Arrests in Juarez Birthday Party Massacre
[Guest post by DRJ]
Over 4,300 people have been killed in Juarez, Mexico, since 2008 and the violence continues with each month bringing news of more murders. Among the recent shockers was a January 30 attack at a birthday party that killed 11 teenagers. Last week, the Chihuahua state attorney general announced Los Linces (the Lynxes), a drug cartel hit squad, was involved:
“The attorney general’s office said the involvement of Los Linces and an Azteca leader were revealed in interrogations of two men arrested in connection with the Jan. 30 attack at a birthday party that killed 16 people, including 11 teens.
Los Linces (the lynxes) is a secretive assassination group reportedly made up of former Mexico special forces soldiers. The group works for the Juárez drug cartel, reputedly led by Vicente Carrillo Fuentes.
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Mexican authorities said the assault on the birthday party was well-planned. The location was first scouted and the block was then sealed off and lookouts were posted outside before gunmen entered the party at a house in southeast Juárez. Authorities said the killers believed the students were members of a rival gang.”
The announcement stressed “there is no indication Los Linces works in El Paso or elsewhere in the U.S.” That might be comforting except the article identified the attack’s mastermind as an El Paso resident who was killed in a shootout during the arrest:
“The attack’s alleged mastermind, Adrian “El Rama” Ramirez of El Paso, was later killed in a shootout with soldiers. Jose Dolores Arroyo Chavarria and Israel Arzate Melendez, aka “El 24” or “El Country,” have been arrested. More than a dozen suspects remain at large.”
In addition, relatives of some victims are seeking asylum in the United States.
All in all, it’s hard to believe assurances that the United States isn’t affected by and involved in the violence in Juarez. At best, America is a safe harbor for Mexican residents but the economic impact is already here. The violence can’t be far behind.
— DRJ
PS — As I’ve mentioned before, I guess the Ramos-Compean prosecutor knew what she was talking about when she told the jury in closing argument someone in their neighborhood was a dope dealer (in Volume 15 at page 102):
“Ladies and gentlemen, we live in El Paso, Texas. There is a substantial likelihood that somebody in your neighborhood is a dope dealer. That is even more likely in San Isidro, Mexico.”
She could have also said that somebody in the neighborhood might be the leader of drug cartel hit squad.
Here is a tragedy of justice. Inmate on death row for about 27 years.
Oldest Death Row Inmate in U.S. Dies at Age 94
He spent 25 years in prison for shooting a Connecticut police officer in 1947, and was sentenced to life in prison for shooting a man to death in Salt Lake City in 1977. But he escaped from a prison work crew in October 1982 and fatally shot a Phoenix coin shop sales clerk a month later.
He was sentenced to death for that crime.
peedoffamerican (b21f59) — 2/14/2010 @ 8:56 pmDRJ: if we could just get guns out of the hands of the American public, the violence in Mexico would stop.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 2/14/2010 @ 9:22 pmThe cartels have so far tried to avoid getting the U.S. involved by taking their battles across the border, even if some of the ones ordering the killings are living over here. But with the latter being the case — no doubt for their own personal safety reasons — and with the problems Arizona’s had with kidnappings and slayings involving illegal aliens, it’s only a matter of time before one of the gangs in Juarez decided to violate the rule and stage a hit on this side of the Rio Grande. And if were to happen somewhere around Sunland Park on the west (moneyed) side of town, the Montwood area on the east side or in the Cielo Vista Mall area, you can expect it to become a major issue in this fall’s gubernatorial race.
John (8de657) — 2/14/2010 @ 10:07 pmI agree, John. There have already been incidents on the Bridges and, as you say, violence in Arizona cities. And the Dallas Morning News confirms the economic impact:
DRJ (6a8003) — 2/14/2010 @ 10:29 pmThe real danger is from those evil teabagging reich-wing Xtianists!!! [/libtard troll]
Mike LaRoche (82f215) — 2/15/2010 @ 2:52 amThe Ramos-Compean prosecutor should know all about drug dealers. After all the primary witness was one. And I’m sure the druggies appreciate the US Attorney watching out for their interests.
Ken Hahn (a8b356) — 2/15/2010 @ 7:18 amThe head of our national park system has also said that the cartels have overtaken the national forests with their marijuana farms. It’s uncontrollable by the forces at his disposal.
Move along, nothing to see here…
Patricia (e1047e) — 2/15/2010 @ 9:31 amI strongly suspect we’ll be very much impacted when Mexico collapses into a failed state in the next decade. Having a latin version of Afghanistan or Colombia on our border is going to be very messy. We’ll see another Columbus New Mexico raid on an American town and we’ll need to station along the border, quite a few more mechanized infantry divisions than we even have.
SPQR (8475fc) — 2/15/2010 @ 9:53 amComment by Patricia — 2/15/2010 @ 9:31 am
Time to call out the “unorganized militia”, and start offering bounties.
AD - RtR/OS! (89e14c) — 2/15/2010 @ 9:58 am