Escaped Fugitives from Culiacán Prison Reveals Alliance Between Rivals

Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: LaSillaRota

July 27, 2018
The escape last Sunday of two high-profile criminals from rival criminal organizations ie, Julián Grimaldi Paredes  and Jesus Carlos Salmón Higuera, “El Macaco”  from the Aguaruto Penitentiary Center revealed an alliance between the criminal groups led by Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, “El Chapito Isidro”, and Aureliano Guzmán Loera, “El Guano”, brother of the leader extradited from the Sinaloa cartel , ie “El Chapo” Guzman Loera as part of the violent fight that is being carried out against the children of Chapo Guzmán.

Since last January, both groups of the Guzmán clan began a violent dispute to obtain control of the growing and transfer of drugs in the mountainous area, where campesinos and farmers say that the men of “Los Chapitos” prohibit selling crops to the people of “El Guano”. 

They also dispute the business of fuel theft known as ”huachicol”, a brawl that reached its peak at the end of last April when armed groups made incursions into at least 8 communities of the so-called ”huachicolera strip”, and deprived  several young people of freedom.

According to sources consulted of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State and Public Security, as well as testimonies of investigating agents, Julián Grimaldi Paredes -whose real name is Luis Gabriel Valenzuela Valenzuela- ,  29 years of age, belonged to the ranks of Guzmán Loera , but since  his capture in Los Mochis, Sinaloa , in January of 2016, he remained in the faction that is now directed  Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar , “Los Chapitos” or “Los Menores”.

With the freedom of Grimaldi, researchers say, it is possible that the ranks of “El Guano” have been decimated in recent months, allying themselves with “El Chapo Isidro ” to add to their criminal ranks.

“Luis Gabriel (Grimaldi) was extremely upset because they left him alone,” a man said, a person who had access to one of the hearings.

CARTEL OPERATOR:
The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) officially identified Luis Gabriel Grimaldi (Valenzuela) as the financial operator of the Guzmáns and was one of the alleged participants in the ambush of a convoy of the Mexican Army, which occurred on September 29, 2016, where 5 soldiers died and 11 more were seriously injured. 

NOTE: Check Archives on BB Posts of Military Ambush

THE NEW MODULE:
After the March escape and the public discovery that high-profile prisoners rented luxury units that included satellite television and Jacuzzi, the Quirino government began the construction of the newly created module, which was completed a few months ago. Rodolfo Peña Mayen, Lieutenant Colonel of Military Justice in Retreat, also arrived as Director. Another military  man  to add to the structure that Ordaz Coppel left in the hands of the Sedena.

THE LEAK, THE THREAT AND THE BURLA:
The authorities assured that with the new module there would be no more escapes of relevant or violent inmates, but the dawn of Sunday the escape report was given at 3:40 am, according to statements by the Secretary of Public Security of the state, Brigadier General Fermin Hernandez Montealegre , who barely had been a week since he had taken the position to replace the retired general Genaro Robles Casillas.

At a press conference, Hernández Montealegre admitted that the escaped prisoners infiltrated the security system and managed to escape dressed in guards’ uniforms. They passed through 6 security filters until they reached the street, helped by two guards who according to the investigations were the ones who provided uniforms to El Macaco and Grimaldi.

The custodial elements were identified as Edwin Alejandro Gutiérrez Ramírez and Fredi Martín Sarmiento Márquez, the first of them with the rank of commander. The two had been assigned to the prison of Los Mochis, Sinaloa and just months earlier the board approved their the change to Aguaruto.   According to a consulted custodian, at this time of the escape no one is allowed to enter or leave the module of new construction, so other colleagues on duty had to be aware. Each exit and entrance must be registered.

After the escape, the two custodians also disappeared into the night as well as the inmates. Behind them, “El Macaco” and Julián Grimaldi left messages on the walls, where they threatened the director Peña Mayen, the deputy director and the director of Prevention and Social Readaptation in Sinaloa, Juan Carlos Campos.

Another Link HERE same story, no pics.