Source: Houston Chronicle
(http://www.chron.com/cgibin/auth/story/content/chronicle/world/
97/08/22/abrego.21.html)
Contact: viewpoints@chron.com
Page 22A

Struggle to fill Abrego drug cartel vacuum leads to bloody shootout

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) Three men were killed in a shootout
over control of the drug corridor once run by imprisoned kingpin
Juan Garcia Abrego as an alleged Abrego associate was in U.S.
custody Thursday on smuggling charges.

The gunbattle occurred about 11 p.m. Wednesday between two
factions of traffickers fighting for control of the Gulf cartel,
the smuggling operation once led by Abrego, authorities said.

Abrego was sentenced earlier this year in Houston to 11 life
prison terms for smuggling 15 tons of cocaine into the United
States over the last decade.

His organization once was one of the most powerful trafficking
groups in Mexico, but activity had slowed since Abrego's arrest
last year, authorities said.

"It had been very quiet," said Alonzo Pena, chief of the U.S.
Customs Service across the border in Brownsville, Texas. "That is
definitely not the case now.

"This is a very, very significant event," Pena said of the
shooting. "It sure as heck is the start of determining who's
going to be running things in Matamoros."

The shooting occurred in a neighborhood on the west side of the
city, said State Judicial Police Commander Domingo Serna. A group
of men in a Crown Victoria opened fire on a Dodge pickup truck
carrying Antonio Davila, 41, an alleged drug trafficker who had
begun to seize control of the Gulf cartel, Serna said.

Davila, known as "El Comandante" the commander was killed.
He was shot seven times with a 9mm handgun and an AK47 assault
rifle, police said. His bodyguards returned fire, killing two men
in the Crown Victoria, Serna said. Another man was wounded. In
all, about 15 people were involved in the shooting.

Six suspects were in police custody Thursday, Serna said. Police
also had confiscated 10 machine guns and other weapons.

The shooting occurred just two weeks after six people were shot
to death in Ciudad Juarez, in what may be part of a turf war for
command of the Juarez drug cartel.

At least 11 people have been killed there since the July 4 death
of reputed cartel leader Amado Carrillo Fuentes, considered
Mexico's No. 1 drug lord following Abrego's arrest.

One drug expert said the Matamoros shooting might also be linked
to a battle over Carrillo Fuentes' domain.

"Amado Carrillo Fuentes had taken over a lot of the territory
that Juan Garcia Abrego had. He was the one individual that had a
very cooperative effort going on with the federation as a whole,"
said Phil Jordan, a retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent
who investigated the Gulf cartel in the early '90s.

"Any time an individual of his stature is immobilized, the
natural thing that happens is you have power struggles and turf
wars," said Jordan. "The wars are going to increase until
somebody emerges as the next Amado Carrillo Fuentes. In the
meantime, a lot of people are going to get hurt."

Also Thursday, U.S. authorities hailed the arrest of an alleged
Abrego associate who was imprisoned Thursday on smuggling
charges.

Marco Antonio Duron Aranda, 37, had been wanted by U.S. Customs
agents since he was indicted in 1995 on drug smuggling and
conspiracy charges.

This week, he walked right into their arms.

Duron, of Monterrey, showed up at the Brownsville Customs office
Tuesday to ask for the return of $15,000 in cash and a Mercury
Grand Marquis seized in February.

He was arrested shortly after his arrival and imprisoned pending
a bond hearing today.

The money and vehicle, which is owned by Duron, were seized at
the Brownsville port of entry in February. The car was driven by
someone other than Duron. Inspectors found the money, wrapped in
duct tape, concealed in the car's air filter.

Duron's brother, Humberto Duron, had attempted to recover the car
and money but was advised that the true owner had to make a
claim.

"We never thought that would happen," said Customs Chief Pena.
"But lo and behold, he showed up."