Two Attorneys Working for the Tijuana Cartel Were Killed in Ensenada; Commercial Debt, the Possible Motive
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 21:02
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| Police officers arrive at the house where the two attorneys were killed. |
Civil and commercial lawyers Gustavo Moreno León, 57, and his nephew, Ariel Lambarena Moreno, 42, were shot dead on Friday, May 14, at their home in Ensenada, Baja California.
Recent sources indicate that they had defended several members of the Tijuana and/or Arellano Félix Cartel (CAF) in court.
The homicide was perpetrated at 12:15 p.m. on Paseo de los Sauces Street in the exclusive Loma Dorada subdivision. Before he passed away, Ariel Lambarena was able to make a call to the police asking for help. He was able to provide details that are now crucial to the investigation.
During the call, Lambarena explained how the two gunmen entered the house and shot at them. He added that his uncle Gustavo Moreno was also fatally injured.
When the Ensenada Municipal Police arrived, they found the two lawyers dead inside the house.
Lambarena said over the phone prior to his death that he did not see a vehicle outside the house, but witnesses did report seeing a black vehicle leave the scene. One of the suspected gunmen was described as a bald man who wore a beige shirt and black pants.
The hitmen were accurate; at the crime scene, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) located only three shell casings.
Officials who are familiar with the investigation confirmed one of the motives being considered is a debt for a commercial transaction in Tijuana.
State investigators confirmed to Zeta Tijuana newspaper that Gustavo Moreno was the lawyer of José Saldaña López (“El Che”), a former member of the CAF. El Che was murdered on November 2016. He was responsible for coordinating drug trafficking activities and was believed to have switched to the Sinaloa Cartel prior to his death.
Two people were arrested for El Che’s murder. They were identified as José Manuel “N” and Jorge Alberto Arce Guillén (“El Tigre” or “El Brusco”). The latter was a former Sinaloa Cartel operator under René Arzate Garcia (“La Rana”).
Gustavo Moreno litigated in court against Arce Guillen’s defense attorney, Rubén Arenivar Garza, who was killed in April 2020, as reported by Borderland Beat.
After El Che’s murder, Moreno left Ensenada and continued to practice in Baja California Sur. However, he still owned properties in Ensenada and the Guadalupe Valley.
Possible motives
Both Moreno and Lambarena handled civil and commercial lawsuits although there are sources that say they litigated cases related to drug trafficking as well.
The security cameras at Morenos’s house did not record the attack. Unofficial sources reported that the agents had identified a group of hitmen who were circulating in Ensenada and that they came from Tijuana.
Prior to the homicide, the lawyers had received a warning about a debt they had in one of the lawsuits. Their families did not confirm or deny these death threats.
Cartel killing lawyers in Ensenada
In recent years, five lawyers have been murdered in Ensenada. Investigators believe that all of these killings were job-related. As reported by Borderland Beat, these killings have been carried out by cartel members and/or by corrupt officials of the Ensenada Municipal Police force.
On February 7, 2017, attorney Jaime Xicoténcatl Palafox Toscano, nicknamed “El Diablo” in his professional circle, was ambushed while driving home from work. Although the prosecution ruled out any cartel involvement, some investigators said that Palafox Toscano had issues with a cartel over a land dispute. A family involved in the case has even chosen to keep the case on hold until further notice.
As mentioned earlier, another attorney killed was Rubén Arenivar Garza, who was shot dead on April 24, 2020 outside his law firm. His last case was defending CAF kingpin and ex-police officer Ricardo Bozada Alvarado (“El Bozadas”). But he also defended members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the rival Sinaloa Cartel.
“He worked for all sides”, an investigator said. “When a lawyer defends a criminal from a certain drug cartel, that criminal group thinks they own that lawyer”.
On May 5 of that year, lawyer Erick Alejandro Ruiz Torres was murdered in the parking lot Gastélum Street. Investigators confirmed that Erick was a worked with Arenivar Garza when he was a law student.
On December 31, 2020, lawyer Marcial Morán Blanco was killed. He had been arrested in 2011 for illegal possession of firearms. Members of the Sinaloa Cartel told investigators that Moran Blanco was a high-ranking member of the criminal group in Ensenada.
Main source: Zeta Tijuana
Photo credit: El Mexicano
Source: http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2021/05/two-attorneys-working-for-tijuana.html
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