Escalating Violence In Juarez Targets Police Officials

By Celina Avila

CD. JUAREZ — Escalating violence targeting police officials in Juarez raised concerns for the populace that might end up in the crossfire.

Authorities said three high-ranking officials were attacked, two of them killed in just the past two days and that has U.S. authorities worried.

Two Juarez municipal police officers were killed and state investigator Fernando Lozano was shot. Lozano was ambushed along Triunfo de la Republica Avenue in Juarez, with over fifty rounds being fired. He was hit five times, but survived.

The assassination attempt of the Chihuahua state’s investigation commander comes on the heels of the arrest of former director of public safety Saulo Reyes-Gamboa. Gamboa faces several charges, one of which includes attempting to bribe an undercover ICE agent.

Gamboa allegedly tried to bribe the agent believing him to be a corrupt official in order to allow Gamboa to have drugs smuggled through an El Paso port of entry.

A criminal complaint obtained by ABC-7 alleges that Gamboa offered the agent $15,000 to allow the narcotics through.

The details of the conversation were recorded and that’s when Gamboa was arrested. Later, a stash house was discovered in Horizon City where, agents believe Gamboa had already managed to cross nearly one ton of marijuana. A female suspect, Karina Tarango was also arrested at that house.

Lozano is recovering at a local hospital under heavy security, but even so, U.S. investigators are still carefully surveying the Juarez municipal landscape.

Midday Tuesday, police tape could still be seen surround the site of the very public attack on Lozano.

The recent attacks on Juarez police leaves both Mexican and U.S. officials on high-alert. “Much of what they’re doing on that side of the border obviously concerns the U.S. because this is their primary market,” said John Riley, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Riley said a recent rash of drug-related homicides, as well as arrests, have resulted in a power vacuum that has led to chaos.

“These organizations don’t play by the rules. The way that they regulate themselves is with this type of violence,” said Riley.

All U.S. citizens are urged to be extremely cautious when entering Mexico, said Riley. “Would I go shopping over there now? I think I’d be a little hesitant. I would make sure I knew where I was going and didn’t end up in the wrong area wandering.”