Melitón Lozoya

Jesús Salas Barraza, a state legislator from Durango, is the other central figure associated with Villa's death. Barraza claimed full responsibility for Villa's death,^[3] though the assassination is believed to have occurred as the result of a well-planned conspiracy involving Barraza and Lozoya, but most likely initiated by Plutarco Elías Calles and Joaquín Amaro (with at least tacit approval of the then president of Mexico, Álvaro Obregón).^{[4][2]: 393} After claiming responsibility, Barraza claimed he and the co-conspirators, including Saenz Pardo, Lozoya, and Félix Lara,^[5] had watched Villa's daily car drives and paid the vendor at the scene of Villa's assassination to shout "Viva Villa!" once if Villa was sitting in the front of the car, or twice if he was in the back.^[3]