Captured ETA terrorists had been living quietly in Mexico for 22 years, say sources

Two alleged ETA terrorists who were captured over the weekend by Mexican authorities had been living in the country in complete isolation, without any contact with other members of the Basque terrorist group, authorities said Monday.

Juan Jesús Narváez and Itziar Alberdi were taken to Mexico City following their arrests in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state on Sunday. They were reportedly heading back to Madrid after they had been expelled by Mexican immigration authorities who determined that they had been residing in the country illegally. The couple's capture was the result of a joint operation between Spanish and Mexican authorities.

Narváez had been working as a chiropractor while Alberdi was a yoga instructor at a cultural center. They had both been using the pseudonyms, Juan Manuel Ruiz García and Eva Barreña, respectively, according to Mexican sculptor Francisco Quintero, in an interview with La Jornada .

According to Europa Press, the couple, along with their children, ages 17 and 19, are being brought to Madrid to face justice. The families of Narváez and Alberdi will care for both teenagers, the news agency added. Intelligence sources said that both children were also using false names and had not known about their parents' past.

Narváez and Alberdi are both wanted in connection with membership of an ETA cell responsible for more than two dozen murders in the 1980s and early 1990s. They are expected to appear before the High Court on Wednesday.