On Saturday, Juarez municipal police commander Víctor Nazario Moreno Ramírez, 32, was killed in an ambush near the Bridge of the Americas by gunmen armed with AK-47 assault rifles.
According to police spokesman Adrián Sánchez, two trucks and two small cars chased Moreno down and opened fire on him just below the international bridge. The commander’s bodyguard was seriously wounded in the attack.
Police recovered 420 shell casings at the murder scene.
Moreno had only held the post of commander since June 29.
Under his brief command, several sweeps were conducted in the downtown district of Juarez in which large amounts of heroin and marijuana were seized.
Prior to Moreno taking over, drug sales were freely conducted in the open inside the district and dealers operated without much fear of the police.
More than likely, it was Moreno’s vigilance which prompted Saturday’s ambush.
Commander Moreno was laid to rest on Monday.
There were 3,111 people were killed in Juarez during 2010, including 102 police officers.
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