Man faces murder charge in death of ICE agent
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Version 0 of 1. A man accused of killing one U.S. immigration agent and wounding another in Mexico in 2011 made his initial appearance in federal court in Washington on Thursday, one day after Mexican authorities extradited him and 12 other defendants to the United States. Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, 34, also known as Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua or “Safado,” was charged with murder and attempted murder in the death of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent Jaime Zapata in an unsealed four-count indictment from May 2013. Zapata was shot to death in an ambush on a highway in north-central Mexico on Feb. 15, 2011. Another ICE special agent, Victor Avila, survived. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth set a hearing for Oct. 9. American authorities in May 2013 announced guilty pleas by Los Zetas cartel commander Julian Zapata Espinoza, known as “El Piolin,” then 32, for leading the attack, and by three other members of two alleged drug cartel hit squads on related charges. — Spencer S. Hsu Police identified the two men fatally shot in Capitol Heights on Wednesday evening as residents of Northeast Washington. Officers found Ernest Lott, 37, and Garland Johnson, 43, suffering from gunshot wounds in the 6800 block of Central Avenue while responding to a report of a shooting shortly before 8 p.m., according to Prince George’s County police. Lott and Johnson were pronounced dead outside a three-story apartment building where they were found, police said. Detectives are investigating the case as a double homicide but do not believe this was a random act, police said. — Lynh Bui Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.) is challenging her Democratic primary rival for Maryland’s open Senate seat to six debates, starting with one in Baltimore. “We owe it to Marylanders to pursue a level of spirited discourse that raises expectations and challenges each of us to stand before the voters and discuss our differences,” she said in a letter to Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). She wants the debates to start in November in Baltimore and after that spread across the state. Edwards asked that all debates be live-streamed online, that two be televised and one be broadcast on radio in both the Baltimore and D.C. media markets, and that one be hosted by the black press. Van Hollen responded with his own letter, saying he “is happy to have our respective campaigns discuss a debate plan.” On Thursday, he said, he was occupied with a Democratic leadership meeting to discuss a possible government shutdown and with his push for new gun laws. The two House members are vying for the seat being left open by retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D). — Rachel Weiner |