The Airport Ambush: Cartel's Deadly Surprise

Drug cartels have been known to ambush airports. One such incident occurred in 1993 at the Guadalajara International Airport in Mexico. A squad of hitmen from the Logan Heights Gang attempted to assassinate the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquin Guzman Loera. The hitmen were hired by the Tijuana Cartel and were heavily armed. They accidentally ambushed Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo's vehicle, killing him. Six people died in the shootout, and it brought international attention to the growing threat of drug cartels in Mexico.

Another instance of a cartel ambush is depicted in Season 3 of the TV series Narcos: Mexico. In this fictionalized account, Ramón's crew from the Tijuana cartel ambushes Chapo at the airport, with a ridiculous flaw in the narrative—the crew walks around the airport with guns as if they are invisible. This artistic license taken by the show highlights the dramatic effect but deviates from realistic expectations.

Additionally, in 2019, a drug cartel in Mexico ambushed three SUVs, killing six children and three women, all US citizens. This attack occurred along a dirt road in a remote, mountainous area where the Sinaloa cartel was engaged in a turf war. While this incident did not take place at an airport, it demonstrates the ruthless nature of cartel operations and their willingness to engage in violent ambushes.

The 1993 Guadalajara International Airport shootout

On May 24, 1993, a violent incident at Guadalajara's Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Airport left several people dead, including a Catholic bishop, Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo. This event, known as the 1993 Guadalajara International Airport shootout, thrust rival cartels and their leaders into the headlines in Mexico and beyond.

The shootout occurred in the context of a war between the Sinaloa and Tijuana cartels. The Tijuana cartel had hired a squad of heavily-armed Logan Heights Gang hitmen from San Diego, California, to assassinate Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera. The hitmen were tipped off about Guzman's location by a Mexican judicial police officer, "El Chino," who had also bought Guzman's plane ticket.

As the hitmen arrived at the airport, they spotted a white Grand Marquis sedan, which they believed was Guzman's vehicle. They opened fire, but instead, they had ambushed Cardinal Ocampo's car, killing him with 14 close-range gunshots. The Sinaloa Cartel bodyguards fired back, forcing the hitmen to flee. The attack left six people dead, including Cardinal Ocampo and his driver, who was hit 11 times.

The shootout drew international attention to the growing threat of drug cartels in Mexico. Nine members of the Logan Heights Gang were imprisoned in the United States for their roles in the shootout, while another was killed in a Mexican prison before he could testify.

The official story maintains that Cardinal Ocampo was mistakenly identified as a drug lord due to the rivalry between the cartels. However, allegations persist that the Cardinal was intentionally murdered by the Mexican government to cover up collusion between drug cartels, human trafficking rings, and senior politicians during Mexico's dictatorial rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

The DEA's Operation Leyenda

The operation was a major crackdown on the Guadalajara Cartel, with the goal of bringing Camarena's murderers to justice. In the months before the task force was assembled, the DEA doubled its number of agents and embarked on a recruitment drive to strengthen its fight against drug trafficking. This resulted in a 40% increase in drug shipment seizures, causing the cartel to lose money and creating tensions within the organisation.

The DEA team, led by Special Agent Walt Breslin, was made up of Special Agent Kenny Moss, Agents Sal Orozco and Daryl Petski, and former Mexican police officers Ossie Mejia, Amat Palacios, and Danilo Garza. This team was responsible for kidnapping and forcing a confession from the physician, Humberto Alvarez Machain, who had kept Camarena alive during his interrogation. Alvarez Machain also revealed the identity of the torturer, former DFS agent Sergio Verdin.

The DEA team then obtained permission to make a move on Verdin and his guards, deciding to ambush them as they drove down a one-way street. However, the plan failed when those in the escort car noticed the cement truck blocking their path and forced the driver, Garza, to help them push it. Verdin, upon seeing another truck blocking his path, ordered his men to turn the car around, but the DEA agents crashed into the car and a shootout ensued, resulting in the deaths of all the CISEN agents.

The operation continued with the capture of Ruben Zuno Arce, the son-in-law of President Luis Echeverria, and the interrogation of Pablo Acosta Villarreal, the Juarez plaza boss. The DEA team also discovered a tunnel from the Muelles warehouse in Tijuana to San Ysidro in the US, which was used to transport drugs.

In 1988, the team learned of a 70-ton cocaine shipment at the Chiapas airfield, belonging to Amado Carrillo Fuentes. However, Fuentes had discovered the electronic trackers planted by the DEA and set up an ambush, resulting in the deaths of several DEA agents and mercenaries, including Danilo Garza, Ossie Mejia, and Amat Palacios. This abrupt end to Operation Leyenda forced the DEA to recall Special Agent Walt Breslin.

