2 COPS SUSPECTED OF ORDERING KILLING OF TIJUANA'S CHIEF

TIJUANA, MEXICO -- The gangland-style assassination of Tijuana's
police chief may have been ordered by two of his officers, prosecutors
said Thursday.

Baja California Atty. Gen. Juan Manuel Salazar had said earlier that
the six people arrested in the Feb. 27 murder of Alfredo de la Torre
were suspected of carrying out the killing for a drug lord.

But he said Thursday that their testimony had led investigators to
believe that an assistant police chief and a police officer
orchestrated the shooting, then fled to the U.S.

The suspects, arrested Wednesday, include a former city official and a
ex-policeman.

According to testimony, the six were to be paid $15,000 by Assistant
Police Chief Juan de Dios Montenegro for the hit but never saw the
money, Salazar said. U.S. officials are searching for Montenegro and
Officer Praxedis Osuna Solis.

De la Torre's killing caused a public outcry in what may be Mexico's
most violent city. The city of 1.2 million has seen more than 70
murders this year alone.

De la Torre was shot to death while driving to his office.
Investigators said gunmen fired at least 99 bullets at his car, 57 of
which hit him.