Brazen cartel attack in Mexico City opens new front in crime battle

[rooster59]

Brazen cartel attack in Mexico City opens new front in crime battle

By Lizbeth Diaz

 

A police officer stands behind a cordon tape at an area where a shooting took place in Mexico City, Mexico, June 26, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Romero

 

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's bustling capital was once seen as a relative oasis in the country's raging drug war, but a shocking military-style assassination attempt on the city's police chief offers proof at least one gang is unafraid to shatter the peace.

 

The hyper-violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, was quickly fingered as the probable culprit by the wounded target of the attack, Mexico City security head Omar Garcia Harfuch, in a message tapped out on his phone shortly after the shooting, likely from his hospital bed.

 

The 38-year-old Garcia Harfuch - who was shot in the shoulder, collarbone and knee during the attack - defiantly pledged to keep working.

 

While cartel gunmen failed to kill Garcia Harfuch in Friday morning's daybreak hit in one of Mexico City's most upscale neighborhoods, two of his bodyguards plus an innocent bystander on her way to work were gunned down in the crossfire.

 

"Until recently, many denied that big drug cartels operate in Mexico City, and it's just not true," said security expert Erubiel Tirado.

 

Officials said nearly 20 suspects have already been arrested, including the man described as the leader of the attempted assassination.

 

The attack played out on the city's leafy Paseo de la Reforma boulevard. Security camera footage showed heavily armed and mostly hooded cartel hit men pouring out of a truck after blocking the roadway and unleashing hundreds of rounds on Garcia Harfuch's armored SUV.

 

Many analysts described the hit as a show of strength by CJNG and evidence that drug gangs are probably expanding their presence in Mexico's capital. Some, however, offered a contrarian view.

 

"For me, this looked like the futile struggle of a drowning man more than a show of strength," said cartel expert Tomas Guevara.

 

He noted that preliminary reports describe some three weeks of planning that went into the attack, and pointed to a well-executed counteroffensive by police immediately following the attack in which fleeing cartel gunmen were swiftly rounded up.

 

"In Mexico City, at least, the police are doing a good job ... and I hope this can boost other police departments in other states."

 

CJNG is regarded as Mexico's strongest gang, along with the Sinaloa Cartel formerly led by jailed kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. It is often credited with successfully infiltrating poorly paid and trained local police departments across the country to better protect its wide-ranging criminal rackets.

 

Unlike his predecessors, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has sought a less confrontational approach to crime-fighting, preferring to attack what he describes as root causes like poverty and youth joblessness, via social spending.

 

The leftist Lopez Obrador repeated that message in a video message posted on Saturday, stressing that he will not be "declaring war" on anyone while also promising to prevent future attacks.

 

"We won't let them intimidate us," he said.

 

However, during Lopez Obrador's first full year in office last year murders hit a new record, and the homicide rate is on pace to surpass it this year.

 

The grisly crime wave will likely apply new pressure on the president to change tack.

 

"The army will need to be brought in," said Tirado, even as he acknowledged it will not likely contain the growth of sophisticated actors like CJNG or new rounds of deadly shootouts.

 

"We've seen this movie before."

 

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Additional reporting by Adriana Barrera; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-28

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[PatchinExPat]

Mexico needs take the Rodrigo Duterte approach to this gang violence.

When they have info on a gang, send in a strong squad to take them

out, no prisoners , don't stop shooting until everyone is dead.

That is the language of the gangs , kill until no one stands in

your way.

Turn it around and use it on the gangs.

 

Most of the gang members have no skills other than gang life,

so there is really not something there to rehabilitate.

Edited June 28, 2020 by PatchinExPat
misspelling

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, PatchinExPat said:

Mexico needs take the Rodrigo Duterte approach to this gang violence.

When they have info on a gang, send in a strong squad to take them

out, no prisoners , don't stop shooting until everyone is dead.

That is the language of the gangs , kill until no one stands in

your way.

Turn it around and use it on the gangs.

 

Most of the gang members have no skills other than gang life,

so there is really not something there to rehabilitated.

The gangs probably out number and out gun the Police and they have more resources 

Duterte could take the individual drug sellers out one by one , the Mexican army could actually lose a war , if they went to war with the cartels

[RJRS1301]

29 minutes ago, PatchinExPat said:

Mexico needs take the Rodrigo Duterte approach to this gang violence.

When they have info on a gang, send in a strong squad to take them

out, no prisoners , don't stop shooting until everyone is dead.

That is the language of the gangs , kill until no one stands in

your way.

Turn it around and use it on the gangs.

 

Most of the gang members have no skills other than gang life,

so there is really not something there to rehabilitate.

From being in Mexico on several occasions for extended periods, you would need to shoot almost most local , state and federal officers, who are often in the pockets of the cartels.

 

[Colabamumbai]

Lived in Mexico ten years before moving here due to the violence. Was in the middle of a bank robbery police gun fight once. "living In Mexico" A. Clark on kindle amazon. 

[mikecha]

6 minutes ago, PatchinExPat said:

Mexico needs take the Rodrigo Duterte approach to this gang violence.

When they have info on a gang, send in a strong squad to take them

out, no prisoners , don't stop shooting until everyone is dead.

That is the language of the gangs , kill until no one stands in

your way.

Turn it around and use it on the gangs.

 

Most of the gang members have no skills other than gang life,

so there is really not something there to rehabilitate.

an expert  guess u have been in mexico many times

 

[RichardColeman]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The grisly crime wave will likely apply new pressure on the president to change tack.

Pretty sure the president is praying and keeping his fingers crossed Covid does him a favour in regards to the gangs

[Tug]

the Mexican people deserve better than this folks need to stop buying dope that will kill the cartels the majority of Mexicans I’ve known are hard working family types with a religious bent good and decent folks just the types I want on my team

[twocatsmac]

Build that wall.

[Stargeezr]

If the cartels have more people and guns than the Mexican military and police, then the

country will get what it deserves if Mexico cannot make the cartels behave.

   Maybe the Mexican government can ask the USA to bring their military in

and have a cartel culling until they are totally gone.

Geezer

[RJRS1301]

3 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

If the cartels have more people and guns than the Mexican military and police, then the

country will get what it deserves if Mexico cannot make the cartels behave.

   Maybe the Mexican government can ask the USA to bring their military in

and have a cartel culling until they are totally gone.

Geezer

USA and cartels in other countries, have not always worked well for those attempting to fight them. Even with moderate success and convicting their leaders the cartels have continued to flourishand have a higher income  than many countries GDPs