TIJUANA, Mexico — Soldiers arrested a leader of the Tijuana-based Arellano Felix cartel after a shootout in a middle-class neighborhood of the border
city across from San Diego, Mexico's Defense Department announced Sunday.
Eduardo Arellano Felix was captured Saturday night together with his daughter. The U.S. State Department once offered $5 million for his capture.
Mexican authorities say Arellano Felix and his sister Enedina Arellano Felix took over the drug clan's leadership after several of their brothers were
arrested or killed.
Tijuana, once clearly the gang's home turf, has become a focal point of soaring violence between rival organized crime groups and often outgunned
authorities.
The Arellano Felix cartel emerged in the 1980s as a drug trafficking powerhouse across the U.S. border from San Diego, but has been weakened in recent
years as leaders were killed or captured.
In 2006, Francisco Javier Arellano Felix was captured on a fishing boat by the U.S. Coast Guard in international waters off the coast of southern Baja
California.
A huge blow was dealt to the gang in 2002 with the arrest of Benjamin Arellano Felix, reputedly the planning chief of the gang, and the killing of
Ramon Arellano Felix, the groups feared enforcer.
President Felipe Calderon has come under criticism for a surge in homicides and kidnappings, even as thousands of soldiers and federal police fight
drug gangs across the country.
Calderon's administration also has focused on extraditing suspected traffickers to the United States, a move which U.S. anti-drug officials have
praised.
However, a Mexican judge in July blocked the extradition to the U.S. of Benjamin Arellano Felix until a court can rule on the legality of the
government's extradition order.greybaby - 10-26-2008 at 08:35 PM
Too bad he was arrested in Mexico. He will probably "mysteriously" escape before long. Unfortunately, the cartels have more money than both of our
countries (US & Mexico) together. If he had been arrested in California, there would be hope he would stay locked up.fishbuck - 10-27-2008 at 01:54 AM
Bull!
No amount of money is gonna get this dude off. With all the murders lately? He'll be lucky to stay alive long enough to get to a nice safe US prison.
I might go down and do the job myself. Where they keeping him?
Time to send a message American style!!!
Who's in?
"Let's roll!"
[Edited on 10-27-2008 by fishbuck]SDRonni - 10-27-2008 at 07:57 AM
I wish I was foolish enough to believe this is the beginning of the end of the violence, but won't the other bad guys just now try to fight for the
void left by this scumbag? I keep thinking it can't get any worse.............then it does...........lizard lips - 10-27-2008 at 08:45 AM
It will get a lot worse now that he's caught but I'm with you fishbuck. Lets do it......MexicoGringoGuy - 10-27-2008 at 08:52 AM
Well... after doing a little reading, it seems he isnt really even the leader... Some say he is number 2 others say he is only an advisor...
Seems his nephew, and maybe sister are the ones in charge.... and some other non family members fighting to get there.. I think since he is one of
the origional brothers , they wanted him for the sound of it.. BUT from what it looks like, they didnt really catch anybody... (NOT SAYING HE WASNT
INVOLVED OR A BAD BAD MAN>> JUST SAYING HE DOESNT SEEM TO BE THE """LEADER"" AS STATED"
He looks scary as hell if you look at a pic real close up.. looks evil...Hook - 10-27-2008 at 09:02 AM
Who was the Arellano Felix member whom the US released back into Mexico a few months ago?k-rico - 10-27-2008 at 09:04 AM
The authorities are eliminating the command and control faction of the Tijuana cartel. These are the guys that have the BIG money, international
connections, and hooks into corrupt Mexican authorities.
A similar approach was used by the US to eliminate the organized crime families in New York, Chicago, and other cities.
In this case, guilty to proven innocent is a good approach.
They need to get Luis Fernando Arellano Félix, he's a monster, believed to be responsible for causing much of the recent violence. I bet Eduardo, who
they just captured, is being questioned rather intensly about the wherabouts of brother Luis. I hope they're beating him senseless.
Originally posted by lizard lips
It will get a lot worse now that he's caught
Depending on your point of view.
True, there will be lots more killing. But the majority will be c-ckroaches.lizard lips - 10-27-2008 at 09:10 AM
I hope so Dave............tjBill - 10-27-2008 at 09:38 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
True, there will be lots more killing. But the majority will be c-ckroaches.
I would think these drug gangs would adventually run out of people to kill. Over 400 this year.
I wonder how many work for or are associated with the Cartel. k-rico - 10-27-2008 at 10:13 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
They need to get Luis Fernando Arellano Félix, he's a monster, believed to be responsible for causing much of the recent violence. I bet Eduardo, who
they just captured, is being questioned rather intensely about the whereabouts of brother Luis. I hope they're beating him senseless.
