An elite Mexican police officer from the “Gringo Hunters” unit was fatally shot by a fugitive they were trying to arrest in Tijuana. The team of officers specializes in tracking down US criminals and suspects hiding in Mexico. 33-year-old Abigail Esparza Reyes, who led the unit for eight years and had conducted over 400 operations on US fugitives, died in the shootout.
The target of the operation was Cesar Hernandez, a convicted murderer who had escaped from a California courthouse in December. Hernandez was serving an 80-year life sentence and had managed to flee once again in Mexico in disguise as a worker following the shootout.
The Gringo Hunters unit was established in 2002 to collaborate with US law enforcement in tracking down fugitives who crossed the border into Mexico. They have gained prominence in recent years and will be featured in a new crime drama TV series expected on Netflix.
Baja California state governor Marina del Pilar paid tribute to Abigail Esparza Reyes, promising that her life will be honored, and her death will not go unpunished. The incident highlights the dangerous and challenging work of law enforcement agencies in tracking down fugitives across international borders.
Source
Photo credit news.sky.com
