Teuchitlán mayor arrested as controversy over alleged crematorium in Jalisco continues

Federal prosecutors arrested the politician of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, connected Saturday, accusing him of colluding with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), among different charges.

Teuchitlán, colonisation 9,000, is the tract of what had been thought to beryllium a CJNG extermination camp, though the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) formed uncertainty connected that description, saying determination is nary grounds that cremation occurred astatine the Izaguirre Ranch.

Whether determination is capable grounds to proceed investigating the beingness of a crematorium successful the Izaguirre Ranch successful Teuchitlán is simply a constituent of contention betwixt the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the civilian radical Guerreros Buscadores, who hunt for missing persons. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)

José Asunción Murguía was apprehended adjacent his location by national troops wearing hoods, who stopped his pick-up motortruck and forced him into a constabulary vehicle. Murguía was taken to FGR office successful Guadalajara, the authorities capital, astir 60 kilometers east.

On Sunday, Murguía was transported nether dense defender to the maximum-security Puente Grande Prison. After processing, helium appeared earlier a judge, wherever helium was formally accused of organized transgression activities and forced disappearances. 

Evidence was presented suggesting Murguía received 70,000 pesos (US $3,560) per period from the CJNG and was seen connected aggregate occasions astatine the Izaguirre Ranch. Prosecutors besides linked Murguía to José Gregorio Hermida, alias “El Lastra,” a CJNG “recruiter” presently successful prison, arsenic good arsenic different apical CJNG lieutenant referred to arsenic “El Rojo.”

Murguía declined to marque a connection and his lawyers formally asked for a recess to survey the evidence. Prosecutors past requested that the proceedings beryllium made backstage to support witnesses and victims.

Controversy implicit ranch investigation 

Attorney General Alejandro Gertz doubled down connected his connection past week that determination was nary grounds of cremation pits astatine the Izaguirre Ranch.

Last Tuesday, Gertz insisted that studies indicated the bones recovered had not been cremated, reiterating the FGR’s archetypal conclusion that the Izaguirre Ranch was lone a cartel grooming campy and not an extermination site.

The Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco hunt corporate responded by claiming that “they” killed a subordinate of the hunt collective and present the FGR is “killing the truth.”

The radical appeared to beryllium referring to the execution successful April of Guerreros Buscadores activistic María del Carmen Morales and her 26-year-old lad successful Jalisco. 

Indira Navarro, the person of the Guerreros Buscadores, criticized Gertz, saying helium does not person the implicit lawsuit files compiled by authorities prosecutors who archetypal investigated the lawsuit past year.

On March 5, the hunt corporate entered the Izaguirre Ranch, which authorities authorities had raided successful September 2024. There, they reported uncovering hundreds of shoes, discarded covering and backpacks, ID cards and quality remains.

Federal officials took implicit the case and, connected March 17, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a program to fortify the government’s combat against forced disappearances. The Guerreros Buscadores rapidly denounced Sheinbaum’s plan.

The hunt collective’s vexation with national authorities has grown arsenic government officials insisted determination was nary grounds the ranch was utilized arsenic an extermination site.

Gertz’s caller declaration contrasts with an investigation carried retired by the Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Conahcyt), which recovered precocious concentrations of ash and fume activated by hydrocarbons specified arsenic state and tires. Satellite imagery besides confirmed the beingness of ditches containing remnants of fire, arsenic good arsenic items that appeared to person been burned.

During her May 5 greeting property conference, President Sheinbaum said she arranged for Gertz to interaction the Guerreros Buscadores aft the hunt corporate sent her a letter.

“I instructed [Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez] to facilitate astatine the precise slightest a telephone betwixt the lawyer wide and the hunt collective,” she said, adding that Irene Herrerías, caput of the FGR’s Human Rights Division, was looped successful connected the chat.

Sheinbaum said she expected ongoing connection betwixt the FGR and the hunt collective.

“[The collective] indispensable beryllium allowed to freely contiguous the grounds they recovered and the FGR should respond to them and clasp meetings going forward,” she said.

In effect to a reporter’s question, Sheinbaum said she would conscionable with the Guerreros Buscadores “if necessary.”

With reports from El Financiero, Informador, El Universal and La Jornada