I think I have this wrong but I'm not sure, I was just speaking with a friend and he says that the really bad guy operating in TJ "the Engineer" is
the nephew of the guy they just arrested. Supposedly the Engineer and his boys are trying to align the Tijuana cartel with one of the other cartels
and the loyal TJ cartel members aren't going for it. Hence the violence within the TJ cartel.
Interesting stuff.Woooosh - 10-27-2008 at 10:17 AM
This will bring the in-fighting to a head. Or no heads in this case.Hook - 10-27-2008 at 10:40 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by tjBill
Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
True, there will be lots more killing. But the majority will be c-ckroaches.
I would think these drug gangs would adventually run out of people to kill. Over 400 this year.
I wonder how many work for or are associated with the Cartel.
With wages so low and meth so cheap in Mexico, I'd say the supply is probably endless.
The word is senior guzman
Bajajack - 10-27-2008 at 10:44 AM
is now in the process of consolidating the sonora/baja connection.
There will probably be a lot more infighting in the short term but in the coming months it should level off and back to business as usual.Woooosh - 10-28-2008 at 08:52 AM
They will parade Eduardo around and then let him go. The Mexican authorities said yesterady there were no charges pending in Mexico to hold him!
The only thing they are charging him with is firing upon the approaching officers and having an illegal weapon in the house. The USA had a $5 Million
reward out for him- but Mexico isn't really interested inhim it seems.
[Edited on 10-28-2008 by Woooosh]
I doubt that they will release him but....
Dave - 10-28-2008 at 09:19 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
The only thing they are charging him with is firing upon the approaching officers and having an illegal weapon in the house.
To put this in perspective:
Imagine it was a gringo who fired upon approching officers and who had an illegal weapon in his house.
Think they would let him go? k-rico - 10-28-2008 at 09:21 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
They will parade Eduardo around and then let him go. The Mexican authorities said yesterady there were no charges pending in Mexico to hold him!
The only thing they are charging him with is firing upon the approaching officers and having an illegal weapon in the house. The USA had a $5 Million
reward out for him- but Mexico isn't really interested inhim it seems.
[Edited on 10-28-2008 by Woooosh]
Where did you find this information?
The US has already
Bajajack - 10-28-2008 at 09:39 AM
filed an extradition request on him, it should be interesting to see how it plays out.
We'd have to promise not to kill him
Dave - 10-28-2008 at 09:56 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Bajajack
filed an extradition request on him, it should be interesting to see how it plays out.
You know... How Mexico strongly supports the human rights thing. Against the death penalty and all that stuff.Woooosh - 10-28-2008 at 10:06 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
They will parade Eduardo around and then let him go. The Mexican authorities said yesterady there were no charges pending in Mexico to hold him!
The only thing they are charging him with is firing upon the approaching officers and having an illegal weapon in the house. The USA had a $5 Million
reward out for him- but Mexico isn't really interested inhim it seems.
[Edited on 10-28-2008 by Woooosh]
Where did you find this information?
Mexico's lack of interest in Eduardo is in today's Union Trib on PAge B1. It says they only acted because the USA gave them a tip about where he was
in TJ. They weren't really looking for him I guess- but with the USA holding millions in anti-drug funds in their faces- I guess they had to take him
down.
"He was arrested Saturday after a gunbattle with Mexican police and soldiers and then taken to Mexico City, but his status is somewhat unclear.
Facundo Rosas, a high-ranking official in Mexico's public safety secretanat, said yesterday on a Mexico City radio program that "there is no specific
warrant" for Eduardo Arellano's arrest in Mexico.
Rosas said "there would be a possibility of extraditing"Arellano only after he faces any charges in Mexico.
On Sunday, Rosas had told reporters during a Mexico City news conference that Arellano was detained for firing at the agents closing in on him, and
for the unauthorized weapons found inside the house where he was arrested. "UnoMas - 10-28-2008 at 06:58 PM
Hook
I believe that the Arellano Felix that you mention in your post was the leader of the cartel who was arrested on a sport fishing boat by the U.S, out
of La Paz, Sentenced to life in prison, served two years and was released back to Mexico where there were no warrants on him, and was released by
Mexico as a free man..............No!gnukid - 10-28-2008 at 07:55 PM
Benjamín Arellano Félix: The drug cartel's suspected former chief executive was captured in Mexico in 2002. In July, a Mexican judge blocked his
extradition to the United States until a court can rule on the order's legality.
Ramón Arellano Félix: The cartel's suspected top enforcer was killed in a shootout with Mexican police in the state of Sinaloa in 2002.
Francisco Javier Arellano Félix: Captured in 2006 on a fishing boat off the coast of Baja California Sur and is serving a life sentence in a U.S.
federal prison.
Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix: The oldest brother was extradited to the United States in 2006. In March, he was deported to Mexico after being freed
from a San Diego prison. He was sentenced by a U.S. judge to six years in prison on drug charges but was granted parole.
Eduardo Arellano Félix: Captured after a shootout in Tijuana on Saturday night and was flown to Mexico City.
