Another killing at Plaza Solare.

[rawkus]

A business owner was gunned down inside the Zen Sushi Bar.

He later died in Hospital Galenia.

Ejecutan a empresario en Cancun - Grupo SIPSE, sipse.com

[V]

"Miguel Rodríguez Olivera, presunto distinguido integrante del Cartel de Sinaloa, fue ejecutado esta noche en Cancún."

Early press reports are saying he was an important figure in the Sinaloa Drug Cartel. Some "businessman".

[rawkus]

JakeRay: Oh, I know, I simply posted the news

V: Part time business-owner, part time Narco?

The only problem as I see it, is that one really has to have trust in that the hit-men are well trained and do not spray bullets that will/could hit others around...

I think he took 3 to the abdomen, but the news this morning said "7-12 shots were spread out in the area, that had other visitors..."

It would be easier to avoid these situations if narcos would wear some kind of badges/clothing, similar to the Red Cross when they are in war zones, hehe

[V]

The plot thickens, just a little, if Novedades got it right.

Novedades reported this AM that three men were involved in the assassination: one did the shooting, while two stood guard.

The assassins apparently had been tipped as to the whereabouts of their target by persons unknown, but witnesses said one of the three people who had been at his table excused himself to the bathroom just before the shooting, while the wife was said to have been on the phone at the time (whether at the table, or away from it, was unclear to me).

Novedades added, source unknown to me, that the U.S. Treasury Department carried the deceased on a list of those in Mexico who were believed to have derived great wealth from illegal activities (this list is maintained in case there is ever an opportunity presented to the Treasury to seize their property).
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[T.J.]

Well guess who got there just after. Me, Ruben and Scott, heading to Wing's Army, which is right next to the Sushi bar on the 3rd floor. Lots of heavily armed and masked military and a crime scene truck. Just like CSI. We could not find out any real details other than they have two new hotties working at Lemon.

There you go.

[kathy_caribe]

This is how it starts. You start having sicarios hitting in public, balaceras between Marineros and sicarios in popular areas, halcones everywhere you look and then hangings from bridges and narcomantas. This has been the pattern in 2 other tourist destinations, Mazatlan and Acapulco. Veracruz is still in the sicario hits (with tourists caught and dying from grenades and bullets) and balacera stage and I can only hope they can stop it there.

[GONZO]

Could you translate this Kathy.
narcomantas =

I think I found the others
sicarios = hitmen
balaceras = shootings
Marineros = Mariners
halcones = Hawks

[d5332]

Narco is drug related criminal
Manta is blanket

the two combined refer to when the killing comes with a message. The blanket they leave behind and or wrap the victim in.....its the signature or message

Originally Posted by GONZO

Could you translate this Kathy.
narcomantas =

I think I found the others
sicarios = hitmen
balaceras = shootings
Marineros = Mariners
halcones = Hawks

[kathy_caribe]

Originally Posted by GONZO

Could you translate this Kathy.
narcomantas =

I think I found the others
sicarios = hitmen
balaceras = shootings
Marineros = Mariners
halcones = Hawks

narcomantas are usually written on sheets or large pieces of cloth and hung from prominent areas with a message from the cartel. marineros are the Army and Marines who usually get in shootouts (balaceras) with the sicarios (guys who do the killing for cartels). I got lazy and used "marineros" but Army is out there too. Halcones are guys who watch stuff. they are usually standing on the street with a radio and are the eyes of the cartel. Sicaros are as young as 11 and old as whatever. Girls as well as boys. Lots of halcones are taxistas and bus drivers also.

With constant rumores flying that El Chapo is in Veracruz it will be interesting to see if things start heating up in Cancun.

[Gringation]

Just got back from a lovely lunch at La Cantinita. Plaza Solare looks like business as usual, except Zen Sushi had "clausurado" signs on the doors.

[GONZO]

Thanks Kathy for the explanation.

[V]

Click on the link to read a little about what the U.S. Treasury Dept had to say about the decedent.

http://www.treasury.gov/press-center...es/tg1043.aspx

[d5332]

Only 35 years old I think.

Dude was not a small fish....he is dead for giving papaya....

