Mexican Crime Boss Benjamin Arellano Felix Sentenced to 25 Years
04/02/12- Benjamin Arellano Felix, former leader of the Arellano Felix Organization (AFO) based in Tijuana, Baja California, was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a federal judge in San Diego on Monday. Arellano Felix was being tried for racketeering and money laundering charges, which he had pled guilty to in January. He had also admitted that … Read more
Updates on Apodaca prison riot and break one month later
03/19/12 – Nearly a month after the February 19 massive prison riot and break in the Apodaca medium security prison, which is just outside of Monterrey, Nuevo León, authorities reported a correction to the number of inmates who escaped during the violent uprising, increasing the number originally reported from 30 to 37. (To read more … Read more
OAS announces the creation of the Centre for Cooperation in Combating Transnational Organized Crime
03/04/12 – José Miguel Insulza, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), announced the creation of the Centre for Cooperation in Combating Transnational Organized Crime. The purpose of such a center is to bring experts from different fields together and utilize their skills in order to combat and reduce organized crime. In … Read more
Alleged Successor of Crime Organization in Mexico City Captured
03/01/12- Around mid-day on March 1, 2012, the Attorney General of Mexico City (Procuraduría General de Justicia del Distrito Federal, PGJDF) publicly announced the capture of the alleged successor to “La Mano con Ojos” (The Hand with Eyes), a prevalent crime group in the region that broke from the Beltran-Leyva Organization in 2010. The alleged current … Read more
Deadly prison riot in Nuevo León points to official complicity
02/24/12 (by cmolzahn) – A massive prison riot broke out in the Apodaca medium security correctional institution near Monterrey, Nuevo León on February 19, killing 44 inmates. Officials reported early on that the clash was between the rival Gulf and Zetas drug cartels, which have been embroiled in a bitter turf battle in the region since … Read more
Prison Brawl in Tamaulipas leaves 31 dead, 13 wounded
1/5/12– A prison brawl in Altamira, Tamaulipas led to the deaths of 31 inmates and left 13 injured on January 4. The fight allegedly took place between inmate members of the Zeta and Gulf cartels, which continue to battle over control over the Tamaulipas area. An anonymous source has told ABC Español that the brawl … Read more
Benjamin Arellano Félix Pleads Guilty in U.S. Court
01/04/12 — Benjamin Arellano Félix , the former leader of the Tijuana cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court in San Diego on January 4 to racketeering and conspiracy to launder money. The plea calls for a maximum of 25 years in prison after federal prosecutors agreed to drop other charges that would … Read more
American allegedly tortured by Mexican military
12/9/11 - Shohn Huckabee, a 24-year-old American citizen who was arrested along with his 36-year-old friend, Carlos Quijas, as they crossed the U.S. border in El Paso in December of 2009, has claimed that he was tortured by the Mexican military while in custody. Both men have been serving out five-year prison sentences after they were … Read more
543 Prisoners Transfered to Islas Marías from Baja California
10/21/11—On Thursday, October 20, 543 prisoners convicted of federal crimes were transferred to Islas Marías penal colony to relieve overcrowded prisons in Baja California. The federal prison colony is located on the largest island of the four Marías islands 70 miles off Mexico’s southern pacific coast. In response to the transfer, a riot of at least … Read more
Jail riot kills 20 inmates in Tamaulipas
10/17/11 – On Saturday, October 15, in the border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, a dispute between two inmates turned into a two-and-a-half hour long fight. Municipal, state, and federal police, along with soldiers and prison guards, were eventually able to quell the violence, but not before 20 inmates were killed and 12 injured. The incident … Read more
