Post by HeadMarshal on Jul 14, 2016 7:09:28 GMT -5
Benito Martinez (pictured left) and Juan Castaneda (pictured right) have allegedly gotten away with a murder in Cameron County, Texas for the past 19 years. They were recently featured as part of a local Most Wanted list and here's the summary from the report on the case.
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The men include Benito Barrera Martinez and Juan Cardenas Castaneda, charged with the murder of Martin Villarreal in Rio Hondo.
According to an archived newspaper story, authorities identified Barrera as one of two suspects in the June 1997 death of the 29-year-old Villarreal.
Court records indicate Villarreal owed a Mexican drug lord $1.5 million as part of a marijuana deal that went bad.
The cold case was re-opened in April 2005 after witnesses told investigators with the Cameron County Sheriffs Department that Barrera, Juan “El Flaco” Cardenas Castaneda and other unidentified men had been sent to collect the debt from Villarreal.
According to the archived story, Barrera, Cardenas and two other suspects allegedly went to Villarreal’s Nelson Road home on the night of June 30, 1997.
According to witnesses, Barrera and Cardenas became involved in a gun battle with Villarreal in his front yard.
Villarreal was shot six times and later died at the hospital.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Barrera was wounded in the leg and yelled at the other men not to leave him in the front yard of Villarreal’s home.
The affidavit shows that Barrera was treated at the Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville shortly after the battle.
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Thoughts? I would never encourage anyone to work with the Mexican drug cartels as it's a job that can cost you your life at any time, but that doesn't excuse internal disputes which result in people getting killed. This is most likely not the only murder Benito and Juan have ever committed if they are cartel hitmen and/or enforcers. They need to be located, although they are likely somewhere in Mexico near the US border where they probably are still involved in cartel activity.
Based on wanted location, our advice for anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Benito Martinez and/or Juan Castaneda, then contact the Cameron County Sheriff's Department at 956-554-6700.
Also any news-related updates on this case can be forwarded to us at amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
www.valleymorningstar.com/premium/article_9b7b3528-0dbe-11e6-a1eb-f36206d32b17.html
