Five suspects linked to 23 homicides

Five suspects linked to 23 homicides

By Sandra Dibble
Originally published March 19, 2011 at 5:50 p.m., updated March 19, 2011 at 5:53 p.m.

TIJUANA—Baja California authorities on Saturday announced the capture of five suspects they say are connected to 23 homicides in Tijuana over the past two years, including that of a state agent shot to death Friday as he was investigating a ring of car thieves.

The state’s attorney general, Rommel Moreno Manjarrez, said the suspects belong to a criminal cell linked to Los Teos, a group made up of the remnants of a once-powerful drug trafficking organization commanded by Teodoro Garcia Simental. Garcia was arrested last year.

Though fragmented and without strong leadership “these cells continue to operate,â€