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DE RUEHTM #1253/01 3592359
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P 242359Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL TIJUANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8127
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 5085
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHTM/AMCONSUL TIJUANA 0870

184881
2008-12-24 23:59:00
08TIJUANA1253
Consulate Tijuana
CONFIDENTIAL

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DE RUEHTM #1253/01 3592359
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P 242359Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL TIJUANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8127
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 5085
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHTM/AMCONSUL TIJUANA 0870
TAGS: ASEC PINS CASC SNAR MX
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TIJUANA 001253 
 
SENSITIVE NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS, DS/IP/WHA, DS/TIA/PII, CA, MEXICO CITY FOR RSO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  12/24/2018 
TAGS: ASEC PINS CASC SNAR MX
SUBJECT: EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - REPORTED THREAT OF PLANNED SNIPER 
ATTACK  
REF: DS/IP/WHA E-MAIL DATED 12/24/2008 
 
TIJUANA 00001253  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Angela D. Arroliga, Regional Security Officer, US 
Consulate General Tijuana, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (c), (g) 
 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Angela D. Arroliga, Regional Security Officer, US 
Consulate General Tijuana, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (c), (g) 
 
 
 
1.(SBU)  On December 22, 2008, Post's Emergency Action Committee 
(EAC) Law Enforcement Subgroup  (LEWG) met to discuss the 
investigation of a reported  threat against DEA Special Agents 
assigned to Post.  Post's Core EAC members had telephonically 
discussed the threat on December 20, 2008, when information was 
received that a drug cartel was planning a sniper attack against 
DEA agents working in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.  EAC 
participants included CG, DHS-ICE, DEA, RSO, and CONS. 
 
 
 
THREAT SUMMARY 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Post law enforcement agency representatives (DHS-ICE, 
DEA, RSO) informed the EAC that, working in a joint effort since 
December 20, 2008, they had investigated the claimed "sniper" 
attack plan.   On December 19, 2008 a Source of Information 
(SOI) contacted DEA Tijuana claiming that he overheard a sniper 
shooting was planned by a member of the Arrellano-Felix drug 
cartel (AFO), against any DEA agent assigned to the USCG 
Tijuana.  The Subject planning the sniper attack said the 
majority of DEA agents live in the brown, high-rise apartment 
building right behind the U.S. Consulate building.   The Subject 
said they would be able to identify the DEA agents since they 
were "Chicano" or "Puerto Rican", drove vehicles with Consulate 
plates, and were not armed. 
 
 
 
INVESTIGATION  OF THREAT 
 
 
 
¶3. (C/NF) On December 20, 2008, DEA and RSO agents interviewed 
the SOI on the reported threat, and obtained detailed 
information.  Details of the SOI debriefing are at the end of 
this cable.  As recommended by the EAC/LEWG, on December 23, 
2008 the SOI underwent a Polygraph examination conducted by DEA 
San Diego Field Office, asking whether the SOI had overheard the 
conversation about the planning of a sniper attack against DEA 
agents working in Tijuana.  The SOI passed the Polygraph, 
corroborating the reported threat information.  Additionally, 
the SOI has been a reliable Confidential Source for DEA for 
approximately eight years and has provided reliable information 
in the past for several criminal investigations. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) There are no DEA or DHS-ICE agents housed in the brown, 
high-rise apartment building immediately behind the USCG Tijuana 
main building.  However, there used to be a DEA agent from 
Puerto Rico living in a the apartment building who left about 
three years ago.  The apartment does include three Mission 
residence apartments for three Foreign Service Officers (FSOs). 
None of the FSOs housed in the apartment building resemble the 
profile of male of Latino heritage, as two are males with light 
coloring (GSO, CONS) and one is female (RSO).  RSO's spouse 
residing in the apartment building is of Latino heritage, but 
does not use Consular license plates.  Housing for the agents of 
DEA, DHS-ICE, and ARSO, who may resemble the target profile, is 
in a different area of Tijuana, not near the apartment building. 
 
