Mexican authorities captured Jose Antonio "El Diego" Acosta Hernandez, the top leader of La Linea, on July 29 in Chihuahua state. La Linea is the enforcement arm of the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes organization (VCF), aka the Juarez cartel. The news release from the Mexican government said the gunbattle and Acosta's arrest occurred in an upscale neighborhood of Chihuahua City. Police seized several items from the house, including two handguns, one assault rifle, and various communications and computer equipment. Acosta, a former Juarez police officer, had previously been linked to the murder of a U.S. Consulate worker in Juarez and improvised explosive device attacks directed against Juarez police, as well as a Jan. 30, 2010, attack on teens at a party that killed 15. Mexican police say that since his capture, Acosta has confessed to ordering the killings of 1,500 people in the VCF's ongoing struggle against the Sinaloa Federation for control of Juarez. Acosta's capture will deal a significant blow to La Linea's operations, as well as those of the VCF. It also provides Mexican authorities a large volume of information to analyze that could lead to follow-up actions. Acosta is believed to control all La Linea operations in Juarez and Chihuahua. His position in the VCF hierarchy as head of the cartel's enforcement arm will make him difficult to replace. For the cartels, it is never a good time to lose an important figure, but the loss is felt even more acutely when the figure is the leader of the cartel's armed wing and he is removed from the mix in the midst of a heated and prolonged battle for survival. Moreover, Sinaloa has been pressing its advantage in Juarez, making steady headway into VCF territory, and Acosta's arrest likely will further weaken the VCF's ability to combat Sinaloa encroachment. Acosta also reportedly was the pivotal link between the VCF and a key Juarez street gang, Los Aztecas. Acosta's arrest thus could provide an opportunity for the Aztecas to switch allegiance to Sinaloa, which would further weaken the VCF. Acosta's capture may assist Mexican authorities in a number of ways. Admissions he makes during interrogations could be used in follow-on raids against his key lieutenants and contacts and other high-level La Linea and VCF leaders. A federal court in the Western District of Texas indicted Acosta on March 9 for his alleged involvement in the killings of the U.S. Consulate employees, and Mexican authorities may use the possibility of extradition to the United States as an incentive for him to cooperate. His statements also could corroborate those of his reputed lieutenant, Marco Antonio "El Brad Pitt" Guzman Zuniga, who was captured in June. The computer equipment seized from Acosta's house also will be heavily mined for information (though the amount of actionable intelligence it contains is unknown). Authorities also benefit from the timing of Acosta's capture. On July 27, just two days prior, "narcomantas" — banners containing messages from drug trafficking cartels — appeared in Juarez and Chihuahua signed with the name "El Diego" making explicit threats against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Consulate in Juarez and border crossings. The arrest is likely to mitigate any potential follow-through on those threats, as well as send a message to cartel leaders that authorities will not take such threats lightly. Acosta's capture likely will lead to the continued erosion of VCF control over the important smuggling corridor of Juarez, especially if statements from Acosta produce actionable intelligence that leads to the arrest of other high-ranking cartel members. Also, because La Linea is largely made up of former Juarez police and corrupt active-duty officers, the arrest could lead to the identification and removal of corrupt police who have been supporting the VCF. This could be a pivotal point in the battle for control of Juarez, meaning developments there must be watched very carefully in the coming days and weeks. (click here to view interactive map)
July 25
Mexican authorities in Reynosa, Tamaulipas state, rescued 12 kidnapped migrants, including eight Central Americans, three Brazilians and one Iranian.
Police in Zacacoyuca, Guerrero state, engaged armed men in a firefight, leaving nine gunmen dead. The police pursued the armed men after spotting them traveling in suspicious vehicles.
Unidentified gunmen killed two police officers in Acapulco, Guerrero state.
July 26
Fighting between rival prison gangs the Mexicles, affiliated with the Sinaloa Federation, and the Aztecas, affiliated with the Juarez cartel, erupted into a riot at a Juarez prison July 26, leaving 17 dead. Federal Police and the Mexican military were called to the prison to quell the violence. No prisoners were reported escaped due to the riot.
Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz, a journalist with the newspaper Notiver, was found dead behind the offices of Imagen de Veracruz periodical in Boca del Rio, Veracruz state. The journalist was reported missing 48 hours prior to her body being discovered.
Hector Murguia, mayor of Juarez, Chihuahua state, announced that thousands of Federal Police will withdraw from the city in September. The Federal Police, initially deployed to Juarez in April 2010, will turn over security responsibility to the local police.
July 27
The remains of 12 individuals were discovered in Juarez, Nuevo Leon state. Two decomposing bodies were discovered in a trench along a dirt road. Bones belonging to 10 individuals were discovered nearby.
Five individuals were killed when the truck they were traveling in was ambushed by armed men in San Lucas Camotlan, Oaxaca state.
Los Zetas leader Oscar Tiul was arrested in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Narcomantas left in Juarez and Chihuahua, Chihuahua state, made threats against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Consulate in Juarez and border crossings. The messages were signed "El Diego."
July 28
The body of Fortino Cortes, the kidnapped mayor of Florencia de Benito Juarez, Zacatecas state, was discovered.
The Mexican military engaged in a firefight with armed men in Ixtlan del Rio, Nayarit state. The armed men used roadblocks during the confrontation.
July 29
The Mexican military arrested 15 armed men traveling in three separate vehicles in San Miguel Totolapan, Guerrero state. The arrested individuals were discovered by ground reconnaissance and were found in possession of high-powered weapons, including eight grenades.
A shipment of approximately 22 tons of chemical precursors used to produce illicit drugs from Shekou, China, was seized in Manzanillo, Colima state.
Mexican authorities arrested Jose Antonio "El Diego" Acosta Hernandez, leader of the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes organization enforcement arm La Linea in his home after a gunbattle.
July 31
Five individuals were killed in a gunfight between Federal Police and armed men along the Uruapan-Los Reyes highway in Michoacan state.
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