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FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3707
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 4761
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
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RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
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207793
2009-05-19 19:20:00
09MONTERREY183
Consulate Monterrey
CONFIDENTIAL

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DE RUEHMC #0183/01 1391920
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R 191920Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3707
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 4761
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA HQ WASHDC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USNORTHCOM
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 9280

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SECSTATE FOR DS/IP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/19/2019 
TAGS: ASEC SNAR CASC KCRM MX
SUBJECT: NARCO-VIOLENCE STRIKES CLOSE TO WORK AND HOME 
 
MONTERREY 00000183  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Bruce Williamson, Consul General, Monterrey, 
State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.   Several local law enforcement sources think 
that Monterrey will become increasingly violent in coming months 
as lower level drug cartel members compete among themselves to 
rise on the `corporate ladder.'  On May 14 there were two narco 
attacks, one on the street leading to the U.S. Consulate in 
Monterrey and the second on a busy street near a large number of 
Consulate residences.  The attack near the Consulate occurred at 
night when assailants in several SUVs followed and attacked the 
driver of another  car right in front of a federal police 
station.  The police officer driving the car, believed to have 
been the target of the attack, escaped into the station. 
Fifteen minutes later, numerous SUVs pursued a car on a major 
street close to Consulate residences, which Consulate personnel 
use every day to commute to work.  The attackers left two 
occupants of the vehicle riddled with bullets, although the 
victims are still alive and are being treated  in local 
hospitals.   Finally, in another incident, post received a 
credible threat from a drug cartel against a Mexican LES 
employee in the consular section.  Although the three cases are 
unrelated, they illustrate the drug cartels' sense of impunity 
and the risks faced by U.S. Consulate personnel and their 
families.    End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  While Monterrey has been relatively quiet recently, 
the area could heat up following the arrests of local drug 
kingpins.  Nuevo Leon is generally considered territory of the 
Gulf/Zeta drug cartel, except for the wealthy suburb of San 
Pedro (i.e., where all Consulate families reside) which falls 
under the sway of the Beltran/Leyva faction of the Sinaloa 
cartel.  On March 20 the Mexican military arrested the Gulf/Zeta 
cartel boss for Nuevo Leon (and neighboring Coahuila) Sigifredo 
Najera Talamantes `el Canicon.'  The military followed up by 
arresting the head of the Sinaloa cartel in Nuevo Leon, Hector 
Huerta Rios `la Burra', on March 24.  The military continued its 
operations on May 18, when they arrested  Rodolfo Lopez Ibarra 
`el Nito', i.e., Huerta's replacement. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  In addition, in recent weeks the Mexican military has 
arrested over 20 state and local police officers for links to 
the drug cartels.  For instance, on May 17 the military raided a 
house and detained one armed man.  Within minutes, several 
carloads of armed accomplices, carrying inter alia, a .50 
caliber firearm, showed up to try to free the first arrestee. 
The army repelled the would-be rescuers and found a list of 
Monterrey municipal police apparently on the payroll of the 
Zetas.  Finally, on May 14 the drug cartels placed 14 large 
signs throughout the state in public locations warning President 
Calderon not to arrest the families of drug cartel members. 
Similar signs were placed in other states.  Several local law 
enforcement sources think that the area will become increasingly 
violent in coming months as lower level drug cartel members 
compete among themselves to rise on the `corporate ladder.' 
 
Recent Attacks and a Credible Threat 
 
¶4.  (C)  The night of May 14 at 10:15 p.m. an unmarked federal 
highway police car in desperation drove the wrong way up a one 
way street to reach the safety of federal police headquarters. 
The car was pursued by several SUVs, and the attackers shot over 
50 rounds at their target, wounding the driver before he escaped 
into the building.  The police in the headquarters returned fire 
and drove the assailants away.  Police sources speculate that 
the target of the attack was a commander of the Mexican federal 
highway police, but despite reaching out to post law enforcement 
contacts this has not been confirmed.  Post is very concerned 
because the attack occurred 1.5 blocks away from the Consulate, 
that particular street is a choke point, and nearly  all 
Consulate personnel take this road daily to arrive at work. 
 
¶5.  (C)  The same night, gunmen in numerous SUVs pursued and 
attacked people in another car on a major street in San Pedro, 
near a large percentage of Consulate housing.  The attackers 
shot two people and left them for dead, although they are still 
alive in local hospitals.  The motive for the attack is unknown, 
but it appears to be unrelated to the attack near the Consulate. 
 Post personnel are again concerned because the attack occurred 
in a prosperous area on a street used by Consulate employees and 
families on a daily basis. 
 
¶6.  (C)  In another incident, RSO received through U.S. law 
enforcement sources credible information of a threat against a 
Mexican LES employee in the consular section.  The employee had 
interviewed a NIV applicant who had presented a false job 
letter.  The information developed in the interview led a 
consular officer to revoke the woman's recently issued non 
immigrant visa.  At the time of the revocation in late April, 
 
MONTERREY 00000183  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the woman's relationship to a plaza level boss in the Sinaloa 
cartel was not known to the consular section.  The employee had 
used a pseudonym during the interview, which should provide an 
element of protection.   The Consulate has placed the Mexican 
employee on indefinite administrative leave for her own safety, 
and the Consulate continues to work the case. 
 
¶7.  (C )  Comment.  Although Nuevo Leon is not experiencing the 
wave of killings common in some Mexican states, the drug cartels 
still enjoy a sense of impunity.   They do not have any 
compunction against attacking a police commander  in front of a 
federal police station, assaulting targets on major 
thoroughfares, or making credible threats against U.S. Consulate 
personnel.  These incidents have again proven that the drug 
cartels possess the ability to strike where the Consulate 
employees work and live. End Comment. 
WILLIAMSONB