Various organized crime groups resort to the illegal trafficking of species to flaunt their wealth, without considering the environmental damage behind the buying and selling of these animals.
Among the many scenes of violence left by the presence of organized crime in Mexico, one in particular, besides sparking outrage, ignited controversy among the public. The image dates back to 2022 when, after an intense confrontation between alleged members of the Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel and federal authorities in Texcaltitlán, ten gunmen were killed.
Among shell casings and tactical gear, a small bundle caught the attention of forensic investigators, who quickly reported that the carcass of a spider monkey lay on top of one of the gunmen’s bodies. Like them, the small primate was wearing a bulletproof vest, camouflage clothing, and a diaper.
After the image went viral, it was only a matter of time before internet users began calling it the “hitman monkey.” The photograph sparked numerous posts, memes, and even a “narco corrido”(drug ballad) dedicated to the animal:
“Life is too short, it wasn’t the monkey’s time. Someone stole his story because he was destined to triumph and shine in so many things. There are witnesses to how he was executed; the little monkey wasn’t fierce, but he wasn’t a pushover either. He’s already on his way to heaven, but he left us a legacy.”
Beyond the uproar caused by the image of the slain spider monkey, the case highlighted a problem that persists years later and is becoming another facet of organized crime operations: animal trafficking.
Monkeys as exotic pets of drug traffickers
The substantial profits generated by activities like drug trafficking for criminal organizations have allowed them to afford a luxurious lifestyle that, over the years, has shaped a stereotype about what it supposedly means to be involved in this world.
It is precisely in this context that owning exotic animals as pets has become commonplace. While tigers, lions, and horses are the species most frequently seized in private zoos or ranches linked to criminal leaders, monkeys have also achieved a high degree of popularity in the Mexican underworld.
As happened with the spider monkey belonging to a member of the Nueva Familia Michoacana in Texcaltitlán, various photographs and videos circulating on social media show how primates are adopted by members of criminal groups as pets.
In a recent case, an image surfaced of a monkey wearing a green bulletproof vest and a diaper, allegedly belonging to one of the leaders of the United Cartels in Michoacán, identified by the alias El R5. According to information from the Department of Justice, the name behind this pseudonym is Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez.
“HSI determined that Barragán used the profits from the sale of these illegal narcotics in the United States to finance operations against the CJNG and project his power in his area of control in Michoacán. The drug trafficking proceeds were used to acquire small arms from the United States, hire local fighters and Colombian mercenaries, and purchase heavy weaponry,” stated the U.S. agency, which also refers to El R5 as a hitman leader for the Los Reyes Cartel, which in turn is part of the United Cartels conglomerate.
“HSI determined that Barragán used the proceeds from the sale of these illegal narcotics in the United States to finance combat operations against the CJNG and project his power in his area of control in Michoacán. THE FACT…
The R’s of the CJNG
Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez’s alias might suggest his affiliation with Los R’s, one of the cells serving the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). However, it’s important to note that El R5, or El Güicho—as he’s also known—belongs to Cárteles Unidos, fierce rivals of the four-letter cartel in Michoacán.
If it’s confirmed that the monkey dressed in tactical gear belongs to El R5, the lieutenant of the Los Reyes Cartel wouldn’t be the only one in the Mexican underworld who has found monkeys a fascination for flaunting his wealth.
Another of the most remembered cases is that of Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, alias El Nini, one of the most notorious and bloodthirsty security chiefs who operated for the Sinaloa Cartel, specifically for the faction led by the sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera.
Narco corridos (drug ballads), luxury brands, drug trafficking operations, and having commanded dozens of hitmen to secure the release of Ovidio Guzmán López in October 2019 were enough to put the lieutenant of Los Chapitos (Joaquín Guzmán’s sons) on the radar of U.S. and Mexican authorities, who launched a manhunt to arrest him.
It was during one of these operations that, according to information obtained by journalist Óscar Balderas, federal agents and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided a property located on the outskirts of Culiacán linked to El Nini.
On that occasion, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas managed to escape from the authorities, who at the scene only managed to seize the pets of the head of security for Los Chapitos: three Bengal tigers and endangered monkeys.
Whether as pets or as companion animals that often lose their lives in armed confrontations, monkeys have become species of interest to organized crime groups, a factor that exacerbates a harsh reality in the country: animal trafficking.
What lies behind the monkeys of the drug cartels in Mexico
Far from the curiosity generated by seeing a monkey as a pet of a member of organized crime—or any citizen—in Mexico, the trafficking of these species comes at a high cost.
“Spider monkeys live in groups. They live in troops of more than nine members. They are territorial and defend their territory, so when someone tries to take the babies, the entire troop has to be killed to prevent them from attacking,” explained Fernanda Quinzaños, founder and director of the Santuaai sanctuary, regarding the trafficking of these primates.
In an interview with journalist Lizeth Hernández for MILENIO, the activist also specified that removing a single spider monkey baby from its habitat not only costs the lives of the rest of its troop, but also deprives the rainforest of 30 to 40 years of reforestation, since these primates are seed dispersers.
While authorities have successfully rescued primates abruptly taken from their natural habitat, their adaptation process in sanctuaries is often complicated. This is due to the challenges of integrating them into established territorial groups and teaching them to develop their instincts, as being kidnapped as infants prevents them from learning to forage for their own food or even use their tails.
Although it is not only members of criminal organizations who have seen monkeys as an opportunity to display an exotic pet, numerous cases illustrate how, unwittingly, the species has become entangled in dynamics that are part of the larger problem of organized crime in the country.
Source: Milenio
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