Pubdate: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2010 El Paso Times Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/townhall/ci_14227323 Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829 Author: Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times Note: MAP archives articles exactly as published, except that our editors may redact the names and addresses of accused persons who have not been convicted of a crime, if those named are not otherwise public figures or officials. SUSPECTED AZTECAS ARRESTED IN 10 SLAYINGS Mexican federal intelligence indicates suspected Aztecas gang leaders arrested earlier this month acquired a rocket launcher supposedly to target federal police, officials said. Federal police arrested [name1 redacted] and [name2 redacted] at a house in Juarez, but the rocket launcher was not on a list of firearms and other items seized. [name1 and name2 redacted], both age 29, are accused of leading an Aztecas gang crew and are suspected of taking part in at least 10 homicides in Juarez. [name1 redacted], alias "[name1 alias redacted]," was reputedly the crew leader, a federal police spokesman said. [name2 redacted] , alias "[name2 alias redacted]," was allegedly second in command. According to a police statement, [name1 redacted] took charge after the July 2 arrest of Jesus [name3 redacted]. [name3 redacted], aka "[name3 alieas redacted]" , is suspected of ordering the killings of a U.S. Consulate worker, Lesley Enriquez Redelfs, and her husband, Arthur Redelfs, of El Paso in March in Juarez. Mexican officials extradited [name3 redacted] to the U.S. Several U.S. agencies have refused to discuss the case though [name3 redacted] was photographed on Sept. 3 at the federal courthouse in San Antonio. On Sept. 18, federal police seized an AR-15 rifle, two 9 mm handguns, two small bags of cocaine and eight cell phones when officers arrested [name1 and name2 redacted] as part of an investigation, officials said. Officials said [name1 and name2 redacted] were involved in kidnappings for ransom, drug dealing and the murders. [name1 and name2 redacted] are suspected in at least 10 homicides, including the killing of two women in a parking lot on Sept. 12; the fatal shooting of two Cereso guards during the liberation of a prisoner from a transport truck on Sept. 8; and the slaying of a federal police officer on Aug. 24. It was not disclosed if the rocket launcher supposedly obtained by the Aztecas had been recovered. Mexico's drug war combatants have increasingly utilized explosives. On Monday, gunmen stole at least 40 automatic rifles and 23 handguns from a state police armory in Chihuahua City, The Associated Press reported. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D