Gulf Cartel. Previously, Los Zetas dominated Veracruz in addition to parts of

Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon. Now, all of these areas are under dispute which means that Los Zetas must

acquire additional resources to include weapons, ammunition, and an expanded work force if they are

going to be successful in defending their territories. These items directly correlate to a need for increased

cash flow which money from terrorist groups could provide. In an attempt to increase manpower, Los

Zetas have been known to kidnap migrants as evidenced by the mass kidnapping of more than 70

individuals in San Fernando, Tamaulipas in August of 2010. A second mass kidnapping was also carried

out by this group on June 23, 2011 in Medias Aguas, Verucruz. An estimated 80 migrants were

kidnapped in this instance.

The end point regarding drug cartels and terrorists is that any involvement between the two would

represent a certain demise for that drug cartel. Does this mean that drug cartels would never get involved

with terrorist groups? Absolutely not. The Sinaloa Cartel is known to conduct business with Afghan

heroin producers, but this does not mean they are willing to carry out assassination on Mexican or US soil

for these same groups. Still, the possibily should never be ruled out; especially when considering Los

Zetas as they are a very unpredictable and violent group whose leadership has undergone umpteen

changes over the past two years.

Spanish Source: http://www.milenio.com/cdb/doc/noticias2011/10272d7bee4dc600b9f16420ab6bf4f0

Photo Source: http://eleconomista.com.mx/sociedad/2011/10/11/inm-detuvo-irani-sospechoso-complot-

sre

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SINALOA

86 Kilograms of Solid Methamphetamine and 280 Liters of Liquid Methamphetamine Seized from

Drug Lab in Culiacan, Sinaloa – 09 October 2011

III Military Region and 9th Military Zone soldiers dismantled a synthetic drug lab in an area overgrown

by bushes in Culiacan, Sinaloa. Items seized from this drug lab included:

86 kilograms of solid methamphetamine

280 liters of liquid methamphetamine

535 kilograms of caustic soda

235 liters of an unknown liquid substance

80 kilograms of tartaric acid

No arrests were made in conjunction with the dismantling of this drug lab.

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Spanish Source: http://www.sedena.gob.mx/index.php/sala-de-prensa/comunicados-de-prensa-de-los-

mandos-territoriales/7826-9-de-octubre-de-2011-culiacan-sin

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TAMAULIPAS

Marines Conduct Large Scale Operation Targeting the Gulf Cartel in Areas throughout

Tamaulipas – 10 October 2011

Between the dates of 05-10 October 2011, Marines conducted multiple operations targeting the Gulf

Cartel throughout Tamaulipas. Details regarding these operations were reported as follows:

Operation one: Marines arrested the following individuals in the Villas del Roble [26.062604,-

98.386173], Las Haciendas [26.115408,-98.335576], and Chapultepec [26.053342,-98.283917]

neighborhoods of Reynosa:

Víctor JIMÉNEZ Ramos aka Marrano

Mario E. SEGURA Castillo

Jorge A. GÓMEZ Gómez

Ernesto VARGAS Bonilla aka Neto

Gabriela GÓMEZ Robles aka Gaby (pictured above left); an alleged accountant for the Gulf

Cartel

Along Mil Cumbres Avenue [midpoint 26.063838,-98.326693] in Reynosa, authorities detained the

following individuals after they were caught reporting on the activities of Marines:

Antonio ESTRADA

Juan LOZANO Vanegaz aka Bombón

Operation two: raids conducted in areas surrounding Reynosa led to the seizure of more than four metric

tons of marijuana. Of this quantity, 296 packages were recovered from the Arturo Flores village

[26.13633,-98.516464], while another 105 packages were recovered from the Argüelles village

[26.175198,-98.465889]. In both instances, the marijuana had been buried underground.

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Operation three: an armed man opened fired on marines in the Lindavista neighborhood [26.385027,-

99.034281] of Miguel Aleman. Arrested following this confrontation were seven suspects identified as:

Iván Antonio MEDELLÍN Díaz aka El Flaco

Luis Fernando MORALES López

Fredy Emilio CANO Carranza

Arturo DÍAZ Rodríguez

Armando ELÍAS García

Víctor ALVARADO Bolbito

Erick Omar GONZÁLEZ García

Operation four: Marines conducting operations in the San Germán neighborhood [26.399635,-

99.035654] of Miguel Aleman repelled an attack by alleged Gulf Cartel operators. During this attack, 10

suspects were killed while another 22 were arrested and subsequently identified as:

