Alfonso Arzate Garcia, "El Aquiles"

Excerpt taken from Gente de la Tia Juana
Translated by El Wachito

Born and raised in Colonia Libertad, Tijuana. Aquiles was always a reserved kid with few friends. The oldest of the Arzate Garcia brothers started his criminal life at the age of 30, while his minor brother started at the age of 15, La Rana never knew what it was to live off a salary. 

Aquiles started working at a really young age. He was involved in the transportation business for over 10 years. However, he abandoned the job because of necessity and because he had connections with the drug trafficking business of meth. He became a friend and godfather of Enrique Jorquera Guerrero, alias “El Jorquera”, who was a man of trust of “El Cholo”.

Without getting in trouble or having conflicts of “plaza”, Aquiles started trafficking in a really peculiar manner and in a minor scale, which allowed him to live a comfortable life.

When “El Cholo” was assassinated, Jorquera moved to the United States and left Aquiles in communication with “El Turbo”(Head of a group of sicarios). Aquiles, a serious man that respected his own line of work, only bought drugs from El Cholo, in order to avoid problems. Back then, his friendship with Jorquera had already caught the attention of, Teodora Garcia Simental, alias “El Teo”, who already had problems with, “El Ingeniero” and they were investigating all the narcos of the city.

The war between “El Teo” and “El Ingeniero” started. Aquiles attempts to go unnoticed, however the friendship with Jorquera that was helpful at some time, now was a threat to Aquiles.

The brother quickly got ready, with the difference that characterized the seriousness of the older brother, Rene was more friendly and more of a party guy, which allowed him to count with the support of many people that his older brother could made use off. Aquiles, faced the threats of Teodoro, which was a decision that earned him the admiration of the bosses that were left of the cartel.

The situation got calm for a period of time, and the first truce was negotiated. One day, his brother Rene came up to him to request support, because “El Sillas”, had confiscated a trailer full of marijuana, and La Rana asked El Sillas to return the trailer because they were also “people”(allies). Aquiles immediately called “El Turbo” so he could get in touch with El Inge, however El Inge replied: “I took the drugs away and there are no returns because you are supposed to let me know before the drugs arrive to Tijuana, so now you know. Till next time”.

Aquiles infuriated tells his younger brother to send a message to “El Inge” through a secretary. The message was taken as an offense or as a threat by El Ingeniero. Because of this, El Ingeniero also replied in a threatening manner, that nobody had ever “Cantado el tiro(asked someone to fight)” him directly. El Ingeniero never imagined that stealing those drugs will cost him the Plaza.

Aquiles supported his brother, and the situation was looking bad, because for them “El Sillas” had stolen the drugs. Months go by, and the weak truce between El Teo and El inge breaks, by that time, El Ingeniero asked Aquiles to form an alliance in order to face “El Teo”. However, Aquiles decided not to support El Inge because of their past problems.

Turbo supports Aquiles and gets expelled as a messenger of El Inge, because “El Sillas” requested him to turn Aquiles to El Inge. Turbo does not follow the orders and “El Charrito”, who was a Secretary of the Cartel Arellano Felix, agrees with El Turbo and flips to his side.

*Gerardo Ortiz corrido El Mono Verde mentions that Aquiles and Los Turbos are present and operating in Tijuana (sec:26)

El Ingeniero received fire from two fronts, Aquiles from one side and Teodoro from another. Later on, El Teo was detained and Soto Gastelum Aka El Tigre was left in charge, who knowing the power that Aquiles had attained by that time, requested an alliance. Aquiles, made a smart move and accepted.

El Sillas, who was consider a trash talker “junior hijo de papi” from la mafia (an adult that was still supported by his daddies because they had money), unlike his dad, who was a serious and hardworking man (who later on died of a heart attack). El Sillas assured to the members of the CAF that Arturo Beltran (boss of bosses) who was “his friend” (according to him) had already called Mexico so they could remove Julian Leyzaola from Tijuana, which was something that never happened.

Lieutenant Julian Leyzaola became a fundamental element in allowing “El Aquiles” to take over the Plaza, a plaza that he didn’t even want and that El Teo and El Inge were fighting for. Aquiles, being a different man, of work and with principles of that era, was able to prevent any conflicts. That was how Leyzaola involuntary gave more power to El Aquiles.

 Sillas Jr, the disrespectful junior, commits an error that took him to his decline and later on, to his detention. El Sillas was with “El 6-1″ who worked for Chencho Beltran. Sillas decides to kidnap a niece of “El Mayo” Zambada, the oldest narco and most powerful of Narcos of back then and nowadays.

The niece was being followed by a nephew of Chencho, who was a neighbor of her in Culiacan, Sinaloa. In the investigation it was revealed that they were traveling in the same airplane. Later on, Chencho’s nephew was kidnapped and found dead in Culiacan. Zambada requested help from Aquiles and Aquiles accepted to coordinate the rescue because he was an enemy of El Sillas.

*Link to the video of Mayo’s niece who was kidnapped in Tijuana:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh8yVlUJAYY

The niece was rescue and Sillas runs to Distrito Federal, leaving Aquiles with the support and unconditional friendship of Mayo Zambada. Aquiles gains power and fame throughout the country for combating kidnapping and extortion.

Now, the new problem for Aquiles was “El Tigre”, who was not happy with Aquiles being more than him. Tigre attempts to steal 116 tons of Joaquin Guzman “El Chapo”. His plan was discovered and frustrated by the Municipal Cops, which lead to one of the biggest drug seizures of history.

Once again, Aquiles made an investigation. There was evidence to incriminate “El Tigre”, and therefore he decides to leave the plaza. Tigre started to lose power and orders Atlante to kidnap a man from “Los Aquiles”. Atlante accepts, but Aquiles knows that El Tigre ordered the kidnapping so they decide to talk. Atlante, immediately decides to become an ally of Aquiles and flips on El Tigre. This weaken the structure of “El Tigre” even more, who was only left with R-4 and a few more.

Later on, R-4 was executed by his own people. EL Ingeniero was arrested, and only El Tigre was left with his weak structure while Atlante was now an ally of Aquiles. Aquiles was in control of La Plaza, a calm Plaza with an atmosphere that the city of Tijuana rarely enjoyed… however, it didn’t last long.

*Borderland Beat article on the Capture of El Atlante HERE

A short period of time later, El Atlante was captured and the problems started. Aquiles named Atlante’s brother as Atlante’s successor (grave mistake). Aquile’s head of sicarios weren’t happy, they didn’t like him. “El Piolin”, “El Gross”, had a familiar conflict with “El 300″ already and, “El Trapero”, “Pelotero”, “El Tribi”, Felipe from Tecate and others left with Gross and Piolin.

The individuals mentioned above went on to speak with Licenciado Alejandro Estrada, who was a criminal defense lawyer for “El Atlante”. He propose them a reconciliation with Tigre and to speak with a godfather of Mencho so they could get his backup, good or bad decision, Aquiles once again defends himself. El Griego (Sinaloa head of sicarios) and the other groups get ready. He also calls his brother for support.

Would this be the end of Aquiles from Tijuana, or just another readjustments of cartels?

  Post dated: October 5, 2016. *Thread lightly as Gente de la Tia Juana has been accused of posting in favor of Aquiles, even though they claim to be a neutral website. However, many of this information has been confirmed by ZETA, news and personal contacts.