Despite this setback, the operation successfully concluded in 1989 with the capture of Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, and the dismantling of the organisation. However, the new cartels that formed from this partition became equally powerful and dangerous, leading to the start of the Mexican Drug War in 2006.

The Tijuana Cartel's assassination attempt

The Tijuana Cartel was engaged in a war with the Sinaloa Cartel, and the assassination attempt was part of their efforts to end the conflict. The hitmen were tipped off about Guzman's location by a Mexican judicial police officer, "El Chino," who had also purchased Guzman's plane ticket. However, the plan went awry when the hitmen accidentally ambushed Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo's vehicle instead of Guzman's, leading to the Cardinal's unfortunate death.

Amid the chaos, a shootout ensued between the hitmen and the bodyguards of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Tijuana leader, Ramon Arellano Felix, disguised himself as a police officer to escape on a plane, while Guzman also managed to evade capture. The attack resulted in six deaths and brought international attention to the escalating threat of drug cartels in Mexico. Several members of the Logan Heights Gang were imprisoned in the United States for their involvement, while one was killed in a Mexican prison before he could testify.

The Mexican government, facing pressure to address the growing drug cartel problem, blamed Guzman for the shootout and sought his arrest. This incident highlighted the complex and dangerous dynamics between rival cartels and the challenges faced by authorities in combatting their influence.

The Sinaloa Cartel's bodyguards

The Sinaloa Cartel, also known as the Guzmán-Loera Organization, the Federation, the Blood Alliance, or the Pacific Cartel, is a large, transnational organized crime syndicate based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. It is one of the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organizations in the world, specializing in illegal drug trafficking and money laundering.

The cartel's bodyguards play a crucial role in protecting its leaders and members. In the case of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who was famous for eluding capture for decades, he attributed his ability to evade authorities to his tight, loyal, and sophisticated personal security apparatus. However, on July 25, 2024, Zambada found himself in a precarious situation when he was allegedly betrayed and kidnapped by Joaquín Guzmán López, a leader of a rival cartel faction.

On that day, Zambada left most of his security team behind and brought only two bodyguards with him to a meeting, expecting to resolve a political rivalry between Gov. Ruben Rocha and Héctor Cuén. Unfortunately, things took a dire turn as Zambada was abducted and forced aboard an airplane, eventually leading to his arrest by U.S. authorities. The fate of his two bodyguards remains unknown, as they have not been heard from since.

The bodyguards of the Sinaloa Cartel are not just personal protection for its leaders but also act as enforcers and armed wings for the organization. They are often involved in confrontations with rival cartels and law enforcement, contributing to the violent reputation of the cartel. The bodyguards are well-equipped and highly loyal, willing to go to great lengths to ensure the safety of their leaders and the success of the cartel's operations.

The conflict between the primary factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Chapitos and La Mayiza, has resulted in violent clashes and the deaths of numerous individuals, including some of the bodyguards. The bodyguards of both factions have played a significant role in the ongoing power struggle, employing armored vehicles, firearms, and tactical equipment in their battles.

The LeBaron family ambush

On November 4, 2019, a drug cartel in Mexico ambushed three SUVs along a dirt road, killing six children and three women. The victims were members of the extended LeBaron family, a group of fundamentalists who split from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and migrated to Mexico in the 19th century when the U.S. government banned polygamy. The LeBaron family has a violent history with the cartels, and this attack is believed to be a result of that conflict.

The attack took place in a remote, mountainous area in northern Mexico where the Sinaloa cartel has been engaged in a turf war. The victims were travelling in a convoy of three vehicles, en route to a wedding, when they were ambushed by cartel gunmen. The attackers killed one woman, Christina Langford Johnson, after she tried to show that she wasn't a threat. Investigators found over 200 shell casings, mostly from assault rifles, at the scene of the attack.

The victims included three women and six children, all of whom held dual US-Mexican citizenship. Five children who were wounded were flown to an Arizona hospital for treatment. The attack left one vehicle a burned-out, bullet-riddled hulk. Mexican authorities speculated that the killers may have mistaken the family's large SUVs for those of rival gangs. However, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda believed that the group was targeted due to long-standing tensions between the cartels and the LeBarons, who have publicly defied them in the past.

The LeBaron family has a history of conflict with Mexican drug cartels, and some family members have been outspoken against criminal groups in the region. In 2009, Benjamin LeBaron, an anti-crime activist who founded neighbourhood patrols against cartels, was killed along with his brother-in-law. In recent years, there have been other clashes between the LeBaron family and the cartels, including the kidnapping of a 16-year-old family member.

The attack on the LeBaron family has highlighted the ongoing drug-related violence in Mexico, where cartel gunmen have increasingly shown a disregard for human life, including the lives of children. The Mexican government's response to the attack has been criticised, with some calling for a more aggressive approach to combating the cartels.

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