Papaya = exposing yourself, making yourself an easy target

I would be shocked if Chapo is in the Country, that would be bold if he has not moved his control room to a diff Country.

[V]

The Quintana Roo State Prosecutor yesterday confirmed that the person killed was, indeed, Miguel Rodriguez Olivera: confirmation required a day, because the deceased was carrying personal identification naming him as Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez Sánchez.

In case you didn't open the Treasury link, above, here is a quote from it:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated Los Gueros, a Mexican drug trafficking organization that is part of the Sinaloa Cartel, as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (SDNT) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Today’s action also targeted the leaders of Los Gueros and key members of the Sinaloa Cartel, brothers Luis Rodriguez Olivera and Esteban Rodriguez Olivera, as well as their brothers and key members of Los Gueros, Daniel Rodriguez Olivera and Miguel Rodriguez Olivera. As a result of today’s action, U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting financial or commercial transactions with the designees, and any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.

This notice was released in Feb, this year. With this much attention being called to him, I'm a little surprised that he would be "out and about": he must have had great confidence in his assumed identity.

Although named as both a capo and an entrepreneur in newspaper reports, none seem to mention any business related to him other than narcotics trafficking. One article suggested he was an "associate" of Jorge Jimenez Contreras, killed at the same shopping center in Nov, last year, but offered no evidence, or even any details.

[Jim in Cancun]

More news from today's Por Esto(not for the Spanishly-challenged)--several articles http://www.poresto.net/squintanaroo.php?idSeccion=1
including ones that mention that he was well known here, laundered money/was a partner in the restaurant, etc. Says 8 shots to the abdomen by one shooter. Shooter and 2 others ran down the stairs and had two vehicles waiting outside.

Reminds of the days when gangsters in the U.S. were more hero than criminal sponsored St. Valentine´s day massacres, spent lavishly, lived lavishly and wandered freely around town and everyone knew it. Where is Elliot Ness when you need him? Maybe Pancho Villa´s nephew is our man?

"Nothing new under the sun."

[T.J.]

My sources tell me that the guy who got shot at Zen took 3 to the stomach at point blank range. I don't think there was a spray of 10-12 shots fired. I must say that getting to that plaza to eat a short while after the shooting was a bit disconcerting but it soon was business as usual. The exception was that Wings Army and Zen were closed and access to that floor was blocked.

I keep wondering how the team of three got away. Did they walk down the stairs, take the elevator, rappel down a back wall or what? Did they walk or run? Did they have a getaway car and driver standing by. Did they take a right onto the side street, out of the parking lot which would have taken them to the hotel zone? No one seemed to have seen anything and if they did, they weren't telling the other customers. A waitress told me she heard the shots and ran to a restroom with another female and locked herself in. Lots of questions without answers. I did see the Zen staff come down en masse and leave together, moving quickly.

I would assume that the investigators asked the witnesses these types of questions but I have not seen any answers in the press. Business as usual keeps coming to mind. The guy who got shot at the plaza a few months ago had eaten at Zen that night but he got whacked in the parking lot. Makes me wonder about eating there but it is a real favorite of mine. And it was a promo night at Wings Army where I was headed. You can easily see inside Zen from there but who was really looking. Most people probably just tend to their own business for the most part. But I suspect that Wings Army had a decent crowd, even given the early hour.

[V]

Any of the readers know this guy, or know where he lived?

[Cancun Fun]

Originally Posted by V

Any of the readers know this guy, or know where he lived?

Why V, you wanting to send flowers?

[d5332]

#1 Death of criminals are not investigated, its a case closed, guy had a bounty on his head.

#2 Sounds like the Sushi place is a fav spot of many...eat at your own risk...you decide if the sushi is worth risking a stray bullet...

hitmen try to hit only the intended target but the target must be killed bc its kill or be killed, never a guarantee that the target will remain still for close range shooting or that the hitman arrived with good aim....

Must be some damn good sushi....

Originally Posted by T.J.

My sources tell me that the guy who got shot at Zen took 3 to the stomach at point blank range. I don't think there was a spray of 10-12 shots fired. I must say that getting to that plaza to eat a short while after the shooting was a bit disconcerting but it soon was business as usual. The exception was that Wings Army and Zen were closed and access to that floor was blocked.

I keep wondering how the team of three got away. Did they walk down the stairs, take the elevator, rappel down a back wall or what? Did they walk or run? Did they have a getaway car and driver standing by. Did they take a right onto the side street, out of the parking lot which would have taken them to the hotel zone? No one seemed to have seen anything and if they did, they weren't telling the other customers. A waitress told me she heard the shots and ran to a restroom with another female and locked herself in. Lots of questions without answers. I did see the Zen staff come down en masse and leave together, moving quickly.

I would assume that the investigators asked the witnesses these types of questions but I have not seen any answers in the press. Business as usual keeps coming to mind. The guy who got shot at the plaza a few months ago had eaten at Zen that night but he got whacked in the parking lot. Makes me wonder about eating there but it is a real favorite of mine. And it was a promo night at Wings Army where I was headed. You can easily see inside Zen from there but who was really looking. Most people probably just tend to their own business for the most part. But I suspect that Wings Army had a decent crowd, even given the early hour.

[Cancun Fun]

Originally Posted by d5332

Must be some damn good sushi....

JAJAJA...thats what I thought. Wings Army for sure sucks. Tj I thought you knew better!

[T.J.]

CF - I go for the company and for more beer options. And I often end up at Zen after intending to go to W.A. But they are getting better at the wings game.

Diego - I like your style man. I may have to find another place. It is a cause of great concern. And Zen is not a big place. Maybe 6 or 8 at the sushi bar and maybe 40 more seats at tables. The public area is about 10m x 10m. Not a lot of room so very good point.

I had no idea that it was "case closed" but it makes perfect sense. There will no doubt be retaliation but where is anyone's guess.

[rawkus]

TJ: Same here - I do WA for the international beers

Regarding the shooting: Ive heard 3 different stories(amount of bullets, etc.) in the news.

One stated that the get away car was a crappy and banged up Tsuru, with Jalisco plates.

Have no clue whats correct, jaja.

[d5332]

At this point this is yesterday's news. To the Fed's someone did the work for them, to the local police they killed a paying customer.

This guy was in his comfort zone and if he was really connected as alleged then he was taken out by his own network, they either sold his location or did it themselves.

It wont be investigated but it will be vindicated by at the very least his surviving brothers, not to mention the main boss, assuming the main boss was not the the money man behind the hit...

This guys sometimes pay with their life for confiscated shipments despite how much they are already worth...

If you dont want to be eaten by a shark, dont swim in shark infested waters...If you do, they disclaimer is....swim at your own risk...

[Windknot]

The overall problem is, as I see it, is that since Calderon's crackdown, the cartels have been hurting for "membership," if you will. So just like Hitler and the Japanese of decades ago, they have had to resort to using younger and younger kids to do their dirty work.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to imagine how a 11-17 y.o. boy who has been beaten down by the socio-economic system in Mexico, feels when he is now given an AK-47, M-16, or (as was the case in Veracruz**) a grenade. NOW he has power that he can wield over all who "oppressed" him in the past and he revels in that new-found power. Add to that, that he doesn't fully know how to use his "power" and that is how innocent bystanders get killed.

Shootings and killings have been going on here for decades. But in the past they were much more precise. A tourist or Gringo was never the target and had nothing to fear, unless he had it coming to him/her by involving him/herself in that kind of illicit practice. Oh, and it (almost) never happened in a tourist area, like Cancun, Acapulco, or Puerta Vallerta. Unless you read the paper every day, you might not even know about it.

Times have changed.

** It was believed that it was a "kid" (15-17 y.o.) who threw the grenade that killed one tourist and injured his 2 kids. It is also believed that he was aiming at the military vehicle that was chasing them....not at people on the sidewalk. So it is not known if said grenade caromed off a sign or light pole....or if his aim was just bad. Point is, this is what will happen when children are given deadly weapons, never mind if they are trained on how to use them. But gone are the days of precision. Now they just toss and pray.....or spray bullets in the general direction and hope for the best (for them, that is).

[d5332]

Actually, what the Calderon crackdown did was splinter 4 major cartels into several dozen coupled with other up and coming criminal gangs, mexico probably has 3 or 4 dozen significant groups all fighting for routes control.

The govt needs to reach a compromise with the Pacific, Juarez, Gulf and Zetas including the Leyva gang in the discussions. Let the cartels put out the emerging groups and forging a working relationship to stop the fighting over routes.

Its the only solution to stop the bloodshed. The cut the head of the snake strategy does not work with criminal enterprises. You remove the leadership and you leave the infrastructure all fighting for a piece of the pie $$$$$ and it splinters.

Between, weed, meth, coke, heroin, border crossings, local drug plazas, local extortion, kidnappings, robberies we are talking about a $10 to $15 billion dollar a year industry, everyone wants a piece of that.

The only solution is to allow the most powerful to continue trafficking in exchange for a considerable reduction in domestic crime.

[T.J.]

I was talking to a perfect stranger last night at the ball game, a Mexican with his family. His take was basically, "Who cares? It was "Es un chico malo matando a otro malo. Cada vez es uno menos malo." Doesn't sound too bad, except for the occasional collateral damage. Where is Bruce Willis when we need him?

[V]

T.J., I think this is just people trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Somehow, though this man was known to be heavily involved in the drug trade, and had been indicted in the U.S., still there did not seem to be an image available of him (check the Treasury Dept link, above), so the authorities may have needed a tip to be able to close in on him. Many would have known who he was, really, but he was using an assumed ID here, and it seems to have worked for him until just recently.

[V]

The Prosecutor General for the Republic of Mexico has asserted that their investigation, so far, into the death of Miguel Rodriguez Olivera has lead them to believe that Jorge Jimenez Contreras, assassinated at the same shopping/dining complex in November last year, were "close associates," according to Por Esto.

Diego, your comments reflect an understanding of the situation involving the drug trade in Mexico, but don't reflect the full range of possibilities; for example,

The only solution is to allow the most powerful to continue trafficking in exchange for a considerable reduction in domestic crime.

This doesn't "work" as either a short or long term solution of the problem because it, 1) leaves the criminal enterprise in place; 2) implicates the government in it, by giving a governmental "imprimatur" to the activity; 3) suggests that the government is powerless to deal with it; 4) accepts the permanent powerless of the government to control the country, for the benefit of its citizens; 5) fails to recognize the degree to which the criminal enterprise here has been disrupted by governmental action over the last four years; 6) fails to reward the sacrifices that politicians, police and military have made to make this happen, including giving their lives in the effort; and, 7) fails to consider alternatives.

The problem has to be addressed on both sides. Mexicans should, for the sake of their country, give up this easy source of money. It's not the leading lights of Mexico who engage in this activity; in fact, the only requirement is ruthlessness. Americans should forego their fondness for drugs, legal and illegal, for the sake of Mexicans. Will either of them do it? Not unless someone leads them to a realization that none of this is necessary, is extraordinarily selfish, and is damaging to both countries.

Speaking of alternatives, the U.S. has been tireless in its attempts to impose anti-drug policies around the world, and it has a forty year history of failure to show for it: fair consideration of alternatives is in order. Treating drug use in the U.S. as a public health matter, and taking it out of the category of a criminal matter, is the beginning.
________________________

[d5332]

Woah!

Some analysis...could work...in a perfect world....

The US Govt made secret deals with the Italian Mafia during WWII and at other times in order to get things done.

Mexico in the past had favored one cartel over the other, I forget which one.

It's easy to say Mexican's should do this or that....in the meantime they starve...secondly, it's not as simple as no thank you mister, I am not interested. You may be born in a outskirt town where they criminals rule and its join them or die.

This topic can go on and on....

Anyone in this world that thinks that any given government can stomp out Mafia's is a dreamer. It just wont happen, there is not enough work for everyone and survival is at stake, people will figure out how to make money even if its illegal.

Anyone that thinks trafficking of anything can be stomped out is also a dreamer, us, human beings have been smuggling since before currency even existed.

The US has actually made very significant strides to fight drug trafficking...laws have been enacted, borders have been tightened, traffickers eventually fall and everything is confiscated or most of it.

Gone are the days that you can take your private yatch from Florida to a Caribbean Island without being inspected and hit mainland with half a ton on board, gone are the days when the capos had the freedom to travel to the States for meetings and inspections of their networks.

