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A man executed by gunshots to the back of the head and found face down at the bottom of an irrigation canal in Ciudad Juarez, has been identified as U.S. Marshal deputy Vicent Paul Bustamante, 48, of El Paso, Texas.
According to Chuihuahua State authorities, Bustamante's body was found at 9:00 local time, March 25, with visible signs of torture. The Ciudad Juarez Fire Department assisted with machinery necessary to retrieve the deputy's body.
At the time of his death Bustamante was on administrative leave. Bustamante was wanted for failure to appear in court on charges of criminal theft of public property.
According to federal records, Bustamante was arrested on the theft charges March 2. He was accused of selling six government handguns, three government shotguns and a pair of government binoculars without authorization.
The charges required that Bustamante's weapon, credentials and badge be retained by his supervisor outside of work hours until trial.
He reportedly entered a plea agreement and was to appear in court on March 18. When Bustamante failed to appear, the El Paso, Texas judge issued a warrant for his arrest and placed the Deputy on complete administrative suspension on March 19.
It is uncertain why or how long Bustamente had been in Ciudad Juarez. The U.S. Marshals Service would not comment on the circumstances surrounding his death. They are working with Mexican authorities and the FBI to determine what occurrred.
Though Bustamante was on leave at the time of his death, FBI officials said they have opened an assault on a federal officer case.
Bustamante was a 17-year veteran of the Marshals Service and a former officer with the El Paso Police Department.
