Seven arrested in slaying of former officer and gang member

April 21, 2008 - 3:04PM
The Monitor

EDINBURG - Six gang members and a seventh unaffiliated man have been charged with the murder of a former Mexican police officer and gang member, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said today.

The men, who include three Mexican nationals, three U.S. citizens and a man from El Salvador, are accused of kidnapping Jose Guadalupe Garcia, 36, from his home west of Alton last month, and then killing him.

Investigators believe he was killed because he declined a promotion within the violent prison gang Partidos Revolucionarios Mexicanos, also known as Los Borrachos de Villa.

"The PRM is a low-profile prison gang that is about 120 strong in Hidalgo County," the sheriff said in a statement. "This is the only criminal gang operating (here) whose majority of members are criminal illegal immigrants."

Five men burst into Garcia's home near 5 Mile Line and Brushline roads March 21 and kidnapped him. While there, they also stabbed another man several times in the head, but he survived the attack.

Garcia's body was found almost three weeks later in an orchard almost five miles from his home. Autopsy results indicate he died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators remain tight-lipped about how they linked the eight men charged Monday to the crime, but said seven are pledged PRM members.

The men arrested for the crime include Victor Hugo Puente Moreno, 35, Diego Armando Pena, 18, Jose Osvaldo Teran, 18, Olegario Uresti, 26, Eduardo Alberto Flores Jr., 17, Josue Cordova, 18.

Seventeen-year-old Tomas Soria, who was also arrested and charged, claimed no gang affiliation, deputies said.

All eight men face charges of capital murder and attempted capital murder. They all remain in the Hidalgo County jail on $1.1 million bonds.

Investigators continue to search for two other suspects - Adan Perales, 27, and Julian Gallardo Balderas, 27, both Mexican nationals.

"Even though the PRM has received a major blow, (these arrests) did not affect its leadership or structure," Treviño said. "The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office will continue to pursue all law enforcement efforts to dismantle this criminal gang."

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