Mexican Cops Nab Suspect On FBI’s Most Wanted List
By Jim Kouri
Mexican federal police announced on Friday that they captured a suspected murderer, kidnapper, rapist and drug gang member who is listed as one of the FBI’s 10 most-wanted fugitives, according to a law enforcement official.
Joe Luis Saenz, a U.S. citizen who lived in Los Angeles, California, was arrested on Thursday by federal police officers (Federales) in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation said he would be extradited back to Los Angeles this weekend under a U.S. law enforcement escort.
The FBI alleges that the 37-year-old Saenz fatally shot two rival gang members in Los Angeles in July 1998 and kidnapped, raped and murdered his estranged girlfriend less than two weeks later.
He is also accused of a fourth murder in Los Angeles County in October 2008, according to the FBI. The FBI offered up to $100,000.00 for information leading to Saenz’s arrest.
Saenz is believed to be a member of one of Mexico’s drug cartels (Guadalajara Cartel) and traveled between the United States and Mexico for his crime bosses, according to the FBI.
The FBI notes that Saenz uses a large number of aliases including Gabriel Saenz, Gabriel Luis Saenx, Gabriel Luis Saenz, Louie Luis Saenz, Louis Joe Saenz, “Zapp”, “Smiley”, Peanut Joe Smiley, “Honeycutt”, Jose Luis Saenz-Honeycutt, Giovanni Vasquez, “Toro”, Giovanni Velasquez, Giovanni Gonzalez, Giovanni Torres, “Peanut”, Peanut Saenz, Peanut Smiley, Louie Sanez, Garbiel Sanez.
