Thread: Mexico wants 2 El Paso cousins in slayings

Mexico wants 2 El Paso cousins in slayings
By Daniel Borunda / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 04/04/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT


Two El Paso cousins are in custody facing extradition to Mexico, where they are wanted on homicide charges in the 1996 killings of two El Paso women in Juárez.
Ruben Lopez, 39, and Richard Lopez, 37, were arrested after the U.S. attorney's office issued warrants at the request of the Mexican attorney general's office, officials with the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service said Thursday.

The cousins, who are U.S. citizens, are accused in the slayings of Victoria Parker Hopkins, 25, and Rita Parker Barragan, 37, who were found shot to death in the desert outside Juárez in a case suspected of having links to drug trafficking, according to federal officials and newspaper archives.

The women were sisters.

Extradition hearings in San Antonio will determine whether the cousins will be sent to Mexico.

Richard Lopez was already in the El Paso County Jail on a charge of marijuana possession, U.S. Marshals Supervisory Deputy Gerardo Payan said.

Ruben Lopez was arrested Wednesday by marshals at his home in the 4300 block of Chester.

He made an initial appearance on Thursday before a federal magistrate judge.

Ruben Lopez's lawyer, Ken Del Valle, said his client was falsely accused by a third man.

If the Lopezes are sent to Mexico, they would be "subject to torture until they confess," Del Valle said.

"I am outraged that the United States of America is extraditing American citizens to Mexico to submit them to the Mexican judicial system," Del Valle said.

It is unknown whether Richard Lopez has a lawyer.

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

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_8803684?s ... ost_viewed

west texas US Attorney, huh??

GUESS who that happens to be???