barrio azteca leaders

The gang's key ally is the Jurez Cartel and its armed wing, La Linea. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? The Barrio Azteca is one of the most violent prison gangs operating. 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 Breuer. "[75] In addition to being the leader of this Barrio Azteca fraction, Mendoza was also target No. [48] This was not solely a response for the incident in Ciudad Jurez, but because of the drug-related violence along the border. RELATED:21 alleged members of drug cartel-affiliated Barrio Azteca gang arrested in West Texas. [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. 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. The group also helped the Jurez Cartel to move people and drugs as well as to acquire weapons and vehicles. 0:36. The DPS projects Bandidos members will attempt to change their public perception by adding new members with clean criminal backgrounds and organizing charity events. Lock 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. Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011. 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 Mark Morgan. The Barrio Azteca prison gang - which has chapters in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico - has historically been linked to the Juarez Cartel. [3] The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. 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. Witnesses also testified that the sale of illegal drugs is the life-blood of the BA. They often use the letters "BA" or numbers "21" as their identifying symbols and tattoos. Ten of these members were specifically indicted in connection with the 2010 Consulate case. 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. An official website of the United States government. 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. 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 gang's control over Jurez puts it in a position to move into major transnational drug trafficking. Barrio Azteca is one of the most violent prison gangs in the United States. Hector Galindo, 38, aka "Silent," of El Paso, currently serving a 25-year Texas state sentence for murder, was sentenced to life in prison. "[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. 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. The case was investigated by the FBIs El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso. 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. [69] Drug-sniffing dogs were also under a bounty. By 1996, the Barrio Azteca had grown to become the one of the most powerful criminal enterprises of southern Texas. The Barrio Azteca gang, also known as "Los Aztecas," was formed in theEl Paso, Texasprison system in 1986. And, their numbers total in the thousands on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. 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. 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. Tri-City Bombers, Latin Kings and Surenos are more active on a street gang level. They were sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Texas. Of the 35 indicted, 33 had been arrested and 26 had been convicted as of March 2015. [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. [71] On November 7, 2018, Rene Gerardo Santana Garza, known as "El 300," was arrested in Chihuahua City. [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. [42] Massacres, shootings, beheadings, torture videos on YouTube, and even car bombs were recorded in Ciudad Jurez that year. [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. By 2013, it reportedly had up to 5,000 in the Jurez area alone and an estimated 3,000 in the United States. 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. A murder in Texas drives a huge investigation which often leads to an arrest. Despite US efforts, the gang has apparently regained strength, and maintains significant power in Jurez, particularly as the power of the Jurez Cartel has declined. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. [23] The violence continued elsewhere throughout the prison until around 2 a.m. the next day. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS "[26] Their reports state that the inmates had broken the rules of the jail and held large parties, possibly with the guards' permission. Besides drug trafficking, they have been charged with a medley of different crimes. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. 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. 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. [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. They were sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Texas. The group already controls local drug distribution, smuggles drugs across the border, and has members in Texas, providing it with essential connections to expand operations. This is a carousel. [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. [11], The Barrio Azteca gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and gained an image of being a tough and loyal gang willing to commit murder of civilians in order to keep fear in the minds of its members and ensure their loyalty/obedience. The gang expanded after 1996, due in part to increasing deportations of imprisoned Mexican criminals by the United States. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. [70] Several other members of the Barrio Azteca were arrested with Ravelo as well. All of these factors create a very real possibility that, if the gang were to gain control over US-bound drug shipments moving through Jurez, Barrio Azteca could move into full-blown international drug trafficking. Most members are Mexican national or Mexican American males. The relationships between gangs and cartels are constant, but show no particular loyalties or allegiances. [75][76] On May 21, 2020, high ranking Barrio Azteca leader Jose Dolores Villegas Soto, who is known by his moniker "El Iraqui," and aliases "El Iraki" and "El Lolo," was arrested with 10 other suspected Barrio Azteca members. Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. 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. On October 20, 2009, he was named by the FBI as the 493rd fugitive to be placed on the Ten Most Wanted list. However, the 2018 arrest of Ravelo, the gang's reputed top leader, suggests authorities are aware of the threat posed by the group and are working to confront it. "I never even gave the United States much thought," said one of the family members, "But Mexico has abandoned us, betrayed us. 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. 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. The mastermind behind the murders, Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, received a life sentence in April 2014. [32], One by one, the coffins of the victims were carried out from their homes on 4 February 2010, as their families demanded for justice. The group members face charges including drug trafficking and distribution, extortion, money laundering and murder. 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,. [68] They work day in and day out, often with a list of people to kill. In 2010, Barrio Azteca members allegedly murdered 15 teenagers at a party, and later that same year, killed a US Consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another employee in Ciudad Jurez. Witnesses also testified that the sale of illegal drugs is the life-blood of the BA. [65] They had a membership of 2,000 strong in Ciudad Jurez alone that year. Tango Blast, Texas Syndicate, Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples and MS-13 all were identified as active in human smuggling operations in 2014. 