Operation Chihuahua
Encyclopedia
Coordinated Operation Chihuahua or formerly known as Joint Operation Chihuahua is a Military and Federal Police operation started in 2008 by the Mexican Army
and Policía Federal Preventiva. The objective is to "besiege" Ciudad Juárez
to concentrate forces and saturate the area to confront the three cartels already operating in the city. Ciudad Juárez is known to be one of the most dangerous cities in the Americas. In the year 2007 more than 100 police officers were killed in Juárez in attacks blamed on organized crime. As a result of drug cartel violence, President Felipe Calderón
has previously launched other Joint Operations in other states.
The violence generated by the war of the drug cartels for control of drug routes translated into some 6,000 killings in 2008. More than 1,600 of them occurred in Juárez, three times more than the most murderous city in the United States. As of July 14, 2009, the body count in Juárez surpassed 1000, which is an acceleration over the year 2008. This mark was not reached in 2008 until over two months later: September 16.
assumed office and declared war on drug traffickers. Troops and Federal Police forces were ordered to move into hot zones where drug cartels operated—especially in Michoacán
, Tamaulipas
, and Ciudad Juárez
. Calderón also imposed a cap on salaries of high-ranking public servants and ordered a raise on the salaries of the Federal Police and federal armed forces. Since early 2007, 2,500 Mexican troops have been sent to Juárez to combat organized crime.
; in the raid 21 suspects were arrested along with the arrest a huge amount of drugs, weapons, ammunition, military and police uniforms and three vehicles were seized. On March 7 in the capital city of Chihuahua
, acting on an anonymous tip troops from the 23rd Infantry Battalion confronted a group of gunmen which opened fire and threw grenades at soldiers who also returned fire. six of the gunmen were killed while three were arrested. The army reported that five soldiers were injured and one soldier with the rank of 1st Captain was also killed.
On March 27, Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño
announced of Joint Operation Chihuahua as a strategy to combat organize crime in the state. That same day members of SEDENA, SSP, and The Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora met to discuss the operation. The government ordered 2,026 army troops and Federal Police officers equipped with 180 vehicles, to reinforce the army garrisons already placed there sixteen Joint Operation bases were installed that are made up Army and Federal Police forces.
On March 29, three Air Force
C-130's and one Boeing 727
transporting 392 troops arrived at Ciudad Juárez
Abraham González International Airport
, and by land 805 troops equipped with 116 vehicles belonging to the army's 3rd Independent Infantry Brigade arrived later on that day.
On April 8, in the city of Villa Ahumada
, the Army
received information of a funeral process that was held for a drug trafficker known as Gerardo Gallegos who belonged to the criminal group of the Juárez Cartel
. It is assumed that Gerardo Gallegos died in a gun battle with rival groups in Hidalgo del Parral. The army quickly mobilized two units; the first ground unit composed of 35 soldiers equipped with 4 military vehicles from the 76th Infantry Battalion, the second Air unit composed of 15 personnel from the army's Parachute Rifle Special Forces Brigade
equipped with one Mi-17
and a MD 503
. The Air Unit was sent to the cemetery area to conduct a recon screen, armed men were found to be in the target area which opened fire on the helicopters, but did not manage any impact. Civilians who panic dispersed either running or driving away from the gun battle; simultaneously the air unit descended upon the area giving chase to the gunmen while in the same moment the ground unit arrived and arrested 8 of the assailants, two AK-47's
, one M4 Carbine, and one Ruger rifle
. Interesting fact was that one of the suspects was a Municipal Police Officer of Villa Ahumada
at the time.
On May 17, presumed members of the Sinaloa Cartel attacked Villa Ahumada, Chihuahua, and killed the police chief, two officers, and three civilians, and kidnapped at least 10 additional people. In the same day acting on information from an anymous source, military personnel from the 76th Infantry Battalion and 4th Armored Reconnaissance Regiment were sent to a ranch called "El Alto" located near the town of Hidalgo del Parral. Upon arriving they were met with gunfire from the interior of the ranch, soldiers returned fired and continued to proceed with the assault with results of 11 men being arrested and various weapons captured.
