An investigation into an attack that left one American federal agent dead and another wounded continues south of the border.
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforce (ICE) agent Jaime Zapata died after being shot on highway in the State of San Luis Potosi on Tuesday.
Fellow agent Victor Avila is recovering in an American hospital but authorities on both sides of the border are continuing their investigation into the shooting.
No suspects have been publicly identified and no arrests have been made into a brutal attack.
The Mexican government does not authorize U.S. law enforcement officials to carry weapons in Mexico.
Authorities are trying to determine if the agents may have been targeted or just been at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Targeted Attack?
Both Zapata and Avila were traveling in an unmarked SUV with diplomatic license plates.
ICE officials reported that the two agents are among 30 agents stationed throughout Mexico.
The agents were reportedly returning to Mexico City after meeting other American in the State of San Luis Potosi.
ICE reports that meetings between law enforcement officials working in Mexico are a regular part of ICE’s work in Mexico under existing agreements.
The Associated Press is reporting that the gunmen may have known they were attacking law enforcement officers.
A law enforcement official spoke anonymously but told The Associated the gunmen made comments.
The official said the attackers made comments before they opened fire leading authorities to believe the gunmen knew Zapata and Avila were law enforcement officials.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time?
Drug cartel violence experts at the Austin-based security group Stratfor report they believe the it may have been a case of the agents being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Stratfor intelligence expert Scott Stewart said the two men were driving in a type of SUV commonly targeted for carjacking by drug cartels in Mexico.
Stewart reported on a video on the company’s website that the two passed through a what they thought was a military checkpoint.
The SUV was armored but the agents reported pulled over and rolled down the window.
Stewart reports that’s when the gunmen opened fire killing Zapata and wounded Avila.
“As we look at the circumstances surrounding this case, it really appears that it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for the agents and that it was really a case of low-level cartel gunmen responding to encountering two U.S. law-enforcement agents inside that vehicle when they stopped at the checkpoint,” Stewart said on the video.
Camarena Case
Many are comparing the death of Zapata to that of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in Guadalajara back in 1985.
Stewart said his group does not believe the attack was planned such as that in the case of death of Camerena.
“The Camarena case was very intentional and the bosses of the Guadalajara cartel had Camarena specifically targeted and kidnapped,” Stewart said. “Once he was kidnapped then they tortured him, revived him using a medical doctor, and tortured him some more in order to try to get information pertaining to the source network he was running in Mexico.”
Other Americans Killed In Narco Violence in Mexico
March 5, 1985
Enrique "Kiki" Camarena
Guadalajara
DEA agent tortured and killed by drug cartel
March 13, 1989
Mark Kilroy
Matamoros
College student kidnapped and killed in Satanic drug trafficking ritual
March 13, 2010
Lesley Enriquez
Ciudad Juarez
American Consulate employee killed with her husband
March 13, 2010
Arthur H. Redelfs
Ciudad Juarez
American man killed with wife after leaving birthday party
September 29, 2010
Jonathon Torres
Ciudad Mante
UTB student taken off a passenger bus and killed
September 30, 2010
David Hartley
Falcon Lake
Shot while on jet ski with wife on Mexican side of the lake
January 26, 2011
Nancy Davis
San Fernando
Missionary shot when she and husband refused to stop for carjackers
February 15, 2011
Jaime Zapata
San Luis Potosi
ICE agent shot and killed
Source: El Universal / valleycentral.com archives
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