A man accused of killing the son of renowned Mexican poet Javier Sicilia has been arrested in Mexico. Ángel Salvador Taboada Villanueva, known as 'El Cone,' was apprehended in Chihuahua in connection to the murder of Juan Francisco Sicilia Ortega and six other youths. State Police authorities informed the media that Villanueva had owrked with the head of the Cartel del Pacifico Sur Julio de Jesús Radilla. The Attorney General had offered a reward of three million pesos for his capture.
Chihuahua's State Police Director, Raul Avila, informed the press that Villanueva organized the murder along with the head of the Cartel before fleeing to Sinaloa and eventually seeking refuge in Chihuahua. He had been found working at a restaurant in an effort to conceal his identity. He confessed to participating in at least 14 murders in the state of Morelos, for which he received 600 dollars in payment. The murder of Juan Francsico Sicilia took place in Morelos on March 29th 2011.
Following his son's murder, Javier Sicilia became one of the most outspoke activists in Mexico's fight against organized crime. He headed the March for Peace and Justice which took place across the country. Mexico has seen a dramatic increase in the rate of murder and kidnapping in recent years: indeed, kidnapping rates have risen 245 percent in ten years. Meanwhile, tensions in the state of Michoacan are so high that some fear this part of the country is on the brink of civil war.
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