(DELETED) ASSASSINATION OF JOSE MIGUEL

Created: 8/10/1991

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

ASSASSINATIONUGUST 1 OF JOSE MIGUEL IOi)) ESCOBAR, THE FC3MER CHIEF OF THE HOMICIDE AND KIDNAPPING INVESTIGATION SECTION OF THE GUATEMALAN NATIONAL POLICE, IS BELIEVED BY SENIOR POLICE OFFICIALS TO HAVE BEEN RELATED TO HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH A GROUP OF CORRUPT POLICE OFFICERS, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS NAMED OLARIS))i cNA)) AND CC5ALA2AR)). THESE MEN HAO FORMED PART QP A GANG DEDICATED TO BANK ROBBERIES AND OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. THE TWO CHIEF SUSPECTS IN THE MURDER ARE LUIS ARMANDO IMINEZ ANO EDGAR EN RIGU; BOTH FORMER MEMBERS OF NIT WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE DECEMBER 0 RC33ERY OF THE LAS VEGAS BILLIARDS HALL IN ZONE 1. BOTH HIM WERE DISMISSED AND CHARGED IN THE "HEFT. WHICH INVOLVED THEBERY . CITIZENS. ME RI OA WAS ALSO SUSPECTS0 OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE RY AND HAD 3SEN REMOVED FROM HIS POSITION AS CHIEF OF THE HOMICIDE AND KIDNAP INVESTIGATIONEEK BEFORE HIS MURDER. HE WAS TO HAVE BEEN DISMISSED FROM THE NATIONAL POLICE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. EITHER CASTRO OR GALVE Z BORROWED THE CAR USED IN THE ASSASSINATIONHIRD FORMER NATIONAL POLICEMAN KNOWN TOEMBER OF A SANK RO33ERY GANG. (SOURCE COMMENT: IT APPEARS THAT ME RI DA INFORMED ON HIS PARTNERS WHEN THE POOL HALLBERV WAS INVESTIGATED. LEADING TO HIS MURDER WHEN THEY WERE -RELEASED FROM CUSTODY. BY INFORMING. HE TEMPORARILY SAVED HIS JOB. THE FULL EXTENT OF HIS INVOLVEMENT IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IS UNKNOWN. IN THE COURSE OF HIS POLICE WORK. ME RI DA HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDER OF MYRNA HANG. UATEMALAN ANTHROPOLOGIST WITH LEFTIST POLITICAL TIES.)

2. THE CAR USED IN THE ASSASSINATION OF ME RI DA WAS OWNED BY ALFREDO DE JESUS UERRA)) GALINOO. WHO HAD PURCHASED ITHORT TIME BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND HAD NOT HAD TIME TO TAKE OUT THE LEGAL PAPERS FOR IT. (FIELD COMMENT: THE GUATEMALAN PRESS OF UGUST REPORTED THAT GUERRA HAD BEEN ARRESTEDUSPECT IN THE UERRA IS A FORMER MEMBER Or THE NATIONAL POLICE FIFTH DEPARTMENT. WHO WAS OISMISSED ON 23 FEBRUARY FOR FAILING TO SHOW UP FOR WORK. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK WITH THE SECURITY FORCE FOR THE VICE MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT. AT THE TIME HE WAS DISMISSEO. HE WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR A SERIES OF ROBBERIES WHICH HAD TAKEN PLACE AT THE END CF 9 AND IN EARLY THESE INCLUDED THE ROBBERY OF THE BANCO BANOESA IN JUTIAPA THE ROBBERY OF THE BANCO BANDESA AN IN AND THESERY OF THE BANCO INHOBILAR10 IN GUATEMALA CITY. THE GANG D TWO GAS STATIONS IN GUATEMALA CITY. EHICLE AND WEAPONS BELONGING TO THE SECURITY STAFF OF THE VICE MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT WERE USED IN THE ROB3ERIES. GUERRA HAS THUS FAR CLAIMED HE "LENT" THE CAR TO EITHER CASTRO OR GALVEZ (WHICH ONE WAS NOT SPECIFIED) AND HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE GOING TO USE IT IN THE ASSASSINATION OF ME RI DA.

J. DESPITE THE FAIRLY CLEAR TRAIL LEADING TO THE MURDERERS OF MER1DA, COLONEL MARCO ANTONIO ONZALEZ)) TARACENA, DIRECTOR Qf THE

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SERVICE. MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT FRNAS00

( (HUR TADO) ) PREM AND RETIRED COLONEL HARIQAIZ>) BDLANOS, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL POLICE HAVE STARTED TO SPREAD THE RUMOR THAT THE SECURITY DEPARTMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL STAFF, WHICH COMES UNDER THE CONTROL OF COLONEL LUISCO (fORTEGA)) KENALDO, WAS IN SOME HAY INVOLVED IN THE KILLING. MERICA'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE MY SNA MACK CASE. WHICH HAS GAINED WIDESPREAD TNTERNA7IQNAC ATTENTION AND THE PERSONAL INTEREST OF PRESIDENT JORGE CCSERCANO)) ELUS. MAKES HIS MURDERSEFUL TOOL FOR ANYONE WISHING TO A POLITICAL ENgMY. THE BASIS Or THE RUMORS IS THE FACT THAT "WO ENLISTED MEN ASSIGNED TC THE SECURITY DEPARTMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL STAFF, MARCO TULIO ItlQPtZl) RAYMUNDO ANDERNANDEZ)) SANCHEZ. WERE ARRESTED ON 9 JULY BY THE NATIONAL POLICE IN COLCNIA BeL EN. MIXCO UBURB 0? GUATEMALA CITY). BOTH WERE ARMED ANO SAID THEY WERE WAITING FOR FRIENDS TO SO DRINKING. IN FACT, THEY WERE IN MIXCO PLANNING TO STEALAR. THEY WERE TURNED OVER TO THE COMMANDER OF THE SECURITY DEPARTMENT LATER IN THE DAY. AND THAT SAME EARING WAS HELD, ANO BOTH WERE OISMISSED FROM THE SERVICE AS HABITUAL DRUNKARDS. THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL POLICE HAS NOW CLAIMED THE MEN WERE IN FACT SURVEILLINGATIONAL POLICE OFFICER WHO LIVED IN THE AREA. FROM THIS. HE IS TRYTN5 ASE IT WAS THE SECURITY DEPARTMENT THAT WAS INVOLVEO IH THE KILLING OF MERIDA.