Mexico: Notorious Drug Gang Leader Responsible for Killing Jesuit Missionaries Found Shot to Death

Mexican authorities struggled to capture notorious Mexican drug gang leader Jose Noriel Portillo Gil, alias "El Chueco," after he was accused of murdering two Jesuit priests last year. Now, the wanted gang leader was found shot to death in Mexico.

"El Chueco," or "The Crooked One," was responsible for killing two Jesuit priests and one civilian after the civilian ran into a church for refuge.

According to the Associated Press, Portillo Gil's sister was asked to come in after the body was found. She confirmed that it was indeed her brother, though the circumstances of his death remain a mystery. It was suggested that his own gang executed him, but it is also possible that a rival drug gang killed him.

Authorities in Sinaloa state found a dead body in the town of Choix on Tuesday. Cesar Jauregui, the state's chief prosecutor, stated that this is still not yet an open and shut case as they still have to determine if this was really the suspect behind the killings of the priests.

It has been noted that the body was found in an area controlled by the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, which was founded by Joaquin Guzman, better known as "El Chapo."

The death of the man who may have been responsible for the killings did not deliver a sense of justice to the case. As the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits, pointed out that "the mere fact that Portillo Gil had been shot to death didn't mean justice had been done."

"If it is confirmed that this is the person implicated in the murder of the two Jesuit priests, his turning up dead can in no way be considered a triumph for justice, or a solution to the structural problem of violence," said the Catholic order in a statement. "On the contrary, the lack of an adequate legal process in the murder case would only imply the Mexican government has failed in its basic duties and confirm that the authorities do not have control of the territory."

Jesuits Still Calling for Justice for Two Murdered Priests

Nine months since the murders of Fr. Javier Campos Morales and Fr. Joaquín César Mora Salazar, Jesuit priests from the Americas are still calling for justice. A few days before the discovery of the suspect's body in Sinaloa, the Jesuits renewed calls for his arrest, according to the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

"We call on the Mexican authorities to arrest the perpetrator without further delay and ensure accountability for these crimes," said the order in a statement just a few days before the body was found.

The Incident That Killed Two Jesuit Priests

The murders of Fr. Javier Campos Morales and Fr. Joaquín César Mora Salazar rocked Mexico and the Catholic world.

According to France 24, Campos, 79, and Mora, 80, were killed while they were trying to defend local tour guide Pedro Eliodoro Palma, who sought refuge in their church in the village of Cerocahui in Chihuahua state.

This was when Portillo Gil and his gang invaded the church and shot the civilian and the two beloved priests, who have been praised for helping the poorest of the poor in the region.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Jesuit priests killed in Mexico buried in parish - AP Archive