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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| SEDENA nabs ICE agent shooter -- UPDATED |
| 2011-02-24 |
| For a map, click here. The Mexican Secretaria de Defensa Nacional (SEDENA) says a Mexican Army unit has detained the suspect they say shot the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in San Luis Potosi last week, according to several Mexican news accounts. To read the Rantburg report on the shooting, click here. Luis Gonzalez Villarreal and four other alleged members of the Mexican drug gang Los Zetas, and four others were detained in a raid on a safe house in the San Luis Potosi capital Tuesday following an investigation by a Mexican Army unit. Also seized in the search of the safe house were five rifles a hand gun, five vehicles, 41 weapons magazines, documents and payroll for the group. Although how the shooting took place remains unclear, SEDENA says Jamie Zapata and his partner, Victor Avila, were shot in a case of mistaken identity. Initial reports mentioned a roadblock and mentioned the Chevrolet Suburban they were riding were forced off Highway 57 by armed suspects, who then dismounted and attacked the agents. Reports say Avila had characterized he shooting as an ambush involving at least 15 shooters. Reports say the armed group which attacked the agents was involved in a gun battle with police agents in San Luis Potosi, and the suspects had mistaken the vehicle as belonging to a rival criminal group. Reports say Zapata Espinoza was arrested with six others in December, 2009 when a detachment of the Mexican 45th Infantry Battalion, 12th Military Zone was tipped off to the location of armed suspects in the Los Olivos colony in the Rio Verde municipality. The gang unsuccessfully attempted to flee arrest. In that arrest the army units seized four AR-15 assault rifles, three pistols, 38 magazines, 692 rounds of ammunition, a pellet rifle, and $1,400 pesos ($114.89) and $900 USD. Also arrested in the safe house operation Tuesday were Armando Alvarez Aldana, Mario Dominguez, Jesus Quezada, Martin, Ruben Dario, from Honduras, three women and a child. the three women were identified as Diana Margarita Guerrero Morales, Roxana Mireya Rios Velazquez and Magaly Chain Castillo Lopez. Chain Castillo was identified as the spouse of the shooter Zapata Espinoza. The two agents were returning to Mexico City after the conclusion of a meeting between them and other US officials based in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon when they were attacked. The heaviest of fighting between Mexican gangs, and gangs and the Mexican military have shifted to the south since mid December to Zacatecas, Jalisco, southern Durango and Tamaulipas. In another possibly related event, the ProcuradurÃÂa de Justicia (attorney general) of San Luis Potosi announced Tuesday the arrest of 14 state police agents for corruption. It is unclear if the arrests were related to the investigation into Zapata's murder. The Mexican leftist weekly, Proceso, reported that the five male detainees in the raid on the safe house appeared to have been beaten when they were presented to the media. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #4 Picture of the perp here |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2011-02-24 18:34 |
| #3 "Appeared to have been beaten" means the Mexican Army wants you to let you know they are serious. This is much better than the "shot while attempting escape" of earlier years, because, you know, everyone is entitled to a fair trial in Mexico. |
| Posted by: whatadeal 2011-02-24 11:17 |
| #2 Four AR-15s, three pistols, 38 magazines, 692 round of bullet, a pellet rifle, and a big pile of cash - the boys at the RAB must be green with envy. But what's with the pellet gun? Someone have a prairie dog problem? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2011-02-24 10:28 |
| #1 The Mexican leftist weekly, Proceso, reported that the five male detainees in the raid on the safe house appeared to have been beaten when they were presented to the media. so, an upbeat report? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-02-24 08:00 |
