What happens in Mexico no longer stays in Mexico.
And that has authorities here concerned.
The beheading of an illegal immigrant in Chandler has alarmed everyone from police agencies to the governor’s office as the violence and mayhem now common in Mexico has spilled over onto this side of the border.
“This has to be taken very seriously,” said Phil Jordan, a retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent who is the former chief of the El Paso Intelligence Center. “If this beheading incident has drug ties to Mexico and is happening in Arizona, we have a problem. Anyone who tells you what happens in Mexico stays in Mexico is smoking hashish. What happens in Mexico definitely affects the United States.”
In a bloody, gruesome scene, Chandler police discovered the body of Martin Alejandro Cota-Monroy, a 38-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, who was stabbed to death inside an apartment at 300 W. Fairview St. and decapitated with a large knife, according to Detective Dave Ramer, a Chandler police spokesman. One man suspected in the killing has been arrested and the search is on for three others who are believed to have fled to Mexico.
Chandler police are investigating the crime as a possible “hit” related to a Mexican drug cartel, and do not consider this a ritualistic murder despite the presence of candles and other religious material at the scene. Detectives suspect Cota-Monroy’s killing was punishment for stealing drugs and that the beheading could have occurred as a warning to others within the drug cartel.
Chandler police Sgt. Joe Favazzo said it is likely that the suspects came to Arizona to find Cota-Monroy and try to collect what he had stolen from them.
Jordan and David Gonzales, the U.S. Marshal in Arizona, both said it is the first time they have heard of a beheading in the United States tied to a Mexican drug cartel.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in law enforcement along the southwest border surprised at this type of heinous crime, and that it might be cartel-related,” Gonzales said. “This has been going on a long time in Mexico, and federal agents are beginning to see a trend of cartel-related violence happening here.”
In March, Arizona rancher Robert Krenz was shot and killed while checking water lines on his property near the Mexican border. Authorities believe, but have never been able to verify, that an illegal immigrant (possibly a scout for drug smugglers) was responsible for his death.
In May 2009, a Mexican drug cartel lieutenant who became an informant for ICE was shot eight times outside his upscale home in El Paso. The lieutenant, Jose Daniel Gonzalez Galeana, was living in Texas on a visa that ICE gave him, and is believed to be the first ranking cartel member killed in the U.S.
Earlier this month, a Mexican police commander investigating the reported shooting of an American tourist on a border lake was decapitated and his head was found in a suitcase outside a Mexican Army base.
“Beheadings are a common practice in Mexico, but not in the U.S.,” Gonzales said. “It’s only a matter of time that more of the violence is going to bleed over into the United States, and I think we’ll see more of these types of crimes occur.”
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was criticized four months ago for her statement in support of SB 1070 that beheadings had occurred in the Arizona desert. She later clarified the statement, saying the beheadings had occurred in Mexico but were an example of the violence occurring along the border.
Paul Senseman, a spokesman for Brewer, said Thursday that law enforcement already has taken some steps to be more prepared for such crimes and cartel violence and that it was only a matter of time before such a “heinous” crime happened in the Valley.
“What is perfectly clear is that there are narco-terrorist organizations operating in the United States, and that’s unacceptable,” Senseman said. “Many of the organizations are inter-related such as human smuggling rings and drug cartels. We have seen some improvement by the federal government. Washington is starting to wake up. The problem needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.”
All of the suspects in the Chandler beheading are illegal immigrants, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Cristantos Moroyoqui-Yocupicio, 36, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who lived at the apartment complex, was discovered with blood on his pants and shoes and arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and hindering prosecution. He is not cooperating with authorities and ICE has placed a hold on him. Police believe that Moroyoqui-Yocupicio participated in the beheading and that he possibly was the sole participant in the barbaric act, according to a police report.
Authorities are still searching for Juan Jose Aguilar-Campos, 22, Jose David Castro-Reyes, 25, and a man only known to them as “El Joto,” a derogatory term for a gay man. The three suspects are believed to be traveling in a red Ford Expedition with California License Plate No. 6FWR784. They had lived in Perris, Calif., for a brief time before coming to Arizona. Traveling in separate vehicles, the men had checked into the Value Place Hotel, 8808 N. Black Canyon Highway in Phoenix, on Oct. 6, and paid to stay until Oct. 14. However, the men checked out on Oct. 13.
Jordan said if the Chandler case is drug-related, it likely was a “hit” carried out by a “sicario” (hit man) for the cartel against someone who betrayed them, stole or lost part of a shipment or stole money from a shipment of drugs, and that the sicario came to take care of business by killing Cota-Monroy to “send a message.”
“Too much is at stake for the drug cartels,” Jordan said. “They’ve never had a president until Felipe Calderon who declared a war on drugs in 2006. It is sometimes believed that the cartels are connected to the Taliban or to Al Qaida terrorist groups, but we are the cartels’ consumers. The Taliban and Al Qaida want to destroy America. The drug cartels don’t want to cut off the hand that feeds them.”
Jordan also provided some insight as to why Moroyoqui-Yocupicio is not cooperating with authorities.
“It is no surprise that Crisantos Moroyoqui isn’t cooperating,” Jordan said. “If he does, he likely has family back in Mexico and someone can have them killed. If he starts cooperating, they can easily wind up dead.”
rrjenn posted at 6:56 pm on Fri, Oct 29, 2010.