Once upon a time you can find anyone dealing in the streets of Queens, particularly in the 80's, when you could enter the States with 10 kilos in your luggage and you walked right thru.

If the Mexican Government wants some peace and tranquility they will have to make a secret deal with someone and tackle one cartel at a time. Going after all the cartels simultenously is messy as you can see. You kill or capture one guy and the network is still alive.

I will leave you with this example of why it never ever ends....When Pablo Escobar was killed, in the process the bounty hunters killed all of his lawyers, accountants, money launderers, stash house guards, they killed the entire network in a matter of months, dozens upon dozens, upon dozens....so you would think his network was abolished...well it wasnt, some made deals with other cartels and went underground, others paid their debts and left the Country for a few years...

The networks are so large that they can never capture everyone and there is too much money involved. A few weeks ago, a woman was captured in Colombia, accused of working with Chapo. Who is this woman, they sister of a little known pilot that worked for Pablo in the 80's and in 30 years was never captured, arrested and amounted a hugeeeee fortune...

You cut the head of the snake and the body will keep moving and moving, kept alive by cold hard cash.

You can't abolish it, when the problem is as big as it is in Mexico, you have to do what the CIA does. The CIA makes secret deals, they favor one government or tribe over another, they arm it, the opposition is overtaken and in a few years the US Govt undoes the deal by again replacing the leadership of said State....Afghanistan, Lybia, African Countries, you name it..

It's not a lifetime deal, its a strategy, you let some criminals work as long as they are helping you maintain stability, you take care of them as well at a later date....

Its the only way to stop the murder of thousands of innocent people...The end...

Originally Posted by V

The Prosecutor General for the Republic of Mexico has asserted that their investigation, so far, into the death of Miguel Rodriguez Olivera has lead them to believe that Jorge Jimenez Contreras, assassinated at the same shopping/dining complex in November last year, were "close associates," according to Por Esto.

Diego, your comments reflect an understanding of the situation involving the drug trade in Mexico, but don't reflect the full range of possibilities; for example,
This doesn't "work" as either a short or long term solution of the problem because it, 1) leaves the criminal enterprise in place; 2) implicates the government in it, by giving a governmental "imprimatur" to the activity; 3) suggests that the government is powerless to deal with it; 4) accepts the permanent powerless of the government to control the country, for the benefit of its citizens; 5) fails to recognize the degree to which the criminal enterprise here has been disrupted by governmental action over the last four years; 6) fails to reward the sacrifices that politicians, police and military have made to make this happen, including giving their lives in the effort; and, 7) fails to consider alternatives.

The problem has to be addressed on both sides. Mexicans should, for the sake of their country, give up this easy source of money. It's not the leading lights of Mexico who engage in this activity; in fact, the only requirement is ruthlessness. Americans should forego their fondness for drugs, legal and illegal, for the sake of Mexicans. Will either of them do it? Not unless someone leads them to a realization that none of this is necessary, is extraordinarily selfish, and is damaging to both countries.

Speaking of alternatives, the U.S. has been tireless in its attempts to impose anti-drug policies around the world, and it has a forty year history of failure to show for it: fair consideration of alternatives is in order. Treating drug use in the U.S. as a public health matter, and taking it out of the category of a criminal matter, is the beginning.
________________________

[V]

Diego, it seems you're arguing for the status quo ante, when there may be perfectly reasonable alternatives to an approach taken by the U.S. Government, and others, for about the last 50 years. Quoting me:

...none of this is necessary.... ***... the U.S. has been tireless in its attempts to impose anti-drug policies around the world, and it has a forty year history of failure to show for it: fair consideration of alternatives is in order. Treating drug use in the U.S. as a public health matter, and taking it out of the category of a criminal matter, is the beginning.

People on both sides of the border, and the human race as a whole, have wanted to get high since they first discovered substances that would do the trick. Across the board criminalization of this practice is a relatively new development, starting about fifty years ago, in most cases. My great aunt spoke of using marijuana before the U.S. Government criminalized its use, for example. A great many famous people used cocaine more than one hundred years ago, and wrote about it, publicly.

It's only a lack of imagination and will which leaves us in this uncomfortable middle ground, with our people wanting to use drugs, and the only response our governments can offer is to say they cannot.
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