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Two minors charged in Chula Vista shootings appear in juvenile court

Two 15-year-old boys were arrested in March. Retired special agent with California Department of Justice tells CBS 8 shootings appear to be cartel-related.

SAN DIEGO — Two minors charged in connection with Chula Vista shootings that left one person dead and two others injured appeared in juvenile court Monday morning.

The judge did not allow media to sit in on the hearing.

The San Diego District Attorney's Office filed a motion to dismiss the case and defer prosecution to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

In a statement, DA Summer Stephan wrote: "The referral for federal prosecution in this case aims to stop the recruitment of minors to execute violent crimes. San Diego will remain committed to strong collaboration between our courageous federal, state, and local partners to keep our community safe and to not permit these violent acts to occur in our local neighborhoods.”

The first shooting happened March 26 outside a Chili's restaurant in Chula Vista. The second shooting happened hours later around 1:30 a.m. at the Salerno Luxury Rentals in Otay Ranch. A 24-year-old man was shot in the face and survived. A second victim died.

Chula Vista Police arrested two 15-year-old boys. Police stressed this was not a random attack. 

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the two shootings and a third shooting that happened in February are cartel-related.

Stephen Duncan, a retired special agent who worked for the California Department of Justice for 20 years, told CBS 8 it does appear the shootings have ties to the cartel. 

"Those shootings had everything to do with a war between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Arellano Felix Organization, but a war that's happening on our own turf, which is very alarming," he said.

He has been studying the cartel for decades. He said the people targeted in the shootings have ties to the Arellano Felix Organization.

"The general public needs to know this is cartel-related, they need to know it happens. It's been happening for as long as I've lived. We do get that bleed-over stuff, the key is responding to that viciously and aggressively and proactively," said Duncan.

CBS 8 also spoke to Michael Lettieri of the Mexico Violence Resource Project.

"As long as the drug market is in the US, there will be violence associated with illicit drug trafficking and distribution in the US.," he wrote in an e-mail.  

"Spillover" is a misleading concept in that sense. Mexico's impunity and corruption do not spill over, and that's what makes violence worse in Mexico than the US, but by no means is the US violence-free."

CBS 8 reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office for comment. We did not hear back. 

RELATED: Shooting at Chula Vista apartment complex leaves one person dead, one seriously injured

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