Latest news with #LaLinea
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Newsweek
Dead Bodies Hung From Overpass In Mexico
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mexican authorities have found the bodies of two people hanging from a highway overpass in the border city of Juárez in Chihuahua state. Why It Matters Cartel-related violence is continuing to grip Mexico, with criminal organizations battling for territory and influence across the country. These conflicts often result in brutal public displays meant to intimidate rivals and authorities alike. In response, the Mexican government has launched multiple operations to dismantle the crime gangs, including arrests of its leaders and key operatives. A Mexican police officer stands guard close to the U.S. border at the edge of the Rio Bravo/Grande in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on May 10, 2025. A Mexican police officer stands guard close to the U.S. border at the edge of the Rio Bravo/Grande in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on May 10, 2025. Photo by Herika Martinez/AFP via Getty Images What To Know On June 13, police removed the bodies of two men—one unclothed—that had been suspended by ropes from a highway overpass at the southern entrance to Juárez. A cardboard sign was found on the windshield of a nearby abandoned SUV that read, "There are your crystal dealers, Arqui, for stealing fuel." The term "crystal" in the message refers to crystal methamphetamine, a potent synthetic drug commonly trafficked by criminal organizations in Mexico. Such messages, often left at crime scenes, are known as narcomensajes and are typically used by cartels to threaten rivals or assert control of territory. No arrests have been reported in connection with the homicides. Footage shared by KINT shows investigators at the scene where the borders were discovered hanging. Juárez Public Safety Director César Omar Muñoz reported that police responded to six separate crime scenes overnight, where a total of seven homicide victims were found. "What happened this morning left a bad impression on Ciudad Juárez. It is related to fuel theft. The road leads to the [Juárez] Valley, so we think it is something going on over there." Chihuahua Attorney General César Jáuregui earlier attributed the violence to a resurgence of street-level conflict between the Juárez and Sinaloa cartels. What People Are Saying Juárez Public Safety Director César Omar Muñoz told a press conference Friday: "They happened within a short time of each other. It was not organized, but was different acts, as the investigation will reveal, Chihuahua Attorney General César Jáuregui said: "There are several things going on in Juárez. We have a scenario in the Valley where a group called Los Cabrera settled years ago and there could be tensions with La Linea. "There also are tensions between groups of La Linea. When [migrant] trafficking dried up, they are trying to retake retail drug sales. That has led to conflicts among them tied to control of drug sales in neighborhoods." What Happens Next Inquiries into the deaths will remain ongoing.
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
We survived a cartel massacre. Our family didn't. Trump will make us all safer.
We survived a cartel massacre. Our family didn't. Trump will make us all safer. | Opinion We know we can never get our mom and brothers back. But we can help our fellow Americans get the safety we all deserve. Show Caption Hide Caption Mexico takes on American gun companies at Supreme Court Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism as Mexico attempted to hold American gun companies responsible for drug cartel violence. We can still remember our mom's last words: 'My boy! My boy! My baby boy!' Moments before, she was ducking her head down like the rest of us – hoping this was just a nightmare and none of the bullets were real. Not long after she realized that her little boy was taken from her, our mom's life was taken from us, too. On Nov. 4, 2019, the Juarez Cartel and its brutal forces, La Linea, massacred our family as we drove through northern Mexico. They murdered our mother, Dawna, two of our little brothers, Trevor and Rogan, and six others. More than five years after surviving the attack, we're still pursuing justice, and we may finally have our first opening to fight back. It was a miracle that the shooters let us live On that horrific day, bullets tore through our car. It felt as though the shooting would never stop. Our clothes were covered in blood, and none of it was ours. We saw our little brothers lying lifeless and our mother dead, still buckled in the driver's seat. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. When the shooting finally ended, we watched monsters dressed in camouflage approach our car. In a panic, we scrambled to cover the windows with garbage bags, suitcases and toys – trying anything to keep them from seeing us. But before we knew it, we were staring down the barrel of a gun. They yelled at us in Spanish and forced us to get out of the car. We grabbed our little brother Cody, who was so riddled with bullets that he couldn't move, and our 9-month-old brother, and sat on the ground outside. We thought this was the end for us all. But by some miracle, they let us live. Our attackers were never brought to justice With the attackers gone, we had no choice but to flee on foot. But once we saw the blood trail we were leaving behind, we decided to stop walking and take refuge under a small tree on the side of the road. One of us, Devin, ran 14 miles through the desert to get help. The other six of us stayed under that tree for more than 10 hours, praying that we would be rescued. Opinion: Democrats defying Trump on deportations picked a fight they literally can't afford Days later, we buried our mother and our brothers. And while we are still healing, the killers responsible for this massacre continue