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. Drug distribution is believed to represent over half of the gang's revenue. 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. 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. On June 26, members of the Mexican army and a special investigative unit arrested Eduardo . [16] In the year 2005, an informant and former lieutenant of the gang testified that Ravelo was looking for a man who had stolen goods from the Jurez cartel. [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. Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. Mar 2019 - Jun 20212 years 4 months. [29][31] They pleaded for their names not to be released for the fear of the hit men returning and taking revenge. 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. dollars. 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. Under the tutelage of Ravelo, the gang moves narcotics along the border with the aid of Vicente Carrillo Fuentes' cartel. Lotyn Amerikos stiliaus bistro Vilniaus Centre, "Go9", Gedimino pr. [46] Later on that same day, gunmen killed the husband of another consulate worker and wounded his two young children. Joshua Fechter is a reporter covering City Hall and San Antonio politics for the Express-News. They are also responsible for the distribution and sale of narcotics both in and outside prisons. [12] When the Sinaloa Cartel made its first incursion into Ciudad Jurez in 2008, Barrio Azteca was called to defend the plaza. [24] Following their exit, the two men open a different door and allowed four other accomplices into the hallway, some of them who were carrying assault rifles. While incarcerated in the Texas Department of Corrections, he served as the right hand man to BA Captain Manuel Cardoza. The remaining U.S.-based defendant, Ramon Renteria, aka Spooky, took his own life while in prison during his trial. Barrio Azteca members are suspected of carrying out the March 2010 assassination of a U.S. Consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee. 10 were here. Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations. [34], Four days after the massacre, a suspect identified as Jos Dolores Arroyo Chavarra was arrested by the Mexican military. Barrio Azteca, a prison gang born in the Texas jail system, is becoming a major player in the Mexican underworld and the "X-factor" in the battle for Ciudad Juarez, Mexican officials told InSight Crime. The Barrio Azteca gang emerged in Texas prisons, later served as armed support to the Jurez Cartel, and has since evolved to control local drug trafficking in Jurez. A principal enemy is the Sinaloa Cartel, along with its subcontractor, the Mexicles gang. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. In Ciudad Jurez, however, the gang is known as Los Aztecas. 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. 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. We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. By current estimates, more than 2,000 members make up their ranks. 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. [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. The area of El Paso and Ciudad Jurez is in many ways one community, with families, friends, businesses and even gangs joined in the same urban sprawl. "[78] The Gnome retaliated to the arrests of not only Soto, but also two other high ranking La Empresa leaders "Uncle" and "Goofy" with attacks on police officers. Galindo was one of the ranking members of the BA who would receive laundered funds and disperse it within the Texas State prison system to further the criminal goals of the enterprise. [24] Officials of the state of Chihuahua said they were unable to locate the five weapons used in the massacre; nonetheless, an AR-15 assault rifle, one of the weapons thought to be used in the massacre, was confiscated. Eduardo "Richolm" Ravelo (born October 13, 1968) is a Mexican American gangster who was a leader of the Barrio Azteca gang. [46][47] A day after the killings, the United States Department of State authorized the temporary departure of the workers in the U.S. consulate throughout northern Mexico, including the cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey, and Ciudad Jurez. 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. The group has control over other local gangs, has members across the border, and already moves drug shipments across the border. [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. [1] [73] On March 5, 2020, 9 suspected La Empresa members were arrested. [20] [18], According to reports of U.S. authorities, Ravelo was born in Mexico but has permanent residence in the United States. [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. The Barrio Azteca was able to quickly grow in large numbers without much problems. Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering (RICO) on Jan. 26, 2012, Jan. 18, 2012, and Jan. 29, 2012, respectively. [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. 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. [22], At around 9:00p.m. on 26 July 2011, the Barrio Azteca carried out an attack on Los Mexicles, a street gang of the Sinaloa cartel, which left 17 dead and 20 injured inside a prison in Ciudad Jurez. Many of the members are in U.S. and Mexican prisons and. In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with La Linea, which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or VCF). [3] The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. 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. Some murders are carried out to intimidate and as retaliation attacks. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. The shootings took place in different locations, and it was the "first deadly attack" against U.S. officials and their families from the Mexican criminal organizations. 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. Initially formed in El Paso jails in 1986, the Barrio Azteca gang expanded to a transnational criminal organization, allying itself with the Juarez Cartel (pictured). DPS says the 2014 arrest of cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes diminished the gangs influence. A reputed Barrio Azteca gang leader on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list has been arrested in Mexico, authorities said Tuesday evening. [34] Caldern has met with young people and representatives of the federal program to discuss and analyze the city's achievements. According to US estimates, it had around 3,500 members in 2011. [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. [23] Although there was no audio in the video, the footage shows how two gunmen order the guards to leave. 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. 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.. Key responsibilities: - find and book accommodation for platers/brush cutters teams. Vilnius. He previously covered real estate, economic development, retail and tourism. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. The gang, which refers to itself as the "Familia Azteca," requires members to prioritize gang activities over all else and has a set of "sacred rules," the breaking of which is grounds for harsh punishment and even death for gang members and their families. Scroll through the slideshow for 10 things you need to know about the Barrio Azteca gang. 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.

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