Thread: 109 Suspected traffickers detained byArmy being investigated

109 Suspected traffickers detained by Army being investigated

Omar Millán González
February 20, 2009

TIJUANA — The Mexican Army has detained 109 suspected traffickers tied to drug cartels so far this year in Baja California, said the commander of the Second Military Zone, Gen. Alfonso Duarte Mújica.

The suspects are being investigated by Mexico's Attorney General for possible links to Fernando Sánchez Arellano, the current leader of the Arellano Félix drug cartel, or to Teodoro Eduardo GarcÃ*a Simental El Teo.

The latter is an ex-associate of the Arellano cartel who started a brutal internal war with his previous employers and a confrontation with federal government forces that led to a record number of killings last year in the region.

The latest arrests of two alleged gunmen came last Sunday, but were not announced by Duarte until Thursday, during a celebration marking Army Day in the Morelos barracks in Tijuana.

The two suspects were identified as Ernesto López Ocegueda and Fernando Arturo Frasquillo MarÃ*n, who were detained in the La Presa district by federal police officers as they drove in a Jeep.

The Baja California office of Mexico's Attorney General said both men were transported Thursday night to the Mexico City offices of SIEDO, which investigates organized crime, where they will be held for 40 days.

The Attorney General's office said the two men are being charged with participating in organized crime and violating federal anti-gun laws. When the men were arrested, authorities found two AK-47 assault rifles and 91 rounds.

The increased role of Army troops in law enforcement, coupled with the work of federal and municipal police officers, has returned an apparent calm to the city, which saw a week without high-profile killings.
Gen. Duarte said the decrease in violent crime is also due to local citizens who have dared to denounce the criminals.

“Information received from citizens is the main reason for the Army's excellent results,â€

So why am I still skeptical?