Mexico - ICE Agent Jaime Zapata, 32, murdered by Zetas, San Luis Potosi, 15 Feb 2011

Updated at 8:14 p.m.] One of two American immigration and customs officers who were shot in Mexico on Tuesday has died, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.

The two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents were shot while driving between Monterrey and Mexico City on Tuesday afternoon by unidentified gunmen, U.S. officials said.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/15/2-ice-agents-shot-while-driving-in-mexico/

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Julian Zapata Espinoza, also known as “Piolin,” 32, pleaded guilty today to the murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico...

In addition to the announcing the guilty plea of Espinoza, prosecutors also announced related guilty pleas by three other defendants. Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, also known as “Catracho,” 25, pleaded guilty on August 1, 2011, to federal charges concerning the murder of Special Agent Zapata and attempted murder of Special Agent Avila. Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, also known as “Cacho,” 30, pleaded guilty on January 4, 2012, also to federal charges concerning the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents. Francisco Carbajal Flores, also known as “Dalmata,” 38, pleaded guilty on January 10, 2012, to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.

As part of their guilty pleas, Espinoza, Rivera, and Villagran admitted to being members of a Los Zetas hit squad and to participating directly in the February 15, 2011 ambush of the two special agents. The fourth defendant, Flores, acknowledged assisting Zetas members after the February 15 attack.

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A commander of the Zetas drug cartel who pleaded guilty more than two years ago to the murder of ICE Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata and the attempted murder of fellow agent Victor Avila is scheduled to be sentenced.

According to federal court documents, Julian Zapata Espinoza, 32, also known as “El Piolin” or “Tweety,” will be sentenced Nov. 23 in a federal courtroom in Washington , D.C...

All four men face a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. Nava Villagran will also be sentenced on Nov. 23 while Francisco Carbajal Flores will be sentenced on Nov. 10. No sentencing date has been scheduled for Venegas Rivera.

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A suspect in the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent Jaime J. Zapata has been extradited to the United States to face charges.

Jose Manuel Garcia Sota... confessed to participating in the killing of Zapata...

According to federal police, Garcia Sota said he participated in the attack on the ICE agents at the direction of Julian Zapata Espinoza, 32, also known as El Piolin” or “Tweety,” the AP reported.

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