3 more slain in Juárez
By Armando V. Durazo / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 05/18/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT


Three men were executed in Juárez on Saturday in continuation of mob-style killings and ambushes that have shaken the city to its core since warring drug cartels unleashed a wave a violence.

Their slayings bring to 25 the number of people killed in the city last week.

Officials said the three men were found in a car about 8:30 a.m. in the Melchor Ocampo area of the city. One man was found strangled in the back seat of the car, and the two others were found in the trunk. How they were killed was not known.

The man inside the car was identified as Carlos Froylan Camacho. Camacho was a former federal representative who was the current head of the consumer protection program for the city, Channel 26-KINT (cable Channel 2) reported,

The other two victims have not been identified.

Their deaths followed the shooting deaths of three other men and the resignation of city's top police official on Friday.

Guillermo Prieto Quintana, who announced his resignation over the weekend, will be replaced by a retired military officer.

His resignation follows the ambush-style killing of the police director, Juan Antonio Roman Garcia, who was gunned down May 10 near his home.

About 300 homicides, many linked to warring drug cartels, have occurred so far this year in Juárez.

Some of the attacks have been directed at police officials, who have been shot and killed while on patrol and while off duty.

Since the killing of Roman Garcia, the police department has been on high
alert.
Friday, three men were shot and killed after they drove themselves to a hospital.

The men had been attacked earlier and went to the hospital, where they were followed and attacked again.

Two men died inside the hospital, and one died outside.

The Mexican federal government has sent 2,000 soldiers and federal police to control the violence. No arrests have been made in the latest slayings, and none have been reported in most of the others.

In Parral, Chihuahua, federal officials said one of the men arrested there last week has been identified as Pedro Sanchez Arras, also known as "El Tigre" and a lieutenant in the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes drug cartel. Officials said Sanchez Arras gave authorities a fake name after his arrest on Tuesday.

Armando Durazo may be reached at adurazo@elpasotimes.com; 546-6123.





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