“You cannot. My people will keep me informed as they deliver the pickups and vans. This they will do one or a few at a time. If you have a message for me, give it to one of them. Make it in a sealed envelope so that they will not read it. One other thing, on your next raid, no one is to be left behind. Certainly, no one is to be left behind alive. Do you understand my meaning, El Jefe?”
“Si, Señor. The dead cannot talk.”
“Precisely. Adios, Jefe Gonzalez.” With that, Ito and his two bodyguards climbed into their air-conditioned van and drove off.
“Hernando,” Jesus called to his farm manager. “Pull out all of the marijuana plants. Leave not one. Do it today, before the sun sets.”
“All of them, El Jefe? We made some nice money with the last crop, selling it to the dealers in the next state, Sonora.”
“Yes, Hernando, all of them. We will not do any drugs of any kind anymore. Our other operations are expanding, and we do not want any trouble from anyone over what, in comparison, will be modest income for us. Take what men you need to do this and chop it up and mix it in with the cattle feed. Let the cows get high, if they can. Do not burn it. We do not want to send any smoke signals to anyone. Things will be a bit different around here from now on. We are expanding all of our other operations. We will have new buildings, a new dining hall, a new garage, new men, and new tractors coming. These are not things to be advertised. Go now and take care of the marijuana.”
Jesus Gonzalez drove into Ojinaga and then into Texas to discuss and order the construction company to dig for an underground five-thousand-gallon fuel tank. He spent the next three days discussing what he wanted with a contractor. He explained that he was acquiring the adjacent farms and wished to consolidate all these previously separate operations in one location. The existing sheds on these other farms were too dilapidated to bother moving. None had a dining facility of note. He stopped at a fuel distributor and discussed with him that he wanted to order a new fuel tank, to have it installed and filled as soon as possible. He was enlarging his farm and he wanted to ensure that he always had fuel on hand. No, he was ordering a new fleet of gasoline driven tractors, and many of his other farm implements used gasoline. The irrigation pumps consumed a considerable quantity of gasoline each month. He raised tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, broccoli, and alfalfa on irrigated land, and had a small feedlot operation. Therefore, he wanted gasoline, not diesel fuel.
He gave the name of the construction company to the fuel distributor so that they could coordinate their work. The contractor said he could have the hole for the fuel tank prepared in two weeks, the packing sheds in four weeks, the mechanic’s garage in ten weeks and the dining facility in eight to ten weeks, depending upon delivery of the refrigeration units. The fuel distributor would have the plumbers install two fueling islands with two pumps each. The fuel dealer thought it very strange that anyone would want to purchase gasoline driven tractors instead of diesel engine tractors, strange indeed. Why would a farm require four pumps for gasoline, even such a large one? A five-thousand-gallon fuel tank would require about a month for construction and delivery from Los Angeles if he phoned in an order that day. Since they all agreed that all work would be paid in cash in American dollars with a sizeable down payment in cash and paid in full upon completion, and much of the money would not be entered into the books, both the construction contractor and the fuel distributor decided not to pursue this question with Mr. Gonzalez any further.
Ito returned to Long Beach, California. His real name was Chan, Daling, and he was a minor shipping clerk in the COSCO shipping company. He composed a hand written message in Mandarin requiring the shipment of five tractors, three plows, three cultivators, two discs, three hundred AK-47s in semi-automatic mode only, two hundred and fifty thousand rounds of ammunition, twenty rocket propelled grenade launchers, one hundred rocket grenades, and two hundred hand grenades. The weapons were to be packed with the tractors and implements and labeled as spare parts. The tractors and implements were to be of Japanese manufacture, shipped to China and repackaged with appropriate re-stenciling. The bill was to specify delivery to COSCO at their Long Beach terminal warehouse but from Yokahama as the port of origin. From there, they would be trucked to a non-existent dealer in Tijuana, Mexico. Since the ultimate destination was Mexico, it would pass directly through the American inspection system without being opened or inspected in any way. Half of the records for such inspections were still generated on paper, and only half on computers. The inspectors simply had too much to inspect all those which had a destination in California for farm implements destined for Mexico and so would wave them on through without a second thought. He delivered the message in a sealed envelope to his COSCO boss who was attending a party that night where he would pass it to a Chinese intelligence officer from their embassy who was in the guise of a chauffer.
