Archive for category Mexico

Industry Talk: Mexico Drug War Boosts Security Business

Jan 24

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Mexico | No Comments

During the five years since President Felipe Calderon took power and declared war on drug cartels, Mexico has been shaken by 47,000 drug-related murders as well as rocketing levels of kidnapping and extortion.
In the same period, Mexico’s biggest security firm, Multisistemas de Seguridad Industrial, says it has grown by 70 percent.
It now has an army of more than 10,000 private security guards — including many former soldiers — who are licensed to carry guns to protect the company’s 2,500 Mexican clients.

Multisistemas is like the G4S of Mexico? I had no idea it was that big, and I have never even heard of this company before. So that is why I wanted to put this one up in the archives for reference. Also, Multisistemas might be a good company to throw a resume at if you would like to offer your services there. Especially for the high risk PSD type operations.

If anyone has anything else to add about Multisistemas, feel free to do so in the comments. -Matt

 

Mexico drug war boosts security business
Amid the violence, Mexico’s rich get ID chips, armored cars and gunmen on call.
Ioan Grillo
January 21, 2012
Mexico’s wealthy embed GPS chips under their skin, fatten their SUV’s with bullet proof armor, and hire trucks of gun-toting bodyguards to follow them to the shopping mall.
While Mexico’s merciless drug war has scared off tourists and investment dollars, it has fed one niche industry: private-security services.

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Strategy: Mexico Implements Fortified Town Or ‘Burgward’ Strategy In Tamaulipas

Dec 13

Posted by Matt in Mexico, Strategy | No Comments

Grand Strategic Analysis: In essence, fortified towns (garrison towns) are being established by means of recolonizing (and stabilizing existing populations) in a region of Mexico lost to the de facto rule of the criminal insurgents. This is pretty much an unheard of development with regard to mature, stable, and modern states. Rather, it is characteristic of centralized states expanding into frontier areas (those expanding territorially) and such states losing control over expanses of their lands (those being overrun by raiders and barbarians). This is very much reminiscent of Roman, and later Holy Roman, Empire frontier towns (burgwards et.al.) in Europe during the late imperial and post-Western empire eras. The raiders of those eras, however, were early on based on the Germanic tribes and Huns (Magyars) as opposed to today’s cartel (2nd/3rd phase) and gang (3GEN) groupings [6]. Modern parallels to US firebases in Vietnam may be made but the context and type of insurgency (criminal vs Maoist-inspired) make such contentions highly problematic. The historical parallels to the criminal-soldier threats of the late Roman Empire and Dark Ages appear even more viable in light of the multitude of atrocities committed (torture, mutilations, and beheadings), although in this instance with a post-modern contextual overlay.

Thanks to Dr. Bunker for pointing this one out in his Strategic Note #10. This is very cool stuff and reminiscent of a sort of ink blot counter-insurgency strategy. But Dr. Bunker classified it as Burgward Strategy based off of the Roman method of setting up frontier posts to deal with raiders and barbarians. To basically take back and bring under control the land within the empire.

It is also shocking to know that towns like the one described exist. Here is the quote that perked me up:

In late 2010, nearly all of the town’s 6,300 inhabitants fled to neighboring municipalities and across the border into the United States due to fear of drug-related violence.
Many of them had relocated to a shelter in the nearby city of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.

This is crazy. That would make the illegal immigrants that cross into the US into more of a class of war refugee. So yes, any strategy that includes taking back these towns is mutually beneficial to Mexico and the US.

The other thing I was wondering is how many other towns are like this one? And, for setting up these mobile military bases, I wonder who they are contracting with if any, to help support these operations?  I imagine if there are quite a few of these towns that need to be taken back, then I could see the potential for a Mexican type LOGCAP program emerging to support those operations. Although I have not heard of anything like that yet, and I will keep an eye out as Mexico continues to implement this strategy. (I do not know if the Merida Initiative is helping to support this or not?). Interesting stuff. -Matt

 

