“Morogris” for Borderland Beat
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| Juan Carlos Gutierrez Tamayo, often abbreviated as Juan Carlos G. T., was found dead on Tuesday |
A high-ranking member of La Linea cartel, Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Tamayo, also known as El 38, was found dead inside his prison cell at the State Center for Social Reintegration (Cereso) No. 1 in Aquiles Serdán, located in the city of Chihuahua.
According to the official report, El 38 passed away at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Custodial personnel were the first to notice the lifeless state of the individual’s body, prompting them to notify authorities to investigate.
The preliminary autopsy report pointed to asphyxiation as the cause of the individual’s death. He was discovered suspended from the bars of his cell’s bathroom.
Investigators are currently not ruling out the possibility that this incident could be either a suicide or a homicide.
Background
The Ministry of Public Security in Chihuahua revealed that El 38, originally from the state of Durango, operated within Chihuahua.
He previously served as the security chief for Jose Castellanos Ávila, also known as José Yuniber Vargas Ávila or El 40. El 40 is a leader of La Linea who oversees operations in the areas of Rubio, Bachiniva, El Terrero, Lázaro Cárdenas, and La Quemada in Chihuahua.
El 38 was apprehended in November 2023, alongside Alfonso G. M., alias “El Poncho”, following a shootout with security forces in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua.
Death sources: Heraldo de Chihuahua (1); Diario de Juarez (1); Diario de Chihuahua
2023 sources: La Opinion; La Tribuna