Mexico News Update. January 25, 2023.

The Kingpin Strategy

From the time of the tenure of President Enrique Peña Nieto, or EPN, the United States started a program aimed towards dismantling or debilitating the structures of the stronger organized crime groups, such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación or CJNG), and the Sinaloa Cartel (Cártel de Sinaloa or CDS), among others by going after their higher leaders. The program was named “The Kingpin Strategy.” The program was recently reinforced after the increase of deaths in the United States as a result of overdose use of fentanyl, a very powerful synthetic drug. The program in Mexico had been put to a halt after the detention in the United States, extradition to Mexico and later release of Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, who was the head of the Mexican Army (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional or SEDENA) during EPN’s presidency. This situation made the SEDENA strong arm President Andres Manuel López Obrador or AMLO into reducing the number of authorized agents, legal scope of work, rules and cooperation of the Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA in Mexico.

Out of all the law enforcement, military, and the judicial system in Mexico, the only office that in recent years the United States government agencies trust in Mexico is the Mexican Navy (Secretaría de Marina, Armada de México or SEMAR). And to narrow things down, there is a very closed elite special forces unit that has been key in the capturing of higher profile or interest targets in the SEMAR. This special forces unit is commanded by Admiral Marco Antonio Ortega Siu, also known by his radio sign as “El Águila” (or the Eagle). Adm. Ortega Siu has been responsible to command the operations for two captures of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, Rafael Caro Quintero, and in October of 2019 of El Chapo’s son Osvaldo “El Ratón” Guzman López (the Mouse) who was released by AMLO’s instructions after the civil unrest caused by the Sinaloa Cartel, and AMLO stated that his decision to release the Mouse was made to avoid further civilian casualties.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez

Osvaldo Guzman Lopez is considered one of the main drug traffickers responsible for the introduction of fentanyl into the United States. Guzman Lopez was captured in the morning of January 5, 2023, three days prior to the official visit of POTUS to Mexico. The capture seemed unexpected, for there had been many evidences of ties linking president AMLO with the Sinaloa Cartel. Said evidences have included “casual” roadside meetings in crossroads near Badiraguato, Sinaloa between AMLO and Mrs. Consuelo Loera, mother of El Chapo; the apprehension and almost immediate release of the Mouse in October 2019 by AMLO’s orders; public declarations of great respect of AMLO towards El Chapo in his Mañanera press conferences, making it a point to call him Mr. Guzman and correcting himself publicly for using his “Chapo” nickname. The most recent one is AMLO’s taking action after receiving a televised message from El Chapo’s attorney requesting his repatriation to continue his criminal sentence in a Mexican jail, for he, according to his attorney, is suffering many civil and human rights violations in the prison he is being retained in. The day after El Chapo’s attorney sent out his request on national TV, AMLO instructed Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s Secretary of State, to initiate a formal request to the US Government for El Chapo’s repatriation to Mexico.

It is noteworthy to state that many of the government statements regarding the detention of Ovidio Guzaman Lopez appear to be contradicting themselves. On one hand, there are statements from the Mexican Government that there is no detention order issued by any government entity in Mexico, which means there is no legal reason for him to have been detained by a Mexican Authority. Another statement, presented by Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval Gonzalez, head of the Mexican Army (SEDENA)––who claimed that they captured Guzman Lopez and no credit was given to the Mexican Navy (SEMAR)––stated that they captured him on a road military checkpoint while the Army was doing a routine verification of vehicles, and saw a group of individuals in several vehicles, tried to stop them to check them, and a gun battle between the organized crime group and the military soldiers began. Several were detained, among which was Guzman Lopez. It is noteworthy to mention that in Mexico, being in possession of firearms that are considered exclusive to the national armed forces (Army, Air Force and Navy) is a major felony and is prosecuted by law. From the activities of the detention of Guzman Lopez that morning there was an air attack from an armored helicopter (Army or Navy) to Guzman Lopez’ safe house and there are evidences that there were shots fired to said house that is located in the town of Jesús María, Sinaloa in the outskirts of Culiacan, Sinaloa.