Mexico Inaugurates Military Barracks in Violence-Plagued Town
December 10, 2011
Mexican President Felipe Calderon formally inaugurated a military barracks in the violence-racked northeastern town of Ciudad Mier, where he reiterated that the deployment of army soldiers to battle drug-trafficking gangs is a necessary but temporary measure.
He said the new army base will allow time for authorities to recruit and form their own police forces in that town and other areas of Tamaulipas state, saying that the weakness, vulnerability and, in some cases, complicity, of law enforcement had put people “at the mercy of criminals.”
Calderon said Ciudad Mier, a colonial community in Tamaulipas state near the U.S.-Mexico border that was once known as the “Magic Town,” should be a tourist destination but instead was abandoned by its citizens last year because of the presence of criminal gangs.
In late 2010, nearly all of the town’s 6,300 inhabitants fled to neighboring municipalities and across the border into the United States due to fear of drug-related violence.
Many of them had relocated to a shelter in the nearby city of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.
Ciudad Mier, which is located in the “Frontera Chica” region of Tamaulipas, and many other towns in northeastern Mexico found themselves caught up in the war sparked by the March 2010 rupture of the alliance between the Gulf drug cartel and Los Zetas, the cartel’s former armed wing.

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Law Enforcement: SWAT Teams Versus Cartel ‘Infantry’ On The Border?

Nov 16

Posted by Matt in Law Enforcement, Mexico | 5 Comments

For the responding US SWAT teams, this incident poses a potentially dangerous situation. It is more of a military operation on a “movement to contact” than a conventional SWAT operation in the US. SWAT teams are trained and equipped to contend with criminals in barricade and hostage type situations and are accustomed to stacked (bunched together) movement and entry tactics. Typically the criminals encountered are found in small numbers— usually one or maybe two— and may or may not have a shotgun, semi-automatic rifle, and some form of body armor. It is the intent of such criminals to flee from responding police forces and only put up a fight if corned out of desperation—even then such criminals typically surrender to responding SWAT units. A group of 15 cartel/drug gang gunmen represents an entirely different threat—it essentially contains a reinforced squad of opposing force personnel. These cartel/gang foot soldiers will be proactive in their actions—not reactive like most criminals encountered— and therefore represent an opposing (enemy) force the US SWAT teams are unaccustomed to. Besides the potentials for ambushes and fires and movement being conducted by the cartel/gang gunmen, their semi-automatic (and full auto) assault weapons and the great likelihood of the presence of grenade-launchers and fragmentation grenades makes for a military-like engagement scenario that is beyond present SWAT capabilities to effectively respond. Under these circumstances, standard SWAT operating procedures—such as the use of stacked movement tactics— could be disastrous in their implementation. -from Dr. Bunker’s assessment about this incident.

This is very interesting and a hat tip to Dr. Bunker and SWJ for putting this up as tactical note #6. Basically what we have here is the cartels are battling it out along the grey areas of the border between the US and Mexico. Meaning if they are pursued by Mexican authorities, they cross over the border, and now that is a blocking action to stop the pursuit. Then of course the pursuit is picked up by the US authorities, but that is only if they are on the same sheet of music and included in the call. As you can see, the border is a strategic tool of the cartels to do what they gotta do. It is very similar to how the Taliban play the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it makes for a complex problem for authorities.

Now this would be complex for law enforcement to deal with one or two armed criminals playing the border like this, but in this particular incident, it got very complex and dangerous.  A squad sized element of cartels, all armed with military grade weapons, crossed the border in pursuit of a target.  The SWAT team on the US side was called out to deal with this ‘cartel infantry unit’. That is quite a scenario, and like Dr. Bunker mentioned, a SWAT team would have to rethink how they approach such a thing. This is movement to contact stuff here, and the police would have to be geared more like a infantry unit in order to compete. So will SWAT teams have to roll with M-240′s, grenade launchers, and mortars in their possession?

I could also see using drones for these kinds of call outs, just so law enforcement can get an eye on exactly what they are dealing with. Especially SUAV’s that could be carried in patrol cars and launched by one officer or border patrol agent. Anything to get eyes on the situation and see exactly what they have to deal with until a helicopter gets on scene. Because an officer coming up against a cartel infantry unit would not be a good day.  They could also canvass the area and look for RIP crews that might further add violence and complexity to the situation.