 
 
¶5. (C/NF) Based on the results of the joint investigation, 
Post's law enforcement representatives, with the assistance of 
DHS-ICE San Diego and the DEA San Diego Field Office 
Arellano-Felix Task Force (AFO-TF), have been identified the 
Subjects named by the SOI as known drug cartel members.  The SOI 
learned the information from hearing one side of a cell phone 
conversation and from one participant's statements, rather than 
hearing both sides of the attack planning discussion.  The SOI 
provided names mentioned by the Subject, including a former 
 
TIJUANA 00001253  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
State of Baja California Ministerial police officer who was 
previously trained as a sniper by San Diego Sheriff's office. 
The Subjects are known to be either current or former 
state-level law enforcement officers in Tijuana, so care must be 
taken in requesting GOM police support for protection of 
personnel or for any investigative or counter-surveillance 
operations. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Proactive investigation continues in the San Diego and 
Tijuana areas with the goal of disrupting the attack and 
arresting the planners.  From previous investigative of the 
Subjects named by the SOI , DEA agents believe them to be 
disciplined drug cartel members who will "do their homework" by 
spending one or  two weeks identifying and locating DEA agents 
to target, with It is not consistent with the Subject group to 
send an amateur to shoot indiscriminately at any resident of the 
apartment building or driver of a Consular plated vehicle, 
without first determining whether they appear to be a DEA agent. 
 The Subject would make the first attack "count", with the 
ultimate goal of getting DEA removed from Tijuana, instead of 
wasting their "one shot" on a non-DEA Consulate employee. 
However, Subjects may not be able to determine which Post law 
enforcement agents are from DEA, or DHS-ICE, or RSO since each 
agency has Latino male agents assigned to USCG Tijuana. 
 
 
 
POST RESPONSE SUMMARY 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Since December 20, 2008 the following actions for 
protection of personnel are being taken with the recommendation 
of the EAC and RSO Mexico City.  Surveillance Detection (SD) 
Team coverage is adjusted beyond business hours to include the 
apartment building in back of the USCG main building.  ARSO/Inv, 
RSO/SD Coordinator, and Post's law enforcement agency 
representatives have re-assessed areas of vulnerability for 
sniper attack from various directions, including continuing 
review of area from high vantage points.  As requested, 
additional Tijuana Municipal police coverage has been provided 
supplementing the 24/7 uniformed police officers with added 
marked patrol units during active hours.  The Consul General and 
RSO section members met with the Tijuana Director of Public 
Safety of Tijuana in order to renew contacts and confirm 
response capabilities, without providing details of threat. 
Separate meetings and telephone contacts have been made with the 
Tijuana Municipal Police Supervisor, and with the State police 
counterparts, without providing details, but to update react 
plans. 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU)  EAC/LEWG concurred that the additional protective 
measures appear consistent with the level of threat information 
available at this stage of the investigation.  EAC/LEWG members 
are keeping in close contact with their local U.S. and Mexican 
contacts regarding any new development or any unusual persons or 
events in or around the apartment building or the USCG main 
building. 
 
 
 
DETAILS - INTERVIEW of SOI 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU)  Post DEA section has sent a cable through their 
channels and provided the text to RSO section as it details the 
Interview of the SOI.  The text from the DEA cable follows in 
paragraphs 10 through  18. 
 
 
 
Begin Quote: 
 
 
 
¶10.  (U) On 12-19-08, CS-01-103562 (CS) contacted XXXXXXXXXXXX regarding a possible threat to DEA agents 
working in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. 
 
 
 
¶11. (SBU)  On 12-20-08 XXXXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX, and XXXXXXXXXXXX 
 
TIJUANA 00001253  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
XXXXXXXXXXXX met with and debriefed the CS regarding 
the aforementioned threat.  The CS advised that on 12-19-08 s/he 
was at a restaurant in the company of a former Baja California 
State Ministerial Officer named Oscar LOPEZ.  While together, 
LOPEZ received a telephone call from ARELLANO-Felix Organization 
(AFO) enforcer, Enrique JORQUERA.  LOEZ received the call via 
his Nextel radio (approximately 4:30 pm) and the CS was able to 
overhear the entire conversation. 
 
