Pubdate: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2000 El Paso Times Contact: P.O.Box 20, El Paso, Texas 79999 Fax: (915) 546-6415 Website: http://www.borderlandnews.com/ Author: Diana Washington Valdez ALLEGED DRUG LEADER WON'T BE ARRESTED, OFFICIAL SAYS Chihuahua state's top law enforcement official says his state police have no reason to arrest Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, alleged leader of the Juarez drug cartel, and knows of no arrest warrant for him. State Attorney General Arturo Gonzalez Rascon told Mexican news reporters this week that Carrillo isn't wanted by state police for even so much as a traffic violation. The Mexican official's position puzzled at least one U.S. drug enforcement agent. Carrillo is a former Mexican police officer, is considered armed and dangerous, and "occasionally travels to El Paso," according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Web site. Other officials said that he's also been seen in Juarez. Victor Gonzalez, the Chihuahua attorney general's spokesman, reiterated on Tuesday that "our state police have nothing to do with Vicente Carrillo Fuentes." "Yes, if our police encounter him, they will not arrest him because they have no reason to," Gonzalez said. "He hasn't violated any our of laws. Our state police have nothing to do with the charges against him that have been reported by the news media." U.S. officials announced a 46-count indictment against Carrillo last week, alleging that he ordered the murders of 10 people in Juarez. The homicide victims attributed to him in the indictment were former Chihuahua state police chief Jose Refugio "Cuco" Rubalcava, his two sons, and seven people whose bodies were unearthed in Juarez last year by FBI and Mexican federal agents. "This is news to me. We need more cooperation than that," said Bobby Castillo, special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in El Paso. "I can't see how it would be inconceivable for them to arrest him." Castillo said he knows of cases in other regions in which Mexican federal and state police and soldiers assisted U.S. law enforcement in arresting suspects on Mexican soil. He also said a provisional arrest warrant for Carrillo is on file with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, which authorizes any Mexican police officer to arrest him. The El Paso offices of DEA and FBI were represented at the Sept. 14 news conference announcing the U.S. charges against Carrillo. FBI spokesman Special Agent Al Cruz was unavailable for comment. The Mexican federal attorney general's Web site lists Carrillo among its top six most-wanted drug capos. The page says the federal agency is offering a reward of 4 million pesos (about $430,00) for information leading to his arrest. Eduardo Gonzalez Quirarte, another alleged drug-trafficker with ties to El Paso, is also on that Web site. U.S. officials seized property belonging to him in East El Paso in 1998 but were unable to catch him. Juarez city police are willing to assist in Carrillo's arrest if other law enforcement requests assistance, spokesman Pedro Torres said. "We don't have any record of him being wanted for anything in Juarez, but we won't avoidour duty to assist if called upon," he said. No one at the Juarez federal police headquarters, which has wanted posters of Carrillo on its walls, was available for comment, spokesman Manuel Del Castillo said. Mexican federal police have been seeking Carrillo on charges related to drug trafficking, but they haven't charged him with the Juarez murders. A Mexican federal official said last week that police were considering adding the homicide charges. U.S. authorities say the Carrillo cartel is the most dangerous and violent crime organization operating in Juarez-El Paso. Mexican police believe cartel members carried out dozens of execution-style deaths and the disappearances of people in Juarez. Authorities believe the organization, formerly headed by Amado Carrillo Fuentes is now led by his brother, Vicente. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart