An American fugitive killed a Mexican police officer in the International Elite Liaison Unit – known as “The Gringo Hunters” – who specializes in the arrest of American citizens on the run in Mexico.
Mexico has long been considered a place to escape the American police. The Gringo Hunters were created in 2002 to cooperate with the American authorities and have since arrested more than 1,600 fugitives.
These have included former Playboy models, Catholic priests and professional athletes, among fraudsters, murderers and pedophiles. Gringo hunters learn to locate the revealing signs of an American in Mexico, from Spanish to a prediction for flip flops.
This time, the members of the unit were trying to arrest a suspect on Wednesday in the border town of Tijuana when the man opened fire, hitting Abigail Esparza Reyes, the 33 -year -old unit in the state of Baja California.
The local media would have identified the suspect as being Caesar Hernández, 34, who, in December, escaped the state prison in the United States, where he was serving perpetuity for murder.
The escape of Hernández made the headlines at the time with video sequences showing him sprint on a field in an orange jump suit with an officer in pursuit.
Months later, the Hunters of Gringo would have found it in the Colonia Barcelona district, about 30 miles from the border and carried out an operation on Wednesday to stop it but were encountered with balls.
Esparza Reyes was struck and declared dead in a hospital.
Dozens of Mexican security forces of the three levels of the government, supported with drones and a helicopter, then continued the suspect in a house.
Nevertheless, Hernández managed to escape their cord and flee the scene.
Local media reported that he had managed to do so while flowing almost naked in the streets, before falling under a tarpaulin on a car and freeing a fluorescent green uniform, similar to those used by the transport police, before moving away.
The suspect is in freedom and manhunting continues.
State governor, Marina Del Pilar, posted on social networks to express her regret in the death of Esparza Reyes, who had directed more than 400 operations to arrest American fugitives in Mexico.
“Abigail’s life will be honored and his death will not remain unpunished,” wrote Del Pilar.
