U.S. Customs officers briefly detained three Juarez police officers and two suspects at Las Americas international bridge after Mexican officers went beyond the boundary during a vehicle chase from Juarez, authorities said.
The incident took place at 11 p.m. Saturday when the Juarez officers responded to an emergency call about an alleged kidnapping, said Adrian Sanchez, spokesperson for the Juarez Police Department.
"Three officers, riding in two marked vehicles, chased a vehicle with two suspects of an alleged kidnapping," Sanchez said. "The officers ordered the suspects to stop, but they refused and kept going toward the international bridge." Without realizing it, Sanchez said, the officers crossed the boundary and U.S. agents ordered them to stop.
The suspects were allowed to cross to El Paso, Sanchez said.
All three Juarez officers were interviewed by U.S. Customs officers. Within two hours, all three were returned to the Mexican side, Sanchez said.
"The issue was cleared up without further incident," Sanchez said in a telephone interview. "It's no big deal and it is not the first time things like this happen." Sanchez said the Juarez officers didn¹t have time to alert U.S. authorities about the suspects.
Copyright 2011 - El Paso Times, Texas
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