Once detained, Guzman Lopez was immediately taken to Mexico City and presented to the Attorney General’s Office, and later on transferred to the maximum security jail located in Almoloya de Juarez, State of Mexico, which is the last jail from which his father, El Chapo escaped through the construction of an underground tunnel in July 15, 2015. At the court in Almoloya de Juárez, Guzman Lopez applied for and was granted a Habeas Corpus injunction recourse in an attempt to invalidate any extradition orders against him to the United States or other countries. Also, the principal judge handling his case, gave a grace period of 60 days for the US Government to present their case in order to process the extradition. If the US Government does not present their formal request and evidence according to the legal procedures, Guzman Lopez may be freed from jail.

There is a lot of speculation regarding the handling of the case, for it is assumed that there will be many resources used to manipulate the due process in order to invalidate the arrest and have him freed again.

Adding on to this item, the day of Guzman Lopez’ detention there were many attacks from members linked to the Sinaloa Cartel in Culiacan who executed many roadblocks by hijacking many vehicles including cargo trucks, buses and SUVs, and setting some of them on fire. This was even more notorious in the entry and exit ways feeding in and out of the city of Culiacan, Sinaloa and other surrounding cities. There was also an armed attack at the airport of Culiacan. The official toll of the attacks included the hijacking of over 250 vehicles, 29 individuals killed, out of which 10 were military casualties.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) in Check!

After the detention of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, an announcement was made that POTUS, following AMLO’s petition, would land in Air Force One at the Felipe Ángeles (Santa Lucía or NLO) Airport, the new alternate airport for Mexico City. Said commercial airport was constructed as an addition to the original military airbase of Santa Lucía, and has been one of AMLO’s flagship major construction projects of his tenure (in addition to the Tren Maya or Mayan Train, and the Dos Bocas Refinery in AMLO’s homestate of Tabasco). The relevance of this is that the arrival of both POTUS and PM Justin Trudeau to Mexico at AMLO’s flagship airport was a major political statement, since no foreign airlines––other than the official airline from Venezuela––have agreed to fly into said airport. This as a result of the fact that it does not have the safety classification necessary for international commercial airlines to use it.

Private sources from inside Palacio Nacional––Mexico’s official residence where the President of Mexico currently lives in and works from––stated that on January 9, 2023 a meeting was set in one of the private meeting rooms. The meeting included some high level officials of the US Government and a select group of officials from the Government of Mexico. According to what was reported, on the US Government side, the group included members of POTUS’ staff, high ranking officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA, and possibly a high ranking military representative. On the side of the officials from the Government of Mexico, those invited were Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Secretary of State (Secretario de Relaciones Exteriores), Admiral José Rafael Ojeda Durán, Secretary of Mexico’s Navy, and Adan Augusto Lopez Hernandez, Secretary of the Interior (Secretario de Gobernación).

It is noteworthy to mention that Andres (Andy) Lopez Beltran, AMLO’s son and political operator tried to enter the meeting, but was not allowed by the security detail of the US Government officials. Andy became very disgruntled after being left out of the meeting and made a phone call to someone in an attempt to be brought in. As he was waiting in a hallway waiting for the meeting to end and constantly texting on his telephone, after about 40 minutes the meeting was over. The three government officials from Mexico (Marcelo Ebrard, Adm. Jose Rafael Ojeda and Adan Augusto Lopez) came out with blue file folders that had been handed over to them by the US Government officials. As they came out from the meeting, Andy approached Adan Augusto Lopez pulling him away from the other two to ask him what had been going on in that meeting they came out from. It was described by the eye witnesses that Marcelo Ebrard and Adm. Jose Rafael Ojeda greeted the US officials on their way out and appeared to be quite cheerful with each other; but Andy and Adan Augusto Lopez, being apart from the other two, but within the same general area, seemed irritated, disgruntled and upset. The four started reviewing the blue file folders given to them and apparently there was a briefcase that was also handed to Ebrard and Adm. Ojeda by the US officials.

