'Hit list' names southern New Mexico residents

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'Hit list' names southern New Mexico residents

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An article in the Sun News describes how violence in Mexico is heading north of the border:

LAS CRUCES — A hit list reportedly authored by Mexican drug cartels that names more than a dozen people — some in southern New Mexico — is in the possession of law enforcement.

Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos confirmed the existence of the list while denying a report by KFOX-TV in El Paso that the list had been uncovered by his agency.

Instead, Cobos said the list was part of an intelligence briefing from the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security that was shared with several law enforcement agencies which engage in periodic conference calls.

The conference calls are in response to a recent spike in drug-related borderland violence. The report that referenced the list was received about a week ago, Cobos said.

Cobos would not divulge the 15 to 20 names on the list but said they included current or former residents of El Paso, Luna and Doña Ana counties, as well as Albuquerque, among other locations.

Some were referred to by family name, he said.

Cobos said he was unsure if the note made specific death threats against those listed.

"I don't know what terminology was used," he said. "The way it was briefed to us is that the implication that these people were going to be targeted —

targets of violence."

There have been increasing concerns about drug-related violence spilling over the border.

In recent months, hundreds have died as part of a drug turf war in Juárez. During that time, several death-threat lists have been found in Juárez with a number of those on the list executed.

But this is the first time a list threatening those north of the border has been made public.

For further updates, check the Sun-News Web site

LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE