Source: San Antonio News-Express Contact: http://www.expressnews.com/ Pubdate: 18 Aug 1998 Author: Jodi Bizar Special to the Express-News OFFICIALS SAY KILLINGS WERE DRUG-RELATED CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico -- The bodies of three men -- one a wealthy rancher -- were found stuffed in the trunk of a car in what police here said Friday were drug-related killings. Their deaths brought to seven the number of people in this border city who have died this week in drug-related killings. "They have the signature of a drug-related execution," said Jorge LF3pez Molinar, a Chihuahua state prosecutor, said. The bodies were found late Thursday, but LF3pez said: "They appear to have been dead about 24 hours by the time we found them." He identified one the victims as David Daniel RamEDrez RodrEDguez, owne r of several ranches. The three appeared to have been strangled, LF3pez continued. They were wrapped in dark-colored sheets, with plastic bags around their heads, and their mouths were sealed with duct tape, he said. They were found in the trunk of a car reported stolen in El Paso, just across the Rio Grande from this city. The car was in a parking lot, and police searched it after neighbors complained about smelling something rancid coming from it. At least 50 people have been killed in drug-related violence since July 1997 -- when Amado Carrillo Fuentes, who headed a drug cartel based here, died in Mexico City while undergoing plastic surgery to change his appearance. Carrillo's death touched off a struggle over who would control his empire and battles over unpaid debts. Police made another grisly discovery Monday when the bodies of four businessmen from Chihuahua City were found in the trunk of another abandoned car on the outskirts of town. The men, all telecommunications experts, had been hired to help police here develop a system to eavesdrop on suspected narcotics traffickers. However, other details of their deaths were not made public. Arturo ChE1vez ChE1vez, state attorney general, said he had asked the F BI and the El Paso Intelligence Center, a multi- agency organization that collects and distributes information on drug trafficking, to help solve the deaths of the four communications experts. Friday, Aug 14, 1998 - --- Checked-by: willtoo