Restoranas "El Barrio" | Vilnius - Facebook Some of the violence was captured by a surveillance video that shows two gunmen clearing a hallway of guards before unlocking a door and allowing several triggermen to shoot inside a room where the inmates were killed. The Barrio Azteca began in the late 1980s as a prison gang but has since expanded into a transnational criminal organization with approximately 3,500 members, including 600 active members. The group has control over other local gangs, has members across the border, and already moves drug shipments across the border. The current leader of the Barrio Azteca, recognized by a majority of its members, is Mexican national Eduardo Ravelo. Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. Rangel. Of the 35 defendants charged, 33 have been apprehended, including April Cardoza, who was found in Juarez, Mexico, last week. Despite being armed, they seem to follow the orders of the gang members without any resistance. 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. [41] Despite the arrests, many of the family members were unhappy with the efforts of the Mexican government and said that they were planning to abandon Mexico and seek safe haven in Texas to protect their children. [62], In June 2020, it was reported that La Lnea was the Jurez Cartel's most powerful fraction in Ciudad Jurez. The case was investigated by the FBIs El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso. Those who were not in good standing were executed. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Not all the killings carried about by Ravelo's gang are a result of drug disputes. 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,. Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. 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 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. [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. They were sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Texas. [14], Barrio Azteca is also reported to have kidnapped people in El Paso and drive them south into Ciudad Jurez to kill them. [68] Ciudad Jurez is filled with safe houses, armories and garages with stolen cars for the cartel members and assassins to use. Scroll through the slideshow for 10 facts you need to know about the Texas-Mexico border gang. 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. 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. Once the money is collected, the Barrio Azteca members deposit it into the bank accounts of imprisoned leaders of their own organization, often using fake names and female associates by wire transfer. Todays sentencing by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone of the Western District Court of Texas marks the closure of the case against the U.S.-based defendants charged in the superseding indictment. Ravelo then ordered the traitor to be sent to the Jurez cartel, and he was never heard from again. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. 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. Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox. The gang operates with a hierarchical structure similar to that of the army. 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. [26] Moreover, the prison was highly overcrowded, with over 2,700 inmates in a facility with a capacity of only 850 prisoners. Some are shot dead, while others are tortured and then shot. Barrio Azteca has approximately 600 active members who engage in murder, assault, extortion, human and drug trafficking, and other crimes. The Barrio Azteca gang, also known as "Los Aztecas," was formed in theEl Paso, Texasprison system in 1986. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. "[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. According to court documents and information presented in court, Galindo was a top Lieutenant in the BA. [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. U.S. Government Punishes Drug Cartel For Triple Murder Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011. [30] When the Mexican authorities arrived, a large crowd gathered at the crime scene as the neighbors and family members of the victims, whose ages ranged from 15 to 20, cried and set down candles. Some, however, are beheaded. [68] After fulfilling their mission, the gang members return to safe houses throughout the city or return across the international bridge to El Paso. By current estimates, more than 2,000 members make up their ranks. 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. [64] To prevent officers from understanding their communication network, Barrio Azteca also created a secret language based on Nahuatl. None of the threats were materialized, however. Felipe Caldern, Mexico's president, also visited the family members and handed a memorial plaque to the parents of the victims. In Ciudad Jurez, however, the gang is known as Los Aztecas. "[36] The federal government of Mexico responded to the massacre by implementing the "Todos Somos Jurez" program, which aimed to improve education and social development, create jobs, and improve the health benefits in Ciudad Jurez. The Barrio Azteca was able to quickly grow in large numbers without much problems. [66] Members of Barrio Azteca tend to have both Mexican and U.S. citizenship, and authorities believe they carry out crimes in Ciudad Jurez and then return legally to the United States. Its members, or soldiers, are governed by captains, various lieutenants and numerous sergeants in the United States and Mexico. 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. 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. [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. [52] The speculation of this hypothesis was bolstered by the fact that the second victim was also in a white SUV, but U.S. authorities do not discard the possibility that the gunmen were searching for someone else in the second attack and coincidentally happened to be a white vehicle too, killing the consulate workers by mistake. [20] At one point, inmates could be seen lighting mattresses and bodies being thrown from second-story windows. 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. The DPS projects Bandidos members will attempt to change their public perception by adding new members with clean criminal backgrounds and organizing charity events. [28] Then they stormed the party and opened fire at the victims as they were watching a soccer game. The Barrio Azteca prison gang - which has chapters in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico - has historically been linked to the Juarez Cartel. 