A few minutes passed, and Ebrard received a phone call and gathered the other individuals there present to take them into another meeting. In that other meeting, those present were Rosa Icela Rodriguez Velazquez, Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana), Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval, Secretary of Defense (General Secretario de la Defensa Nacional or SEDENA), Claudia Sheinbaum, Mayor of Mexico City, Beatriz Gutierrez Müller, wife of AMLO (notably avoiding being called the First Lady of Mexico), Omar Garcia Harfuch, Head of Public Safety for Mexico City (Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana, CDMX), and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador or AMLO. They all appeared to be upset and worried. Something was not working out well, at all!

It was also evident that the US officials had excluded Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval Gonzalez, the Secretary of Defense, from the meeting. That also caused the group to be upset and worried. Before closing the door, as they all entered into the private meeting room, Andy told Ebrard, Adm. Ojeda and Adan Augusto Lopez: “You must tell us what those Americans told you!”

The meeting only lasted 30 minutes. After that, Adm. Ojeda came out of the meeting seemingly very upset and carrying the briefcase given to them by the US officials, and the rest of the group remained inside the meeting room. Afterwards Sheimbaum and Garcia Harfuch left the room together, and finally Andy and Gen. Sandoval came out together, and Andy said to Gen. Sandoval: “I’ve told Ramon to come to Mexico as soon as possible; this was interpreted as a message relayed to his brother Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran.

Based on the profile of the meetings, those involved, those excluded, the events prior to the visit, the reactions, and the bits and pieces of information gathered from that day, it is possible to infer that in said private meeting between the officials of both the US and Mexico, there were three sensitive matters presented to Ebrard and Adm. Ojeda: the presentation of evidence against the kingpins of the Sinaloa Cartel (Cartel de Sinaloa or CDS), of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación or CJNG), and evidence on Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran, son of AMLO. That’s why Andy was excluded from the meeting.

The cartel kingpins identified as priority leaders for the US Government include Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar (another son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera), Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, and Jesus Alfredo “Alfredillo) Guzman Salazar (also a son of El Chapo). Added to that, there must be greater efforts from the Mexican Government to destroy drug laboratories in the states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Durango and Sonora. Said laboratories are being used by the organized crime cartels to produce mostly synthetic drugs.

It is clear that these arrests are being assigned to Mexico’s Navy (SEMAR), and they are the bargaining chip to not prosecute AMLO’s son Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran. Based on the behaviors, dynamics and historical events, it is clear that the US Government does not trust Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval, Secretary of Defense, but they do trus Marcelo Ebrard and Adm. Jose Rafael Ojeda.

Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran

Along with Carolyn Adams–his wife–, and their child, Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran suddenly had to leave their residence in Houston, Texas, and relocate to Mexico. They have apparently moved into Palacio Nacional, where they’ve been seen by all the staff living there since January 16, 2023, after being spotted and photographed in an upscale restaurant in the downtown area of Mexico City. Jose Ramon and Carolyn have been in the spotlight for the scandal involving conflicts of interest regarding the so-called Grey House in Houston, Texas, and contracts between Baker Hughes and Pemex, and their gaining personal benefits from said contracts; among other sketchy activities of them in Mexico and in the United States.

Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran was a political operator for his father for several years during the 18 years of political campaigns, by which AMLO finally gained the political capital to become the President of Mexico.

Jose Ramon’s lavish lifestyle has created great contrast, and affected the credibility and perception about AMLO’s discourse on austerity, lean government, and combat of corruption.

According to several sources of information, Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran has become a person of (great) interest to the US Government, not only as a public figure as AMLO’s son; but he apparent has links with leaders of organized crime, including money laundering from illegal hydrocarbons trade (known in Mexico as Huachicol), and receiving and handling of funds from other organized crime groups (like the Cartel de Sinaloa) to help fund political campaigns for his father and the MORENA political party they are a part of.