This also poses a very interesting question. Should the defense of the border be a military job or a border patrol/law enforcement job? Or should the the police or border patrol continue to be modified and enhanced to look and act more like military units than police units? -Matt

 

SWAT teams dispatched as gun battle unfolds near Escobares
Ildefonso Ortiz and Jared Taylor
2011-11-08
ESCOBARES — Gunmen crossed the Rio Grande into the United States near a shootout between where the Mexican military and a group of gunmen was taking place.
Several area SWAT teams responded about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to a ranch near Escobares, just across the U.S.-Mexico border, where a shootout broke out south of the Rio Grande.
The shootout reportedly began shortly after noon but details were not immediately available. Residents on the U.S. side reported seeing members of the U.S. Border Patrol and Starr County Sheriff’s Office securing the area near the border.
Border Patrol spokeswoman Rosalinda Huey said agents had been tracking a suspected drug load near La Rosita and pushed it back to Mexico.
Border Patrol alerted Mexican authorities of the suspected load and then found an injured Mexican national on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, Huey said. Emergency crews rushed the man to an area hospital. His condition remains unknown.

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Mexico: STRATFOR On Anonymous Versus The Zeta Cartel

Nov 2

Posted by Matt in Mexico, Technology | 2 Comments

This is very intriguing, because we just don’t know who is operating as Anonymous. It could be a legitimate group of do-gooders that want to attack the cartels, or it could be a competing cartel that wants to target the Zetas, and use the Anonymous handle to do this.

But as STRATFOR pointed out, the cartels have their own computer experts, and they will certainly hunt down any threats and make an example of them. They have already hunted down and killed reporters and bloggers, and this new threat from Anonymous will be dealt with in the same brutal and bloody way.

The other thing to remember is that the cartels have a ton of money to hire cyber lance teams. Or basically a team that can hunt people online, and kill or capture them with their armed component. I would not underestimate their ability to assemble such a team, and I am sure they already have such folks working as we speak. This will certainly be a true test of Anonymous’ OPSEC/PERSEC abilities.

This also brings up another concept that I have gone over in the past, and that is fifth generation warfare. A third possibility here, is that either an enemy of the Zetas or of Anonymous, or even of both, has put this whole thing together in order to create a ‘war’ between the two. That third party can constantly and anonymously feed both parties to make that war very bloody and costly, and that third party would benefit–and yet stay completely out of the mess.  The question is, who is the third party? (Although I tend to agree with Lind that it is still too early to really define what fifth generation warfare is) But this theory would fit into some of the definitions that are floating around out there. Who knows?

Either way, we will see how this works out. I do know that with this kind of cyber warfare, there will be no limitations or niceties. Both sides will be trying to do massive harm, both online, and in reality. Although I would put my money on the Zetas for putting the lance in ‘cyber lance’. I hope Anonymous is ready to play, because this is when the game get’s very serious. -Matt

Edit: 11-08-2011, So Jester (a certain hacker that is well known for taking on Wikileaks and other folks in prime hacker fashion) has just posted a very interesting deal about this story.  He just identified an individual named Barrett Brown who was behind all of this, and that the kidnapping was fabricated–all because he wanted to generate some buzz about Anonymous. The reason?  To sell a book. lol Yep. Here is the quote from Jester:

Message to all. The truth of the matter is this, with Brown, it’s not about fighting Mexican injustice, it’s not about a ‘kidnapped’ Anon, it’s not even about him having a problem with the prices he has to pay to get high, it’s not about anything except him generating interest in his upcoming book.

 

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Quotes: Mexican Cartels Are Now Operating In Over 1,000 US Cities; Up From 195 Cities

Sep 26

Posted by Matt in Mexico, Quotes | 8 Comments

This is a startling revelation, and this just came out in the National Drug Threat Assessment for 2011 I posted earlier.  A big hat tip to Small Wars Journal and Dr. Bunker for pointing out this fact and definitely follow the discussion over there if you are following this war.

I also wanted to mention that this weekend Borderland Beat posted a video and story that showed the execution of two men by a cartel execution squad. They cut one guy’s head off with a chainsaw, and the other guy’s head was cut off using a knife. The video was brutal to watch, and I will not post a link to it on this blog, but the imagery is left to your imagination. I have also seen this imagery and type of video elsewhere in the world, and that was in Iraq. Extremists cut off the heads of their captives and filmed it as well.

