Mexico identifies Suspect in Killing of U.S. agent
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According to the statement made by one of the attackers, members of the Zetas involved in the murder of S.A. Jaime Zapata confused the U.S. agents with members of a rival gang.
The Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) reported that Julian Zapata Espinosa , alias "El Piolin", an alleged member of Los Zetas, said upon his arrest that the attack on two U.S. agents was due to a confusion.
The confusion, according to "El Polin's" statement, was caused when they assumed members of a rival cartel were traveling in the vehicle being driven by the U.S. agents.
At a press conference, Colonel Ricardo Trevilla, spokesman of the Department of Defense, said the arrests were made during several military operations in San Luis Potosi.
The remaining detainees are Armando Álvarez Saldaña, Mario Domínguez Realeo or Domingo Díaz Rosas, Jesús Iván "El Loco" Quesada Peña, Martín Bárcenas Tapia, Rubén Darío Venegas, "El Catracho" of Honduran nationality, Diana Margarita Guerrero Morales, Roxana Mireya Ríos Velázquez, Magaly Chaín Castillo López, Zapata Espinoza's wife, and one unidentified minor menor.
The women and one minor were not presented to the media.
The detainees were presented visibly beaten, some with difficulty walking.
During the arrests soldiers seized five assault rifles, one handgun, five vehicles, including one armored vehicle, 41 ammunition chargers and Zeta payroll receipts.
The Attorney General's spokesman, Ricardo Najera, said "El Piolin" has a criminal record and was already under investigation for various federal crimes. He explained that the PGR will continue the preliminary investigations PGR/SLP/SLP-V-104-D/2011 for the crimes of homicide, attempted homicide, and assault with bodily injury.
Sources: Grupo Reforma, Milenio, and El Universal
