The House of Death:-
The House
of Death refers to a serial killing site in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, where executions were
committed by members of the Juarez
Cartel, some allegedly with the knowledge and participation of a United States undercover informant known by the
pseudonym "Lalo", who had infiltrated the cartel. According to policy
of the United States Department
of Justice, undercover informants are not permitted to participate in acts of
violence.
Guillermo Eduardo Ramírez Peyro, AKA "Lalo", was a
former Mexican Highway Patrol officer and a paid informant of U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE), which is part
of the Department of Homeland
Security. "Lalo" also reported to the DEA. After infiltrating the Juárez Cartel, he worked with Heriberto Santillán
Tabares and helped him murder people in Mexico. "Lalo" had
foreknowledge of planned killings and claims that he informed his US handlers
of the intended crimes. It has
been asserted that US officials, including Johnny
Sutton, the United States
Attorney of United States District Court for the
Western District of Texas, were aware of the murderous activities of the
informant, but failed to intervene. Juanita
Fielden, Assistant US Attorney, is a defendant in a lawsuit for wrongful death brought forward by families of victims
of the "House of Death".
Torture and executions of suspected rivals and suspected
informants took place until January 2004. Once the Mexican government became
aware of the activities, a mass
grave containing at least twelve
bodies was found in a house on 3633 Calle Parsonieros, Ciudad Juárez, which
came to be dubbed the "House of Death." Santillán was convicted of trafficking
by Johnny Sutton, but in a plea bargaining agreement, he was not accused of
murder, and "Lalo", the former informant for the US government, now
sits in a high-security prison awaiting extradition to Mexico, which will be
according to him tantamount to a death sentence. "Lalo" also claims that the
United States Government still owes him money.
Subsequent to the publication of the "House of
Death" story, the investigative
journalist of Narco News, Bill Conroy, received
visits at his office, his home, and to his employer from officers of
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, an event that prompted a letter by former
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney reprimanding Johnny Sutton for "an attempt ... to intimidate
a journalist who has reported facts that are embarrassing to him.