Tequila, Jalisco Mayor and Public Officials Arrested for CJNG Links, Kidnapping Candidates & Extortion

“Socalj” for Borderland Beat

The Mayor of Tequila, Jalisco was arrested along with three high-ranking officials from his government, accused of leading an extortion ring linked to the CJNG. The ring allegedly targeted tequila and beer companies and diverted public resources to the criminal organization.

According to official information, three key officials from the mayor’s administration were arrested along with him: Juan Manuel Pérez Sosa, Director of Public Safety; Juan Gabriel Toribio Villarreal, Director of Cadastre and Property Tax; and Isaac Carbajal Villaseñor, Director of Public Works. All three are under investigation for their alleged involvement in the same criminal network.

The arrests were made after the execution of five search warrants at various properties in the municipalities of Tequila and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Following the arrest of the Morena mayor of Tequila, Diego Rivera, and the Commissioner of Public Safety, the state police have taken over security and surveillance duties in the municipality.

Diego Rivera Navarro is the current mayor of Tequila, a position he has held since being elected under the banner of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), his term was set to conclude in 2027.

On his official Facebook page, the mayor displayed a photograph with Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, taken in 2023. His team used the image as a symbol of his close ties to the national leadership of the Morena party and of his political legitimacy.

However, Diego’s government was already receiving accusations and complaints. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office received several complaints against him, including one for the closure of the National Tequila Museum, allegedly carried out without authorization from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which generated a conflict with the cultural and tourism sector.

Last May, Diego Rivera Navarro was summoned to testify before the State Attorney General’s Office following a musical event featuring Los Alegres del Barranco, during which images of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” leader of the CJNG cartel, were projected. Although the mayor denied any direct responsibility, the incident increased suspicions of possible tolerance or close ties to the criminal group.

The federal Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, reported that the mayor’s arrest was part of Operation Swarm, a designed to attack extortion, corruption, and criminal collusion networks in local governments.

“Morena will always respect the institutions and the investigations carried out by the authorities. Justice, and only justice, will determine responsibilities, which must be assumed in accordance with the law, without privileges or exceptions,” a Morena representative stated in response to the arrests.

Mayoral Candidates Kidnapped

Mexican court sources revealed that the indictment names Rivera as responsible for having kidnapped Guillermo Cordero García and Julio Alejandro García Gutiérrez, then pre-candidates of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), on March 24, 2021, at the La Posta restaurant in Tequila, and forced them to resign.

According to the file, the three defendants planned to kidnap the victims in order to force them to resign and thus be able to promote Juan Gabriel Toribio, who would guarantee loyalty to Diego Rivera and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, with whom they had a close relationship.

Once the victims were abducted, they were forced to sign their resignation from the candidacy, a fact that was witnessed by a notary from Jalisco, who worked under the orders of the CJNG.

Tequila Extortion Ring

The former mayor is accused of allegedly leading an extortion ring from Tequila’s city hall, targeting breweries, tequila distilleries, and businesses in the municipality.

Investigations indicate that under his administration, illegal payments were demanded and business owners were pressured with threats of sanctions or closures to obtain illicit financial gains.

In addition to him, three municipal public servants were arrested the director of Public Safety, the director of Cadastre and Property Tax, and the director of Public Works, who are also being investigated for their alleged participation in the corruption scheme.Misappropriation of public funds

Federal investigations suggest that the former mayor and his associates may have misappropriated municipal public funds, affecting the legal and transparent use of resources allocated to the local government.

In addition to extortion and corruption charges, federal authorities are investigating Diego Rivera Navarro for alleged ties to a cell of the CJNG.

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