Wednesday, December 26, 2018

SOME NEWS BRIEFS FROM BORDERLAND BEAT

Orso Iván Gastélum aka "El Cholo Iván" was one of El Chapo’s top lieutenants. He was captured along with El Chapo in January 2016 and is believed to be confined in a Mexican prison. On Christmas Eve, dozens of trucks and vans delivered gifts of food to the residents of several towns in Sinaloa. Although the authorities knew the gifts were being delivered by members of the Sinaloa cartel, they did not interfere with the distribution.

Luis Antonio Lomelín Diaque is the former Civil Defense Director of Cancun. He has just been sentenced to prison for procedural fraud and abuse of authority. Heyden José Cebada Rivas, the current mayor of Cancún, is alleged to have been his accomplice but he has protected himself from going to jail. They are accused of having auctioned off and adjudicated land parcels, houses and properties in the business area of Cancun.

On August 25, 2011, 52 people died when an armed group set fire to the Casino Royale in Monterrey. The attack occurred because the owner of the Casino refused to pay the Los Zetas cartel the protection money they demanded. Three men have each just been sentenced to 75 years in prison for the massacre.

Actress Kate del Castillo, who arranged for Sean Penn to meet with El Chapo, said she is suing former Mexican officials for $60 million in "moral and material damages" because of what she calls "political persecution" against her. In a news conference on Thursday the actress said she felt betrayed by Penn and wants to kick him in the balls.

The last year of the presidency of President Enrique Peña Nieto will be the most violent of the official record in Mexico. By the end of October, intentional homicides in 2018 already claimed more than 28,500 victims. It is about the same number of homicides that were recorded in all 2017, which until now had been the year with the most murders.

No comments: