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In a series of crimes that cross the border between Mexico and USA“The chopsticks“, a separate fraction of the Tijuana Cartelspread violence to American soil in the 2000s, particularly in San Ysidroon the outskirts of San Diego, California.
This division of the cartel is involved in at least fourteen murdersa sign of a rare phenomenon of Mexican cartel violence in USA.
The perpetrators adopted brutal methods, including strangling victims before dissolving their remains in acid, a tactic notoriously associated with Santiago Meza Lópezaka “The Pozolero” who worked at Tijuana Cartelalso known as the Los Arellanos Félix Cartel (CAF)
Later, the remains were buried under a horse ranch in arid land, marking a disturbing episode of cross-border violence.
Most of these acts were concentrated in California, even extending as far as Kansas City, Missouri.
“Los Palillos” not only committed homicides but also kidnappings, demanding ransoms for people mostly affiliated with cartels, in a clear indication that the war between these criminal structures had crossed the border.
Furthermore, in the pure style of Benjamin Arellano Felixone of the leaders of the CAF, who between the 80s and 90s wore uniforms of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes against Health of Baja California, some of the members of Los Palillos They dressed up as American police officers and They attacked a real agent from Chula VistaSteve Duncan, an agent who worked for the California Department of Justice and who also formed one of the task forces that hit the Tijuana Cartel, told journalist Ioan Grillo.
Duncan emphasized the importance of combating these crimes on US soil. “They are doing it on our territory and they are getting away with it. And eventually someone innocent will get hurt,” he said, pointing to a particular episode where a Chula Vista police officer was shot, which added urgency to the operation to capture these subjects.
The investigation of these crimes was long and complex, and took two years after acidified remains were buried before police discovered them. The evidence collection spanned several states, complicating the process of identifying victims and fitting pieces into the criminal puzzle.
Justice finally caught up with most of those involved in the “Los Palillos” wave of terror in trials held during the 2010s, although some members still remain on the run.
“It is important that people know that this can happen”Duncan says, underlining the need to remain alert to the possible infiltration of cartel violence into American society.
Ultimately, these incidents underscore a tragic reality: as drug cartels continue their fight for power and territory in Mexico—where more than 400,000 murders have been recorded from 2006 to 2023, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi)—its violence, although to a lesser extent, has found ways to cross the northern border.
While this chapter in the history of organized crime between Mexico and the United States appears to have concluded with the capture of the members of “Los Palillos,” the precedent it establishes is disturbing.
The ability of cartels to act with impunity, even beyond their traditional borders, is a reminder of the constant threat they pose not only to Mexico but also to its northern neighbor.
In this context, it is worth remembering that the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) reported on March 5 that The Pozolero He was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for different crimes, such as organized crime, clandestine burial, kidnapping and criminal association.
This 14 years after the arrest that occurred in Tijuana in 2009 and was presented to the population on national television on January 25 of that year.
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