Mexico: 12 people charged with murdering Catholic priests and tourist guide

Mexican authorities announced Thursday they arrested another suspect, Julio Cesar "N", who they believe is connected to the murder of two Jesuit priests who were shot inside their church in the mountains of the state of Chihuahua along with a tourist guide to whom the priests were giving refuge.

Law enforcement officials have charged that Julio Cesar "N" was present when the reputed leader of another criminal enterprise,  Jose Noriel Portillo Gil,  also known as 'Chueco,' allegedly disposed of the bodies of the Jesuit priests and the tourist guide, according to Mexico's Undersecretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Ricardo Mejia Berdeja. 

Law enforcement officials have alleged that the armed men burst into the church firing bullets, killing the three man. 

Julio Cesar was captured on Tuesday in the city of Mexicali, as a result of a cooperation effort between the Baja California and Chihuahua prosecutors' offices and the National Defense Secretariat.

Police investigation findings determined the two men were connected to the homicides of Jesuit priests Javier Campos, 78 and Joaquín César Mora, 80 years old,  and tourist guide Pedro Palma, 60.

Authorities believe Julio Cesar aided "El Chueco" to dispose of the bodies of the three victims.

To date, there are at least 12 people in prison connected to the main suspect in the crime, which occurred on June 20 in the municipality of Urique, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua.

"They are all members of a criminal organization led by a man man nicknamed 'El Chueco'. In addition, there have been seizures and confiscations of weapons and vehicles," said Mejia Berdeja at a press conference.

Authorities believe that the Jesuit priests were killed by El Chueco' for trying to protect tourist guide, Pedro Palma, who arrived at the San Francisco Javier parish after escaping from him. 

Despite the pleas of the only surviving priest, the shooters threw the bodies into a pickup truck and left the area.  

José Noriel Portillo is reportedly linked to drug trafficking activities, illegal logging, as well as control over groups of hired killers in the Sierra Tarahumara. Local media claim that the alleged criminal enterprise is operating on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel 

In 2017, Portillo was thought to have been kidnapped and killed, but was later identified as a participant in other criminal acts.

"Chueco" reportedly confessed his involvement in the crime to a priest named Jesús Reyes, to whom he asked forgiveness, according to another priest who was interviewed by Radio Fórmula.