Juan José Esparragoza Moreno

Juan Jose "El Azul" Esparragoza Moreno (born. February 3, 1949) is a former Mexican Federal Judicial Police (FJP) officer turned drug trafficker. Esparragoza was born in Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico. Esparragoza's nickname, "El Azul", derives from his complexion, he is said to be so dark his skin appears to be blue.cite book|title=World Encyclopedia of Organized Crime |first=Jay Robert |last=Nash |pages=155 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=0-30680535-9] cite book|title=The Killing Fields: Harvest of Women |pages=120 |first=Diana Washington |last=Valdez |year=2006 |isbn=0-61514008-4 |publisher=Peace at the Border]

Guadalajara Cartel

Esparragoza's trafficking career dates back to the Guadalajara Cartel under Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, Rafael Caro Quintero and Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. Following the arrest of Gallardo, it is believed Esparragoza moved to the leadership role within the Guadalajara Cartel prior to its dissolution. Gallardo bestowed upon his nephews who operated the Juarez Cartel, the location and operations of the Guadalajara Cartel.cite book|title=Transnational Criminal Organizations, Cybercrime, and Money Laundering: A Handbook for Law Enforcement Officers, Auditors, and Financial Investigators |first=James R. |last=Richards |year=1999 |published=CRC Press |pages=23 |isbn=0-84932806-3] cite web|title=Leaders of Mexican Narcotics Cartel Added to Treasury Dept. List |url=http://usinfo.state.gov/ei/Archive/2004/Nov/29-768091.html |publisher=United States Department of the Treasury |date=November 2, 2004]

Enrique Camarena

Esparragoza was believed to have had a role in the death of United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena. In 1982, Camarena was informed of a large scale marijuana growing operation in which Carrillo, Esparragoza and Quintero, had turned 220 acres of land near San Luis Potosí into a sensimilla marijuana field. The DEA began to do aerial reconnaissance and eventually committed to raiding the field, seizing 200 tons of marijuana. The DEA however failed to apprehend anyone, rumored to be due to a FJP officer informing the cartel members of the pending operation.

Camarena, along with his pilot, Alfredo Zavala, were kidnapped on February 7, 1985 and tortured by the Guadalajara Cartel for his role in hindering their operations.

Juarez Cartel

Esparragoza is believed to have joined the Juarez Cartel (Carrillo Fuentes Organization) in 1993 where he operated as a top lieutenant and operations chief.cite news|title=Juarez drug gang forms alliances to control border |first=Olga R. |last=Rodriguez |publisher=Associated Press Writer |url=http://www.staugustine.com/stories/021305/wor_2887096.shtml] Following the death of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, in a plastic surgery accident, Esparragoza was rumored to have assumed a leadership position alongside Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, brother to Amado, and Héctor Luis Palma Salazar. The cocaine and trafficking connection he created in Peru and Colombia are believed to have made him a primary leader in the Juarez Cartel.cite web|title=Organized Crime and Terrorist Activity in Mexico, 1999-2002 |url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/OrgCrime_Mexico.pdf |publisher=Library of Congress |date=February 2003]

In addition to cocaine contacts, Esparragoza is also known as a peace maker, forging alliances between other major cartels and resolving disputes. Most recently he has been linked to negotiating peace deals in Nuevo Laredo between the Juarez Cartel and Heriberto Lozcano of Los Zetas as well as Jorge Eduardo Costillo-Sanchez of the Gulf Cartel.cite news|date=June 25, 2007 |title=Mexican cartels in talks to split turf |author=Alfredo Corchado |publisher=The Dallas Morning News]

The Federation / Sinaloa Alliance

Esparragoza has most recently been linked to leading "The Federation" (Sinaloa Alliance), an alliance of the Sinaloa, Juarez and Sonora (Caro-Quintero Organization) cartels.

Nuevo Laredo

The Federation has most recently been noted in a violent drug war against the Gulf Cartel to control the Nuevo Laredo region of Mexico. With more than 10,000 trucks and 1,200 rail cars crossing the four bridges joining Laredo and Nuevo Laredo per day, the location has become a fight for control of the United States–Mexico border. Since fighting erupted in 2003, over 1500 deaths between the cartels have occurred, 900 within the first 6 months of 2005.cite news|title=Mexico: Fox's Uphill Battle to Win the Drug War |date=June 29, 2005 |publisher=Stratfor: Strategic Forecasting, Inc. |url=http://www.stratfor.com/mexico_foxs_uphill_battle_win_drug_war]

In the battle for Nuevo Laredo, is the Gulf Cartel controlled Los Zetas, headed by Lozcano. Los Zetas are a para-military group of former GAFE (Airborne Special Forces Groups) soldiers. Los Zetas, originally trained to hunt down cartel members on behalf of the Mexican government, soon defected to work for the Gulf Cartel. To counter Los Zetas, Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez Villarreal, a lieutenant in the Sinaloa Cartel, created "Los Negros", an alternate para-military group comprised of rogue members of Los Zetas as well as other Mexican special forces.cite book|title=Networks, Terrorism and Global Insurgency |first=Robert |last=Bunker |publisher=Routledge |month=July |year=2005 |isbn=0-41534819-6 |pages=xv] cite book|title = Weak bilateral law enforcement presence at the U.S.Mexico border |publisher = Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security |month = November |year = 2005] cite book|title=Texas Monthly On . . .: Texas True Crime |Publisher=University of Texas Press |year=2007 |month=April |isbn=0-29271675-3 |pages=44]

Corruption

Corruption within the Mexican government has allowed many cartel members to operate with immunity or under protection. In 2004, in the state of Morelos, Governor Sergio Estrada Cajigal is alleged to have allowed the Juárez drug cartel to use Morelos as a collection and distribution site for cocaine arriving from Colombia.cite news|title=Political Corruption Scandals Continue |author=SourceMex Economic News & Analysis on Mexico |publisher=April 24, 2004]

It is believed such operations in Morelos were under the direction of Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno and Vicente Carrillo Leyva. Carrillo is the nephew of Vicente Carrillo Fuentes and considered one of the leaders of the cartel.

Alberto Pliego, member of the Mexican Federal Preventative Police was arrested following accusation he, along with José Agustín Montiel, the ex-director of Morelos' investigative police force, for protecting smugglers and Juarez Cartel members.cite news|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20050207-1951-mexico-drugs.html |title=Mexico captures ex-federal agent with reputed drug links |publisher=Associated Press |date=February 7, 2005] Esparragoza's connections to the FJP are believed what allows him to operate without detection. Esparragoza is believed to be transported by Federal Judicial Police, in a heavily armed caravan.

Esparragoza is currently wanted by the United States DEA with a US$5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

ee also

*Guadalajara Cartel
*Juarez Cartel
*Los Zetas
*Sonora Cartel
*United States–Mexico border
*Vicente Carrillo Fuentes

References