 
 
¶12. (SBU) JORQUERA advised LOPEZ that "INGE" (identified as the 
current AFO leader Fernando SANCHEZ-Arellano) had authorized 
another AFO enforcer named Gerardo VIZAIS aka MONSTER to locate 
and kill someone from the "Tres Letras" (Term commonly utilized 
by drug traffickers when referring to DEA).  Per the CS, 
JORQUERA stated SANCHEZ-Arellano knew DEA existed in Tijuana and 
that DEA was responsible for sending Government of Mexico (GOM) 
authorities from Mexico City to Tijuana to arrest the leaders of 
the AFO.  Therefore, JORQUERA was calling LOPEZ to have him 
assist VIZAIS with locating and targeting the DEA agents. 
 
 
 
¶13. (SBU) JORQUERA further stated that if one or two agents were 
located and killed, DEA would move all agents out of Tijuana. 
LOPEZ was told that they believed the majority of DEA agents 
lived in a brown high rise apartment building located behind the 
U.S. Consulate (NOTE: This building is in the Consulate housing 
pool, but no DEA employees currently reside there.  However, 
several Department of State (DOS) employees currently reside in 
the building.) 
 
 
 
¶14. (SBU) JORQUERA stated the DEA agents would be easy to 
identify because they were all "Chicanos" (Term used to describe 
people of Mexican descent born in the United States) or "Puerto 
Ricans." Additionally, JORQUERA told LOPEZ the DEA agents would 
be easy targets because they travel in vehicles with Consular 
plates and are not armed. 
 
 
 
¶15. (SBU) The CS provided the following additional details 
regarding JORQUERA, LOPEZ, and VIZAIS.  The CS knows JORQUERA to 
be the current leader of an AFO enforcement cell known as the 
"HITLERS." JORQUERA was formerly the top lieutenant of Jorge 
BRISENO-Lopez aka CHOLO.  However, after BRISENO was presumably 
killed on the orders of the AFO hierarchy, JORQUERA took over 
for BRISENO.  JORQUERA now works directly under Fernando 
SANCHEZ-Arellano aka EL INGE.  The CS believes JORQUERA is a 
Lawfully Admitted Permanent Resident and lives in San Diego, CA 
(NOTE: A query of the Immigration indices conducted by the 
Tijuana U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Attache 
office revealed JORQUERA is a naturalized United States Citizen). 
 
 
 
¶16. (SBU) The CS also advised that VIZAIS is a former Baja 
California State Ministerial Officer who was trained as a sniper 
by the San Diego Sheriffs Office in 1998 or 1999.  The CS stated 
VIZAIS is allegedly the individual who shot and killed 3 people 
in October 2008, from a distance, outside the GOM Naval base in 
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.  Those subjects were murdered 
because the AFO believed they worked with Eduardo 
GARCIA-Simental aka TEO. 
 
 
 
¶17. (SBU) The CS provided LOPEZ' cell phone number as (52 
664-126-0407 and LOPEZ' Nextel radio Identification number as 
152*152782*3. 
 
 
 
¶18. (SBU) The CS advised there was no mention of a time frame of 
when the threat was to be carried out.  However, the CS has been 
tasked to attempt to obtain more details. 
 
 
 
End Quote. 
 
 
 
¶19. (U) Post RSO section will update Post management, the EAC, 
RSO Mexico City, DS/IP/WHA, and DS/TIA/PII as needed as the 
 
TIJUANA 00001253  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
investigation continues throughout the holiday time period. 
Post EAC will convene as soon as developments warrant. For 
comments or questions, please contact RSO at 
011-52-664-622-7464, or 7451. 
 
 
 
 
 
KRAMER 
SIGNATURE