Barraza Bocanegra Led A Faction Of The United Mexican Cartels

Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegra

Deceased Barraza Bocanegra was also wanted for a double homicide, including the Marisela Escobedo Ortiz murder in Chihuahua.

By H. Nelson Goodson

November 23, 2012

Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico - The Mexican military reported that it killed Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegra, 25, aka, "El Piwi or El Comandante Bambino" during a confrontation that resulted in his death, including three other men in state of Zacatecas. Barraza Bocanegra was wanted for the murders of Rubí Marisol Fraire Escobedo, 16, on June 2009 and her mother, activist Marisela Escobedo Ortiz in December 2010. Escobedo Ortiz was killed for seeking justice for her daughter's homicide.

Barraza Bocanegra originally from Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua died in the municipality of Pánfilo Natera near the city of Zacatecas on November 16, according to Arturo Nahle García, the state Attorney General of Zacatecas. García said, that Barraza Bocanegra's body was finally identified on Wednesday by his wife of two months. He fathered three children with his new bride.

On Thursday, local, state and Mexican federal authorities went to get additional evidence to confirm that Barraza Bocanegra had been killed. Military personnel had been guarding the body for several days for fear it would disappear from the state run morgue at the Public Ministry building in Zacatecas. 

Authorities from the state of Chihuahua were also present on Thursday to recover DNA, photos, fingerprints and forensic evidence from Barraza Bocanegra's body. The state of Chihuahua had several warrants against Barraza Bocanegra for the Escobedo Ortiz homicides.

Barraza Bocanegra's body will be released to his wife once authorities finish their forensic evidence gathering.

Barraza Bocanegra had been living in the municipality of Soledad Graciano Sánchez in San Luis Potosi and constantly traveled to the municipality of Fresnillo Zacatecas where his wife is originally from, García reported.

Barraza Bocanegra was a member of the Zetas and when recently the organization fractured in Zacatecas, he joined the United Mexican Cartels (UMC) criminal organization. Barraza Bocanegra led a group from the UMC and operated in Villanueva, Tabasco and Jaoquín Amaro, according to García.

Barraza Bocanegra allegedly planned and ordered Escobedo Ortiz killed to keep her quiet after more than a year of organizing marches, rallies for justice and accusing state authorities of not doing enough to bring Barraza Bocanegra to justice. 

Last October, the Governor of Chihuahua, César Duarte had confirmed the arrest of José Enriquez Jiménez Zavala, 29, aka, "El Wicked" for the December 16, 2010 homicide of activist Marisela Escobedo Ortiz in front of the state goverment building. The Escobedo Ortiz murder was caught on video surveillance camera outside the government building.

Escobedo Ortiz spend weeks outside the government building in an attempt to bring justice for her daughter Rubí Marisol Fraire Escobedo, 16, who was murdered by her boyfriend Barraza Bocanegra who remained a fugitive.

Zavala was taken into custody on October 4, in Chihuahua city the Capitol of Chihuahua by the Chihuahua State Preventive Police. He was traveling in a vehicle with his wife and two children including another man. Both Zavala and the man had handguns and were confiscated by police.

Zavala led a gang known as the Aztecas that are associated with La Linea, the armed branch for the Juárez Cartel. Zavala apparently confessed that he killed Escobedo Ortiz to keep her quiet by orders from Jésus Antonio Chávez, aka, "El Tarzan." Chávez thought that Escobedo Ortiz was putting to much heat on La Linea for pursuing justice for her daughter's homicide and seeking for state authorities to search and arrest Barraza Bocanegra.
Ricardo Escobedo, a witness to his sister's murder told family members that Zavala was not the murder suspect, but that Andy Alonso Barraza Bocanegra, Sergio's younger brother had killed Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, according to Juan Faire Escobedo, Ricardo's nephew. Andy Alonso Barraza Bocanegra is a U.S. citizen and living in Texas.
Barraza Bocanegra was sentenced to 50 years in prison in absentia for Escobedo's homicide.

In 2009, Barraza Bocanegra was arrested, confessed to killing Escobedo and than burning her body in a pig ranch. He led authorities to the crime scene. But a tribunal of three state judges released Barraza Bocanegra believed to be a member of the Zetas for a lack of evidence, despite his confession and leading police to where he burned Escobedo's body.

The three judges later resigned after a public outcry of injustice and to avoid alleged corruption charges. A federal judge vacated their ruling and convicted Barraza Bocanegra in absentia.

Last December, state authorities had reported that Héctor Miguel Flores Morán, aka, "El Payasso" who was killed in September 2011 had been the actual killer of Escobedo Ortiz, but a composite photo drawn by description details provided by Escobedo Ortiz' brother did not match the facial appearance to Morán. 

Police did recover a Sig Sauer Model P239, 9mm Caliber gun from Morán, which forensic and ballistic tests showed it was the handgun used in the Escobedo Ortiz homicide.

Mexican authorities had offered $5 million pesos ($384,616 U.S.) from $500,000 pesos ($41,000 U.S.) it had previously offered for information leading to the arrest of Barraza Bocanegra.

Ecobedo Ortiz surveillance video of homicide  http://is.gd/VQO3ZO