DEA: 'Hit list' not yet substantiated
By Jose L. Medina / Las Cruces Sun-News
Article Launched: 06/23/2008 03:25:07 PM MDT


LAS CRUCES - The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration for the El Paso sector - which includes New Mexico - said Monday a purported drug cartel hit list that may name Americans has not been confirmed as credible since its existence became public late last week.
"Nobody has substantiated it. In other words, if it does exist, it hasn't gotten to us yet," said John "Jack" Riley, special agent in charge for the El Paso DEA office.

Riley said this is the first, but not likely the last time a potential hit list surfaces that names individuals living on this side of the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Our guys and our analysts and agents have not personally seen it," Riley said. "... . That's not to say we won't be looking at it. And I would imagine, if the trend continues, if this is accurate, it probably won't be the last."

The possible existence of a list naming Americans or residents of the U.S. became public Thursday evening when an El Paso television station aired an interview with the family member of one of the 15 to 20 people reportedly on the list.

On Friday morning, Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos confirmed that his agency had been notified of the list while denying the television station's report that his agency had uncovered the list.

Instead, Cobos said the list was part of an intelligence report provided to numerous state law enforcement agencies by the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security

The list reportedly names individuals currently or

formerly living in Luna, Dona Ana and El Paso counties. Also on the list is at least one name of an individual residing in Albuquerque.
There have been other hit lists south of the border, in Juarez specifically, since the beginning of the year as an escalating drug turf war there has claimed more than 400 lives.

If the list is substantiated, Riley said DEA would "do everyting we could to protect a U.S. citizen."

"Obviously we're extremely concerned," Riley said, "and that's one of the things that we're working very hard to make sure that these type of things, that if they do occur, that we put every investigative effort we can into substantiate them. If they can be substantiated, we would take every precaution."








http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_9675084