Silome dienos p 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. Of the 35 defendants charged, 33 have been apprehended, including April Cardoza, who was found in Juarez, Mexico, last week. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article. [29] As neighbors hid in their houses, some dialed the emergency services but the Mexican military and the Federal police did not arrive until after the killers had left. [48], The leader of Barrio Azteca, Arturo Gallegos Castrelln, better known for his nickname El Farmero, ordered the execution of two American consulate workers and a Mexican with ties to the agency in Ciudad Jurez on 13 March 2010. Gangs like the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, Bloods, Crips, Texas Chicano Brotherhood and Partido Revolcionaro Mexicano (PRM) lack the size and structure or larger gangs like Tango Blast, but are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. In that role, Galindo maintained communication with other BA Captains and Lieutenants in the United States and Mexico and was specifically in charge of BA operations in Texas. [40] A gang leader of Barrio Azteca also admitted to have ordered the massacre because he thought rival gang members were there. Tri-City Bombers, Latin Kings and Surenos are more active on a street gang level. According to the February 2014 testimony of one jailed Azteca member serving as a witness in the trial of former leader Arturo Gallegos, members of the gang have received training from the Zetas in assassination, extortion and security. [10] By June 2020, the Sinaloa Cartel's Los Salazar cell, and not Barrio Azteca, was the only other organized crime group which was considered on par with La Linea for control of the Ciudad Jurez drug trafficking market. Ravelo, who was under pressure from La Linea . The Barrio Azteca gang, also known as "Los Aztecas," was formed in theEl Paso, Texasprison system in 1986. [34], Four days after the massacre, a suspect identified as Jos Dolores Arroyo Chavarra was arrested by the Mexican military. [11], The gang has a militaristic structure, and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and foot soldiers used with the sole purpose of maintaining territorial control and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, homicide, money laundering, extortion, and intimidation. 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 Department's Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman for the Bruno Angel Rangel, 38, allegedly was a former high-ranking Barrio Azteca leader who allied himself with La Linea in the current conflict between the crime organizations, police said. The case was investigated by the FBIs El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field Office (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso. [15] Whatever the reasons, the attack sent shock waves and huge concern for the United States' role in Mexico, and how American street gangs are quickly adopting the violent tactics of Mexico's drug trafficking organizations and making alliances with them just across the border. Mar 2019 - Jun 20212 years 4 months. Eduardo "Richolm" Ravelo (born October 13, 1968) is a Mexican American gangster who was a leader of the Barrio Azteca gang. DPS says the 2014 arrest of cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes diminished the gangs influence. They often use the letters "BA" or numbers "21" as their identifying symbols and tattoos. To update those lists, members and other leaders would contact Galindo on his contraband prison cell phone to verify the status of persons claiming to be BA members and ensure that they were in good standing with the criminal organization. Total of 24 Barrio Azteca Members and Associates Convicted to Date. These prison sentences send a strong message that even the most powerful and ruthless gangs cannot evade justice. [21] Once they took the guards hostage, Barrio Azteca members went into high-security blocks where the rival members were in, forced the guards to open them, and went about killing the rival inmates. Twenty-four of those defendants have pleaded guilty, one defendant committed suicide while imprisoned during his trial and six others are pending extradition from Mexico. The Bloods, Crips, Surenos and Latin Kings are the most active street gangs, while Tango Blast cliques in San Antonio (Orejones) and Austin (La Capirucha) rule the prisons, along with the Texas Mexican Mafia and Aryan Brotherhood. Den Held discussed gang dynamics in Medelln, Colombia, and approaches used by, Our extensive coverage of criminal activity in the border areas between Venezuela and Colombia has been referenced in areportby the Colombia-Venezuela RADAR project of the Konrad, InSight Crimes continued coverage of cocaine production and trafficking made a significant impact on the newly released UNGlobal Report on Cocaine 2023, with our work cited. Beginning in the 2000s, Barrio Azteca started to assist Mexico's Jurez Cartel with operations, and the gang became an important element in the battle between the Jurez Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel for control of the city of Jurez. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. [46] The weapons used in the attack and the style the U.S. officials were killed pointed to drug traffickers as suspects; evidence provided from American intelligence and Mexican authorities then pointed to Barrio Azteca as the perpetrators. [34][36] The parents of the victims hung huge placards outside their houses accusing Caldern of failing to solve the massacre and explicitly saying that "until those responsible are found, [he was] the murderer. We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. While incarcerated in the Texas Department of Corrections, he served as the right hand man to BA Captain Manuel Cardoza. Scroll through the slideshow for 10 facts you need to know about the Texas-Mexico border gang. Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations. [15], On April 5, 2012, the authorities concluded that the Barrio Azteca murdered the three U.S. consulate members as part of an agreement with Jos Antonio Acosta Hernndez (El Diego), a former top lieutenant of the Jurez cartel who was imprisoned after being convicted and receiving a life sentence. [39] In 2012 it was later confirmed by the Mexican authorities that the massacre was ordered by Jos Antonio Acosta Hernndez (El Diego), a former drug baron of La Lnea that is now imprisoned. 