Then Ito and his bodyguards went to lunch at their favorite little Mexican restaurant. Ito told Miguel, who routinely waited on them, that after they were served in a small back room, they should have a little chat. Miguel smiled, knowing that this meant a little more business for the organization of which he was a member. After they finished their meal, Miguel joined them.
“Miguel, I trust there are people in your organization who know much about automobiles?”
“Indeed, we have a number of men who specialize in automobiles.” Miguel smiled to himself. A number of men in his organization had been or were still active as professional car thieves. They would steal cars throughout the American west and Midwest and drive them into Mexico. When necessary, chop shops would alter vehicle identification numbers and repaint them. Forged titles were a routine part of the business.
“I want your people, four of them who are very knowledgeable of automobiles, to purchase, not steal, a number of used automobiles for my company. We are only interested in used vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups that are in good condition. We are especially interested in four-wheel drive vehicles. We wish to build a fleet of these. Are you interested?”
“Of course, Mr. Ito, we are interested.” Miguel saw an opportunity here. They could steal a number of them, forge the Vehicle Identification Numbers and titles and sell them to Mr. Ito’s company at a substantial profit. A mix of legally purchased vehicles and stolen ones would be good cover. They could claim that they had no knowledge that some of them were stolen.
“How, Mr. Ito, do you wish to accomplish this?”
“I will provide you with cash. I expect a very strict accounting. Do not attempt to steal from my company. We will pay you very well for your services, and that should be enough compensation.”
Miguel saw a veiled threat here, and he looked at the two bodyguards who always accompanied Mr. Ito. He knew they were very good at their profession. Their knuckles were capped with connective tissue, and the outside edges of their hands were hard as horn. In the times they had come in short sleeved shirts, he observed that they were very muscular, very lithe, and their eyes constantly darted around them. Nothing missed their gaze. When they came in sport coats, he occasionally observed a handgun imprinted under the jackets. He had no doubt they were very well trained in the martial arts. Since Mr. Ito never identified exactly who he was or what company he represented, he had initially assumed that Mr. Ito must be a very big man in a very big company to have such guardians accompany him everywhere.
“When do you wish this to begin, Mr. Ito?”
“In two days, we will come again and bring money. Again, all purchases are to be legal. Not one of your people is to buy more than one vehicle at the same place. Ideally, you will buy them from individuals who advertise them in the newspapers and neighborhood flyers. It is permissible to occasionally buy one from a dealer, but that is not to occur very often. These vehicles are to be delivered to a parking lot of which I will inform you when I bring the money. The lot will be locked. I will give you four keys to the padlock, one for each of your men. The vehicles are to be immediately parked and left in the lot. They are not to be used for any purpose by your people whatsoever. A duplicate ignition key and door key, if required, will be made and placed in the glove compartment of each vehicle. Each vehicle is to have a spare tire in excellent shape. If a spare tire is missing, or is not in good condition, then have it replaced. Each gas tank is to be filled. Your people are to do all of this before parking the vehicle in the lot. They are to keep receipts for everything. Our bookkeepers must insist on total accountability. Again, you will be more than amply rewarded for your efforts. Is there anything you do not understand?”
“How many do you wish to purchase, Mr. Ito?”
“Ultimately, we wish to have a fleet of twenty four-wheel drive pickups, and forty vans or sport utility vehicles, also all four-wheel drive. This is to be accomplished over the next eight weeks. When this is done, I will have more work for your organization.”
“We will be glad to assist you in establishing your fleet of vehicles, Mr. Ito.”
“Good, then we will be back in two days. Please tell the chef to put more chiles in my tacos next time. I like spicy foods.” Mr. Wan smiled and left thirty dollars on the table for lunch. One bodyguard preceded Mr. Wan out, the other followed him.
Jesus Gonzalez returned to his farm, slept with his mistress, and presented her with a bottle of perfume and a new dress that he purchased in Texas. Then he packed a suitcase, took twenty thousand dollars in cash from his safe, and left for Alpine, Texas.
In thirty days, Jesus Gonzales had a fleet of forty vans and twenty pickups. Mr. Ito’s people began delivery before the packing sheds/garages were completed. Within a day or two of their delivery to the parking lot, they disappeared. Mr. Ito did not want Miguel’s people to learn their destination.
