Thread: El Pasoans Question Arrest In Ice Agent Murder

El Pasoans Question Arrest In Ice Agent Murder

Martina Valverde-KFOX Morning News Reporter
Posted: 1:48 am MST February 24, 2011Updated: 12:03 pm MST February 24, 2011

EL PASO, Texas -- Mexican officials say they have the man "probably responsible" for the murder of an ICE agent and injury of another in custody.

Mexican Officials announced Wednesday they have arrested the presumed leader of a group of killers. They say that man is Julian Zapata Espinosa, alias "El Piolin." El Pasoans question what evidence they have that led them to Espinosa.

"The cartel over there is paying everybody in Mexico. Mexican police, Mexican government -- found someone to blame on," said Ray Perez, of central El Paso.

Mexican authorities said Espinosa and the alleged killers are members of the Zeta drug cartel. They say Feb. 15, the group of men mistook the agents SUV as that of a rival cartel. They allegedly killed Jaime Zapata and injured his partner, native El Pasoan, Victor Avila. The agents were not armed because of a 1990 treaty with Mexico that prevents them from doing so.

"They should carry guns everywhere they go, they're agents," said Samantha Galarza, of the lower valley.

That's not the only concerns El Pasoans have. The ambush of the two men quickly made national headlines. Only a little more than a week later, an arrest was made. It was a similar story last March when El Paso County jailer Arthur Redelfs and his wife, an employee of the Mexican Consulate, were gunned down. .An arrest was made that same month.

"The government, our government is behind it, pressuring them to tighten up," said Perez.

El Pasoans said they question when the U.S. Government will pressure Mexican authorities to help bring justice to not just these high-profile cases but to the thousands of borderland residents who share the same story of their loved ones being brutally murdered just across the river.

"I don't know why they haven't stopped them already. They should have just stopped it when it happened two years ago," said Galarza.

President Barack Obama called Mexican President Felipe Calderon after the arrest was made and told him that neither the United States nor Mexico could tolerate violence against those who protect and serve the citizens. Calderon will visit the White House next week.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/26976420/detail.html

i see they are not the only people wondering about this.

something just seems to convenient.

how did they figure it was this person, and not someone else?
or are the Zetas just going to sacrifice him to get the heat off their cartel?

The suspects arrested are probably not even who the Mexican government says they are. More than likely, they're just poor, ignorant stooges that they just pinned the murder on. People in Mexico know full well that they can be arrested and hauled to prison when they are guilty of nothing. Most of them can't fight the charges and a lot of them are given threats against their families and they will take the fall in order to avoid harm or further involvement of their families.

I read last week when the crime occurred there were 12 or 13 people involved in the criminal act, why there are less people now?