TIJUANA Authorities have detained four men armed with an arsenal they say belong to a criminal cell involved in at least 15 murders.
The city's department of public safety announced Friday that local officers, in coordination with the military, had arrested the four men and seized four rifles, one pistol, nine clips, 117 live rounds and two vehicles.
The officers and soldiers had been on a routine patrol Thursday afternoon when they observed four men shooting weapons into the air next to a building on Cedros Street in the eastside neighborhood of Ciudad Jardín, the department said.
The men attempted to flee but were apprehended by the soldiers and officers. They were identified as José Manuel Vela Magallón, 27; Mauricio Jesús Rendón Marroquín, 25; Juan Enrique Cruz Mejía, 22; and Víctor Francisco Loera Maldonado, 23.
The weapons seized included three 7.62×39 semi-automatic rifles and a 12 gauge shotgun.
The department said that the suspects formed part of a criminal cell whose leader is only known as "La Rana" (the frog) and who are allegedly responsible for more than 15 homicides. However, it provided no details about when these occurred or who the victims were.
Omar.millan@sandiegored.com
