By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch reporter – North America desk

MONTERREY, Mexico – An alleged drug cartel boss was on the front page of the Mexico’s newspapers.  He was arrested after a shootout between law enforcement and drug cartel hitmen.  The man was photographed alive while being transferred to a truck from Mexican marines helicopter surrounded by masked soldiers.  The following day, a photograph of a man with similar facial features was taken, but the man was dead and wrapped in a blanket on the side of the road.

A women identified the man in the pictures as her 26-year-old Jose Humberto Marquez Compean

Neither the law enforcement nor the military will say they know how Marquez Compean died. The military indicated they only helped local law enforcement during the operation that lead to the arrest, while the local law enforcement stated they did not seek assistance from the military.   Santa Catarina security chief, Raul Castillo said “I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything.  That’s my position.”

The presumed widow of Marquez Compean demands justice, but resolving drug-related deaths remains an elusive task for law enforcement generally.

Human Rights Watch reported human rights violations by the military in the “war on drugs” such as unpunished torture, killings and arbitrary detentions.   Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, called for social and economic relief to fight the drug cartels as well as the military.

For more information please see:

Atlanta Journal Constitution – Mexico: Widow IDs slain husband as arrested man – 24 March 2010

L.A. Times News – Mexico: One day troops have him in custody; the next day he’s dead – 24 March 2010