With both examples, the desired outcome of filming these executions was to send a message of horror and terror.  And believe me, I see no difference between how the cartels or terrorists deliver that message.

But the interesting point here that I wanted to make is that Iraq and Afghanistan are ‘over there’, and the war in Mexico is in our backyard.  Hell, with this report, the Mexican cartels are on now on the doorstep and seeping through the floor boards of the house. This is the war to be concerned about, and yet there is very little reaction to this in America.

It is like it is too awful to look at or acknowledge, much like the video of the chainsaw execution. But it happened, and the war in Mexico is happening, and we need to come to grips with that reality. Especially as these criminals infiltrate and turn Americans into traitors with their money and product.

Another example is the reaction the US has to a terror cell that is found and arrested on our soil. Politicians and the media get all riled up about such a thing, and terrorism is front and center on everyone’s minds.  Visions of 9/11 and a fear of a second attack just freaks people out.  That is terrorism.

But how are the cartels any different? They don’t just have one cell, but thousands of cells or groups throughout the US, and they sell drugs that have led to the deaths of thousands of Americans. Those same drugs have created addicts that go on to commit crimes and destroy families, all with a drive to get even more drugs. This addiction cycle has a profoundly negative impact on society, and this drug threat analysis clearly identified those issues.

The cartels profit off of American addiction, and they are infiltrating into this country in order to help create addicts, and then sell to those individuals for the lifetime of their addiction. These cartels find those who will help facilitate that process, and in war, you could actually view these individuals as traitors to this country. To provide a terrorism metaphor, it is a lot like how Al Qaeda looks for individuals that they can turn or convert into human weapons. Al Qaeda uses religion as the drug to make those individuals members of their cause, and the Cartels use drugs to make individuals ‘members of their cause’. The problem though is that it is far easier for a cartel to achieve their goals, compared to groups like Al Qaeda. That is the war, and that should trouble anyone that cares about the safety of their country. -Matt

 

 

Mexican Cartel Strategic Note
by Robert Bunker
September 25, 2011
Mexican Cartels (Transnational Criminal Organizations) Now Operating in Over 1,000 US Cities; Up From 195 US Cities
The recent publication of the US Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), National Drug Threat Assessment 2011 (http://www.justice.gov/ndic/topics/ndtas.htm#y2011) (August 2011) provides an important strategic insight into Mexican cartel penetration into the United States. On p. 8 of the document, a single sentence states:
Mexican-based TCOs were operating in more than a thousand U.S. cities during 2009-2010, spanning all nine OCDETF regions.
The corresponding note (g) is as follows:
Included are traffickers who purchase illicit drugs from TCO associates and distribute them on their own, cells that function as an extension of the TCO to traffic illicit drugs in the United States, and cells that provide warehousing, security, and/or transportation services for the TCO.

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Publications: The DoJ National Drug Threat Assessment, 2011

Sep 26

Posted by Matt in Law Enforcement, Mexico, Publications | 1 Comment

The National Drug Threat Assessment 2011

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Mexico: Has Mérida Evolved? Part One: The Evolution Of Drug Cartels And The Threat to Mexico’s Governance

Sep 16

Posted by Matt in Mexico, Strategy | No Comments

“I never thought we would contemplate the day when ‘true believers’ from a Mexican cartel would start looking a lot like jihadists fighting for Al Qaeda—instead representing a perverted form of Christianity—but such a day appears very close at hand.” -Dr. Robert Bunker, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

This is a fascinating testimony about the strategy, or lack there of, for the war in Mexico. That quote up top came from Dr. Bunker and his assessment of what is going on down there, and it does make you pause. The cartels are just as awful as jihadists, and sometimes worse. The violence going on down there is truly hellish and horrific. This is also on the US border and not in Iraq or Afghanistan! Dr. Bunker also mentioned that the drug war and cartels/gangs in the Western Hemisphere are a larger threat to the US than islamic extremists. (Very bold statement.)

I would also add one little thing to Dr. Bunker’s testimony, and that is he forgot to mention an area of study that will help to understand the cartels a little better. That would be the market of force or privatized force in war. Or to even delve into the new area of study that I have mentioned in the past called Offense Industry. States and non-state actors alike, all use Offense Industry to achieve their goals. The Sicarios and how they are bough/sold/used are a prime example.  And especially the similarities between the early Condottieri /free companies in 14th Century Italy and these current cartels. Or the history of pirates and how their business and war fighting has evolved, or remained the same. Money and how it guides the actions of these combatants, must be understood so we can develop strategies for stopping them.

