MEXICO, D.F. – A protected witness was murdered by gun shots in a Starbucks in the Del Valle subdivision, south of Mexico City. Édgar Enrique Bayardo del Villar was former chief of the Federal Police and accused of working with the drug cartel Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The prosecutor offered Bayardo del Villar witness protection in exchange for his testimony against the cartel.

Bayardo del Villar had been a long time officer and after his arrest for bribery, he turned into a protected witness, with the alias “Tigre,” and a monthly salary of 50 mil pesos (approximately $5,000 U.S.D.). He formed part of the Clean Operation in 2008, one of the biggest political corruption scandals of the year. Bayardo del Villar was the lead witness against the Interim Commissioner, Gerardo Garay Cadena, of the Federal Police.

The Starbucks employees indicated that two men dressed in suits entered the location and one pulled out an automatic weapon and shot Bayardo del Villar. Then, they ran out towards a vehicle.

The District Attorney’s Office stated there is a full investigation into witnesses’ being murdered. They have reviewed the Starbucks surveillance cameras and are working with the Public Transportation System, because they believe that the assassins may have used the subway stations of the North Division and Zapata after they abandoned their green Isuzu vehicle. They have provided the public with sketches of the perpetrators.

The bodyguard, José Luis Castillo, is in the hospital in critical condition.

This is the second time in the last couple of days the State’s District Attorney’s Office has failed to protect its witnesses and have resulted in their deaths. Both witnesses had some connection to investigations into drug cartels in Sinaloa headed by “El Mayo.” On November 21, Jesús Zambada Reyes allegedly committed suicide while under witness protection.

For more information, please see:
Diario de Yucatán – Matan a testigo protegido – 2 December 2009

El Porvenir – Ejecutan en DF a testigo protegido – 2 December 2009

El Universal – Ser testigos de El Mayo los llevo a la muerte – 2 December 2009