One of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels posted a social media video where they asked other cartels in the country to keep the violence amongst themselves and to avoid hurting innocents, especially priests and pastors. The video comes just two weeks after a cell of the Sinaloa Cartel murdered two Catholic priests inside a church sparking international outrage.
In a video released this week on social media, gunmen from Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) delivered a message on behalf of their leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. In the video, they claim that they do not bother any religion and leave pastors and priests alone.
The video shows a group of gunmen in tactical gear with the men in the back carrying .50 caliber rifles while a group in the front carry what appear to be belt-fed light machine guns. In the message, an unknown man speaking on behalf of the cartel calls on other criminal organizations to avoid targeting church figures.
“They deserve a special respect. They are persons who only dedicate themselves to deliver the word of God and help those in need,” the unknown man in the video claimed.
When other cartels encounter priests or pastors, the man in the video asks them to treat them with respect and not assault them. He also asked that gunmen avoid bothering doctors, nurses, and teachers who visit small towns and rural villages.
The video comes as Mexico’s government has become embroiled in a new controversy as high-ranking church officials called on the country’s president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), to protect the public after members of the Gente Nueva cell of the Sinaloa Cartel murdered two priests inside a church in the state of Chihuahua and subsequently stole their bodies. Mexico’s president fired back at Catholic Church leaders claiming that impunity has ended under his administration.
As Breitbart Texas reported, Reverends Javier Campos, 79, and Joaquín Mora, 80, died inside their church trying to protect a tour guide that a group of cartel gunmen was allegedly trying to kidnap and murder.
Two days after the murder, authorities in Mexico announced the recovery of the bodies of the two priests and the tour guide. In the aftermath of the case, Mexico’s federal government announced a campaign to capture Jose Noriel “El Chueco” Portillo Gil a regional leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
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.