The other thing I would like to hear in these testimonies is the manpower issue. If this is viewed as a narco insurgency, then a realistic assessment must be made to find out how many and what type of forces would be needed to counter such a thing? The same type of deal was applied to Iraq and Afghanistan, and we need to know how short the Mexican’s really are with ‘trusted’ and capable security forces. We also must look at the utility of all and any available sources of manpower–to include private industry and/or the Mexican people. (like promoting and assisting a Mexican Spring?) Hat tip to Small Wars Journal for this one. -Matt

 

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Mexico: Nuevo Leon To Implement A Citizen-defense Program To Counter The Cartels

Sep 8

Posted by Matt in Libya, Mexico, Training | No Comments

The training for people with weapons permits in Garcia is part of a phase of Rodriguez’s security program aimed at “involving the citizens in defense of the region.”
“Many of them want the training and knowledge … to defend their families and their heritage,” he said.
In addition to the weapons course, the project also includes broader training in its “urban defense” goals.
“Imagine if there is someone wounded and no one in the neighborhood knows what to do. It’s happened to us that in the street there is someone who’s been shot and the (paramedics) don’t come,” Rodriguez said.
So far, about 3,000 people from Garcia and nearby cities have signed up for the course, including engineers, teachers, housewives and retired military.

Ok, this is awesome. This is what I have been hoping and praying for in Mexico. The citizenry there needs to realize that they cannot entirely depend upon the police or military to protect them. And the government needs to realize that the citizenry can certainly be an effective tool to counter the cartels. So programs like this are a great start, but they also need to do this right in order to increase their odds of success.

It is also important to note that if you look at the rebels of Libya, that they were once civilians, yet were able to transform into a force that defeated a standing army. With a little motivation and some training/experience, a citizen force can certainly do some damage. The war against the cartels is a righteous war that must be fought and won, and I really think the citizens of Mexico can rally around defeating these scumbags. The people interested in such a program just needs to be empowered by the approval of it’s leaders, and given a little training to be effective.

It would really be cool to take this a step further and send some SF teams down to Mexico and help train these 3,000 folks that have signed up for this program. Or for this town to receive the funding necessary to get a training company down there to help out. If any contractors are looking for a way to contribute to the fight down there, you could probably get in your car and drive to this town and offer your services pro bono?

One thing though that needs to be mentioned about such a program. This is a declaration of war against the cartels. So this program needs to be conducted in an intelligent and secure manner. Training sites or gun ranges will be targets of the cartels. Folks who participate will be targets as well. The cartels will also do their best to infiltrate the program and subvert it, much like what they have done with government or police. So it will be up to the participants of this program to ‘cleanse’ itself of all cartel scum.

It also reminds me a lot of the Soviet Partisan warfare against the Nazis during WW 2. The Soviet’s at the time realized that if citizens are going to fight, that they need a basic ‘how to’ manual to fight and survive in their occupied homeland. These manuals also discussed how to defeat the Nazi anti-partisan forces intending on destroying this civilian threat. But the partisans kicked ass and certainly helped in the overall war effort. The point of all of this is that these partisan forces certainly did a number on the Nazis, and civilians can certainly play an effective role in a war.

Another example of the power of partisan guerrillas is the story of Wendell Fertig in the Philippines during WW 2. This guy was a stud, but he was also just a regular guy and engineer who was caught behind enemy lines when we pulled out of the Philippines. Wendell decided to lead a guerrilla war against the Japanese as a result of his predicament, and he was able to organize and build an effective force with very little. He was highly motivated and a smart problem solver, and his force was able to do some serious damage upon the Japanese.

Mexico needs the same type of innovative and dedicated leaders in their towns and cities to lead a guerrilla war against the cartels. So bravo to Jaime Rodriguez Calderon for taking the initiative and ‘doing something’ about the problem. Hopefully Mexico and the US will support this town in it’s efforts, and identify and help other ‘real’ leaders with similar goals. -Matt

Edit: 08/13/2011- It looks like another town is taking up arms in Chihuahua. Very cool and I hope this spreads! Quote:

“One small northern Mexico community, surrounded by Cartel thugs, is taking matters into their own hands.
The people of Uruachi, Chihuahua have begun to arm themselves in a last attempt to protect themselves against a group of 12 armed men surrounding the community, Mayor Aldo Campos said.”