David Federico VIGIL

Jesús MATA Paz

Genaro HERRERA González

Genaro MARTÍNEZ Pérez

Melvin Josué VÁZQUEZ

José Alberto RÍOS Villanueva

Miguel Ángel PAZ Escalante

Alfredo ORTIZ Ríos

Jorge Rodolfo FÉLIX Ocaña

Juan Manuel DIMAS Acevedo

Fredy Yabani GONZÁLEZ Méndez

Osualo ZAVALA Vargas

Luis Slberto CHI Nic

Gerardo Daniel ÁVILA Ruiz

Israel PIEDRA Jiménez

Irvin Emanuel COMPAEN Guevara

Jorge Luis RUIZ Ovalle

Javier Alexis GAMEZ Silva

Milton Roberto NIÑO Méndez

José Manuel Matcher CHI Nic

César Salvador MARTÍNEZ Pimentel

Ricardo SALAZAR Pequeño (pictured above right); identified as the Gulf Cartel plaza leader in

Miguel Alemán

During the four operations combined, Marines seized the following items:

65 rifles

5 handguns

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780 magazines

3,000 rounds of belted ammunition

18,221 rounds of ammunition

2 anti-tank grenades

4 anti-personnel grenades

251 hand grenades

35 grenade launchers

10 grenade launcher tubes

Multiple improvised explosive devices

An RPG rocket launcher

324 RPG rounds

57 pixelated-camouflage uniforms

19 swords

47 VHF communications radios and 37 associated chargers

3 solar panels

20 ammunition vests

Spanish Source: http://www.semar.gob.mx/sitio_2/sala-prensa/comunicados-2011/1930-comunicado-de-

prensa-316-2011.html and http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/10/caen-36-integrantes-del-cartel-

del.html#more

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NUEVO LEON

Soldiers Seize Nearly One Metric Ton of Marijuana Following Confrontation with Gunmen near

Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon – 09 October 2011

On 09 October 2011 at around 1130

hours, soldiers were attacked by at

least 12 gunmen while searching a

residence located at El Rincón Ranch

near Sabinas Hidalgo [26.507447,-

100.179348], Nuevo Leon. During

the incident, four individuals were

killed to include three males and one

female. Those items seized from the now deceased individuals were reported as follows:

Nearly one metric ton of marijuana distributed (approximately 100 packages)

Multiple AR-15 assault rifles

An unreported quantity of magazines

An unreported quantity of ammunition

Radio communications equipment

Cell phones

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White Chrysler Town and Country minivan, in which the marijuana was seized from

Nissan Estaquitas

Nissan Sentra

Ford Lobo pickup

Dodge Ram pickup

Spanish Source: http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/10/abaten-sicarios-en-nuevo-leon.html#more

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ZACATECAS

Authorities Recover Bodies of Municipal Police Officers in Valparaiso, Zacatecas – 09 October

2011

During the early morning hours on 09 October 2011, authorities

recovered the charred bodies of nine Valparaiso municipal police

officers in the La Ameca community of [22.936895,-104.016495]

Valparaíso, Zacatecas. At this point, six of the nine officers have

been identified as:

Samuel Ochoa Padilla

Rogelio Ramírez Martínez

Pedro Oliveros Torres

José Refugio Alanís

Miguel Ángel Ramírez Fernández

Gerónimo Matilde Gutiérrez

Prior to the murders, the group of officers was providing security at a festival in La Ameca. While

returning to Valparaiso, they were intercepted and killed.

Spanish Source: http://www.milenio.com/cdb/doc/noticias2011/7bc7b5e3479926a2214b7202109355d6

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DURANGO

Soldiers Arrest Six Los Zetas Operators in Nuevo Ideal, Durango – 10 October 2011

Soldiers recently arrested six Los Zetas operators with

narcotics and weapons in Nuevo Ideal, Durango. Those items

seized from the now detained individuals were reported as

follows:

15 rifles

3 handguns

39 magazines

1,060 rounds of ammunition

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3 fragmentation grenades

31 packages of marijuana containing 13.5 kilograms

130 grams of opium gum

110 grams of cocaine

73 doses of crystal meth weighing 39 grams

Comment: The names of those individuals arrested were not reported in this article.

Spanish Source: http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=283758

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CHIHUAHUA Nine Murders Reported on 09 October 2011 in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua – 09 October 2011

On 09 October 2011, at least nine murders linked to organized crime violence were reported in Ciudad

Juarez, Chihuahua. Details regarding some of these murders were reported as follows:

Murder one: three men between the ages of 35 and 40 were shot to death by a group of hitmen

while they were drinking outside a residence located at the intersection of 154 Soneto and Mesa

Central Street in the Fray Garcia de San Francisco neighborhood.

Murder two: at approximately 1500 hours, a couple was killed inside a room in La Fuente motel

located on Tecnologico Avenue and Vicente Guerrero Street.

Murder three: the dismembered remains of a male murder victim were found scattered in at least

12 different areas within neighborhoods to include: Mexico 68, 9 de Septiembre, and Oasis. One

of multiple narco messages left with some of the remains read as follows: “The clean-up has

begun. Sincerely, New Cartel of Juarez”.

