Salvadorans Charged in Killing of U.S. Marines Ordered Freed in Amnesty

SAN SALVADOR — Three suspects charged in the 1985 slayings of six Americans, including four U.S. Embassy Marine guards, were ordered freed Thursday under a new amnesty program.

Military Judge Jorge Alberto Serrano, declaring that “the law is the law,” ruled that the three suspected leftist guerrillas should be freed under an amnesty program for political prisoners that was enacted as part of the recent Central American peace plan.

It was not clear when the three would be released.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy said, “As a matter of policy, we believe that those responsible on both the right and left for terrorist acts or crimes against U.S. citizens should not be allowed to escape justice.”

Also Thursday, a Salvadoran working for the U.S. Embassy was found shot to death. Authorities, who identified the man as Billy Mejico Quinteros, said he was abducted while driving an embassy vehicle in the upper-class neighborhood of San Francisco.

Thirteen people were killed in San Salvador on June 19, 1985, when assailants wearing Salvadoran army uniforms opened fire with automatic weapons on patrons at two outdoor cafes. The Marines, in civilian clothes, were seated with other young people when the assailants drove up in a pickup truck, according to witnesses. Two American civilians also were killed.

The suspects, who reportedly confessed to the slayings but were never tried, said the Marines were their targets. In reviewing the case, Judge Serrano said, “The resolution of this case is based on Article 1 and 2 of the amnesty decree. It has been determined the killings were political crimes and they will go free today under the amnesty law.

“The killings are reprehensible here or anywhere, but . . . we must apply the amnesty,” the judge said in ordering the release of Jose Abraham Dimas Aguilar, Juan Miguel Garcia Melendez and William Celio Rivas Bolanos from Mariona Prison.

On Nov. 5, President Jose Napoleon Duarte put into effect a sweeping amnesty law pardoning “political” crimes committed as a result of El Salvador’s civil war. Since last Friday, more than 470 prisoners have been released.

Court sources said that two suspects in the 1983 murder of U.S. Lt. Cmdr. Albert Schaufelberger might also be freed.