Brewer was not wrong. She was just prophetic..
sandib posted at 7:53 pm on Fri, Oct 29, 2010.
I expect a full apology from the reporters of the AZ Republic to Jan Brewer after attacking her about beheadings in AZ!! Guess she is a psychic and knew it was going to happen. Get the illegal criminals out of this state. Take SB1070 to the Supreme Court and WIN!! Is this enough proof for Obama that we need help or will he continue to sue us. VOTE ON TUESDAY FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORT SB1070.
Mike1200 posted at 9:04 pm on Fri, Oct 29, 2010.
This can't be true. Earlier this year I remember crapy nappy telling us the border is more secure than it has ever been. What a load of garbage. This lady is as incompetent as her boss.
When is this so called president going to deal with this problem? Oh, thats right he probably won't except to sue the state of arizona for trying to work the problem on our own since the federal government is of no help.
PhoenixSpirit posted at 11:54 pm on Fri, Oct 29, 2010.
Number one lesson learned from Prohibition: When alcohol was illegal, there was overwhelming violence, crime, gangs, etc. When Prohibition ended and alcohol became legal, all the violence and crime ended. Message to current leaders: Legalize, regulate and tax illegal drugs and all violence and crime will end, just like it did when alcohol Prohibition ended. This is going to happen eventually. Do it sooner rather than later and end the horrid violence NOW!
AZMomma posted at 4:34 am on Sat, Oct 30, 2010.
This is not the time/place to get onto the 'legalize drugs' soapbox.
It IS the place to demand that ANY of our candidates for State offices be checked carefully for their personal stand on BORDER and AZ SECURITY issues.
Unless they personally advocate strong enforcement of American/Arizona Security do NOT vote for them.
We now see continuing terrorist attempts from the Middle East, but there are also more local Terrorism threats coming at us. Imported from Mexico, locals recruited and cells building. Taking a page from the Mid-east terrorism booklets?
Choice: Dying from Al-Queda bomb or getting caught in the cross-fire of some Mexican Cartel War? Either way, you are DEAD.
Obama is losing the confidence of America, playing right into the hands of the enemy - "foreign and domestic". Not a big leap to total inept leadership.
Janet....you better grab your boss by the short hairs and get his attention.
We ARE in danger and the American/AZ public may not be as complacent as you dolts in DC think we are.
wdgnas posted at 4:57 am on Sat, Oct 30, 2010.
This is not the time/place to get onto the 'legalize drugs' soapbox.
when would be a good time? after the illegals are deported? after the border is secure? after the employers that hire illegals are perp-walked in front of the country on national television?
AZMomma posted at 6:05 am on Sat, Oct 30, 2010.
wd: You have your knickers in a knot for no reason.
So many threads (subjects) are hi-jacked and turned into rants for/against some other agenda. Yours, mine, etc.
The SUBJECT here is the Drug Cartels and their possible incursion into America/AZ.
There are other threads devoted to the 'legalize xxx' or the need to bust the chops of employers. (and I post to those too).
Just was my suggestion that we STAY on topic and exercise some logical thought processes as we respond.
tededitedit posted at 11:23 am on Sat, Oct 30, 2010.
Look who's hiding behind the cover of the millions of illegal immigrants looking for a better job and charity handouts in America. Members of Latino organized crime. They are either making money via organized crime or laying low. That means there are going to be more and more incidents like this one in Chandler. More and more "home-invasion team busted" like reported in Phoenix today. The future holds more and more violence, with mistaken identity killings and innocents in the crossfire. Will it hold fear of death for turning in a neighborhood dealer? Masked local policeman to keep their families safe? Time to make a stand...
angryivan posted at 2:27 am on Sun, Oct 31, 2010.
So these yahoos have taken off for Mexico, yet we have pictures of them? That means they've been causing problems around here before so we have mugshots of them.
We need a law that if you get deported after being convicted for a crime that you will get a 10 year suspended prison sentence that will be enforced if you get caught in the USA again. No appeals. No early release. Nada!
k33j88 posted at 6:51 am on Sun, Oct 31, 2010.
This is one of the many reasons I'm packing heat at all times.
Masterrogue666 posted at 4:20 pm on Sun, Oct 31, 2010.
No, forkedlift1, just because ILLEGAL ALIENS (or Foreign national invaders) do not get the same rights as US citizens just because they ignore our Federal and State laws. Are they subject to our laws? Yes. But that DOES NOT give the the same rights as a US citizen.
Mexico still regards them as their citizens, why else are they so mad about sb1070?
rrjenn posted at 8:29 am on Tue, Nov 2, 2010.
forkedlift1, you really think our law enforcement officers couldn't enforce all our laws? That's a pathetic argument even for you. And how creative of you to use criminals to argue for your anchor baby views. Very retarded arguments for one who thinks so highly of himself that he even compliments his own sock puppets. Nobody is fooled by your false arguments so why bother?
Masterrogue666 posted at 11:34 am on Tue, Nov 2, 2010.
forkedlift1: Gee, maybe it was a "faked" beheading. You know, like the Deputy Sheriff whom YOU said faked his injury....
rrjenn posted at 1:03 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
lol very funny Masterrogue. I see fork didn't have a comeback for that one.