On various previous occasions, Miguel had different gang members follow Mr. Ito until they learned the location of his office at the China Ocean Shipping Company, or commonly called COSCO. Subtle inquiries of Mexican American workers at COSCO revealed to Miguel that Mr. Ito was a senior clerk in the shipping section. Nobody really knew exactly what aspect or cargo that he managed, only that they were considered high value items. Electronic goods, stereos, televisions, optics were not included in the categories of shipments he managed. When this was reported to Miguel, his suspicions were further aroused. Shipping clerks did not usually have bodyguards for routine dining. Miguel had the vehicles followed to the Mexican border. Using cell phones and different vehicles, switching them off, Miguel’s people ultimately determined their destination as Jesus Gonzalez’s farm. To be certain, Miguel had a transmitter placed in a Dodge Ram pickup.
When delivery of more than thirty vehicles had occurred, Miguel selected a particularly bright and ruthless but promising gang member for a particular job. Gomez was an illegal alien who had illegally entered the U.S. five years earlier. His command of English was as good as that of a second generation Mexican American. As a teenager, he worked as a field hand growing and picking tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and melons. Now twenty-six, he was skilled with a knife and his bare hands with four murders to his credit.
“I want you to return to Sonora for a few weeks, but not your old haunts. Here is ten thousand dollars. Buy a car in Nogales - legally. Then find a small town to hang around in for a week or two. After you have acquired the local flavor, drive to Ojinaga in Chihuahua. Spend a few days there. Your cover is that you used to be a bracero who tried running a bar and grill in Juarez but failed. Now you are looking for work of any kind. Ultimately, I want you to get a job on the farm of one Jesus Gonzalez. You are to find out what is going on there. Your communication will be only with me. I realize I might not hear from you for a couple of months. Memorize my cell phone number or hide it among some other numbers or something. I want to know what is going on at that farm besides farming. Be careful.”
“You are pleased, Señor Ito, with your vehicles? All of them are in excellent condition, as you requested, with good spare tires and full gas tanks.”
“Yes, thank you, Miguel, you have done well. The receipts have balanced, and so here is payment for you and your people. Lunch was good today, as usual.” One of the bodyguards handed Miguel a small overnight bag filled with twenty-dollar bills. Miguel had not heard from Gomez since he left a month ago, but he was not worried.
The following day, Chan and his bodyguards drove from Long Beach to Tucson, AZ. The following day, they drove through El Paso to Fabens, TX. They arrived at Jesus Gonzalez’s farm on the afternoon of the third day. “Perhaps we could consider flying next time to El Paso and renting a car, rather than a six-day round trip drive, Mr. Chan,” asked one of his bodyguards as they pulled onto Jesus Gonzalez’s road.
“That would require scrutiny at the airports, records of flights and car rentals, and provide an easily discerned pattern and trail. No, we will drive when a visit is necessary and pay cash for all the amenities and necessities along the way.”
“Forgive me, Honorable one, I was not thinking.” They left the car and walked to the office where Jesus Gonzalez was going over the tomato production figures. He looked up.
“Well, Mr. Gonzalez, are you satisfied with the way things are progressing? I see new packing sheds, your fleet of vehicles, the garage and dining hall almost finished, but how are you doing with recruitment?”
“Ah, Señor Ito. I hope you had a pleasant trip. It is a pleasant surprise to see you. I have made many contacts, or perhaps it would be better to say that many have contacted me. We have many men, now over two hundred and fifty, who are awaiting my call. As soon as the facilities are completed, we will bring them together. We have concentrated on recruiting young single men. There are many, and rumors of many more, who wish to join us. A few are true revolutionaries who think we are fighting Mexican corruption and American imperialism. Many are hungry and desperate. Others seek thrills and adventure. A few are truly criminal. We have collected names and phone numbers and addresses, such as they are. My secretary, Luis, has devised the mechanisms to notify them when we are ready. They will be presented with an application for employment during notification and provided a time and place to report where we will pick them up. Word of mouth about us has spread widely after Ruidoso. A few have managed to locate us on their own. These we have put to work as field hands while we scrutinize them and check their backgrounds. If they are genuine, then they are probably smart enough to be of real use to us. Only those who have been with me for a time, however, and who have my trust will be my lieutenants. Only these will know more than the most minimal of details.
“The tractors and guns have arrived. We have stored them separately from the explosives and ammunition. Bunk beds and mattresses are to arrive in a few days. By next week, we should be assembling our men. I have visited Alpine, Texas several times now. The students at Sul Ross State University will start returning in mid-August. We will conduct our business the first week of August to avoid any complications with students.”
“Very good, Señor Gonzalez. Do you require any assistance with the weapons and explosives?”
