Federal judge who handled organized crime cases was murdered in Mexico

Arturo Zaldívar Lelo de Larrea

, the head of the Supreme Court, confirmed federal judge Uriel Villegas Ortiz and his wife were murdered in Colima , Mexico.

Zaldívar denounced violence and said the judiciary will demand an investigation and protection for the victims’ families.

Federal sources indicated that the criminals broke into the judge’s home and shot him and his wife.

Hours later, the Attorney General’s Office announced it will be in charge of the investigation.

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Through a statement, the FGR announced it will request information and support from Colima’s Public Security Ministry, the state attorney , the National Guard , and the National Intelligence Center.

Uriel Villegas

was born in Chihuahua and studied law at the Sonora Autonomous University. He became a District Judge in 2017.

In March 2018, judge Villegas ordered Rubén Oseguera González "El Menchito" to be transfered to a Jalisco prison before he was extradited to the United States.

Villegas Ortiz

held different positions at the judiciary .

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On June 17, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that those responsible for the murders of a federal judge and his wife will be punished, and a senior official said he was possibly killed because of his work.

López Obrador emphasized there will not be impunity for the killings of District Court Judge Uriel Villegas Ortiz and his wife, Verónica Barajas.

Interior Minister Olga Sánchez Cordero said she knew Villegas personally and that his murder was particularly difficult for her.

“He died for doing his job and he was doing it well,” she said. She noted that some of his cases involved organized crime figures.

Federal judges

in Mexico hear many of the most serious cases, including drug trafficking and weapons possession.

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