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. Despite being armed, they seem to follow the orders of the gang members without any resistance. [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. Ravelo was believed to issue orders for the organization in Jurez, to move back and forth across the US border, and to be responsible for a great deal of the violence that has wracked the border state. 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. Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011. Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo had been wanted for . Witnesses also testified that the sale of illegal drugs is the life-blood of the BA. Specifically, during todays hearing, one witness recalled an instance in which Gonzales tried to collect an extortion fee from a New Mexico drug dealer, and when the dealer refused to pay, Gonzalez pulled a gun, put it to dealers head, and threatened to kill him. Twenty-one of 22 U.S.-based defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced, including another BA Lieutenant Roberto Angel Cardona, who was also sentenced to life by Judge Cardone on Feb. 17, 2012. [62], In June 2020, it was reported that La Lnea was the Jurez Cartel's most powerful fraction in Ciudad Jurez. [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. By 2013, it reportedly had up to 5,000 in the Jurez area alone and an estimated 3,000 in the United States. [54][55] Mendez, who was the El Paso FBI office's most wanted fugitive and the last person sought for the attacks, also made La Empresa a hybrid of Barrio Azteca. Scroll through the slideshow for 10 things you need to know about the Barrio Azteca gang. Vilnius. 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. The so-called "hybrid members" allow the gangs to grow their empires with increased influence both in prisons and on the streets. The mastermind behind the murders, Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, received a life sentence in April 2014. Twenty-four of those defendants have pleaded guilty, one defendant committed suicide while imprisoned during his trial and six others are pending extradition from Mexico. The current leader of the Barrio Azteca, recognized by a majority of its members, is Mexican national Eduardo Ravelo. A principal enemy is the Sinaloa Cartel, along with its subcontractor, the Mexicles gang. In 2011, the FBI reported that Barrio Azteca also had members in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Many of the members are in U.S. and Mexican prisons and. They are also responsible for the distribution and sale of narcotics both in and outside prisons. [33] The governor of the state of Chihuahua, Jos Reyes Baeza Terrazas, showed up at the funeral unexpectedly to pay his respects to the families. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. [20] Its members, or soldiers, are governed by captains, various lieutenants and numerous sergeants in the United States and Mexico. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? [34] Caldern has met with young people and representatives of the federal program to discuss and analyze the city's achievements. dollars. [34] The mayor of Ciudad Jurez said that the massacre was a random act of violence by Mexico's drug gangs because the victims had no apparent ties with organize crime. [1] 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. In a relatively low-security area inside the prison, the gang members began to produce knives and force other guards to liberate 150 fellow members. 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. Under the tutelage of Ravelo, the gang moves narcotics along the border with the aid of Vicente Carrillo Fuentes' cartel. [18], According to reports of U.S. authorities, Ravelo was born in Mexico but has permanent residence in the United States. When they are absolved from their sentences, they are sent back across the border into Mexico, where they quickly join the gang's ranks and carry out a number of crimes. Furthermore, if the cartel needed to intimidate or carry out an assassination in the United States, they would simply call on the Barrio Azteca. The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States. [13] They are alleged by the Mexican authorities to have committed numerous brutal assassinations in the city, although the exact numbers are unknown. The United States has sanctioned four suspected members of Mexicos powerful CJNG cartel, alleging that they controlled drug operations at, The Chapitos are winning the internal war for the Sinaloa Cartel and doing it in a different way than their, A package bomb that killed a restaurateur and his manager underscores the escalating use of explosives and the terror, This week, InSight Crime deputy editor, Juan Diego Posada, was interviewed by theAssociated Pressabout connections between theex-FARC mafiaand Brazilian criminal groups, and, As Ecuadors security crisis worsens, global media outlets have called on InSight Crime to provide expert knowledge on the criminal dynamics fueling the growing criminality.Americas Quarterly cited our work on, InSight Crime senior investigator Douwe den Held was interviewed by Chilean newspaperEl Mercuriothis week. 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. Tango Blast cliques along the Rio Grande Valley and in Corpus Christi are the region's major players, along with Texas Syndicate and Texas Mexican Mafia. The power of Barrio Azteca in Jurez puts it in an advantageous position. [31] They gave no official statement for the motives behind the killing, but the massacre bore all the signs of the drug violence that Ciudad Jurez was living for the past three years. The boss' criminal career began in 2003, with the man eventually collecting a long list of charges both for traffic of narcotics and violent activities. [12] When the Sinaloa Cartel made its first incursion into Ciudad Jurez in 2008, Barrio Azteca was called to defend the plaza. Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. [18] When drug loads go missing while being smuggled, suspects are kidnapped and taken to Ciudad Jurez. 6 on a list of border crime suspects sought by U.S. and Mexican authorities. The federal agency is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to his capture. As Barrio Azteca grew in power, it began to work directly with the Juarez Cartel and their alliance grew stronger. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Mexico provided significant assistance in this case, including by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Davenport. 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. 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. The group has control over other local gangs, has members across the border, and already moves drug shipments across the border. 