And, their numbers total in the thousands on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. > With a broad range of experience across engagement, performance management, HR systems, culture, learning and development . 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. Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit (RICO) on Jan. 26, 2012, Jan. 18, 2012, and Jan. 29, 2012, respectively. The federal agency is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to his capture. 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. [78], "Negotiating Violence and Protection in Prison and on the Outside: The Organizational Evolution of the Transnational Prison Gang Barrio Azteca - R. V. Gundur, 2020", "Barrio Azteca Leader Gets Life in Prison", "Cartel de Azteca G Poised for Leap into International Drug Trade", "Colombian Trafficker with Links to Mexican and Colombian Cartels Extradited from Mexico to the United States", "Raids Aim to Find Killers of 3 in Mexico", "Why the Jalisco Cartel Does Not Dominate Mexico's Criminal Landscape", "Alleged mastermind of Jurez rehab massacre arrested", "Mexican traffickers get help from US prison gangs", "He's called the face of Ciudad Juarez terror", "20 killed in riot at Ciudad Juarez prison", "At least 20 dead in Mexican prison riot", "Rival drug gangs in Juarez prison clash, leaving 20 convicts dead RIOT: 200 police needed to gain prison control", "Mexican prison massacre that left 17 dead captured on video", "Sinister Details Emerge of Mexico Jail Massacre", "Video suggests Mexico prison guards' apparent involvement in shootings", "Jurez llora; exigen justicia tras matanza", "Death toll at 16 in Juarez party shooting", "Death toll in Mexican party massacre rises to 16", "Gunmen in Mexico Kill 16 in Attack on a Teenagers' Party", "More than a dozen die in Jurez massacre", "Families of 16 killed in Juarez massacre may seek safety in U.S.", "Presidential follow-up: Felipe Caldern visits families of young massacre victims in Jurez", "Mayor believes massacre at Juarez party that killed 16 was random", "Court convicts 4 in Mexico massacre case", "Mexico arrests suspect in Ciudad Juarez shooting attack on party", "Men convicted in Jurez birthday party massacre each get 240-year prison sentences", "Juarez Drug Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to U.S. Consulate Murders and Is Sentenced to Life in Prison", "Mexican Drug Gang Leader Confesses to Killings", "Ciudad Juarez's drug war death toll hits 3,000", "Killing for kudos the brutal face of Mexico's 21st-century war", "Special report: Jurez deserves the title of most dangerous city in the world", "Two Drug Slayings in Mexico Rock U.S. Consulate", "Cartel Hit Men Blamed For Latest Juarez Slayings", "Mexico killings: Gunmen kill 3 with ties to US consulate", "Mxico extradita a EU al presunto lder del grupo criminal Barrio Azteca", "Mexico extradites suspect in US consulate killing", "Mexico extradites suspect in U.S. consulate killing", "Suspect Says Jurez Killers Had Pursued Jail Guard", "Mexican gang member sentenced to life in U.S. prison for murders", "Manhunt ends; final suspect in U.S. Consulate in Juarez murders captured", "Mexico Arrests Gangster Wanted for US Consulate Murders", "Death Toll in Jurez Attack Rises to 14", "13 partygoers killed by gunmen in attack in Ciudad Juarez", "Mexico: 13 dead in massacre at Ciudad Juarez party", "13 youths killed in massacre at birthday party in Ciudad Juarez", "13 Are Killed as Gunmen Storm House in Mexico", "Massacre At A Ciudad Juarez Family Party Leaves 13 Dead", "El ataque en Jurez estaba dirigido a un joven apodado El Ratn, indican pesquisas", "Barrio Azteca Leader Extradited from Mexico to United States to Face Charges Related to the U.S. Consulate Murders in Juarez, Mexico", "Barrio Azteca Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison and Two Barrio Azteca Soldiers Sentenced to 20 and 30 Years in Prison", "New adversary in U.S. drug war: Contract killers for Mexican cartels", "Barrio Azteca threat targets law officers", "FBI fugitive Barrio Azteca gang leader Eduardo Ravelo wanted in el Paso, caught in Mexico", "BREAKING: Alleged Barrio Azteca leader, FBI Most Wanted, arrested - KVIA", "Mexico federal police arrest reputed Barrio Azteca gang leader 'El 300' in Chihuahua City", "Chaos erupts in Juarez as warring cartels retaliate against recent police arrests", "Jurez police, Mexican army arrest 9 suspected members of la Empresa cartel crime group", "Jurez police arrest reputed Azteca 'Old Guard' gang leader on binational wanted list", "Cartel's alleged heroin distributor nabbed trying to cross 11 pounds into US", "Attacks on Jurez police erupt after arrest of reputed gang leader 'El Iraqui', "Gang leader's arrest triggers backlash in Chihuahua", R. V. Gundur. 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. Barrio Azteca | Detailed Pedia The gang also allies with other gangs including the Mexican Mafia and MS-13. [31] The relatives and witnesses interviewed after the massacre insisted that the teenagers had nothing to do with the drug trade and were "good kids. [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. Not all the killings carried about by Ravelo's gang are a result of drug disputes. [43][44][45], Initial reports stated that unknown gunmen of a drug trafficking organization shot and killed a pregnant U.S. consulate woman and her husband at broad daylight in Ciudad Jurez on 13 March 2010, leaving a baby wailing in the back seat of the car. These prison sentences send a strong message that even the most powerful and ruthless gangs cannot evade justice. "I never even gave the United States much thought," said one of the family members, "But Mexico has abandoned us, betrayed us. 