On November 28, gunmen in Ciudad Juárez killed eight people at a restaurant. On December 8, Six people were killed when gunmen opened fire inside a pool hall.
On March 1, out of the 5,000 troops, 1,800 troops arrived in Ciudad Juárez. Army troops arrived onboard 90 vehicles of various types and integrated with the 20th Motorized Cavalry Regiment inside the town. A day later the last 3,200 army troops arrived by air and land.
informed that he will send another 2,000 Federal Police forces to Ciudad Juárez. On the same day, a armed group consisting of dozens of gunmen attempted to kidnap 3 military personnel, but they managed to escape.
On January 16, the federal government transferred security operations command from the Army to the Secretary of Public Security
. Also renaming the security operations to Coordinated Operation Chihuahua.
On April 23, In Ciudad Juarez gunmen ambushed two police vehicles while in a busy intersection killing 6 police officers and also killing a 17 year old girl. A Chihuahua States spokesman confirmed that 5 of the officers were federal and one was municipal. Authorities have recovered two of the three vehicles used in the attack. On the same day, Federal Authorities announced 16 federal police officers have been detained and accused of extorsion, robbery, abuse of authority and breaking and entering.
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
and Policía Federal Preventiva. The objective is to "besiege" Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
to concentrate forces and saturate the area to confront the three cartels already operating in the city. Ciudad Juárez is known to be one of the most dangerous cities in the Americas. In the year 2007 more than 100 police officers were killed in Juárez in attacks blamed on organized crime. As a result of drug cartel violence, President Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
has previously launched other Joint Operations in other states.
Ciudad Juárez and Violence
In 2008, Ciudad Juárez was designated as “The City of the Future” by the prestigious magazine “Foreign Direct Investment” published by the influential “Financial Times group.”. However, the city is also a site of widespread poverty and violence, including an infamous series of unsolved murders of female factory workers.The violence generated by the war of the drug cartels for control of drug routes translated into some 6,000 killings in 2008. More than 1,600 of them occurred in Juárez, three times more than the most murderous city in the United States. As of July 14, 2009, the body count in Juárez surpassed 1000, which is an acceleration over the year 2008. This mark was not reached in 2008 until over two months later: September 16.
Declaration of War against The Cartels
On December 1, 2006, President Felipe CalderónFelipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
assumed office and declared war on drug traffickers. Troops and Federal Police forces were ordered to move into hot zones where drug cartels operated—especially in Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, and Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
. Calderón also imposed a cap on salaries of high-ranking public servants and ordered a raise on the salaries of the Federal Police and federal armed forces. Since early 2007, 2,500 Mexican troops have been sent to Juárez to combat organized crime.
Earlier events
On February 17, troops from the 20th Motorized Cavalry Regiment carrying out a surveillance mission in Ciudad Juárez raided a safe house belonging to the Juárez CartelJuárez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
; in the raid 21 suspects were arrested along with the arrest a huge amount of drugs, weapons, ammunition, military and police uniforms and three vehicles were seized. On March 7 in the capital city of Chihuahua
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the...
, acting on an anonymous tip troops from the 23rd Infantry Battalion confronted a group of gunmen which opened fire and threw grenades at soldiers who also returned fire. six of the gunmen were killed while three were arrested. The army reported that five soldiers were injured and one soldier with the rank of 1st Captain was also killed.
Joint Operation Chihuahua begins
thumbOn March 27, Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño
Juan Camilo Mouriño
Juan Camilo Mouriño Terrazo was a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party and the Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón...
announced of Joint Operation Chihuahua as a strategy to combat organize crime in the state. That same day members of SEDENA, SSP, and The Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora met to discuss the operation. The government ordered 2,026 army troops and Federal Police officers equipped with 180 vehicles, to reinforce the army garrisons already placed there sixteen Joint Operation bases were installed that are made up Army and Federal Police forces.
On March 29, three Air Force
Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
C-130's and one Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
transporting 392 troops arrived at Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
Abraham González International Airport
Abraham González International Airport
Abraham González International Airport is an international airport located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, near the U.S.-Mexico border opposite with El Paso, Texas. It accommodates national and international air traffic of the city of Ciudad Juárez...
