[20] Felipe Caldern, Mexico's president, also visited the family members and handed a memorial plaque to the parents of the victims. [65] They had a membership of 2,000 strong in Ciudad Jurez alone that year. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Official websites use .gov 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 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. Lotyn Amerikos stiliaus bistro Vilniaus Centre, "Go9", Gedimino pr. Key responsibilities: - find and book accommodation for platers/brush cutters teams. [52] Reportedly, the gang leaders wanted the guard dead for mistreating members of the gang in jail. [69], On June 26, 2018, Barrio Azteca Capo Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo was arrested. Despite being armed, they seem to follow the orders of the gang members without any resistance. [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. According to the US Department of Justice, Barrio Azteca profits by moving heroin, cocaine and marijuana across the border. 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. The current leader of the Barrio Azteca, recognized by a majority of its members, is Mexican national Eduardo Ravelo. [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. [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 Barrio Azteca is one of the most violent prison gangs operating. In Ciudad Jurez, however, the gang is known as Los Aztecas. [13] They are alleged by the Mexican authorities to have committed numerous brutal assassinations in the city, although the exact numbers are unknown. 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.. He also participated in the BA's activities by distributing narcotics, including heroin and cocaine, and collected extortion funds that were . - coordinate teams logistics (plan the trips, book tickets) - organize and analyze the data of the accommodation/travels expenses. [14], Barrio Azteca is also reported to have kidnapped people in El Paso and drive them south into Ciudad Jurez to kill them. The group has control over other local gangs, has members across the border, and already moves drug shipments across the border. Ravelo then ordered the traitor to be sent to the Jurez cartel, and he was never heard from again. 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. [34], Four days after the massacre, a suspect identified as Jos Dolores Arroyo Chavarra was arrested by the Mexican military. By Fred Burton and Ben West On Nov. 3, a U.S. District Court in El Paso, Texas, began hearing a case concerning members of a criminal enterprise that calls itself Barrio Azteca (BA). Hector Galindo, 38, aka Silent, of El Paso, currently serving a 25-year Texas state sentence for murder, was sentenced to life prison. Barrio Azteca Leader Sentenced To Life In Prison 0:36. 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 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. Barrio Azteca - InSight Crime [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. [17] The informant said that Ravelo was taken to a house in El Paso where a gang member was being held, his mouth, wrists, and ankles bound with duct tape. Galindo, Gonzales and Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit (RICO) on Jan. 26, 2012, Jan. 18, 2012, and Jan. 29, 2012, respectively. 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. Barrio Azteca | Detailed Pedia [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. The Barrio Azteca gang, also known as "Los Aztecas," was formed in the El Paso, Texas prison system in 1986. Violence in Mexico: Barrio Azteca gang leader gets 116 years in prison [38] The suspect said he acted as a lookout for the 24 gunmen that perpetrated the killing and had orders to "kill everyone inside. [3] The gang was formed in the jails of El Paso in 1986 and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. [56][61] This attack came just a week before several gunmen stormed two houses, killing 7 at a party and 2 at a nearby house. Des Linden unveils new book, shares race day must-haves. [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. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. 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 most extensive database on organized crime in the Americas. Some murders are carried out to intimidate and as retaliation attacks. Barrio Azteca Gang Leader Sentenced in Texas to Life in Prison New foe in U.S. drug war: Mexican assassins - NBC News [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. Mar 2019 - Jun 20212 years 4 months. An official website of the United States government. [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. [63] In and outside of prison, from gang beatings to drive-by shootings, Barrio Azteca disciplines its own members and rivals. 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. Those who were not in good standing were executed. They began to recruit new inmates coming into the prison for violent gang crimes. 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. The remaining U.S.-based defendant, Ramon Renteria, aka Spooky, took his own life while in prison during his trial. 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. Specifically, he was the El Paso BA leader in 2010 until he was arrested on drug charges on April 30, 2010. Roughly 33 percent of gang members entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system in 2014 were from the southeast Texas region, with 90 percent of those coming from Greater Houston. Evidence was presented that since 2003 the BA has trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. The remaining U.S.-based defendant, Ramon Renteria, aka Spooky, took his own life while in prison during his trial. 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. 2019. [1] 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. The gang expanded after 1996, due in part to increasing deportations of imprisoned Mexican criminals by the United States. And, their numbers total in the thousands on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. A principal enemy is the Sinaloa Cartel, along with its subcontractor, the Mexicles gang. Testimony also indicated that the BA is well-organized and militaristic in structure. 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. Barrio Azteca has approximately 600 active members who engage in murder, assault, extortion, human and drug trafficking, and other crimes. "[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. They are also responsible for the distribution and sale of narcotics both in and outside prisons. He allegedly pays his sicarios (hitmen) less than 500 pesos (or about $40 U.S. dollars) a week to carry out assassinations. 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. By the early 2000s, the gang controlled prisons in Chihuahua, and has since continued to grow. [28] Then they stormed the party and opened fire at the victims as they were watching a soccer game. [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. [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. [21], The Mexican authorities were able to militarize the area with more than 200 federal police officers, 50 soldiers, two helicopters, a plane, and an unknown number of state and municipal police forces. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. [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.