 

Mexican city plans to train citizens to fire guns
Javier Estrada
September 7, 2011
Officials in a northern Mexican city plagued by violence say a new course will take a fresh approach toward protecting citizens: Training people to handle and shoot guns.
The aim of the approach, says Garcia Mayor Jaime Rodriguez Calderon, is putting a stop to crime in the 40,000-person city in Nuevo Leon state.
“Many people call me because their son or their husband has been kidnapped, or some family member’s car has been stolen. I said to myself, ‘Wow, how can we, the citizens, defend ourselves,’ ” Rodriguez told CNNMexico.com.
Twice this year, gunmen have tried to assassinate Rodriguez, who has earned the nickname of Bronco for his strong personality.

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History: Lawton’s Use Of Civilian Scouts Part 1– The Geronimo Campaign

Sep 6

Posted by Matt in History, Mexico | No Comments

Lawton’s official report dated September 9, 1886 sums up the actions of his unit and gives credit to a number of his troopers for their efforts. Geronimo gave Gatewood credit for his decision to surrender as Gatewood was well known to Geronimo, spoke some Apache, and was familiar with and honored their traditions and values. He acknowledged Lawton’s tenacity for wearing the Apaches down with constant pursuit. Geronimo and his followers had little or no time to rest or stay in one place. Completely worn out, the little band of Apaches returned to the U.S. with Lawton and officially surrendered to General Miles on September 4, 1886 at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona.-From wikipedia here.

This is ‘part one’ of a very intriguing aspect of history that historians have really never focused on. The Geronimo Campaign was arguably the equivalent to our modern day Usama Bin Laden manhunt. Hell, SEAL Team 6 even identified Geronimo as the call sign for UBL during the raid. In this story, Major General Henry Ware Lawton was a Captain at the time of the Geronimo manhunt, and I wanted to point out his use of contractors in this pursuit.

Geronimo was an incredible Apache warrior that killed many Mexicans and Americans in his guerrilla war and fight for survival. Geronimo was not only a skilled warrior, but his survival and evasion techniques are the stuff of legends. He epitomized what it meant to be an Apache Warrior and he is definitely a combatant that I have respect for.

In this post I wanted to take out the Feral Jundi filter and magnifying glass, and take a look at the contribution of contractors in these historical events. The Geronimo Campaign is as significant to US history, as the UBL manhunt, so it is cool to try to put that hunt into perspective and find some of the clues. I would also like to highlight the similarities between relentless pursuit and Lawton’s constant pursuit, and what it really takes to make that happen.

So what I found out is that civilian contractors did have a significant role in this manhunt. Tom Horn was the chief of scouts for this particular mission, and Captain Lawton highly depended upon Tom Horn and his ability to lead and manage the Indian Scouts under his watch.  These Indian Scouts were essential for reading the sign/spoor/tracks that Geronimo and his band left, and it was this scouting and tracking, along with relentless pursuit that tired out Geronimo and forced him and his group to give up.(Albert Sieber was another famous Chief of Scouts for General Cook who was in charge of Tom Horn. Al went with Cook into Mexico as well looking for Geronimo)

At sixteen, he (Tom Horn) headed to the American Southwest, where he was hired by the U.S. Cavalry as a civilian scout under Al Sieber and became involved in the Apache Wars and aided in the capture of warriors such as Geronimo. On January 11, 1886, Tom Horn was involved in an expedition into Mexican territory in the pursuit of Geronimo. During the operation, Horn’s camp was attacked by Mexican militia and he was wounded in the arm.Allegedly Horn killed his first man in a duel-a 2nd Lt in the Mexican Army. -From wikipedia.

If you read through this account below, you really get a feel for how dangerous and how tough this campaign was. These guys were also operating in Mexico, which had it’s own set of difficulties. It is also important to point out that food or logistics was crucial to keeping up the pace for this pursuit. And when food ran out, they had to hunt and subsist off of the land to keep up the hunt.

