Posted on 06/09/2005 8:15:23 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
At least 40 shots were fired at newly-appointed leader
NUEVO LAREDO - Alejandro Domínguez Coello, a former federal Attorney General aide in Mexico City, was named Nuevo Laredo's chief of public safety, the equivalent of the chief of police, only to be killed less than 6 hours later Wednesday.
Domínguez Coello had just exited an office building at 2048 Obregon when he was shot as he attempted to start his vehicle. Officials report that 40 bullet casings from an AR-15 assault rifle were recovered at the scene of the shooting. Domínguez Coello's death marks the city's 60th homicide this year.
Early in the day, NL Mayor Daniel Peña announced Domínguez Coello's appointment at a special city council meeting after the council unanimously approved the mayor's choice from three applicants. The post had been vacant for several months after the resignation of Jose Antonio Valdez, who reportedly resigned under fire to take another municipal position.
The mayor's choice for the police chief's job was supported by 16 PRI Council members, three PRD votes, three PAN members and one Convergence representative. Domínguez Coello took the oath from the city mayor.
59th homicide
The naming of the new police chief came on the heals of the city's 59th homicide. Marco Antonio Ordaz Gonzalez, 22, a native of Monterrey, was found dead Tuesday at 409 Heroes de Nacataz, apartment number 5 in the Colonia Victoria.
The victim, dressed in pants and a t-shirt, suffered two gunshot wounds, both to the face, determined officials after performing an autopsy. Police investigators said they did not have a suspect as neighbors claimed that they had not seen or heard the shooting.
About Domínguez Coello Domínguez Coello, identified as a cousin of a former federal Attorney General, Coello Trejo, reportedly hailed form Chiapas and had been residing in Nuevo Laredo and Laredo for years. A municipal spokesman said Domínguez Coello was a businessman with interests on both sides and maintained residences in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo.
Peña told the Cabildo that it was crucial that the position be filled by an experienced individual, trained and knowledgeable in crime fighting and that the appointment be done immediately. The mayor earlier had told the Laredo Morning Times that Domínguez Coello was one of three individuals who showed interest in the job.
"We need the man on the job now so that he can put the house in order and get to work," Peña said. "He needs to coordinate key subordinates in traffic and police work."
The mayor said Domínguez Coello's approach was to motivate personnel to help regain public confidence among the citizenry. Peña said the man was an experienced businessman, a professional and an individual with extensive experience in the field of law enforcement. Domínguez Coello was a cousin of a former Attorney General (Coello Trejo) during the Salinas de Gortari administration.
Domínguez Coello had been serving a second term as president of the Nuevo Laredo Chamber of Commerce, a position from which he resigned Wednesday to take the city job.
In his own words
Domínguez Coello acknowledged the responsibility of the job, telling the mayor he was committed to work hard "to provide security to the citizenry, the business community and our visitors and tourists." He urged support and cooperation from business and civic groups, the media and the Nuevo Laredo community to pull "the town from the hole the criminal elements have put us in."
Domínguez Coello said part of the mission was to show that Nuevo Laredo is worth preserving as a peaceful and law-abiding community. Hailing from Chiapas, Domínguez Coello was a top AG assistant in charge of the country's war against narcotics trafficking. He said he would be a full-time chief of police.
Among other things, Domínguez Coello said he would work to hire and to retain quality law enforcement personnel, get adequate equipment, and improve salaries and working conditions.
"First, we have to convince our police officers their work is important and to get them to try harder," he said. "We propose to work hard and honorably for the betterment of Nuevo Laredo and its residents."
Domínguez Coello said there wouldn't be any association with criminal groups, a practice that a police commander termed as "an endless sickness among some personnel."
Domínguez Coello said his goal was to get tougher on burglaries at homes and businesses, armed robberies and assaults. He said Nuevo Laredo would see better surveillance in the streets.
The police chief acknowledged the loss of public confidence in its law enforcement organizations at all levels. He pledged coordination among local, state and federal police groups to strike a criminal environment marked by widespread shootings, homicides and kidnappings.
"We need to regain community confidence as a means of encouraging economic investments and visitors to Nuevo Laredo," he said.
Domínguez Coello cited public concern about the presence of organized crime whose groups continue with a bloody fight for turf control. He said the problem would be given priority with the support of the municipal administration.
"These thugs and criminals have no role in local authority, but only if law enforcement plays it straight to avoid any and all connections," he said. "We're putting things on the table to be honorable in our actions and responsibilities. We shall not deviate. It's the only way to ensure public confidence and respect."
(Miguel Timoshenkov can be reached at (956) 728-2583 or timo1@lmtonline.com. Odie Arambula contributed to this article.)
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This is what happens when drug dealing and shipping out citizens to other countries are your main sourcs, of income. For years the police have been on the take in Mexico and outlaws have litarally run the copuntry/ Fox-boy should spend more time cleaniong up his own country and less worrying about us cleaning ours of his citizens.
This news will spread like smallpox. Our LEO's are in danger also and there is only one vaccination shot for this illness.
Mexican culture, coming soon to Amexica.
Bienvenidos a Aztlan. Aprenda espanol hoy, evite la prisa manana.
Y no olvides a pagar la mordida (si quieres vivir).
This one didn't choose the silver, so they gave him the lead.
The rapid execution (9 hours!) was meant as an in-your-face warning to Fox: "Screw your army and federales, WE run northern Mexico!"
oh, I thought this was about Warren Giles replacement
This is basicly saying to anyone with eyes to see with & a brain to think with that the government of Mexico does not run the country the drug cartels do . Our own political leadership is amazingly silent on this fact which makes me think that more than a few are in fact on the take.
"O plata, o plomo?"
I like that one, has a nice ring to it. This poor bastard would have been better off becoming police chief in Bagdhad.
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