Alleged cartel members arrested in Juárez
By Daniel Borunda \ El Paso Times
Posted: 10/15/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT


Mexican federal police arrested several alleged members of the Juárez drug cartel, including a man suspected of killing four police officers, authorities said Thursday.

The arrests were made Tuesday when police raided a home near the mountains in west Juárez as part of an organized-crime investigation.

Police arrested Jesus de los Santos Garcia, 30, aka "El 15," who is allegedly a member of La Linea, or Juárez drug cartel, and is suspected in the homicides of three federal police officer since August, a Juárez police officer and other murders, officials said.

Police officials said officers arrested other alleged Linea members:
# Miguel Angel "El Caras" Macias Baylon, 21, suspected in an undisclosed number of murders of federal and city police officers in Juárez.
# Luis Gerardo Chavez Cha vez, 26, suspected of smuggling marijuana into the United States.
# Damian "El Damo" Cerros, 28, who was allegedly in charge of transporting marijuana from El Paso to Denver.

Three teenage boys were also arrested: a 17-year-old alleged drug dealer said to be linked to the murders of two people, and two 16-year-olds suspected of taking part in the murders of police and members of the rival Artistas Asesinos gang.

Police seized two cars, a pickup, 693 pounds of marijuana, a .44-caliber revolver, a semiautomatic rifle and five potted marijuana plants.

The bloodshed continued in Juárez, which had at least eight homicides by Thursday evening. They included a woman who was found stabbed to death, with her hands tied and her head wrapped in tape.

Four men and a woman were slain Wednesday.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com;546-6102.


http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_16343023