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. 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. The so-called "hybrid members" allow the gangs to grow their empires with increased influence both in prisons and on the streets. [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. They began to recruit new inmates coming into the prison for violent gang crimes. [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. Our work is costly and high risk. [65] They had a membership of 2,000 strong in Ciudad Jurez alone that year. Ruta Sidlauskaite - Guide & Tour Leader - Freelance | LinkedIn The Cereso jail in Jurez has also served as an important operational center for weapons and drugs smuggling, according to one former member. Police: Arrested gang leader's double-cross fuels Jurez violence This is a carousel. 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. [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. New foe in U.S. drug war: Mexican assassins - NBC News "[26] Their reports state that the inmates had broken the rules of the jail and held large parties, possibly with the guards' permission. 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 U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Mexico provided significant assistance in this case, including by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Davenport. 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. Barrio Azteca ~ Borderland Beat The gang's key ally is the Jurez Cartel and its armed wing, La Linea. The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua. [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. The Barrio Azteca came out of Texas prisons but has since formalized its structure to become a drug trafficking cartel. A murder in Texas drives a huge investigation which often leads to an arrest. These prison sentences send a strong message that even the most powerful and ruthless gangs cannot evade justice. At that point, the triggermen opened the doors of another room, and that is when the firing began. Some of these trainings took place further south of the border, in Torreon, Coahuila, indicating the group has expanded its reach into Mexico and is building its connections. Meet the Barrio Azteca gang, considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Texas. 0:36. The Barrio Azteca gang, also known as "Los Aztecas," was formed in the El Paso, Texas prison system in 1986. "[67], Gang members in the organizations refer to each other as "carnal," a slang term for brother. [50] According to Reuters, the killings was an ongoing effort by Barrio Azteca to take control of the El PasoJurez drug trafficking corridor. 2019. 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. [23] The violence continued elsewhere throughout the prison until around 2 a.m. the next day. Besides drug trafficking, they have been charged with a medley of different crimes. Under the tutelage of Ravelo, the gang moves narcotics along the border with the aid of Vicente Carrillo Fuentes' cartel. While incarcerated in the Texas Department of Corrections, he served as the right hand man to BA Captain Manuel Cardoza. 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. 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. 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. 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. [20] This massacre had come after a rare experience of 24 hours without any drug-related assassinations in Ciudad Jurez and after a large military buildup during that weekend. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. 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. [28] The Mexican authorities issued a money reward of $1 million pesos for anyone who could provide information that led to the arrest of the killers. Key responsibilities: - find and book accommodation for platers/brush cutters teams. [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. Ravelo, who was under pressure from La Linea . 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 Department of Public Safety has released its 2015 Texas Gang Threat Assessment report. [69] Drug-sniffing dogs were also under a bounty. [12] Some undocumented Mexicans arrested in the United States are imprisoned in Texan prisons and consequently join 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. [17] In El Paso Ravelo's gang is known as Barrio Azteca, a gang originally morphed from the so-called Mexican Mafia prison gang. [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. "I never even gave the United States much thought," said one of the family members, "But Mexico has abandoned us, betrayed us. 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. 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. Des Linden unveils new book, shares race day must-haves. 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. Nevertheless, the FBIs 2015 National Gang Report says Barrio Azteca remained one of the most active gangs in the US border region, and will likely remain a major criminal actor for the foreseeable future. They are also responsible for the distribution and sale of narcotics both in and outside prisons. According to evidence presented in court, witnesses testified to the brutality of the BA. 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. 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). The. The group has as many as 5,000 members in the Juarez area alone. "[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. While Barrio Azteca remains the dominant gang in El Paso, it lost in power in the city in 2014 as the Jurez Cartel continued to decline, according to the 2014 Texas Gang Threat Assessment, and a competitor gang called Sureo 13 grew as a result of a relationship with the Sinaloa Cartel. [38] The suspect said he acted as a lookout for the 24 gunmen that perpetrated the killing and had orders to "kill everyone inside. [4][5][6] Currently one of the most violent gangs in the United States,[7] they are said to have over 3,000 members across the country in locations such as New Mexico, Texas, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania as well as at least 5,000 members in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. 10,000 Odds Prediction, Frank Sinatra Death Cause, Goodmans Managing Partner, Is Melissa Mcgurren Married, Bayer Iowa Foundation, Articles B
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