Los Cop Killers: the 5

UNCLASSIFIED

WARNING!

The views expressed in FMSO publications and reports are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

Foreign Military Studies Office

JointReserveIntelligenceCenter

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Border Security Team

Analytical Product:

“Cop Killers” Head for the Border:

Mexican Criminals are Using 5.7 X 28 mm Weapons,

but is there Need For Concern?

by Kevin Freese

30 May 2007

Table of Contents

Introduction

A Weapon Designed for the Urban Warfighter

Cartridge of Controversial Caliber

Arsenals of the Cartels

Sending Messages and Settling Accounts

Cops in the Firing Line

The Bad News

The Good News

The Real Problem

UNCLASSIFIED

Introduction

On 15 August 2005, a Nuevo León SWAT team raided VIPS restaurant in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, arrestingtwenty suspects. Reports circulated that one of Mexico’s most wanted, José Luis “El Tubi” Carrizales, also known as “Z-4”, an alleged leader of the infamous Gulf Cartel enforcer gang Los Zetas, was among those arrested. Although the Mexican government would ultimately refute these rumors, the operation was a major success.

During the raid, authorities seized a massive cache of weapons and equipment, including armored vehicles, a rocket launcher, grenades, various firearms, and ammunition. One of the weapons, found in one of the armored vehicles, was a P90® 5.7 X 28 mm submachine gun. Its discovery in the hands of criminals was a chilling development. Previously, the only known use of the P90® in Mexico was by leaders of the Navy Special Forces Teams, who had fifteen in their possession since 2003. The Army had ordered five hundred in 2000 for use by the Presidential Guard and the Special Forces, but then cancelled the order. No law enforcement agency had the weapons. The bust demonstrated that Mexican criminals had more advanced weaponry than those sworn to uphold justice.[1]

Since late 2005, 5.7 X 28 mm weapons have been appearing in the hands of Mexican criminals with increasing frequency. In many cases, the weapons have appeared among other armaments in weapons caches seized by authorities. In other cases, the weapons have been used in crimes, including murder of police officers.

A Weapon Designed for the Urban Warfighter

The 5.7 X 28 mm round is on the cutting edge of technology. Designed by Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgiumfor the military, it has a small-caliber bullet propelled by a large charge – basically, it is a rifle cartridge for a pistol. To compensate for the decreased stopping power of the small-caliber bullet, it is weighted to tumble, increasing damage. There are multiple variations of the ammunition, to include subsonic and tracer rounds as well as civilian-legal rounds, but the principal round is the SS190 ball armor-piercing round, which is restricted to law enforcement andmilitary.

Only two firearms use 5.7 X 28 mm rounds – the FN Five-seveN® semi-automatic pistol and the FN P90® submachine gun. The FN Five-seveN® is a lightweight, polymer-frame pistol designed to be a backup weapon for a urban combat, special operations, or law enforcement. The P90® is a compact, lightweight, semi-automatic / automatic carbine designed for urban or jungle warfare. A semi-automatic-only version, the PS90®, is available for public sale.[2]

Image: (Top) FN P90®; (Bottom Left) FN Five-seveN®; (Bottom Right) 5.7 X 28 mm cartridges. (Image Adapted from and

With minimal recoil and muzzle climb, both weapons produce smoother successive shots, enabling the shooter to deliver multiple rounds downrange without sacrificing precision, enhanced by high magazine capacities. The weapons compliment each other by using interchangeable ammunition. At close ranges, when chambered with the appropriate ammunition, 5.7 X 28 mm weapons can penetrate body armor, specifically soft body armor, with decreased over-penetration risk.[3]

Cartridge of Controversial Caliber

The very characteristics that make the 5.7 X 28 mm weapons ideally suited to military and law enforcement have drawn the ire of the gun control lobby. In January 2005, the Brady Campaign announced that the organization would be working to “alarm law enforcement professionals” about the capabilities of these weapons. Focusing on the armor-piercing variation of the cartridge and its effectiveness against soft body armor, the group labeled the weapon a “cop killer gun”.[4]

UNCLASSIFIED

Image: Google® search for “mata policías” in Mexican web domains

UNCLASSIFIED

The label stuck, spreading among the news media, especially in Mexico. Now, Spanish language news articles mentioning 5.7 X 28 mm rounds consistently include the epithet “mata policías [cop killer]” to the point that the two are virtually interchangeable in everyday parlance. In a Google® internet search for the phrase “mata policías”, limited to Spanish results from Mexican domains, four of the top five search results refer to articles mentioning 5.7 X 28 mm rounds. Out of 42 search results, 31 pages (74%) refer to articles mentioning 5.7 X 28 mm rounds.

Consequently, the “cop killer” label may have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. According to a report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), cited in the Mexican press, the majority of weapons used by criminals in Tijuana are obtained in San Diegousing local buyers without criminal records. Preferred weapons have historically been AK-47s and AR-15s. The preferred handgun has usually been the .38 Special revolver, but because of the armor-piercing mystique, the FN Five-seveN® has become popular, despite the fact that the firearm itself is not armor-piercing without special ammunition.[5]

Timeline of Incidents Involving 5.7 X 28 mm Weapons in Mexico
Date / Location / Incident
15 Aug 2005 / Monterrey, Nuevo León / P90® seized
13 Feb 2006 / Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León / Police Director kidnapped and murdered
21 Feb 2006 / San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León / 23 5.7 X 28 mm magazines seized
31 May 2006 / Petatlán, Guerrero / Body left with threatening note
18 Jun 2006 / Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas / 5.7 X 28 mm magazine seized
08 Jul 2006 / Guadalajara, Jalisco / Man murdered at bar
16 Aug 2006 / Apatzingán, Michoacán / Man murdered at car dealership
05 Sep 2006 / San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo Léon / State Police Director murdered
13 Sep 2006 / Linares, Nuevo Léon / Police Chief murdered
13 Sep 2006 / Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas / Former Police Director murdered
12 Nov 2006 / Cutzamala de Pinzon, Guerrero / Five-seveN® pistol and ammunition seized
24 Nov 2006 / Reynosa, Tamaulipas / Musician assassinated
24 Nov 2006 / General Escobedo, Nuevo León / Police Officer murdered
29 Nov 2006 / Mexico City / Two Federal Agents murdered
22 Dec 2006 / Uruapan, Michoacán / Police Officer murdered
16 Jan 2007 / Santa Catarina, Nuevo León / Two Police Officers attacked; one killed
08 Feb 2007 / Matamoros, Tamaulipas / Five Five-seveN® pistols and ammunition seized
09 Feb 2007 / Monterrey, Nuevo León / Two former Police Officers murdered
26 Feb 2007 / Agua Prieta, Sonora / Police Chief murdered
01 Mar 2007 / Magdalenade Kino, Sonora / Ten 5.7 X 28 mm magazines seized
06 Mar 2007 / Cananea, Sonora / Police Officer murdered
08 Mar 2007 / Hermosillo, Sonora / Police Officer murdered
15 Mar 2007 / San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León / Two Police Officers murdered; separate attempted homicide; Five-seveN® pistol seized
16 Mar 2007 / Mexico City / Man murdered at gymnasium
17 Mar 2007 / Mexico City / Couple murdered
02 Apr 2007 / Tampico, Tamaulipas / PS90® and ammunition seized
09 Apr 2007 / Apodaca, Nuevo León / Two Five-seveN® pistols seized
23 Apr 2007 / Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas / PS90® and ammunition seized

Arsenals of the Cartels

The legacy of this notoriety is increasing proliferation of 5.7 X 28 mm weapons. Since the first appearance of a P90® in the hands of Mexican criminals in August of 2005, authorities have discoveredmultiplecaches withthe weapons.