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). [6] Control of the routes in Ciudad Jurez, known as the "Jurez plaza," is vital for drug trafficking organizations, since they are a major illicit conduit into the United States. The. [50] According to Reuters, the killings was an ongoing effort by Barrio Azteca to take control of the El PasoJurez drug trafficking corridor. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The gang expanded after 1996, due in part to increasing deportations of imprisoned Mexican criminals by the United States. While gang activity is widespread, only about 15 percent have more than 11 members. The motorcycle gang has roots going back to the 1960s, but only debuted on the DPS's Texas Gang Threat Assessment in 2015 after a deadly clash with the Bandidos Motorcycle Club in Waco on May 17 that left nine people dead. The Barrio Azteca ( Spanish pronunciation: [barjo asteka] ), or Los Aztecas ( pronounced [los astekas] ), is a Mexican-American street, and prison gang originally based in El Paso, Texas. > A hands-on and results-driven People & Culture leader with more than 17 years' experience working closely with CEOs and senior leaders to deliver innovative HR programs that generate tangible business outcomes. Their leader is one of the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals. According to court documents and information presented in court, Galindo was a top Lieutenant in the BA. Some, however, are beheaded. An official website of the United States government. [citation needed], The Mexican authorities concluded that there were two possible explanations for the massacre: Either La Lnea and Barrio Azteca were responsible for the killings; or "independent gunmen" paid to kill a person nicknamed El Ratn, an alleged member of Artistas Asesinos. The Barrio Azteca (Spanish pronunciation: [barjo asteka]), or Los Aztecas (pronounced [los astekas]), is a Mexican-American street, and prison gang originally based in El Paso, Texas.The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. Upon graduating from Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014, Joshua joined the Express-News in 2014 as a breaking news reporter. 0:36. According to the US Department of Justice, Barrio Azteca profits by moving heroin, cocaine and marijuana across the border. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. Ricardo Gonzales, 44, aka Cuate, of Anthony, N.M., was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and Adam Garcia, 35, aka Bad Boy, of El Paso, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. [7], The gang, which operates in the U.S. and Mexico, has morphed into a prime example of the "cross-border nature of Mexico's drug war. [69], On June 26, 2018, Barrio Azteca Capo Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo was arrested. [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. [21] Back in 2005, the Barrio Azteca gang had carried out a murderous attack against members of Los Mexicles inside the same prison, leaving six dead. Barrio Azteca gang leader gets 116 years in murders of 2 state police agents in Jurez Daniel Borunda El Paso Times 0:00 2:15 A Jurez gang leader last week was sentenced to more than 116. Main tasks to coordinate the process of employees accommodation and logistics. Below them, captains control mini-plazas that are run by lieutenants. A committee of "generals," both in and out of prison rule by consensus. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. [71] On November 7, 2018, Rene Gerardo Santana Garza, known as "El 300," was arrested in Chihuahua City. [20] One report issued by Los Angeles Times stated that members of Barrio Azteca stole the keys of a prison guard and were able to free their cohorts and begin a rampage in cells controlled by their rival groups. Those who were not in good standing were executed. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph A. Cooley of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney Brian Skaret of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal of the Western District of Texas - El Paso Division. Barrio Azteca has approximately 600 active members who engage in murder, assault, extortion, human and drug trafficking, and other crimes. [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. [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. [25], Gunmen burst into a party in a small working-class neighborhood known as Villas de Salvrcar in Ciudad Jurez, killing 16 teenagers on 31 January 2010. Felipe Caldern, Mexico's president, also visited the family members and handed a memorial plaque to the parents of the victims. WASHINGTONA leader and two soldiers in the Barrio Azteca (BA)a transnational border gang allied with the Juarez Cartelwere sentenced in El Paso, Texas, to life, 30, and 20 years in prison,. 10 were here. - coordinate teams logistics (plan the trips, book tickets) - organize and analyze the data of the accommodation/travels expenses. "[26] Their reports state that the inmates had broken the rules of the jail and held large parties, possibly with the guards' permission. On June 26, members of the Mexican army and a special investigative unit arrested Eduardo . A reputed Barrio Azteca gang leader on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list has been arrested in Mexico, authorities said Tuesday evening. U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are actively seeking to apprehend the two remaining fugitives in this case, including Luis Mendez and Eduardo Ravelo, an FBI Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitive. RELATED:Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping. March 16, 2010. The states of Jurez and Chihuahua in Mexico; El Paso, Texas; Massachusetts; Pennsylvania; possibly New Mexico. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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.. 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. "[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. Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering (RICO) on Jan. 26, 2012, Jan. 18, 2012, and Jan. 29, 2012, respectively. Witnesses specifically implicated Galindo, then incarcerated in the Coffield Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, as the central leader within the organization who kept track of membership records, hit lists and gang treaties for the BA. He previously covered real estate, economic development, retail and tourism.
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