[Guest post by DRJ]

Last week, the U.S. law enforcement initiated Operation Knock Down targeting the Barrio Azteca gang, an El Paso prison gang related to the Aztecas gang in Juárez. Authorities suspected the Aztecas in the recent murders of two Americans and a Mexican targeted for their ties to the U.S. Consulate in Juarez.

Now the El Paso Times reports the U.S. Homeland Security Department issued a warning Monday that the Aztecas may try to target El Paso law enforcement:

“The Barrio Azteca gang may issue a ‘green light’ authorizing the attempted murder of LEOs (law enforcement officers) in the El Paso area,” stated a copy of the alert obtained by the El Paso Times.

A “green light” is a murder sanctioned by the military-style leadership of the gang. The gang works with the Juárez drug cartel and is under scrutiny for its possible involvement in the unsolved murders in Juárez of three people tied to the U.S. Consulate.

The warning, or Officer Safety Alert, stated that the potential threat was “uncorroborated” but that officers and their families should take extra precautions.”

The alert reportedly “tells officers to wear body armor while on duty, to vary routes to and from work and to tell their families to watch for any unusual activity.”

— DRJ