Of course Geronimo and his gang lived off the land, but they also did a lot of raiding of Mexican and American groups to get food, weapons, and anything else of value. Geronimo had some serious offense industry going on in order to survive and justify further war parties. But he was also heavily hunted by Mexico and the US and his Indian raiding parties took some hits.

Check out the story below and definitely click on the links to the history of Tom Horn. He is certainly a controversial figure in American history, but none the less, he and his Indian Scouts were a crucial element of the Geronimo Campaign, and to the Indian Wars as a whole. In part 2 of Lawton’s Use Of Civilian Scouts, I will delve into his creation of the Young Scouts during the Philippine-American War. -Matt

 

LawtonPursuitHistory: Lawtons Use Of Civilian Scouts Part 1 The Geronimo Campaign

Lawton's Pursuit of Geronimo, Frederic Remington

Captain Lawton’s Campaign
as recounted by Captain Leonard Wood
As illustrating the character of the raiding done by these Apaches, I may mention the case of the Peck family. Their ranch was surrounded by Indians, the entire family was captured, and several of the farmhands were killed. The husband was tied up and compelled to witness indescribable tortures inflicted upon his wife until she died. The terrible ordeal rendered him temporarily insane, and as the Apaches, like most Indians, stand in great awe of an insane person, they set him free as soon as they discovered his mental condition; but otherwise he would never have been allowed to live. He was afterward found by his friends wandering about the place.
His daughter, who was about thirteen years old, was captured by the Indians and carried by them three hundred miles, hotly pursued by Captain Lawton’s command, when they met a party of Mexicans consisting of sixty or seventy men. The Mexicans fired a volley on the Indians, killing a woman and wounding the men who carried the little girl, thus enabling her to escape. This Indian’s horse was killed at the same time, thus making it impossible for him to follow the remainder of the party as they retreated, so he took to the rocks, and stood off the entire sixty or seventy Mexicans, killing seven of them, each of whom was shot through the head.
Our command had followed the outfit that had the little girl, and on the same day that this skirmish occurred with the Mexicans we had been able to get near enough to fire at them, but it was too late in the day to accomplish anything, and the next morning at daybreak we were again on their trail following as fast as possible, when our scouts came rushing back, saying they had met a large body of Mexican troops. Captain Lawton, Lieutenant Finley, and myself went on foot as rapidly as we could to try to overtake them but they were in full retreat and we had to follow them about six miles before we could catch them. As we approached, the whole party covered us with their rifles and seemed very much excited. They proved to be the very party who had recaptured the little girl, and they now delivered her over to Captain Lawton, who sent her back to the United States where she was taken in charge by friends.

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Bounties: 8 Million Pesos For Finding The Suspects In Mother And Daughter Escobedo Homicides, Mexico

Aug 14

Posted by Matt in Bounties, Law Enforcement, Mexico | 1 Comment

I found out about this travesty of justice down in Mexico recently while watching this Dateline series. It is heart wrenching, and I am angry at the Mexican government and legal system there for letting down this mother and daughter. The system is also tainted by cartel influence and money, and this cowardly murderer named Sergio Bocanegra literally got away with murder. And the Mexican legal system helped him get away with it!

So if the legal system and the Mexican government is controlled and influenced by the money and killing power of the Los Zetas and other cartels, then what is the point of this bounty? Why would I even care to post this? Well actually, I want to help shame the Mexican legal system into doing what is right and to seek justice for the murder of these two women. To capture Sergio and execute him would be a fantastic symbolic gesture.

That, and to actually uphold the law and revamp the legal system so that the good people of Mexico can actually look up to their police and government as not corrupt. That they actually care to uphold the law. So if the government is serious now, after the mother and daughter were killed, and these two have basically become martyrs, then I will gladly help promote the capture of these guys and the story of what happened.

Like with a insurgency, the government must prove to the local population that is a good idea. So not only must they aggressively pursue these cartels, but they must also focus on the basic rule of law in the towns and cities. To actually use the military for war-like functions, and assign your police to do actual police work. Or at the least, make sure that you have enough police actually enforcing the basic rule of law in the cities and towns.

