Enrique Guajardo Lopez, a member of the Barrio Azteca gang, admitted his role in a violent conspiracy that led to the deaths of U.S. Consulate personnel.
According to the Department of Justice, the 59-year-old Juarez man pleaded guilty in federal court to racketeering and drug trafficking charges.
The plea marks a significant development in the pursuit of justice for the March 13, 2010, murders in Juarez, Mexico.
Lopez, known by the street name “Kiki,” confessed to acting as a lookout while fellow gang members targeted and killed three individuals.
The victims included consulate worker Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton and her husband, Arthur Redelfs.
Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another consulate employee, was also murdered in the coordinated attack.
In a tragic detail highlighting the human cost of the violence, Enriquez Catton was four months pregnant at the time of her death.
Per the Department of Justice, the unborn child was also killed during the gang-ordered ambush.
The Barrio Azteca began as a street and prison gang in the late 1980s before evolving into a militaristic transnational criminal organization.
To secure control over lucrative drug trafficking routes, the gang formed a lethal alliance with “La Linea” of the Juarez Drug Cartel.
This partnership was established to engage in a violent turf war against the Chapo Guzman Cartel for the Juarez Plaza.
The Juarez Plaza serves as a primary conduit for the importation of illicit narcotics into the United States.
According to court records, the gang maintained power through a rigid hierarchy of captains, lieutenants, and sergeants.
Members enriched the organization through money laundering, extortion, and serving as hit men for the cartel.
Lopez is one of 35 defendants named in a 2011 indictment detailing various criminal acts, including murder and obstruction of justice.
The Department of Justice confirmed that all defendants have been apprehended, with 30 individuals having entered guilty pleas to date.
Three others were convicted at trial, while one individual committed suicide before his legal proceedings could conclude.
Only one defendant currently remains with a trial pending in the expansive federal case.
Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. highlighted the federal government’s broader efforts to combat such violent criminal activity.
Woodward stated that the department is investing in strategies that reduce crime and give law enforcement the necessary tools.
Regarding the department’s funding commitment, Woodward stated, “The Department of Justice is investing in strategies that reduce crime, hold offenders accountable, and give law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs”.
Woodward emphasized that the department’s funding programs demonstrate a commitment to safer neighborhoods and stronger partnerships.
In a related announcement, the Justice Department released $25 million in new grant opportunities for law enforcement agencies.
The funding, managed by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, includes $13 million for crisis response training.
Another $6 million will be dedicated to developing resources for gang violence enforcement and drug market investigations.
These grants aim to uplift the image of the profession while advancing effective crime-fighting tactics across the nation.
Lopez now faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, though a sentencing date has not been finalized.