Miguel Eduardo Gallegos Salas, Rigoberto Escobedo Death News – The Juarez, Mexico, police department is grieving the loss of two of its officers who were fatally shot late Monday while off-duty near a local convenience store. The incident has left authorities seeking answers about why the officers were targeted alongside a man with a criminal record in El Paso, Texas. According to Juarez news reports citing unnamed investigators, the officers were reportedly serving as bodyguards for the civilian at the time of the attack.
The Municipal Public Safety Secretariat (SSPM) identified the deceased officers as Miguel Eduardo Gallegos Salas, 31, and Rigoberto Pulido Escobedo, 32. Both were members of a motorized unit that patrols the commercial district in downtown Juarez. Pulido had been with the municipal police for 11 years, while Gallegos had served for two years. In a statement released Tuesday, the police department expressed sorrow over the incident, noting that the officers were off-duty when the shooting occurred and affirming their cooperation with investigative authorities to help resolve the case.
The third victim of the shooting has been identified as Ulises Nache Trujillo, a resident of Juarez. Reports indicate that a man by the same name has a criminal history in El Paso dating back to 2008. That year, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended Nache for illegal entry into the United States near the Paso del Norte Port of Entry, approximately one mile east of the border. He pleaded guilty to the illegal entry charges and was sentenced by a federal judge in El Paso to time served while awaiting the outcome of his trial.
Further records show that Nache faced alien smuggling charges in November 2010 after Border Patrol agents intercepted a group attempting illegal entry into the U.S. at the Rio Grande, near the Ysleta Port of Entry in El Paso. The group consisted of three men and two women. During the apprehension, one of the males became combative and had to be subdued with pepper spray. One of the women, a candy vendor from Juarez, reportedly identified Nache as the smuggler responsible for the group. However, the case was later dismissed after a material witness was released by the court, effectively ending the proceedings.
The attack has left the Juarez police department and local community in mourning, highlighting the dangers faced even by off-duty law enforcement personnel. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, working to determine the motive and connections that led to the tragic deaths of Officers Gallegos and Pulido, as well as Nache. The SSPM has pledged full cooperation with investigative agencies to ensure the case is resolved and justice is served for the fallen officers.
