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By Chris Covert
Six unidentified individuals, including two Polica Federal agents reported kidnapped earlier in the week, were found murdered in two separate locations in eastern Zacatecas, according to Mexican news accounts.
The dead were found in Pinos and Villa Gonzalez Ortega municipalities, though reports did not elaborate whom were found where.
The Policia Federal agents were kidnapped Wednesday night, September 8th, following a firefight between PF agents and unidentified armed suspects in Luis Moya municipality in southern Zacatecas.
The following morning, PF agents encountered and killed a total of eight armed suspects in eastern Zacatecas near Villanueva during a raid on a safe house. It was earlier erroneously reported the subsequent raid may had been a botched rescue attempt.
To see the Ranburg report on September 8-9th gunfights, click here.
As many as 70 heavily armed suspects travelling aboard 22 vehicles entered the southern Zacatecas town of Juchipila, and took over the police station Tuesday.
The suspects briefly cordoned roads leading into the town. Reports say no gunfire was heard and the group left the town five hours later without firing a shot.
The group was part of the Gulf Cartel, identified because of markings on the vehicles. Reports say the suspects were carrying assault rifles, grenade launchers and grenades. Reports say some suspects did some shopping in the area for liquid refreshments,
| How well-behaved of them. |
That afternoon, Mexican Army units and state police agents entered the town to begin patrols in the area.
Zacatecas until last spring was considered a Los Zetas stronghold. But counternarcotics offensives by Mexican security forces and attacks by criminal elements aligned with both the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels, as well as minor groups aligned with the those cartels have severely degraded Los Zetas' presence in the state.
To read the Rantburg report on a recent firefight between Mexican security forces and armed suspects, as well as a link to another Rantburg story on the spring counternarcotics offensive, click here and follow the links
In a related story, Arturo Nahle Garcia, the attorney general of Zacatecas (PGJEZ) reported Wednesday the arrest of four armed suspects for kidnapping.
Juan Andres Gomez, 25, Octavio Carrillo Aguayo, 20, Jose de Jesus Frausto, 32 and Sabino Rodarte Ortega, 25 were arrested Wednesday after negotiations ended which should have secured the release of this victim went from MP $200,000 (USD $15,460.38) to MP $16,000 (USD $1,236.83) and the vehicle the victim had been driving.
The family reported the ransom, and Zacatecas state police reportedly rescued the victim unharmed.
Police also seized four vehicles and one firearm.