6 corpses exhumed at house in Chihuahua
Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 01/20/2008 12:00:00 AM MST


The bodies of six alleged members of the Juárez drug cartel were unearthed Friday from a single grave in a residence in Chihuahua City, an official with the Mexican attorney general's office said.
Officials said they received an anonymous tip "that gave the address of a house linked to the Juárez cartel in Chihuahua City and that indicated that there were people buried in a grave there," according to a news release.

Armed with a warrant, federal agents and forensic experts from the organized crime bureau started their search Thursday at 1201 Luz C. Villa street. With the help of cadaver-sniffing dogs and tools, they dug up six corpses. None of the victims was identified, and the causes of death were unknown Friday, officials said.

The beginning of the year has been especially violent in Juárez -- 26 homicides in the first 15 days, many of which appear to be drug-related executions. No suspect has been arrested in any of the cases.

Friday's gruesome discovery was reminiscent of the case of 12 male bodies found buried in graves behind a Juárez house in January 2004. Those victims, including at least one U.S. citizen, had been tortured before they were killed. That case led to the U.S. prosecution of a high-ranking official in the Juárez drug cartel.

Juárez Mayor José Reyes Ferriz said last Tuesday that he would ask the Mexican federal police to intervene because local police were not equipped to deal with violent drug cartels.

Louie Gilot may be reached at



lgilot@elpasotimes.com; 546-6131.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_8022452