to walk free. The cartels that ripped our family apart are still operating with impunity and profiting from human trafficking, smuggling deadly drugs like fentanyl and terrorizing American families like ours. But for the first time in years, we have hope. President Donald Trump is taking on the cartels and giving us a reason to believe we may finally get justice. Trump must add Juarez Cartel to terrorist list After the 2019 massacre, President Trump boldly called cartels 'terrorist organizations.' In February 2025, his State Department officially designated eight cartels as such – putting the full force of the federal government up against the cartels and financial networks that support them. That's a meaningful step forward, and we want to see the Juarez Cartel and La Linea, its enforcement wing – the ones that took the lives of our loved ones – added to that Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Opinion: We targeted drug cartels to stop fentanyl. Now, overdose deaths are dropping. That way the federal government can cut off their resources and bring them to justice. Their financial networks should be put on notice that they must stop supporting these violent criminals. That would finally give our family a little peace. We don't want any other kids to experience the grief of losing a mother or siblings the way we did. We know we can never get our mom and brothers back. But we can help our fellow Americans get the safety we all deserve. And we can help deliver justice to the many families, like ours, who have lost loved ones to cartel violence. With President Trump leading the charge to fight the cartels, and with the strength of countless survivors standing behind him, a safer and stronger America is within reach. Devin and Kylie Langford are Arizona residents who survived a cartel massacre in November 2019, when they were 13 and 14 years old, respectively. This column originally appeared in the Arizona Republic.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
CBP officer arrested for human smuggling was allegedly in Mexican drug cartel
EL PASO, Texas − A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer allegedly involved in migrant smuggling on the El Paso border was allegedly a member of a Mexican drug cartel, a federal agent testified. A federal magistrate judge ordered CBP Officer Manuel Perez Jr., 32, of El Paso, to remain jailed without bond at a detention hearing Thursday, Feb. 13, in federal court in Downtown El Paso. Perez is allegedly a member of the La Linea drug cartel. Perez was fired from CBP after his arrest on federal human and drug smuggling charges on Feb. 8 by the FBI El Paso West Texas Border Corruption Task Force following a multi-agency investigation, court officials said. If convicted, he could face 10 years up to life in prison. 'Multiple witnesses said he belonged to La Linea cartel in Mexico,' a special agent with the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility testified at the hearing. More: Mexican cartels offering pricey VIP package for migrants trying to get into US Perez allegedly told investigators that he was being paid $2,500 for each undocumented person he allowed to pass at his inspection lane at the Paso Del Norte international bridge in downtown El Paso, the special agent testified. The exact number of smuggled persons Perez waved through his border inspection point was unclear. The prosecution said that Perez may have been paid as much as $400,000 in a border migrant smuggling scheme dating to December 2023. A cocaine distribution conspiracy case dates from Feb. 5 going back to November 2019, according to the indictment. More: Mexican troops arrive at US border to disarm Trump tariff threats Smugglers in intercepted phone calls spoke of '100% guaranteed' crossings because they had 'the officer in their pocket,' the agent testified. The names of others involved in smuggling have not been disclosed. Perez's attorney Ruben Ortiz suggested at the hearing that the co-conspirators involved in the border smuggling could be lying about his client. "The cooperating witnesses are telling them (federal investigators) whatever they want to hear for now," Ortiz said, adding that informers are "pointing fingers, perhaps to gain favor from the government in their own cases." Last week, Perez was in his CBP uniform when he was arrested. On Thursday, Perez was shackled and wearing a blue jail jumpsuit in court. The portly man — El Paso County Jail records list him as 5 feet, 1 inch tall and 281 pounds — appeared calm as he sat next to to his attorney. Perez is a U.S. citizen born in California, his attorney said. He has no past criminal history and no issues with drugs or alcohol. Perez has an apartment in El Paso and was also renting a home in Juárez. Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Johnston painted an image of a U.S. federal agent affiliated with La Linea, a regional crime organization more commonly known as the Juárez drug cartel. More: Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael Zambada kidnapped, flown to the US, lawyer says The special agent with the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility testified that witnesses told investigators that Perez was always armed with a firearm in bars and nightclubs in Mexico and even when he was sleeping. Witnesses claimed Perez had an armed security detail with him at all times in Mexico. The claim was corroborated by photos, the agent said. More: Steve Bannon pleads guilty to defrauding donors over border wall construction A witness told investigators that Perez had stated that if he were ever to be arrested that he would prefer to be arrested in Mexico so that he could continue his criminal activity in jail, the special agent said. The special agent said that CBP investigators used a database of recorded border crossings to determine that Perez spent more than 80% of his time in Mexico while he was not at work in El Paso. Ortiz countered his client spent a lot of time in Juárez because he used to have a girlfriend there. More: Kristi Noem asks the IRS to help with Trump immigration crackdown As part of the investigation, U.S. federal agents contacted Mexican agents, who found $18,000 in cash after serving a search warrant at Perez's home in Juárez, the special agent testified. "By all measures, he lives in Mexico," Johnston said of Perez, mentioning that the rest of the suspected corrupt officer's smuggling profits are unaccounted for. The indictment stated Perez was allegedly involved in a migrant smuggling scheme at his post at the Paso Del Norte Bridge going back to early December 2023. The indictment stated that an undocumented migrant paid $16,000 to be brought across at the port of entry. The investigation allegedly found Perez allowed a gray Nissan Pathfinder to cross the border with undocumented migrants several times. Perez allegedly entered information from 25 visas belonging to legal border-crossers in the place of the smuggled migrants into TECS (formerly known as the Treasury Enforcement Communications System) the computer system used by CBP at the U.S.-Mexico border to assist with screenings and admissions, the indictment stated. TECS keeps track of people entering and exiting the country and those involved or suspected to be involved in crimes. The investigation found that the persons that Perez allegedly allowed to cross the border did not match the people in the documents, the agent said. The Nissan Pathfinder would take the smuggled migrants — including children — to a meet-up spot outside a restaurant on a Ranchland Village retail strip. The migrants would then be transported to other cities in other vehicles, the agent said. The indictment makes a brief mention of a "proof of life video' taken of an undocumented person by a member of the smuggling group to provide proof of a successful smuggle into the United States. The video was not mentioned at the hearing. The investigation found Perez and a co-conspirator in October 2023 arranged to take eight kilos of cocaine from El Paso to Louisiana and North Carolina, authorities said. The co-conspirator's information was corroborated with records from license-plate readers "placed strategically across the United States" that showed the vehicle's travel across Texas to Louisiana to Alabama and to North Carolina, the CBP special agent said. Hotel records were also found. After his arrest, Perez allegedly told investigators that the smuggler had already paid him $20,000 for what Perez said were seven kilos of cocaine and that the smuggler had a drug debt with him for the rest of the money, the agent said. 'I kind of see him as a glorified mule,' who allegedly waved undocumented persons through the border checkpoint, instead of a some type of 'mastermind," Ortiz told the judge. A "mule" is a term normally used to refer to a person utilized to carry drugs across the border. Ortiz argued to have Perez be released on bond saying that he doesn't pose a danger to the public. Perez could stay under house arrest with a GPS monitor with his mother in El Paso, his attorney suggested. Ortiz added that the county jail was not a safe place for his client and that Perez waived his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and voluntarily spoke to investigators when he was arrested. Ortiz mentioned Perez 'has a lot of debt,' but didn't go into detail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Miguel Torres ordered Perez remain jailed explaining that there was 'no question' that Perez posed a flight risk due to the amount of time he spent in Mexico in addition to his alleged association with a Mexican cartel. Daniel Borunda is a reporter at the El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at dborunda@ and @BorundaDaniel on X. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CBP officer allegedly part of Mexican drug cartel
USA Today
14-02-2025
- USA Today
CBP officer arrested for human smuggling was allegedly in Mexican drug cartel
EL PASO, Texas − A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer allegedly involved in migrant smuggling on the El Paso border was allegedly a member of a Mexican drug cartel, a federal agent testified. A federal magistrate judge ordered CBP Officer Manuel Perez Jr., 32, of El Paso, to remain jailed without bond at a detention hearing Thursday, Feb. 13, in federal court in Downtown El Paso. Perez is allegedly a member of the La Linea drug cartel. Perez was fired from CBP after his arrest on federal human and drug smuggling charges on Feb. 8 by the FBI El Paso West Texas Border Corruption Task Force following a multi-agency investigation, court officials said. If convicted, he could face 10 years up to life in prison. 'Multiple witnesses said he belonged to La Linea cartel in Mexico,' a special agent with the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility testified at the hearing. More:Mexican cartels offering pricey VIP package for migrants trying to get into US Perez allegedly told investigators that he was being paid $2,500 for each undocumented person he allowed to pass at his inspection lane at the Paso Del Norte international bridge in downtown El Paso, the special agent testified. The exact number of smuggled persons Perez waved through his border inspection point was unclear. The prosecution said that Perez may have been paid as much as $400,000 in a border migrant smuggling scheme dating to December 2023. A cocaine distribution conspiracy case dates from Feb. 5 going back to November 2019, according to the indictment. More:Mexican troops arrive at US border to disarm Trump tariff threats Smugglers in intercepted phone calls spoke of '100% guaranteed' crossings because they had 'the officer in their pocket,' the agent testified. The names of others involved in smuggling have not been disclosed. Perez's attorney Ruben Ortiz suggested at the hearing that the co-conspirators involved in the border smuggling could be lying about his client. "The cooperating witnesses are telling them (federal investigators) whatever they want to hear for now," Ortiz said, adding that informers are "pointing fingers, perhaps to gain favor from the government in their own cases." Feds: CBP officer lived in Mexico, cartel affiliated Last week, Perez was in his CBP uniform when he was arrested. On Thursday, Perez was shackled and wearing a blue jail jumpsuit in court. The portly man — El Paso County Jail records list him as 5 feet, 1 inch tall and 281 pounds — appeared calm as he sat next to to his attorney. Perez is a U.S. citizen born in California, his attorney said. He has no past criminal history and no issues with drugs or alcohol. Perez has an apartment in El Paso and was also renting a home in Juárez. Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Johnston painted an image of a U.S. federal agent affiliated with La Linea, a regional crime organization more commonly known as the Juárez drug cartel. More:Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael Zambada kidnapped, flown to the US, lawyer says The special agent with the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility testified that witnesses told investigators that Perez was always armed with a firearm in bars and nightclubs in Mexico and even when he was sleeping. Witnesses claimed Perez had an armed security detail with him at all times in Mexico. The claim was corroborated by photos, the agent said. More:Steve Bannon pleads guilty to defrauding donors over border wall construction A witness told investigators that Perez had stated that if he were ever to be arrested that he would prefer to be arrested in Mexico so that he could continue his criminal activity in jail, the special agent said. The special agent said that CBP investigators used a database of recorded border crossings to determine that Perez spent more than 80% of his time in Mexico while he was not at work in El Paso. Ortiz countered his client spent a lot of time in Juárez because he used to have a girlfriend there. More:Kristi Noem asks the IRS to help with Trump immigration crackdown As part of the investigation, U.S. federal agents contacted Mexican agents, who found $18,000 in cash after serving a search warrant at Perez's home in Juárez, the special agent testified. "By all measures, he lives in Mexico," Johnston said of Perez, mentioning that the rest of the suspected corrupt officer's smuggling profits are unaccounted for. CBP officer allegedly helped smugglers The indictment stated Perez was allegedly involved in a migrant smuggling scheme at his post at the Paso Del Norte Bridge going back to early December 2023. The indictment stated that an undocumented migrant paid $16,000 to be brought across at the port of entry. The investigation allegedly found Perez allowed a gray Nissan Pathfinder to cross the border with undocumented migrants several times. Perez allegedly entered information from 25 visas belonging to legal border-crossers in the place of the smuggled migrants into TECS (formerly known as the Treasury Enforcement Communications System) the computer system used by CBP at the U.S.-Mexico border to assist with screenings and admissions, the indictment stated. TECS keeps track of people entering and exiting the country and those involved or suspected to be involved in crimes. The investigation found that the persons that Perez allegedly allowed to cross the border did not match the people in the documents, the agent said. The Nissan Pathfinder would take the smuggled migrants — including children — to a meet-up spot outside a restaurant on a Ranchland Village retail strip. The migrants would then be transported to other cities in other vehicles, the agent said. The indictment makes a brief mention of a "proof of life video' taken of an undocumented person by a member of the smuggling group to provide proof of a successful smuggle into the United States. The video was not mentioned at the hearing. Alleged cocaine smuggling The investigation found Perez and a co-conspirator in October 2023 arranged to take eight kilos of cocaine from El Paso to Louisiana and North Carolina, authorities said. The co-conspirator's information was corroborated with records from license-plate readers "placed strategically across the United States" that showed the vehicle's travel across Texas to Louisiana to Alabama and to North Carolina, the CBP special agent said. Hotel records were also found. After his arrest, Perez allegedly told investigators that the smuggler had already paid him $20,000 for what Perez said were seven kilos of cocaine and that the smuggler had a drug debt with him for the rest of the money, the agent said. A 'glorified mule' 'I kind of see him as a glorified mule,' who allegedly waved undocumented persons through the border checkpoint, instead of a some type of 'mastermind," Ortiz told the judge. A "mule" is a term normally used to refer to a person utilized to carry drugs across the border. Ortiz argued to have Perez be released on bond saying that he doesn't pose a danger to the public. Perez could stay under house arrest with a GPS monitor with his mother in El Paso, his attorney suggested. Ortiz added that the county jail was not a safe place for his client and that Perez waived his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and voluntarily spoke to investigators when he was arrested. Ortiz mentioned Perez 'has a lot of debt,' but didn't go into detail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Miguel Torres ordered Perez remain jailed explaining that there was 'no question' that Perez posed a flight risk due to the amount of time he spent in Mexico in addition to his alleged association with a Mexican cartel. Daniel Borunda is a reporter at the El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at dborunda@ and @BorundaDaniel on X.