, and by land 805 troops equipped with 116 vehicles belonging to the army's 3rd Independent Infantry Brigade arrived later on that day.
On April 8, in the city of Villa Ahumada
Villa Ahumada
Villa Ahumada is a town and seat of the municipality of Ahumada in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico with 8,753 inhabitants...
, the Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
received information of a funeral process that was held for a drug trafficker known as Gerardo Gallegos who belonged to the criminal group of the Juárez Cartel
Juárez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
. It is assumed that Gerardo Gallegos died in a gun battle with rival groups in Hidalgo del Parral. The army quickly mobilized two units; the first ground unit composed of 35 soldiers equipped with 4 military vehicles from the 76th Infantry Battalion, the second Air unit composed of 15 personnel from the army's Parachute Rifle Special Forces Brigade
Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales
The Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales or more commonly known as Fuerzas Especiales/Special Forces is a special forces unit of the Mexican Army's Special Forces Corps, trained by the world's special forces. There are a total of nine battalions, one High Command GAFE unit and one other group...
equipped with one Mi-17
MI-17
MI-17 can refer to:* Mil Mi-17, Soviet helicopter*M-17...
and a MD 503
MD 500 Defender
|-See also:-External links:* *...
. The Air Unit was sent to the cemetery area to conduct a recon screen, armed men were found to be in the target area which opened fire on the helicopters, but did not manage any impact. Civilians who panic dispersed either running or driving away from the gun battle; simultaneously the air unit descended upon the area giving chase to the gunmen while in the same moment the ground unit arrived and arrested 8 of the assailants, two AK-47's
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
, one M4 Carbine, and one Ruger rifle
Sturm, Ruger
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated is a Southport, Connecticut-based firearm manufacturing company, better known by the shortened name Ruger. Sturm, Ruger produces bolt-action, semi-automatic, full-automatic, and single-shot rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, and single- and double-action...
. Interesting fact was that one of the suspects was a Municipal Police Officer of Villa Ahumada
Villa Ahumada
Villa Ahumada is a town and seat of the municipality of Ahumada in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico with 8,753 inhabitants...
at the time.
On May 17, presumed members of the Sinaloa Cartel attacked Villa Ahumada, Chihuahua, and killed the police chief, two officers, and three civilians, and kidnapped at least 10 additional people. In the same day acting on information from an anymous source, military personnel from the 76th Infantry Battalion and 4th Armored Reconnaissance Regiment were sent to a ranch called "El Alto" located near the town of Hidalgo del Parral. Upon arriving they were met with gunfire from the interior of the ranch, soldiers returned fired and continued to proceed with the assault with results of 11 men being arrested and various weapons captured.
On November 28, gunmen in Ciudad Juárez killed eight people at a restaurant. On December 8, Six people were killed when gunmen opened fire inside a pool hall.
2009
- On February 10, Assailants kidnapped 9 people in Villa AhumadaVilla AhumadaVilla Ahumada is a town and seat of the municipality of Ahumada in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico with 8,753 inhabitants...
, Chihuahua. They were then pursued by the military to a ranch located 12 km south of the Garita de Samalayuca, where at least 21 people were killed. The fatalities includes one soldier, 6 of the 9 prisoners and 14 assailants that were killed by the army. This event shares much with the attack of May 17, 2008, and it is presumed that the attackers were members of the Sinaloa CartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
. - On February 14, In the municipality of Villa AhumadaAhumada (municipality)Ahumada is a one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Villa Ahumada. The municipality covers an area of 17,131.5 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 11,727.-Towns and villages:...
, 125 kilometers south of Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, troops on patrol fought a gunbattle with cartel gunmen, leaving three assailants dead.
Resignation of Ciudad Juárez Police Chief
- On February 20, Ciudad Juárez Police Chief Robert Orduna announced his resignation after two police officers were killed. Drug traffickers had threatened to kill a police officer every 48 hours until the chief resigned. The change in command in Juárez's police force comes in the wake of a campaign of intimidation by a drug cartel that had the border city in its grip. Orduna is credited in replacing half of the 1,600-person police force with new recruits in a bid to rid it of corrupt members.
