JAIL GUARDS ARRESTED IN PLOT TO KILL

The FBI arrested three El Paso Sheriff's Department detention officers
Thursday for their alleged participation in a conspiracy to kill a witness
in a federal drug case.

The witness was to testify against a man being held on federal drug,
hostage and money-laundering charges.

A federal grand jury indicted the three officers Wednesday. They are Jaime
Silva, 41, of the 1600 block of Lomaland; Roberto Velazquez, 22, of the
12600 block of Suntrail; and Carlos Jaquez, 26, of the 200 block of Yolanda.

They were indicted on charges of tampering with a witness and aiding and
abetting in an attempt to prevent a witness from attending a federal trial.
They appeared Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norbert Garney to have
the charges against them read.

The three officers allegedly tried to help Marco Antonio Blancas, 37, who
was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2001 on drug- trafficking
charges and was an inmate at the El Paso County Jail at the time of the
alleged conspiracy.

Blancas was reindicted Jan. 23 by a federal grand jury on witness-
tampering charges. Blancas was also indicted Jan. 23, along with three
other men, on two counts of conspiring to import more than 2,200 pounds of
marijuana and 11 pounds of cocaine. Blancas is also charged with four
counts of hostage taking, one count of money laundering and two counts of
witness tampering in an alleged attempt to kill two witnesses who were to
testify against Blancas at trial.

"It goes without saying I'm disappointed," Sheriff Leo Samaniego said
Thursday at a press conference. "We will overcome this setback."

The El Paso Sheriff's Department assisted the FBI during the six-month
investigation, but Samaniego said that he would not discuss the details of
the case.

He said the result of the joint investigations should reassure the
community that the Sheriff's Department is not afraid to police itself.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Officers Association said in a press release
that the detention officers are not members and will not be provided legal
assistance by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas.