Thread: NM-Barrio Azteca threat targets El Paso law officers

Barrio Azteca threat targets law officers (5 a.m.)
By Daniel Borunda
El Paso Times
Posted: 03/25/2010

EL PASO -- The Barrio Azteca gang could be plotting to kill El Paso law enforcement officers in retaliation for a recent crackdown on gang members, an alert issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned.

"The Barrio Azteca gang may issue a 'green light' authorizing the attempted murder of LEOs (law enforcement officers) in the El Paso area," stated a copy of the alert obtained by the El Paso Times.

A "green light" is a murder sanctioned by the military-style leadership of the gang. The gang works with the Juárez drug cartel and is under scrutiny for its possible involvement in the unsolved murders in Juárez of three people tied to the U.S. Consulate.

The warning, or Officer Safety Alert, stated that the potential threat was "uncorroborated" but that officers and their families should take extra precautions.

"We understand it's uncorroborated information so we don't know how serious a threat it is," said Special Agent Andrea Simmons, spokeswoman for the FBI in El Paso.

The alert, issued on Monday, tells officers to wear body armor while on duty, to vary routes to and from work and to tell their families to watch for any unusual activity.

It also stated that suspicious people and vehicles near any government buildings should be reported.

"It is always good to be reminded that law enforcement can be a target for any reason," Simmons said.

Last week, the Barrio Azteca was the focus of one of the largest law enforcement operations in El Paso, resulting in the arrests of 54 alleged gang members and associates.

Names and charges of those arrested have not been released.

The sweep, named Operation Knock Down, is part of an investigation by the FBI and DEA into the murders of three people linked to the U.S. Consulate in Juárez on March 13. More than 200 officers from 21 agencies took part in the operation.

The Barrio Azteca was formed in the 1980s by El Pasoans in prison and is a brother organization to the Aztecas gang in Juárez. Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo, the reputed boss of the Barrio Azteca in Juárez, is on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list.

Mexican authorities suspect the Aztecas in the killings of Lesley Enriquez Redelfs, who worked for the consulate, and her husband, Arthur Redelfs, a detention officer with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

The couple were killed by armed men who chased and fired at their vehicle after they had left a children's party in Juárez.

They were expecting their second child. The couple's 7-month-old daughter was in the back seat of the car but was not hurt.

A third person, Jorge Alberto Ceniceros Salcido, whose wife, Hilda Antillon Jimenez worked at the consulate, was also slain at nearly the same time at another location after leaving the same party.

Aztecas are fighting on the side of La Linea, or the Juárez drug cartel, against the Sinaloa drug cartel in the current drug war.

Nearly 4,800 people have been killed in the Juárez area since 2008.

Juárez police have regularly fallen in the drug war, and it's not unusual for cartels to openly list officers marked for death.

Forty-eight Juárez police officers were killed last year, police spokesman Jacinto Segura said.

Segura said four officers (one an accidental death) have died this year, including an off-duty patrol officer slain Tuesday afternoon.

Juan Carlos Ramos Cirino, 28, was attacked by three or four gunmen with assault rifles who burst into his mother's home, fired 21 rounds and killed him in front of his mother, police said.

Juárez Mayor José Reyes Ferriz has also been threatened but unharmed.

On March 10, a pig head was left with a note stating the mayor had "two weeks left to live." The deadline was Wednesday.

In the past, threats against law enforcement on the U.S. border have popped up occasionally.

In 2000, Mexican drug traffickers offered a $200,000 bounty for the deaths of U.S. federal agents along the border. The threat did not materialize. There were also past rumors of bounties on drug-sniffing dogs.

"We see these kinds of alerts periodically, but we can't go into them because of security reasons," said Doug Mosier, spokesman for the Border Patrol.

As for the latest threat, El Paso police spokesman Detective Mike Baranyay would say only that officers were aware of it.

"We take everything serious," said Ron Martin, president of the El Paso Municipal Police Officers' Association. "The safety of the officers is paramount. It's not the first time somebody has put a hit or a green light on an officer, and it probably won't be the last."

Martin said police already exercise caution when dealing with any gang member and are vigilant because of the situation in Mexico.

"Gunning down a detention officer and his pregnant wife 20 feet from the Juárez city hall in view of the border highway (in El Paso) -- that's unacceptable," Martin said. "Mexico has to fix their problem, and if it takes the U.S. stepping in, so be it.

"You can't just execute somebody in broad daylight in front of God and country and you can't expect somebody not to react," Martin said. "If they (gangsters) don't want to be bothered, they shouldn't be criminals."

Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com; 546-6102.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_14753116?s ... ost_viewed

March 25, 2010
09:23 A.M. ET

Federal alert: Crime gang may target Texas police

Law enforcement officers in El Paso, Texas, have been warned that a Mexican-related gang may target them in retaliation for a crime sweep over the weekend.

An officer safety alert issued this week by the federal Department of Homeland Security said authorities had "received uncorroborated information that the Barrio Azteca gang in El Paso is considering retaliating against law enforcement officers in response to the 'gang sweep' conducted from Thursday 3/18/2010 through Sunday 3/21/2010. The Barrio Azteca gang may issue a 'green light' authorizing the attempted murder of LEOs in the El Paso area."

Officers are urged to take extra safety precautions, such as varying their routes to and from work and to wear body armor while on the job. Officers also are encouraged to talk with family members about the possible threat.

The crime sweep in the El Paso area occurred after the Barrio Azteca gang was identified as possibly being responsible for the recent killings in Mexico of three people associated with the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez. Two of those killed were U.S. citizens who lived in El Paso.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/25/fe ... /?hpt=Sbin

Meanwhile, Janet "Benedict Arnold" Napolitano made the following statement, obviously in full cooperation with the drug cartels and professional murderers:

Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Meeting with Stakeholders on Immigration Reform Efforts

Release Date: March 19, 2010

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano met with stakeholders today to discuss ongoing efforts to work together to create a comprehensive approach to immigration reform.

Secretary Napolitano stressed that the broken immigration system is a problem that has been ignored too long, and said today’s meeting was another important step forward in this administration’s efforts to work with our colleagues in Congress and representatives from law enforcement, business, labor, the faith community, advocacy groups and others to fix our current laws. She welcomed the input of the participants and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the Department and immigration stakeholders.

In today’s meeting, Secretary Napolitano commended the bipartisan proposal set forth by Senators Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham, which reflects the administration’s commitment to effective enforcement; addresses the need for improved legal flows for families and workers; and offers a firm but fair path to citizenship for those who are already in the United States.

Secretary Napolitano looks forward to continued work with President Obama, Senators Schumer and Graham and other Congressional partners, as well as stakeholders across the country as she continues to do everything she can to build a successful new immigration system.

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