Murder four: two individuals were killed on Ejido de la Casa and Privada Ojo de la Casa Streets

in the El Papalote neighborhood.

Murder five: a man who had been shot five times (with a 9mm weapon) died on Rincon de las

Nieves Street in the Felipe Angeles neighborhood.

Spanish Source: http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=283685

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CENTRAL AMERICA

Bulgarian National Arrested with Cocaine Pellets at the Juan Santamaria International Airport in

Costa Rica – 10 October 2011

PCD officers operating out of the Juan Santamaria International Airport arrested an unidentified

Bulgarian national after he confessed to having swallowed cocaine pellets. At the time of his arrest, the

man was preparing to board a flight destined to Madrid, Spain.

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Comment: The total weight of the expelled capsules was reported as being nearly 1 kilogram.

Spanish Source: http://www.prensalibre.cr/pl/suceso/51697-cae-bulgaro-con-un-kilo-de-cocaina-en-su-

estomago.html

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National Police Seize 315 Kilograms of Narcotics in Less than 24 Hours in Panama City, Panama –

11 October 2011

Between 09-10 October 2011, National Police seized 315 kilograms of narcotics during two separate

incidents in Panama City, Panama. Details regarding these incidents were reported as follows:

Incident one: At night on 09 October 2011, police seized 147 kilograms of marijuana following a short

pursuit with a Nissan SUV (with plates 372403) along Corredor Sur [9.033104,-79.441967] in Panama

City. The suspects were able to flee after abandoning the vehicle in the middle of the roadway.

Additional items seized from the interior of this vehicle included an AK-47 assault rifle, 28 rounds of

ammunition, and a camouflage uniform.

Incident two: On 10 October 2011, police seized 168 kilograms of cocaine from a double bottomed

compartment that had been built into a small school bus/minivan in the Carrasquilla region [8.986098,-

79.5243] of Panama City. The suspects driving this vehicle were able to flee after abandoning it along

Vía España [8.979867,-79.529128].

Spanish Source: http://www.critica.com.pa/hoy/sucesos-

interna.php?edition_id=20111011&external_link=narcos_no_logran_coronar_vueltas

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National Police Arrest Suspects with Safe Containing Over $(USD) 1 Million in Panama City,

Panama – 11 October 2011

At night on 09 October 2011, suspects traveling in a blue Nissan Sentra (plates 508300) attempted to

evade a police checkpoint that had been set up in Vista Hermosa. This act led to an operation during

which time four Panamanian nationals were arrested along Vía Transístmica [9.009347,-79.51827] in the

Pueblo Nuevo district of Panama City, Panama. Seized from the interior of this vehicle was a safe

containing approximately $(USD) 1.2 million and a .38 caliber revolver.

Spanish Source: http://www.critica.com.pa/hoy/sucesos-

interna.php?edition_id=20111011&external_link=llevaban_caja_fuerte_llena_de_dinero

CARIBBEAN DNCD Seizes 1,434 Kilograms of Cocaine during Two Operations in the Dominican Republic – 10

October 2011

Two operations conducted in Alma

Rosa II neighborhood of Santo

Domingo and at the Port of Caucedo

led to the seizure of 1,434 kilograms

of cocaine over the weekend in the

Dominican Republic. Details

regarding these operations were

reported as follows:

Operation one: On 01 October 2011, authorities seized 344.36 kilograms of cocaine that had been

hidden amongst a shipment of medical supplies at the Port of Caucedo (in shipping container

SUDU7522562). The shipment in question was delivered by a courier service, and had it not been seized,

would have been shipped to Bill of Loading Company in France. The shipping company responsible for

this container was identified as Migrotek Dominicana S.A.

Operation two: Authorities seized 1,098 kilograms of cocaine from a residence located on 4 Club de

Leones Street [18.487983,-69.855035] in the Alma Rosa II neighborhood of Santo Domingo Este.

Arrested in conjunction with this seizure was Modesto ARAUJO Paniagua. This same individual was

previously deported from the United States.

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Spanish Source: http://www.elnacional.com.do/nacional/2011/10/8/97707/Buscan-en-Romana-y-SD-

duenos-coca

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Dutch National Arrested with 78 Cocaine Capsules at Las Americas International Airport,

Dominican Republic – 11 October 2011

Customs Agents recently arrested Edward GUNO Lodik, a Dutch national,

after discovering he had swallowed 78 cocaine capsules before arriving at the

Las Americas International Airport [18.429456,-69.66897] in the Dominican

Republic. Had this individual not been arrested, he would have boarded

Iberia flight 6500 to Madrid, Spain.

Spanish Source: http://www.elnacional.com.do/nacional/2011/10/11/97967/Detienen-holandes-con-droga

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