Two men known in Ciudad Juárez as "El Diablo" and "El Cuate" will spend the rest of their lives behind bars after a local tribunal hit them with 100-year prison sentences for a brutal Feb. 1, 2024, attack that left four men dead and two others kidnapped. Prosecutors say the victims were killed by asphyxiation, and authorities report that one of the people taken was a minor. The court also ordered more than 7 million pesos in reparations and ruled that both men will serve their time in the state prison system.
Prosecutors’ account
According to the Fiscalía de Chihuahua, Ángel Alberto M., alias "El Diablo," and Brandon Iván C. B., alias "El Cuate," were found guilty of homicidio calificado and secuestro. Prosecutors say the pair, along with other accomplices, stormed a home on Arquitecto Luis Romero Soto in the Horizontes del Sur subdivision and strangled four men inside.
Who the victims were
Local coverage identifies the four men killed as José Alberto M. C., Abraham R. G., Irvin Abraham M. J., and Elíseo M. C. Two other residents, including a minor, were tied up and threatened during the assault, according to Diario de Juárez. Relatives and neighbors told reporters that the guilty verdict dredged up painful memories in the southern Juárez neighborhood, even as it brought some relief.
Kidnapping and escape
As reported by KFOX, the two kidnapping victims were taken from Horizontes del Sur to separate homes roughly three miles away, one in the Salvárcar colonia and another in the Cerradas del Parque Etapa VII development. At least one victim managed to escape. Investigators say that escape became a key turning point in the case and helped secure arrest warrants that were executed days after the Feb. 1, 2024, attack.
Sentence and restitution
In a sanctions hearing, the court ordered each man to serve 100 years in prison and to pay 7,497,800 pesos in reparations, according to the Fiscalía de Chihuahua. The ruling specifies that both defendants will be incarcerated at Centro de Reinserción Social No. 3 to carry out their sentences.
Broader context
Judicial records and local reporting indicate the trial capped a year-long investigation, and that authorities are still pursuing leads on additional suspects who may have taken part in the crime, according to Norte Digital. Earlier filings and coverage mentioned possible ties to a criminal cell, and officials say investigators are still working to define the roles of anyone beyond the two men now convicted.
For residents of Horizontes del Sur, the convictions offer a measure of closure in a case that stunned the border city, but prosecutors have signaled that the search for all those involved is not over, and families continue to demand full reparations and clear answers.
