Bar Heaven Mass Kidnapping Mastermind Captured

CThe Attorney General of the Federal District (PGJDF) reported the arrest of  Joseph Joel Rodriguez Fuentes, nicknamed “El Javi” , alleged mastermind of the kidnapping of 12 young people from  the Heaven Bar on  on May 26, 2013.

The bodies were later found at a rural ranch in a clandestine mass grave.

Fuentes Sanchez is one of the principals involved in the events. It is suspected in ordering the kidnapping, allegedly as a settling of scores between groups engaged in retail drug sales .

He had been arrested twice, once in 2011 for drug distribution but, allegedly, with the help of police fought the Federal Public Ministry and was released.

In  May 2013, 12 young people disappeared, after being kidnapped from Tepito a suburb of  Mexico City.

Although the kidnappings occurred on May 26, it wasn’t  until Wednesday the 29^th,  when authorities began the investigation after a group of locals closed the Eje 1 Norte Musk Avenue, located in the north of the city, so the families could denounce the kidnapping by an armed group early Sunday.

The protest garnered international media attention, placing pressure to solve the crime by authorities.

In August last year, the federal  prosecutor of Mexico,  announced the discovery of a clandestine grave "covered with cement, asbestos and lime" on a ranch in Tlalmanalco Township.  

The discovery was made as part of an operation by PGR related to weapons possession.

Some of the relatives of the victims did not trust the official results and demanded the intervention of foreign experts, so an Argentine team moved to Mexico to conduct identification tasks.

At the Institute of Forensic Sciences 9 bodies remain, because the  families would not receive until the analyzes were made, while four other bodies were already delivered earlier at the request of their families.  Further information will be forthcoming at the press conference of today.

Chivis Martinez for Borderland Beat : EFE, Borderland Beat Sources