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. RELATED:Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping. Our prosecution of the Barrio Azteca gang, including for the U.S. Consulate-related murders in Juarez, Mexico, in 2010, has led to convictions against 24 gang members and leaders. 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. The most extensive database on organized crime in the Americas. Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations. [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. The states of Jurez and Chihuahua in Mexico; El Paso, Texas; Massachusetts; Pennsylvania; possibly New Mexico. [65] In March 2010, the FBI and the police department in El Paso stated that Barrio Azteca was more powerful than Los Zetas in the Jurez plaza. 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Divisions Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations. According to evidence presented in court, witnesses testified to the brutality of the BA. [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. [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. These prison sentences send a strong message that even the most powerful and ruthless gangs cannot evade justice. 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. [12] In addition, Barrio Azteca controls most of the drug sales for the Jurez Cartel in Ciudad Jurez's streets and prisons, although other gangs and independent operators abound. In Ciudad Jurez, however, the gang is known as Los Aztecas. 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. In addition, the gang has reportedly fixed some tactical errors that put it at an initial disadvantage, including beginning to use older model vehicles to maintain a lower profile and providing better training to its members. [48] This was not solely a response for the incident in Ciudad Jurez, but because of the drug-related violence along the border. Below them, captains control mini-plazas that are run by lieutenants. Tango Blast, Aryan Brotherhood and Aryan Circle are the most active prison gangs in the region. 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. The Barrio Azteca gang, also known as "Los Aztecas," was formed in theEl Paso, Texasprison system in 1986. 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. [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. [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. 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. The mastermind behind the murders, Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, received a life sentence in April 2014. [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. Barrio Azteca Research Paper - 628 Words | Internet Public Library The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of Barrio Azteca leader Eduardo Ravelo, who has a place on the FBI's " Top Ten Most Wanted List ." InSight Crime Analysis [73] On March 5, 2020, 9 suspected La Empresa members were arrested. In total, the gang had an estimated 5,000 members in Juarez and 3,000 in the United States in 2013, Insight Crime reported. [62], In June 2020, it was reported that La Lnea was the Jurez Cartel's most powerful fraction in Ciudad Jurez. The gang members then beat up their victims and throw them in the hole. While incarcerated in the Texas Department of Corrections, he served as the right hand man to BA Captain Manuel Cardoza. The case was investigated by the FBIs El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso. [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. According to court documents and information presented in court, Galindo was a top Lieutenant in the BA. The gang's control over Jurez puts it in a position to move into major transnational drug trafficking. However, it counts among its rivals some cartel heavyweights such as the Sinaloa Cartel, headed by notorious drug lordJoaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. [52] Others had other speculations on the attack; it was unclear whether the consulate worker was targeted for being slow with the visas of some cartel members; whether the worker had angered some members inside a Texan prison; whether the attack intended to be a message to the American drug agents; or whether simply case of mistaken identity. Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? Those not in good standing were targeted by the BA for assault or murder. In 2011, the FBI reported that Barrio Azteca also had members in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Besides drug trafficking, they have been charged with a medley of different crimes. [64] To prevent officers from understanding their communication network, Barrio Azteca also created a secret language based on Nahuatl. While gang activity is widespread, only about 15 percent have more than 11 members. Our work is costly and high risk. [18] When drug loads go missing while being smuggled, suspects are kidnapped and taken to Ciudad Jurez. Key responsibilities: - find and book accommodation for platers/brush cutters teams. [14], Barrio Azteca is also reported to have kidnapped people in El Paso and drive them south into Ciudad Jurez to kill them. Total of 24 Barrio Azteca Members and Associates Convicted to Date. 