3 Tijuana officers trying to enter U.S. taken into custody

By Sandra Dibble
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

November 15, 2008

Three Tijuana police officers suspected of ties to organized crime were detained this week by U.S. authorities as they tried to cross into the United States.

The officers, two of whom were assistant chiefs, were taken into custody at the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro ports of entry, said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego.

The officers worked for the municipal police department and were turned over to the Mexican military. The first two were detained Monday and are among the 20 municipal officers being held for questioning in Mexico City by the federal organized-crime unit, known as SIEDO. Many of the detainees in that group held top positions.

At least two who were detained at the border had crossing cards, Mack said, but their names were on a list provided by the Mexican military. She did not have information on the third.

“We were aware that these were suspects in an investigation,â€