Authorities Close In on Suspects in Killings of Two U.S. Citizens in Northern Mexico

Nearly a month after two U.S. citizens were killed in the border cities of Ciudad Juárez and Ojinaga, Mexican authorities say they have solid leads in their cases.

The people in question were 20-year-old Alan Valenzuela and a yet unidentified 17-year-old girl who was kidnapped and believed to be killed by a criminal gang. Valenzuela, a resident of Presidio, Texas, was killed July 6 after he and his friends were caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting in Ojinaga.

Gilberto Loya, Chihuahua public safety director, confirmed that several members of a criminal group arrested on July 27 on drug and weapons charges are now under investigation in connection with Valenzuela's death, according to Border Report.

Valenzuela and three friends had been visiting Ojinaga, located less than four miles from Presidio, when they stopped at the Palace Bar on July 6. A video obtained by The Big Bend Sentinel shows a vehicle approaching the location and opening fire on another vehicle parked behind Valenzuela's Jeep, with several bullets striking his vehicle.

The group fled toward the Ojinaga-Presidio International Bridge, but Valenzuela was already deceased by the time they reached it.

Authorities believe the criminal group known as Los Cabrera may be responsible for the shooting. Among those arrested on July 27 was one of the gang's leaders, prompting Mexican police to increase patrols in Ojinaga, Presidio and around the prison in Chihuahua City where the suspects are being held.

"These individuals have generated violence in the towns of Aldama, Ojinaga and Coyame," Loya said. "We had already deployed patrols in the area to prevent any surprise attempt to free them."

According to Mexican news outlet El Diario, Los Cabrera is a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that has been fighting the rival group La Línea for territorial control of the region.

Loya added that state police are working with the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office in the case of a 17-year-old U.S. citizen whose body was found buried in a neighborhood south of Ciudad Juárez.

"Regarding the regrettable homicide of this young lady of American origin, we are working closely with the Attorney General's Office, which is in charge of kidnapping investigations," Loya said during a press conference. "The case remains open and under investigation. While we have important information, I won't disclose it yet due to the ongoing investigation."

The girl's body was found buried about two feet underground, according to a statement from the state attorney general's office. Authorities said her death stemmed from a kidnapping investigation.

According to Border Report, the victim is believed to be from a New Mexico community and had been living in Juárez when she was abducted by a local criminal gang.

While officials have not publicly confirmed her identity, Mexican news outlets have identified the girl as D.C.L.G., a resident of Hobbs, New Mexico.