Trial set for 11 from Columbus accused of smuggling guns to Mexican
cartels
Ashley Meeks / Las Cruces Sun-News
Posted: 04/27/2011 10:51:55 AM MDT
http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17939497
LAS CRUCES - A trial date has been set for the 11 men and women -
including the Columbus, N.M. mayor and police chief - accused of
smuggling high-powered firearms to Mexican cartel members.
Trial has been scheduled for Oct. 3 before U.S. District Court Judge
Robert Brack in Las Cruces.
An 84-count federal indictment accuses Mayor Eddie Espinoza, Columbus
Village Trustee Blas "Woody" Gutierrez and former Columbus Police
Chief Angelo Vega of running firearms into Mexico between 2010 and
this year, purchasing them from Ian Garland, of Chaparral Guns in
Chaparral, N.M.
The defendants were arrested during a massive morning raid March 10
by federal agents.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys had previously agreed to vacate
previous trial deadlines because the case was so complex - including
a one-month wiretap of five phone lines and months-long video
surveillance of an alleged stash house in El Paso and the gun store
where the weapons were purchased.
Weapons purchased by the defendants were allegedly found at the
scenes of a murder, a kidnapping and a drug bust in Mexican border
towns.
Gutierrez was allegedly taking some of his orders from Jesus
"Mantequilla" Molinas, an inmate at Cereso federal prison in Juárez,
according to court documents.
Only two of the defendants - Gutierrez's wife and his sister - are
free on bond. One, Ignacio "Nacho" Villalobos remains at large.
The Columbus Board of Trustees last week approved a motion requesting
Espinoza and Gutierrez
resign from office.
Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5462
Note: rifles and shotguns not identified, possibly more Beretta
ACX160 ?
Published: 04/27/2011 10:36 By: Jose F. Ponce jponce@elimparcial.com
Police receive weapons Hermosillo
The mayor of Hermosillo, Javier Gandara Magaña symbolically delivered
weapons to the traffic department chief, Commander José Luis Rocha.
Photo: David Arvizu.
http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Policiaca/
27042011/511993.aspx
HERMOSILLO, Sonora (PH)
A donation of over 600 guns, 68 rifles, 4 shotguns and more than
200,000 rounds of different calibers received by the body of Public
Safety of the City Council Hermosillo.
The deputy director of the corporation, René Zárate Barranco, said
the investment for the acquisition of such weapons was more than 7
million pesos.
607 are 9-mm Beretta pistols, 68 caliber rifles 5.56x45 mm and 4 12-
gauge shotguns, which the mayor Javier Gandara Magaña gave the
Department of Public Safety.
The mayor asked the police and make good use of the weapons
responsibly in community service.
Juárez mayor orders return of weapons to transit police
Hector Murguia said that they patrol with local police
El Diario de Juárez
http://www.eldiariodechihuahua.com/notas.php?
IDNOTA=239456&IDSECCION=Portada&IDREPORTERO=El% 20Diario% 20of% 20Ju%
E1rez
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 | 2:58:29 PM
.- In Ciudad Juárez attacks yesterday were two elements of Traffic
who died, Mayor Hector Murguia Lardizabal reported that it will
provide weapons to the agents of that corporation.
"We're going to start arming the officers, we find it abhorrent and
cowardly act of murdering a sneaky way the two officers who died, "
he said.
As an additional measure, the mayor ordered transit officials to
patrol the streets together with local police, "so as to strengthen
the integrity of their life, "he added.
Murguia Lardizabal said that thanks to the intelligence with which it
has in city government, could discover that there were more threats
of attacks against elements of Transportation, but acted in time and
prevented further attacks.
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