The bodies of Cynthia Carolina Cruz Bonilla and Suleida Raudales Flores from Honduras were found along La Bestia train route. They were killed in cold blood for not paying between $100 to 400 dollars each to ride La Bestia from Palenque, Chiapas to Tenosique, Tabasco.
Photo courtesy of Tabasco Hoy/Genaro Sánchez
Photo courtesy of Tabasco Hoy/Genaro Sánchez
By H. Nelson Goodson
June 1, 2013
Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico - The Chiapas state attorney general's office (PGJE) reported that 10 suspects, nine from Honduras and a Mexican national have been arrested on Saturday by a state, federal and military police task force for extortion and killing to women from Honduras. Several of the suspects confessed of killing both Cynthia Carolina Cruz Bonilla, 19, and Iris Suleida Raudales Flores, 24, from Honduras for not paying a quota of $100 to $400 dollars to ride La Bestia from Palenque, Chiapas to Veracruz. The suspects also confessed of belonging to the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang operating in Chiapas, a rival of the Zetas who maintain control of the immigrant train routes in Chiapas, Tabasco and Veracruz.
The suspects were arrested in Nueva Esperanza, Chiapas by authorities while attempting to flee on a bus. One of the suspects was carrying a 40 Caliber handgun and a 38 Caliber handgun was found inside a suitcase along with ammo and magazines.
Nine of the suspects from Honduras were identified as Samuel Hernández Ramírez, 35; Carlos Antonio Domínguez Espino, 18; Douglas Alexander Valera Carias, 34; Óscar Edgardo Martínez García, 22; Yoni Alexander Vázquez Membreño, 22; Juan Pablo Lendos Rivera, 24; Douglas Alexander Cornejo Arévalo, 18; Agustín Pérez Díaz, 21, and Dayrel Guadalupe Pérez Ochoa, 25. Another suspect is a Mexican national, Fidel Antonio Ruano Álvarez, 18, from Chiapas.
The PGJE recovered two weapons, Calibers 40 and 38. The criminal complaint states, the two women were taken off the train when they refused to pay $100 dollars or $1,200 pesos to ride the freight train called La Bestia. Espino fatally shot Flores with a 38 Cal. weapon on the tracks. When Bonilla attempted to flee, Espino shot at her and wounded Bonilla. Then both Ramírez and Valera Carias hacked Bonilla with a machete on different parts of her body causing her death.
The PGJE recovered two weapons, Calibers 40 and 38. The criminal complaint states, the two women were taken off the train when they refused to pay $100 dollars or $1,200 pesos to ride the freight train called La Bestia. Espino fatally shot Flores with a 38 Cal. weapon on the tracks. When Bonilla attempted to flee, Espino shot at her and wounded Bonilla. Then both Ramírez and Valera Carias hacked Bonilla with a machete on different parts of her body causing her death.
García allegedly closed the valve controls to stop the freight train to gain access to the immigrants riding the train. They posted lookouts to watch for authorities when they boarded the train to extort the immigrants. They threatened the immigrants with death, if they failed to pay a quota to ride La Bestia, according to the PGJE.
Nine members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang were arrested while on board of a bus in the town of Nueva Esperanza, Chiapas. Authorities say, several of the suspects admitted to killing both Cynthia Carolina Cruz Bonilla, 19, and Iris Suleida Raudales Flores, 24, from Honduras in Palenque, Chiapas after they wouldn't pay a $100 dollars to ride a freight train, known as La Bestia.
