Juárez police arrest six adults and three teens who are alleged members of La Empresa.

There have been about 30 murders in the first four days of March in Juárez, Mexico.

Gunshots hit vehicles in a murder victim's funeral procession in one incident.

Juárez police, with assistance from the Mexican army, arrested nine alleged members of a drug-dealing group suspected of attacking police last month.

Three men, three women and three teenagers are accused of being drug dealers for La Empresa (The Company) crime organization, police said Wednesday.

The arrests occurred amid an increase in violence in Juárez, which had about 30 homicides in the first four days of March, according to local news accounts.

Some of the suspects allegedly confessed to taking part in a Feb. 4 attack that wounded two police officers on 16 de Septiembre street in downtown Juárez, officials said.

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The arrests occurred after police received information about an armed group riding in a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Chevrolet Monza in the Fronteriza area in western Juárez.

The group was stopped by police and soldiers with the 9th Motorized Cavalry Regiment of the Mexican army, authorities said.

Police seized a pair of assault rifles, two handguns, more than 100 small retail-sale packets of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin, and four plastic trash bags filled with marijuana.

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The group was traveling with two young children — a 2-year-old baby and a 7-year-old boy — in an attempt to avoid attention from law enforcement, police said.

Those arrested were identified by police as Juan Antonio G.Q., 31; Jose Luis B.E., 20; Alejandra V.M., 23; Hugo Adrian H.M., 24; Rebeca H.F., 25; Natalia R.B., 23; and two 16-year-old girls and a 16-year-old boy.

The suspects were arrested on drug and firearms charges. An investigation continues into their suspected roles in the attack on police, officials said.

Violence continues in Juárez

Gunshots were fired at a funeral procession Wednesday afternoon outside a funeral home in the Chaveña neighborhood, south of downtown Juárez, Channel 44-XHIJ reported.

Channel 44 stated that the funeral was for a murder victim who had been killed last week. There were no known injuries but gunshots hit a hearse and two other vehicles.

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In a separate case, a severed head and a headless body were found Wednesday morning, Channel 44 reported. It was the second beheading this week after a similar death on Monday.

Also, Juan Uriel Valle, a college student and son of the mayor of the town of Villa Ahumada, was shot and killed Monday night outside the Juárez airport after arriving on a flight, the Diario de Juárez reported.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 915-546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.

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