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Consulate Helps Bilateral Police Cooperation


US Consulate
Public Affairs Office
Press Release


Guadalajara, Jal., May 8. -  2009 – Law enforcement authorities from Dallas, Texas  Los Angeles,California and Michoacan worked together to return a dangerous fugitive, Francisco Javier Figueroa Ochoa, to face justice for the murder of three Mexicans in 2004.  Figueroa Ochoa had been arrested in 2004, for his crimes but escaped after assaulting a guard and illegally made his way into the United States.  In April 2008 authorities were notified that Figueroa Ochoa had been captured and was incarcerated in the United States, charged with immigration violations under the alias Jose Acevedo Garcia. Once his true identity was determined, U.S. law enforcement worked with their Mexican counterparts to return him to Mexican prison on April 17, 2009.
 
This capture and transfer of a dangerous criminal such as Figueroa Ochoa is but one in a series of closer collaborations between US and Mexican Authorities.  The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Consulate also recently completed a training program that was funded with support from the Merida Initiative.  April 20 – 24, 2009, the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a training camp for Mexican law enforcement officials in Puerto Vallarta.  Thirty-two law enforcement professionals from ten states were trained in the latest techniques of anti-kidnapping and police protection.  Those trained were all members of the ministerial police officers and members of state anti-kidnapping units.
 
This type of cooperative training is intended to assist Mexico confront rising the numbers of kidnappings. These kidnapping are a threat to both sides of the border, as these criminals target both Mexican and U.S. nationals for ransom and extortion.  However, law enforcement officials have shown that they too can work without borders.  The relationships generated through these types of programs have created important contacts that can be used to coordinate future actions, just like those that helped the two countries bring Francisco Javier Figueroa Ochoa to justice.

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