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Life Sentence for El Paso Woman Linked to Mexican Drug Cartel in Gang-Related Killing

A deceased individual clad in women’s undergarments was discovered discarded along Transmountain Road, allegedly murdered for swindling gang members in a firearms transaction in El Paso’s Lower Valley, as per court records.

After being found guilty of her involvement in the 2019 killing, Alexus Chantel Dominguez, aged 30, was handed a life sentence by a jury. The sentencing occurred on March 28 by the same jury that had convicted her earlier that day of engaging in organized criminal activity leading to capital murder.

El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks addressed the media on Thursday, April 11, 2024, discussing the conviction and life imprisonment of Alexus Chantel Dominguez in connection with the kidnapping and killing of Arnulfo Apodaca Gonzalez in 2019.

Dominguez is affiliated with the Brown Dogs Sureño street gang, which has connections to the La Linea drug cartel, according to El Paso Assistant District Attorney Preston Munson, who, along with Jakob Reynolds, served as the primary prosecutors in the case.

Gonzalez’s body was uncovered wrapped in a carpet on the mountainside, attired in women’s undergarments with his hands bound using duct tape. The affidavit in the criminal complaint indicates that the murder was a consequence of Gonzalez allegedly absconding with money from a firearms deal involving Dominguez and the Brown Dogs.

Details regarding Dominguez’s incarceration, including her jail booking photo, were not provided by the El Paso Police Department upon request.

The trial of Dominguez transpired in the 34th District Court under the supervision of Judge William Moody. Since her apprehension on December 24, 2020, Dominguez has been detained at the El Paso County Jail.

Three other purported members of the Brown Dogs Sureño gang, namely Adrian Corral, Luis Ochoa, and Eddie Chavarria, are facing charges related to Gonzalez’s homicide. District Attorney Bill Hicks mentioned that these three individuals are anticipated to enter guilty pleas following the conclusion of Dominguez’s case.

Additionally, Dominguez is confronted with an aggravated kidnapping charge in an unrelated incident involving the abduction of Ignacio Zaragoza Jr. during a drug transaction. Zaragoza managed to escape from Dominguez and her associates by leaping out of a vehicle en route to Transmountain Road, as outlined in the affidavit. The legal proceedings for this case are ongoing in state district court.

Evaluation is underway to determine the course of action for the aforementioned case, as stated by Hicks.

Furthermore, the text reveals that Dominguez, along with De La Garza and Chavarria, is also implicated in the aggravated kidnapping case involving Zaragoza. The identities of the other suspects involved have not been disclosed.

The narrative continues with the investigation into Zaragoza’s escape leading to the arrest of the individuals linked to his kidnapping, shedding light on the interconnected nature of the criminal activities and the subsequent arrests made by the authorities.