Attack on The Governor
- On February 22, five assailants attacked the convoy of Chihuahua governor, José Reyes BaezaJosé Reyes Baeza TerrazasJosé Reyes Baeza Terrazas is a Mexican politician and lawyer. In 2004, he was elected Governor of Chihuahua as a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party for the term ending in 2010. Prior to that, he was Chair of Law at the University of Chihuahua in Chihuahua...
, killing a bodyguard.
Government response to the ongoing violence
As a result of the ongoing violence in Juárez, the federal government ordered an extra 5,000 troops from the 11th Military Region and federal police officers equipped with armed helicopters, transport and armored vehicles to the area to put an end on organize once and for all. The reinforcements will assist the 2,500 soldiers and Federal Police officers that were sent in the early year of 2007.On March 1, out of the 5,000 troops, 1,800 troops arrived in Ciudad Juárez. Army troops arrived onboard 90 vehicles of various types and integrated with the 20th Motorized Cavalry Regiment inside the town. A day later the last 3,200 army troops arrived by air and land.
Disarmament of the Police force
- On March 18, military personnel disarmed 1,600 Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
Municipal police officers. Some Municipal personnel were used to transport soldiers on patrol assignments since they already know the area, others were sent home and were told they were not going to be paid. This new event was approved by the city's Mayor José Reyes FerrizJosé Reyes FerrizJosé Reyes Estrada Ferriz is a Mexican politician, affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party...
Four days of silence and ongoing violence
- On March 19, since the arrival of the Army and Federal Police forces, Juárez was given breathing room from violence. Since 2008 and the week before the arrival of Government forces the city was recognized as the most violent in the country with 12 executions a day. But after four days of silence, violence returned in Chihuahua when two men were reported killed in a vehicle in the colony of Puerta del Sol, also killed was a staff member of the city's secretary of traffic, two other civilians were reported murdered.
- On March 25, in the city of Chihuahua, Salais Juan Gutierrez, commander of the area of various crimes of the Attorney General State of Justice department was executed by gunmen. Also reported were another four men involved in organized crime were killed in the city, and one more in Ciudad Juárez.
- On April 4, six bodies were found in tortured in rural Chihuahua.
- DurangoDurangoDurango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
Governor Ismael Hernández Deras demanded that the federal government send "fully armed and armored" Federal Police forces to the state as a result of increasing violence as cause by the Joint Operations in Chihuahua and in Sinaloa, and 9 men were found murdered in the city of Chihuahua
- Durango
- On August 2, 8 men were found dead in Ciudad Juárez and one more in the city of Chihuahua
- Officials will make a decision on whether to withdraw the troops is expected before September 15. The mayor of Ciudad Juárez is asking federal authorities not to pull military units out of the region for at least another six months.
- In a strip bar in Ciudad Juárez, gunmen burst in and opened fire killing five people and one U.S. airman Staff Sgt. David Booher, booher was assigned to the medical unit of the 49th Fighter Wing49th Fighter WingThe 49th Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49 WG is part of the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force....
at Holloman Air Force outside Alamogordo, N.M.
2010
On January 13, Secretariat of Public Security Genaro García LunaGenaro García Luna
Genaro García Luna is a Mexican politician and engineer. He serves as Secretary of Public Security in the federal cabinet.He holds a B.Sc...
informed that he will send another 2,000 Federal Police forces to Ciudad Juárez. On the same day, a armed group consisting of dozens of gunmen attempted to kidnap 3 military personnel, but they managed to escape.
On January 16, the federal government transferred security operations command from the Army to the Secretary of Public Security
Secretary of Public Security (Mexico)
The Secretary of Public Security of Mexico is the head of the Secretariat of Public Security .The current Secretary of Public Security is Genaro García Luna....
. Also renaming the security operations to Coordinated Operation Chihuahua.
On April 23, In Ciudad Juarez gunmen ambushed two police vehicles while in a busy intersection killing 6 police officers and also killing a 17 year old girl. A Chihuahua States spokesman confirmed that 5 of the officers were federal and one was municipal. Authorities have recovered two of the three vehicles used in the attack. On the same day, Federal Authorities announced 16 federal police officers have been detained and accused of extorsion, robbery, abuse of authority and breaking and entering.