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RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 7036

101817
2007-03-23 21:14:00
07MONTERREY334
Consulate Monterrey
SECRET
07MONTERREY290
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OO RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHMC #0334/01 0822114
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 232114Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1904
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO IMMEDIATE 2693
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEABND/DEA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 7036

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000334 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  3/23/2017 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PTER ASEC MX
SUBJECT: UNPRESCEDENTED ESCALATION OF NARCO-VIOLENCE IN MONTERREY 
 
REF: MONTERREY 290 
 
MONTERREY 00000334  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Luis Moreno, CG, Monterrey, DOS. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 

¶1. (S)  SUMMARY.    Monterrey has experienced an unprecedented 
escalation of narco-related violence with the assassination of 
six police officers in five separate incidents over the course 
of one week.  On March 20 and 21, the dead bodies of two 
unidentified men were found with notes attached to them.  The 
notes, addressed to both the State of Nuevo Leon Secretary of 
State and Attorney General, threatened to kill the senior state 
officials' families unless they stopped protecting the rival 
Sinaloa drug cartel.  Post's contacts in the local law 
enforcement community agree that the Secretary of State is 
potentially involved in corrupt and illegal activities, and said 
that the Attorney General is paralyzed with fear of retribution 
if he investigates these recent high-level assassinations. 
While there is no immediate threat to USG personnel or their 
families, Post has taken steps to reinforce the use of daily 
security practices to all Consulate community members and will 
continue to monitor the situation closely.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)   Since January 1, 2007, there have been 33 murder 
victims in the State of Nuevo Leon, compared with 55 for all of 
¶2006.  Of that 33, fourteen have been active-duty law 
enforcement officials and three have been former law enforcement 
officers.  In the last week, six police officers were killed in 
five separate incidents in the Monterrey area.  All the officers 
were ambushed by multiple assailants using high-powered weapons. 
 Referring to the most high-profile case of this past week, the 
Police Chief of San Pedro (the Monterrey suburb where all 
Consulate families reside) told Post law enforcement officers 
that he believed that his Director of Special Operations was 
killed on March 14 (reftel) because San Pedro had made a 
concerted effort to crack down on street-level drug trafficking. 
 As the Police Chief explained, street sales account for a large 
portion of drug cartels' earnings, particularly in wealthy San 
Pedro neighborhoods.  This is why no other Monterrey suburb has 
engaged in such a bold and risky attack on street-level dealing. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  In a separate incident in Monterrey on March 20, the 
dead body of an unidentified man was found bound, gagged, and 
tortured with a large poster board note attached to the chest 
with an ice pick.  The note was a message addressed to two 
high-ranking Nuevo Leon state officials - Rogelio Cerda, the 
Lieutenant Governor/Secretary of State for the State of Nuevo 
Leon, and Luis Carlos Trevino, the Nuevo Leon State Attorney 
General.  The message stated that the killings will continue in 
Nuevo Leon until these two officials stop protecting 
high-ranking, powerful members of the rival Sinaloa drug cartel. 
 The note further warned Secretary Cerda that the perpetrators 
will not stop until they have killed his bodyguards and family 
members.  On the following day, March 21, the body of another 
unidentified man was found 20 meters from the victim of the 
March 20 murder, bound and gagged in the same manner.  Another 
note, addressed to Nuevo Leon Attorney General Trevino, said 
that Secretary Cerda, his family, and anyone else working with 
the Sinaloa cartel were going to "be taken out or taken down". 
It further stated that the killings would not stop until they 
(most likely the Nuevo Leon Government) understood and stopped 
working with the Sinaloans. 
 
---------------------------------- 
COMMENT & ANALYSIS 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (S)   While this type of violence is not new to Mexico or to 
the Monterrey region, the latest string of executions has caused 
newfound concern among the local population.  Post's contacts in 
the law enforcement community have long rumored that Secretary 
Cerda, the second-in-command in the Nuevo Leon State Government, 
has been involved in corrupt activities involving Governor 
Natividad Gonzalez Paras's brothers and members of the Sinaloa 
drug cartel operating in the state.  Local police have confided 
in Post's law enforcement officers that they have little support 
from the Nuevo Leon state government.  Similarly, they have also 
said that Attorney General Trevino and the head of the Nuevo 
Leon State Investigative Unit, Hector Santos, are completely 
paralyzed with fear and intimidation.  As a result, there has 
been no follow-up on the investigation into these and other 
high-profile assassinations for fear of retribution. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  While there is no indication of any threat against 
USG personnel in the Monterrey area, the local police and 
government officials targeted in the latest wave of 
narco-related violence are close contacts of the Consulate with whom Consulate law enforcement officials meet regularly. RSO 
re-issued security notices to all Post personnel and their 
families about daily security habits and dealing with police 
stops and military checkpoints.  In addition, Surveillance 
Detection team coverage has increased in residential areas, 
focusing on the CGR and USG Law Enforcement Officers' 
residences.  Finally, while there is no immediate threat to 
Consulate families, many of the assassinations and incidents of 
violence have taken place along the primary route used by the 
American School transportation service to drive Consulate 
children to and from school everyday.  As such, the RSO has 
worked with the transportation service to ensure that drivers 
continue to vary their routes and that each driver has direct 
cell-phone communication capabilities to notify the RSO or other 
Consulate staff in the event of an emergency.  Post will 
continue to monitor the situation closely and inform the 
Department of any direct threats against USG personnel or their 
families. 

MORENO