UNCLASSIFIED

21 February 2006 – Soldiers and federal agentsintercepted three vehicles in the municipality of San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, arrested the occupants, and searched a nearby residence. During the search, they seized four handguns, dozens of magazines, hundreds of rounds, two hand grenades, and more than a quarter of a million dollars in cash. The handguns included a .38 Super, a .40S&W, a 9mm, and a.380. The calibers of the seized rounds and magazines varied, but among them were 23 magazines for a 5.7x28 mm weapon, although this firearm was not seized.[6]
18 June 2006 – Federal agents searched a residence in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, uncovering thirteen rifles, two fragmentation grenades, dozens of magazines, military clothing, and communication equipment. The officers also found 1,600 rounds of ammunition in various calibers. None of the firearms were 5.7 X 28 mm, nor were any of these cartridges recovered. However, agents found one 5.7 X 28 mm magazine.[7]

UNCLASSIFIED

(Map adapted from Mexican National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Information)

UNCLASSIFIED

12 November 2006 – Soldiers and federal agents searched an alleged organized crime safehouse in Cutzamala de Pinzón, Guerrero. Four vehicles were on the property, so soldiers searched these as well. Inside, they found two fragmentation grenades, eleven AR-15s, two AK-47s, two .38 Super pistols, and a Five-seveN® pistol, as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition. The majority were .223 caliber and 7.62 mm, but they included fifteen 5.7 X 28 mm rounds.[8]
08 February 2007 – Soldiersat a highway checkpoint in Matamoros, Tamaulipas stopped a tractor-trailer for a routine search. The truck was hauling a white car trailer displaying Texas license plates. One of the hauled vehicles, an armored Nissan Titan with Nuevo León license plates, contained weapons, ammunition, body armor, and military equipment. The ammunition included nineteen 40 mm grenades and more than eight thousand rounds of ammunition, including 5.7 X 28 mm tracers, hollow points, and armor-piercing rounds. The firearms included eighteen .223 AR-15 assault rifles, one with a 40 mm grenade launcher, seven 9mm pistols, two .45 caliber pistols, one .38 Super, and five Five-seveN® pistols.[9]

UNCLASSIFIED

Photo: Blue-tipped armor piercing rounds, red-tipped tracer rounds, and hollow points. (Photo adapted from Mexican Federal Attorney General’s Office)

Photo: Weapons seized by Mexican authorities, including one FN PS90®

(Photo adapted from Mexican Federal Attorney General’s Office)

UNCLASSIFIED

01 March 2007– Following a random vehicle search at a military checkpoint that netted a large quantity of military uniforms and equipment, Police in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora arrested five suspects. The officers also seized eighteen AR-15s, one 9mm pistol, one AK-47, two grenades, and hundreds of magazines and rounds of ammunition, as well as armor and communication equipment. The seized magazines included ten 5.7 X 28 mm magazines.[10]
02 April 2007 – Sailors and Federal Police searched a house in Tampico, Tamaulipas, acting on intelligence that it was being used to store weapons. The operation uncovered dozens of firearms, more than twelve thousand rounds of ammunition, three grenade launchers with grenades, explosives, bulletproof vests, and five vehicles, one of which was armored. The firearms ranged from military assault rifles and submachine guns to ornate customized pistols. One of the submachine guns was a FN Herstal PS90®. The ammunition included more than eight hundred 5.7 X 28 mm rounds.[11]

09 April 2007 – Authorities received a tip that weapons were being stored in two SUVs with Texas and Tamaulipas plates, allegedly abandoned in the parking lot of a commercial plaza in Apodaca, Nuevo León. Police mounted a search operation and found hundreds of dollars in U.S. currency, police clothing, radios, and small amounts of cocaine. Officers also found six AR-15s and one AK-47, along with dozens of magazines. They then searched the surrounding area and found a trash bag in a restroom, containing three handguns. One was a 9mm pistol; the other two were Five-seveNs®.[12]
23 April 2007 – FederalPolice raided a house in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and arrested several suspects, including Eleazar Medina Rojas, also known as “El Chelelo”, who was believed to be one of the principal assassins and kidnappers for Los Zetas. During the raid, officers seized communication equipment, vehicles with Texas and Nuevo León license plates, a bulletproof vest, and several weapons, including an AR-15, a.45 pistol, a plastic pistol, and a PS90®. The officers also uncovered nearly four hundred 5.7 X 28 mm cartridges.[13]

These cases, although ostensibly distinct, isolated events, have certain things in common. In every case, diverse firearms and military equipment were uncovered. Every case appears to have been connected to organized crime– the Los Zetas, associated with the Gulf Cartel, being the only group mentioned by name. Several of the cases involved U.S.-registered vehicles, indicating that the criminals involved were crossing over the international border. With one exception, the arsenals were located in Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, an area in which the Gulf Cartel has historically been the dominant drug trafficking organization, although which is contested by rivals.[14] The one exception, Guerrero, is a region that, like Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, has been racked by organized crime violence, and a region where the Gulf Cartel operates, as well as other groups.[15] None of the cases involved petty criminals or individuals acting alone. Only one case reported the presence of restricted variants of the ammunition.

Sending Messages and Settling Accounts

5.7 X 28 mm weapons have been used in multiple homicides across Mexico over the last year. One half dozen of these attacks have been against civilians.

31 May 2006 – ArmandoGonzález Avilés was kidnapped from the plaza in Petatlán, Guerrero. The next day, residents found his body near the Municipal Mausoleum. It had been left with a notethreatening death to drug traffickers. He had been tortured, bound, and shot at least ten times. Nearby, officers found nineteen spent shell casings. Nine were.223 caliber, five were 7.62 caliber, and five were 5.7 X 28 mm.[16]
08 July 2006–José Félix Guzmán Reyes was eating at the Hippo’s Bar at the Plaza del Sol in Guadalajara, Jalisco, along with his wife and an acquaintance, when two assailants entered and opened fire upon himwith a P90®. The attackers fired eighteen shots. Guzmán Reyes died at the scene; four others were wounded by the gunfire.[17]
16 August 2006 – RosendoOrtiz Baena went to the Luna Motor used car lot in Apatzingán, Michoacán and told the store manager that he was interested in trading in his car, a Volkswagen Jetta, for a Dodge Stratus that was located on the lot. The two discussed business details, and then Ortiz Baena went to the car to get a feel for it while the manager returned to his office. Then, several subjects pulled upin anSUV; the manager heard gunshots fired. The SUV then fled. The manager returned to the lot, finding the body of Ortiz Baena in the back seat of the Stratus. He had been shot fourteen times. Investigating officers recovered nine .38 Super, one .40 caliber, and three 5.7 X 28 mm casings.[18]
24 November 2006 – MusicianValentín Elizalde, popularly known as “El Gallo de Oro [The Golden Rooster]” was traveling near the fairgrounds in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, with his chauffer, manager, and cousin, when two SUVs intercepted their Suburban. The vehicles blocked the Suburban’s path while, two individuals exited and opened fire into Valentín’s vehicle. Valentín’s cousin escaped, despite a serious wound. The other three were finished off by one of the gunmen, who delivered coupes-de-grace with his pistol. Valentín had been hit eight times, his manager fifteen times, and his driver seven times. The vehicle itself had been hit eighty times. When police officers searched the scene, they recovered more than seventy .223, .380, and 5.7 X 28 mm casings.[19]
16 March 2007 – Eight gunmen burst into a Mexico City gymnasium, shooting and killing Héctor Ángel Tesorero López, who was in the tanning room, and Juan José García González, who was in the lobby. Officers recovered eight casings from a P90®.[20]
17 March 2007 – Mireya López Portillo Guedea, daughter of retired General Luis Humberto López Portillo Leal, and her husband Jordi Peralta Samper were driving in Mexico City when they were overtaken and blocked by a Nissan Maxima. The occupants of the Maxima opened fire upon the couple, then finishing off the woman with a coupe de grace. She was hit seven times, four times in the face; her husband was hit five times. The car was hit 31 times. The assassins fled, abandoning the car a few blocks away. Police recovered a Galil .223 rifle registered to the Federal Attorney General’s Office and a FEB 7.62 X 39 mm rifle, as well as 55 shell casings. Fourteen of the casings were 5.7 X 28 mm. Ballistics tests indicated that they had been fired from the same P90® that was used in the 16 March 2007 double homicide and in a 29 November 2006 attack against two police officers in Mexico City. The crime linked to a previous operation that had netted over two hundred million dollars cash.[21]

UNCLASSIFIED

(Map adapted from Mexican National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Information)

All of these attacks were related to organized crime. Two were in the northern states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León and one was in Guerrero. The fourth occurred in Michoacán, which, like its neighboring Guerrero, has been the scene of much organized crime violence. Diverse weapons were used in each attack. The tactics used, vehicular ambushes and kidnapping, are tactics frequently used by organized crime.