US Charges 10 In Last Year’s Juarez Consulate Killings Of US Citizens

Ten members and associates of a Mexican gang have been charged in this country in the murders a year ago of a U.S. consulate employee and two other people in Juarez, Mexico.

In an indictment unsealed Wednesday, 35 alleged Barrio Azteca members and associates have been charged with various counts of racketeering, murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.

Twelve of these defendants – seven in El Paso and five in southern New Mexico – were arrested Wednesday morning by teams of U.S. federal, state, and local authorities in El Paso and New Mexico.

Of the 35 defendants, 10 Mexican nationals were charged with the last year’s murders in Juarez, Mexico, of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton; her husband, Arthur Redelfs; and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee.

Seven of the 10 defendants charged with these murders, and two other indicted defendants, are in custody in Mexico, according to a U.S. Attorney General’s news release. U.S. authorities are working with Mexican authorities regarding extradition and other relevant matters related to this ongoing prosecution.

Consulate employee Lesley A. Enriquez and her husband, Arthur H. Redelfs, were killed on March 13 of last year when gunmen opened fire on their sport utility vehicle after they left a birthday party.

Jorge Alberto Salcido, the husband of a Mexican employee of the consulate, also was killed by gunmen after leaving the same event in a separate vehicle.

“Just as we have worked tirelessly to seek justice for U.S. Consulate employees and their families , we will continue working with our Mexican colleagues in our critical efforts to seek justice for Special Agent Jaime Zapata – the 32-year-old ICE Agent who was killed in Mexico last month – and for his fellow agent, Victor Avila, who was wounded,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a prepared statement. “We also will continue to seek justice for the death of Customs and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was killed in December during a gunfight in Southern Arizona.”

The indictment alleges that since January 2003, the defendants have conspired to carry out the mission of the Barrio Azteca criminal organization through the smuggling and distribution of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; robbery; extortion; firearms trafficking; money laundering; obstruction of justice; witness retaliation; and, numerous acts of violence including kidnapping and murder in the U.S. as well as in the Republic of Mexico.

According to the indictment, the Barrio Azteca, which began in the 1980’s as a violent prison gang and has expanded into a transnational criminal organization, is primarily based in West Texas; Juarez, Mexico; and throughout state and federal prisons in the U.S. and Mexico.

To increase its power and influence, the indictment alleges that the Barrio Azteca formed an alliance with the Vicente Carrillo-Fuentes (VCF) drug trafficking organization in Mexico. As part of this alliance, the indictment alleges, the Barrio Azteca conducts enforcement operations against VCF rivals in return for which VCF pays the Barrio Azteca or provides them with illegal drugs at discounted prices.

The indictment alleges that defendants Enrique Lopez, Jose Acosta, Eduardo Ravelo, Luis Mendez, Arturo Castrellon, Ricardo De la Rosa, Jose Diaz, Martin Marrufo, Luis Hernandez and Miguel Nevarez conspired to cause the deaths of three individuals with ties to the U.S. Consulate in Juarez, Mexico.

In addition to the Consulate murders, the indictment alleges that in December 2006, a Barrio Azteca member shot and killed Jose Luis Oviedo in El Paso.

In 2007, Barrio Azteca members allegedly kidnapped a man in El Paso and took him across the U.S./Mexico border to Juarez. In March 2008, the Barrio Azteca allegedly ordered the murder of Barrio Azteca member David Merez, who was killed that same month in Juarez.

The indictment also alleges that the Barrio Azteca caused two persons to be shot and killed in Socorro, Texas, on July 2, 2009. According to the indictment, in August 2010, Barrio Azteca members kidnapped the wife and parents of a Barrio Azteca member whom they believed was cooperating with U.S. law enforcement, and also killed the Barrio Azteca member’s step-daughter.

The indictment further charges that the Barrio Azteca also profits by importing heroin, cocaine and marijuana into the United States from Mexico. The indictment points to specific acts in which more than eight kilos of heroin, more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, and nearly 300 pounds of marijuana are associated with the possession, distribution or importation of controlled substances into the United States.

Holder said the arrests and charges will disrupt Barrio Azteca’s current operations.

“They also reaffirm the fact that this Justice Department – and this Administration – will not tolerate acts of violence against those who serve and protect American citizens,” Holder said. “Let me be clear: no matter where they live or hide out – even if it’s beyond our borders, in Mexico or in other countries – those who have threatened and devastated American lives will be held accountable for their actions. This is the firm policy of this Administration and this Justice Department. Criminal by criminal, gang by gang, mile by mile – we will keep up our fight to end the scourge of violence along our Southwest border, and to prosecute acts of violence to the full extent of the law. We will do all we can to protect the lives of the citizens of the two great nations that share that border- Mexico and the United States.”

LIST OF DEFENDANTS

ARRESTED MARCH 9, 2011

DESIREE GAMBOA CARDONA 07/20/81 DELIA CERVANTES 01/27/67 JESUS ESPINO 05/20/68 LORENZO ESPINO 09/03/60 RIGOBERTO FRAGOSO 11/25/70 MANUEL LOPEZ 10/07/72 OMAR LOPEZ 06/02/76 SANTIAGO LUCERO 11/08/73 CARLOS PEREZ 01/01/74 RAMON RENTERIA 04/03/73 THOMAS ROBERTS 03/09/62 FABIAN RODRIGUEZ 08/29/76

IN CUSTODY IN MEXICO

JOEL ABRAHAM CAUDILLO 12/09/87 ARTURO GALLEGOS CASTRELLON 04/23/78 LUIS HUMBERTO HERNANDEZ CELIS 04/03/84 RICARDO VALLES DE LA ROSA 09/21/64 JOSE GUADALUPE DIAZ DIAZ 06/29/78 ENRIQUE GUAJARDO LOPEZ 02/15/67 MARTIN PEREZ MARRUFO 06/20/67 MIGUEL ANGEL NEVAREZ 11/16/80 ALBERTO NUNEZ PAYAN 05/16/69

ALREADY IN CUSTODY:

JUAN MANUEL VISCAINO AMARO(federal)08/12/70 ROBERTO ANGEL CARDONA (federal) 02/14/78 JORGE DIAZ (federal) 12/15/78 HECTOR GALINDO (state) 02/24/74 ADAM GARCIA (state) 05/23/77 RICARDO GONZALES (federal) 12/01/67 ANGEL RENTERIA (federal) 11/13/73

FUGITIVES:

DAVID CONDE 06/24/81 YOLANDA BARBA CHAVIRA 11/30/69 APRIL CARDOZA 04/08/88 JOSE ANTONIO ACOSTA HERNANDEZ 11/30/77 LUIS MENDEZ 10/30/75 ALBERT MENDOZA 06/08/81 EDUARDO RAVELO 10/13/68; 12/22/65; 10/5/68 11/13/68; 10/13/69