TIJUANA State authorities linked the Arellano cartel lieutenant arrested over the weekend to eight cases of kidnapping and four murders.
All of the cases linked to Juan Francisco Sillas Rocha occurred last year, according to the Baja California Attorney General's Office.
The department's investigations of Silla will continue and will be included in the case federal authorities are building against the alleged criminal.
In its statement Tuesday, state authorities did not identify any of the victims, only providing information of when the crime occurred.
Sillas, 34, who was detained Saturday in Tijuana, is identified by Mexico's Attorney General's Office as the lieutenant of Fernando "El Ingeniero" Sánchez Arellano, the leader of the Arellano Félix cartel.
In the years 2008 to 2010, Sillas played a leading role in the Arellano's turf war against the criminal cell of Teodoro García Simental, who in turn was protected by Sinaloa cartel. García was arrested in January of 2010. State authorities logged 2,327 murders in Tijuana during this period and more than 100 kidnappings.
The State Attorney General's Office listed the nine cases in which it's investigating Sillas Rocha, including the dates when he allegedly committed the crimes:
Feb. 2, 2010: Suspected crime: Aggravated kidnapping, two homicides, criminal association
June 16, 2010: Kidnapping
July 19, 2010: Kidnapping
Aug. 21, 2010: Aggravated kidnapping.
Sept. 2, 2010: Aggravate kidnapping due to organized crime
Oct. 1, 2010: Kidnapping
Nov. 2, 2010: Homicide
Dec. 18, 2010: Aggravated kidnapping and homicide
Dec. 30, 2010: Kidnapping
Sillas Rocha was flown from Tijuana to the facilities of Mexico's federal unit against organized crime (Siedo) in Mexico City, where he remains.
Omar.millan@sandiegored.com
