It was a very well planned and executed ambush by more than 30 hitmen. That is one of the first conclusions of investigators about the murder of businessman Alberto Prieto Valencia, known as ‘El Prieto’, which occurred on December 29 in Zapopan, state Mexican from Jalisco. The man was attacked while traveling in a luxurious Lamborghini Urus without armor. The criminal action required logistics typical of organized crime, according to the authorities. What are the hypotheses of the motive for the crime and what is the so-called “Colombian raffle”?
In the attack against ‘El Prieto‘they also died his 16 year old daughter and one of his bodyguards, while four of his bodyguards were injured.
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The businessman’s security force was made up of seven bodyguardssome of them retired militaryaccording to the newspaper El Universal.
How did it happen? The attack occurred when Prieto Valencia was moving down a street in Zapopan in your luxury Lamborghini accompanied by his security detail. At that moment, a armed command made up of more than 30 men blocked the street and opened fire with long weaponsgenerating a shootout that lasted for more than 15 minutesand which was recorded on video by passersby.
The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office is working in the area of a shooting that left 3 people dead and four people injured in Zapopan. (EFE/Francisco Guasco).
According to the first official reports collected by the Mexican press, the aggressors used at least seven vehiclessome of them with license plates from the state of Michoacánto first block the path of his victim and then ensure the escape of the murderers. At the scene of the attack they were located more than 200 long gun bullet casings.
The images released show that The Lamborghini was hit by dozens of bullets on your windshield and bodywork.
The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Tuesday that the crime was the result of a pre-arranged ambushthus ruling out that it was an assault or a random event.
In addition, residents of the area declared that they had detected Suspicious vehicle movements and alleged drone surveillance in previous days to crimeinformation that is now part of the research folder.
According to the newspaper Reforma, the license plate of one of those vehicles was seen on a truck Cross Sport used by the attackers on the day of the crime.
Drone surveillance was carried out in the surroundings of the Topacio Avenue and surrounding streetswhere the ambush against Prieto Valencia.
After the murder, the authorities seized four vehicles that were allegedly used in the attack, two of them at the scene and two others in some surrounding streets.
Among the main lines of research the authorities analyze the possible relationship of the businessman with illicit activitiesincluding schemes known as “Colombian raffles”allegedly linked to criminal networks that operate in the Guadalajara Food Marketwhere Prieto Valencia developed his business activity.
Who was Alberto Prieto Valencia?
Alberto Prieto Valencia.
Alberto Prieto Valencia was a businessman and merchant originally from Veracruz that consolidated a career in the commercial and logistics sector of the Guadalajara Food Marketone of the largest food distribution centers in western Mexico. Mexico.
Formally, Prieto held business roles such as merchant of grains, seeds and cereals. He was the owner of wineries in the Food Marketwhere wholesale food products are moved.
It was also cargo transportation businessman. In 2002 he founded the company Odal Transport (or Odal)dedicated to logistics and merchandise transfer services with cargo, refrigerated and dry units at regional and national level, Fifth Estate reported.
According to El Sol de Nayarit, its activity in both sectors (logistics and commerce) positioned it as a well-known figure within the economic environment of the marketoy the local distribution chain.
Although There is no official confirmation of current criminal charges against Prieto Valenciathe Jalisco authorities have indicated various lines of investigation that involve risk activities or alleged irregular linksincluding their alleged relationship with the “Colombian raffles”.
What are “Colombian raffles”?
After the murder of Prieto Valencia, a dark activity gained notoriety in the Mexican media: “Colombian raffles”. What is it about?
The “Colombian raffles” They are not traditional raffles or raffles authorized by law. They work like a covert fraudulent and extortion scheme in which groups, presumably made up of people of Colombian origin together with local citizens, organize supposed raffles among merchants.
This is how the scheme works: these groups they sell tickets to merchants, usually at a cost of about 20 pesos per unitpromising prizes ranging from cash to appliances and cars.
However, They almost never deliver the promised prizesso the money raised remains entirely in the hands of the organizers and their linked criminal structures.
In many cases, merchants are pressured or even forced to buy tickets under threats or duress.
According to El Financiero, the scheme has generated an apparent facade of a “traditional raffle”, but complaints from those affected describe this system as a fraud mechanism that, in practice, works as a extortion or right of floor, as it is called in Mexico.
This type of illegal practices has been documented since at least 2021 in the Guadalajara Food Marketaccording to local media investigations.
Furthermore, the structure of the “Colombian raffles”, according to reports from journalists and testimonies from merchants, is not limited to just ticket fraud: it is often linked to other criminal schemes, like the “drop by drop” loansin which the debtor pays very high daily interest and may be forced to participate in the purchase of tickets as part of the debt cycle.
Those who do not agree to purchase tickets or try to leave the system face pressure, threats and even verbal or physical violenceaccording to testimonies taken by the press.
