Page 14 - IAV Digital Magazine #617

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
US Fugitive Fatally Shoots ‘Gringo Hunters’ Officer In Mexico
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4PuU-xNQws
A US fugitive has shot and killed a Mexican police offi- cer in the elite inter- national liaison unit – known as “the Gringo Hunters” – which specializes in arrest- ing US citizens on the run in Mexico.
Mexico has long been seen as a place to escape US law enforcement. The Gringo Hunters was set up in 2002 to cooperate with US authorities, and have since arrested more than 1,600 fugitives.
These have included former Playboy mod- els, Catholic priests and professional ath- letes, among fraud- sters, murderers and peadophiles. The Gringo Hunters learn to spot the telltale signs of an American in Mexico, from stilt- ed Spanish to a predilection for flip flops.
This time members of the unit were try- ing to arrest a sus- pect in the border city of Tijuana on Wednesday when the man opened fire,
hitting Abigail Esparza Reyes, the 33-year-old leader of the unit in the state of Baja California.
Local media have reportedly identified the suspect as César Hernández, 34, who in December escaped from state prison in US, where he was serving a life sentence for murder.
Hernández’s escape made news at the time with video footage showing him sprinting across a field in an orange
jumpsuit with an offi- cer in pursuit.
Months later, the Gringo Hunters allegedly tracked him down to the Colonia Barcelona neighbor- hood, about 30 miles (48km) from the bor- der, and carried out an operation on Wednesday to arrest him but were met with bullets.
Esparza Reyes was hit and pronounced dead at a hospital.
Dozens of Mexican security forces from
all three levels gov- ernment, backed up with drones and a helicopter, then pur- sued the suspect to a house.
Nonetheless, Hernández managed to escape their cor- don and flee the scene.
Local
media reported that he managed to do so while running almost naked through the streets, before duck- ing under a tarp over a car and emerging dressed in a fluores- cent green uniform, similar to ones used by transport police, before walking away.
The suspect is at large and the man- hunt continues.
The state governor, Marina del Pilar, posted on social media to express her regret over the death of Esparza Reyes, who had led more than 400 operations to arrest US fugitives in Mexico.
“Abigail’s life will be honored and her death will not go unpunished,” wrote del Pilar.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine