Cartel gunmen shoot dead American in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities in northern Mexico say gunmen are apparently working for drug cartel killed an American and that one of the alleged killers was a deserter from the Honduran Presidential Guard unit.

Arizona resident Nicholas Kets was shot and killed Oct. 18 near a gas station between the towns of Altar and Caborca, in the border state of Sonora. Local media reported that Kets was heading to the beach resort of Puerto Penasco, also known as Rocky Point, at the time of the attack.

Local media reported that Kets’ car may have driven past a cartel checkpoint just before the killing.

Prosecutors in the northern state of Sonora said late Tuesday that a Honduran suspect and a companion were “neutralized” in the town of Altar after they opened fire on security forces. “Neutralized” is a term used in Mexican law enforcement to mean “killed.”

They said the Honduran suspect, who like the others was not fully named, had an active warrant for desertion from the Honduran presidential honor guard. Drug cartels in Mexico often recruit former military personnel from Central and South America.

Prosecutors said they also arrested two other suspects in Kets’ murder. One of them was identified as “Delta”, a gang that works for the Chapitos faction in Sinaloa drug cartel.

He and another suspect are being held on weapons and drug charges.