The head of a border state police intelligence unit that is plagued with allegations of corruption and a long history of cartel links was quietly promoted to one of the top law enforcement positions in the state. The members of that task force are linked to cartel extortion, illegal searches, and the covered-up murder of a Texas man.
In recent days, officials in Nuevo Leon quietly promoted Juan Francisco de Jesus Vidaurri Esquivel to helm the Fuerza Civil as the new Commissar General. Vidaurri previously headed the controversial General Investigations Directorate (DGI)–a group that officials tried to phase out after complaints of corruption and human rights abuses.
Vidaurri’s promotion replaces former Fuerza Civil leader Jorge Fernando Garza Morales who, in mid-2020, asked for leave to take a course out of the country and never returned. Garza’s suspicious departure came at a time when Nuevo Leon was dealing with escalating cartel violence as rival organizations continue to wage fierce turf wars.
During Vidaurri’s tenure at the DGI, the agency was involved in numerous scandals including extortion, ties to cartels, and even murder.
In March, Breitbart Texas published the results of an exclusive investigation into Nuevo Leon’s DGI and Fuerza Civil officers who, along with Mexican soldiers, were extorting a wheelchair-bound man who had previously been involved in the street-level sale of drugs but retired.
The illegal raids and extortion were documented in surveillance videos and statements made by the victims, however, Nuevo Leon officials covered up the crimes.
Weeks after two raids at that property, cartel gunmen carried out a third and killed the former dealer in front of his family. That attack was also captured on video and was reported exclusively by Breitbart Texas.
In another scandal, DGI officers became the target of a murder investigation and were suspiciously cleared. The case took place in April 2019 when officers raided a high-rise apartment where instead of arresting 27-year-old Fortunato Esquivel Garcia on drug charges, they extorted and ultimately threw him off the 14th floor.
Nuevo Leon Public Security Secretary Aldo Fasci Zuazua has tried to minimize the allegations of corruption and abuses by his officers. In a previous interview with Breitbart Texas, Fasci claimed the case at the high-rise was an accident.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
Tony Aranda from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report