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. Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo had been wanted for . They were sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Texas. [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. The Jurez Cartel's armed wing, "La Linea," recruited members from Barrio Azteca to fight the Sinaloa Cartel in 2008, and many gang members were killed or arrested. [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. 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. The list of 10+ barrio azteca tattoo meanings Barrio Azteca also works with the Zetas. [8], Some believe that the growth of Barrio Azteca in Mexico is due to the area's distinctive cross-border nature. "Negotiating Violence and Protection in Prison and on the Outside: The Organizational Evolution of the Transnational Prison Gang Barrio Azteca." [26] Moreover, the prison was highly overcrowded, with over 2,700 inmates in a facility with a capacity of only 850 prisoners. 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. The gang is highly structured and has an estimated membership of 2,000. Barrio Azteca gang member gave bone-chilling testimony Monday about his role in the violence that ignited Jurez during the drug cartel wars and left among its victims a U.S. Consulate employee and her husband, an El Paso County jail detention officer. Testimony also indicated that the BA is well-organized and militaristic in structure. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. The DPS projects Bandidos members will attempt to change their public perception by adding new members with clean criminal backgrounds and organizing charity events. The group has control over other local gangs, has members across the border, and already moves drug shipments across the border. Barrio Azteca - InSight Crime Their leader is one of the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals. 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. A principal enemy is the Sinaloa Cartel, along with its subcontractor, the Mexicles gang. Ravelo, who was under pressure from La Linea . Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. Witnesses also testified to the extensive communication web of the BA, including utilizing coded letters, contraband cell phones within state and federal prison facilities, and distribution of membership rosters and hit lists. Lock [37] It has fed up $400 million to repair the city's social fabric. [69] Drug-sniffing dogs were also under a bounty. 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. Ruta Sidlauskaite - Guide & Tour Leader - Freelance | LinkedIn Please support our mission investigating organized crime. [28] Some of the teenagers were shot as they tried to flee and their corpses were found in the neighboring houses. 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. [27] Witnesses said that the cartel members arrived at the crime scene in seven cars with tinted windows, closed down the street and blocked the exits. 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. [70] Several other members of the Barrio Azteca were arrested with Ravelo as well. The Department of Public Safety has released its 2015 Texas Gang Threat Assessment report. [20] [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. Specifically, he was the El Paso BA leader in 2010 until he was arrested on drug charges on April 30, 2010. 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. Those not in good standing were targeted by the BA for assault or murder. [18], A fierce battle between rival drug trafficking organizations broke loose inside a prison on the outskirts of Ciudad Jurez on 5 March 2009. [65] They had a membership of 2,000 strong in Ciudad Jurez alone that year. [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. Mexico Rehab Center Massacre Tied to Conflict Over Local Drug Trade According to evidence presented in court, witnesses testified to the brutality of the BA. [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. 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. 2019. Week 1: Barrio Aztecas U.S.Consulate Murder Trial [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. Its members, or soldiers, are governed by captains, various lieutenants and numerous sergeants in the United States and Mexico. 9, Vilniuje. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. [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. [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. The group members face charges including drug trafficking and distribution, extortion, money laundering and murder. 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. 10 facts about the Barrio Azteca, one of the most dangerous gangs in Texas, Mark Lambie/AP Photo/El Paso Times, Mark Lambie. [20] From a distance, family members awaited news as black smoke drifted from the prison and helicopters patrolled overhead.
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