Late Monday evening, the streets of Ciudad Juárez were rocked by a brutal and calculated attack that left three men dead—two off-duty municipal police officers and a man with a notorious criminal past. The incident unfolded near a convenience store in the Vilaco neighborhood, where the victims were ambushed in what authorities are calling a targeted execution.
**The Victims: Officers and a Criminal Figure
The Municipal Public Safety Secretariat (SSPM) confirmed the identities of the fallen officers as:
– **Miguel Eduardo Gallegos Salas**, 31, a relatively new recruit with two years of service.
– **Rigoberto Pulido Escobedo**, 32, a veteran with 11 years on the force.
Both were assigned to a motorized patrol unit in Juárez’s bustling commercial district. On their day off, they were reportedly acting as bodyguards for **Ulises Nache Trujillo**, the third victim, who was gunned down inside the convenience store.
️♂️ **Who Was Ulises Nache Trujillo?
Far from being a businessman, as some initial reports suggested, Nache Trujillo was a **high-priority target** for both Mexican and U.S. authorities. He was:
– A **suspected leader of a criminal group** involved in extortion, human trafficking, drug distribution, and internal control of Cereso State Prison No. 3.
– Previously arrested in **El Paso, Texas**, for illegal entry in 2008 and again in 2010 for illegal reentry.
– Detained in 2012 for federal crimes and extortion, though released shortly after.
Mexican investigators have since dismissed any notion of him being a legitimate entrepreneur. Instead, they assert he was deeply embedded in organized crime and under active investigation by the **FEMDO (Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime)** and U.S. agencies.
**The Attack: A Coordinated Execution
According to the **State Investigation Agency**, the assault occurred at the intersection of Paseo de Aragón and Paseo de Borja. Nache Trujillo was shot inside the Oxxo store, while Gallegos and Pulido were killed outside as they tried to flee. The scene was described as chaotic, with gunfire erupting in a densely populated area.
The SSPM issued a statement expressing sorrow and pledging full cooperation with investigators:
> “The two officers were on their day off and this agency is cooperating with investigative authorities to assist in the resolution. SSPM regrets this event.”
⚖️ **Unanswered Questions and Growing Tensions
The killings have raised urgent questions about the **involvement of police officers with criminal figures**, even off-duty. Were Gallegos and Pulido coerced into protecting Nache Trujillo? Were they complicit, or simply caught in a deadly crossfire?
Authorities are now combing through surveillance footage, forensic evidence, and witness accounts to piece together the motive and identify the assailants. Meanwhile, the Juárez community mourns the loss of two officers whose lives ended in a storm of bullets—caught between duty and danger.
**A City on Edge
Juárez, long plagued by cartel violence and corruption, finds itself once again in the spotlight. This incident underscores the **fragile line between law enforcement and organized crime**, and the peril faced by those who walk it.
As investigations continue, the city watches and waits—for justice, for answers, and for a reckoning with the forces that turned a quiet night into a deadly ambush.
