Lawyer for Suspected Drug Kingpins Is Murdered; 2nd Such Killing in 1 Month
For the second time in less than a month, a Mexican lawyer who represented high-profile drug suspects has been murdered in an execution-style attack.
Americo Delgado, 81, was ambushed by at least three men outside his home in the suburbs of Mexico City on Friday and stabbed to death, reports the Los Angeles Times. No possible motive was reported.
On Aug. 9, another criminal defense lawyer who has represented suspected drug kingpins, Silvia Raquenel Villanueva of Monterrey, was gunned down in a crowded marketplace.
More than 11,000 people, including police officers and other lawyers, have been killed in Mexico in apparent drug-related violence since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon launched a government crackdown on illegal drug activities that has exacerbated gang rivalries.
Earlier related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Calif. Prosecutors Seek State Bar Help to Fight Mexican Drug War Spilling into US”
ABAJournal.com: “Another Top Cop is Murdered in Mexico”
ABAJournal.com: “6 Slain at Mexican Law Firm, 7th Victim Dies Later”
