"La Nacha" legendary drug-trafficker in WikiLeaks

By Diana Washington Valdez
El Paso Times Border Cafe Blog

A U.S. diplomatic cable on the “anti-drug campaign” in Juárez mentions the arrests of Ignacia “La Nacha” Jasso, the border city’s notorious drug-trafficker, and two Mexican federal agents.
 The cable dated March 15, 1973, among the latest releases by online whistleblower WikiLeaks, says that the Mexican government was taking actions against narcotics violators in the Juárez area.
Other details from the cable include that Mexican federal Attorney General Ojeda Paullada had dispatched a special 10-man force under the leadership of Mexican official Ricardo de los Rios Garcia to the area to investigate trafficking.
“One of (the) first acts of that group was to place two federal judicial police agents under arrest,” the cable says. “These two, Jesus Martinez Cabrera and Eduardo Valdez Uranga, allegedly were protecting known traffickers.”
The cable goes on to say that “Warrants have been issued for (the) arrest of (the) infamous “shooting gallery operator ‘La Nacha’ and her grandson ‘El Arabe.’ One unconfirmed report reaching (the U.S.) embassy March 14 was that (La Nacha) has been arrested and her bank account in (the) amount of some three million dollars impounded.”
Jasso’s grandson was “Hector Gonzalez,” alias ‘Arabe,’ whom authorities had said was part of the family’s drug-trafficking business. Officials said the organization supplied users with heroin and marijuana for decades.
“U.S. law enforcement officials with long experience in Mexico and along the border report that they can recall no precedent for (such) vigor with which this campaign is proceeding. Although the case is still unfolding, result(s) to date indicate that “task force” technique(s) employed in San Luis Colorado () and now Ciudad Juárez can be effective,” according to the cable.
“Beyond (the) immediate arrest and seizures, we would hope that word (will) spread to other areas and have salutatory disruptive effect(s). Indeed reports about pressure being applied in Nuevo Laredo area seems to have had such results. – Dean.”
Although the cable does not make a direct connection between the arrested federal agents and Jasso, it does suggest that Jasso enjoyed the protection of corrupt law enforcement who helped her stay at the forefront of the drug trade much longer than any of the modern drug kingpins that are being sought by officials on both sides of the border.
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