Spillover of carnage in Mexico undeniable

17 alleged to lead local killing crew

By Dana Littlefield
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. October 18, 2009

SAN DIEGO COURTS — Men kidnapped from their homes in broad daylight. Bodies dumped along roadsides and in abandoned cars. Human remains dissolved in acid.

It's the kind of violence seen all too often in some Mexican border cities, where thousands have fallen victim to a prolonged war between drug cartels.

But the indictments of 17 men, both U.S. and Mexican citizens, accused of running a drug-trafficking-and-murder crew called Los Palillos  in San Diego offer the best proof in recent years that cartel violence has spilled across the border.

Concerns about witness safety in the case, for which convictions could result in the death penalty, have led prosecutors to ask a judge for unusual precautions as the matter inches toward trial.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Charles Rogers recently affirmed a decision to preclude defense lawyers from sharing grand jury transcripts and police reports with the defendants — even though the information is public.

“The fact is, this is not any other murder case,â€