The other component is the corruption. Boy, if I was the government and I really wanted to clean up all the corruption, I would be checking bank accounts of all government employees and heavily using moles or mystery shoppers to find these despicable humans that have sold their souls to the cartels. Your justice system is broken, and it is time for serious and extreme measures.

Another idea is to actually take the weapons that you have captured from the cartels, and issue them to town and city defense forces that are being terrorized by the cartels. I look at Mexico much like any other counter-insurgency operation, and if there are local populations who want to fight the cartels, then the government needs to recognize how much of a gift that is, and support them. Get the population involved in this fight. But the government will not get anyone to join that fight, if they are as bad as the cartels or they are as heavily intertwined with the cartels. So eradicate cartel influence, and co-opt with the population-become the better idea.

To finish up here and get back to the main topic, I sincerely hope that these individuals are caught and correctly prosecuted and justice is served. Sergio actually confessed to the murder! The other guy was caught on tape, with several witnesses–to include the brother/son of these two murdered women. And with any luck, if Sergio and this other bastard made it up to the US somehow, that one of my readers potentially spots one of these guys and calls it in to collect the bounty. Or one of you might see Sergio down in Mexico and you never know? Let’s help catch these guys and hopefully the Mexican government will be serious this time. Oh, and here is my latest Letter of Marque catch phrase when referring to the rich cartel clowns.’Dish out the plomo, and take their plata! Arrrrrgh! -Matt

 

bocanegraBounties: 8 Million Pesos For Finding The Suspects In Mother And Daughter Escobedo Homicides, Mexico
Mexican Federal PGR Raised Rewards For Suspects In Mother And Daughter Escobedo Homicides In Chihuahua
Rewards for murder suspect in sketch has been raised to $3 million pesos ($230,770 U.S.) and Bocanegra has been raised to $5 million pesos ($384,616 U.S.), the Mexican government announced.
By H. Nelson Goodson?June 23, 2011
Mexico City, Mexico – On Thursday, the Mexican Federal Attorney General’s Office (PGR) announced that it had raised the rewards for several suspects connected to the homicides of a mother and daughter. The PGR had released the sketch of the alleged 30-year-old suspect who shot Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, 52, several times including a fatal shot to the head.?The PGR is now offering $3 million pesos ($230,770 U.S.) from $200,000 pesos ($16,000 U.S.) it had previously offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. The suspect is believed to have been working with Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegra, 24, the alleged boyfriend and confessed killer of Ortiz’ daughter Rubi Marisol Frayre Escobedo, 16, from Ciudad Juarez.?Bocanegra is accused of taking part in the planned killing of Ortiz on December 16 and the September 2008 murder of Rubi Marisol. He had confessed to killing Rubi Marisol and even led police to a hog farm where her dismembered body was found. Mexican authorities are now offering $5 million pesos ($384,616 U.S.) from $500,000 pesos ($41,000 U.S.) it had previously offered for information leading to the arrest of Bocanegra. They issued an international warrant because Bocanegra could have left the country, but family members of the Escobedo’s believe he is leaving with his girlfriend and several kids in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico.?Bocanegra is an alleged member of Los Zetas and the Cartel de Sinaloa has also joined in the manhunt for Bocanegra, according to several large hand written poster signs discovered around Ciudad Juarez and the Chihuahua Capitol city.?Ortiz had struggled for two years to bring Bocanegra to justice for the murder of her daughter Rubi Marisol in 2008. The day Ortiz was killed, she was outside the Chihuahua state government building in the city of Chihuahua for nine days staging a protest and demanding justice from Governor César Duarte and the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office.
Story here.
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Mexican Mother who Sought Justice for Murdered Daughter is Herself Assassinated
Diego DiGhero
December 21st 2010
A chilling video, taken by CCTV camera, captured the assassination of Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, a Mexican human rights activist who – for more than two years – has demanded justice for her murdered 16-year-old daughter, Rubí Marisol Frayre. Rubi was shot to death, allegedly by a lover, and her body later burned and left at a garbage dump.
Marisela was arranging on the evening of December 16 her protest signs in front of the government house in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, preparing for yet another demonstration, when a man emerged from a car and shot her in the head. Falling to the ground, she was soon taken by local police to hospital while she still showed signs of life. However, she was finally pronounced dead despite medical attention.

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