A police commander in a popular Mexican coastal state raised questions after he threw a lavish party for his daughter that featured the performance of Los Tucanes de Tijuana. The cost of the party would have been equal to several years of the lawman’s salary.
The head of investigations for the Quintana Roo State Police, Pedro Leon Toro Pena, allegedly threw a lavish party for his daughter’s 15th birthday that featured a performance by the popular recording group Los Tucanes de Tijuana, an expose by Grupo Reforma revealed. The party took place in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez at a ritzy banquet hall called “Country Royal.”
In Mexico, families traditionally hold large formal celebrations for a girl’s 15th birthday since the event is seen as a rite of passage. However, in the case of Toro Pena, Grupo Reforma is raising questions about the event since it would be almost impossible to pay for it on a police salary.
According to Reforma, the reception cost over 600,000 pesos or roughly $36,000, and Los Tucanes de Tijuana charges 3.5 million Pesos or roughly $210,000 per performance. The total cost of the party would appear to be the equivalent of several years of work, considering that Toro Pena’s salary is 67,000 Pesos or roughly $4,000 a month, Grupo Reforma reported.
The top state lawman oversees police investigations in the state of Quintana Roo at a time when authorities have been rocked by constant violence. Rival drug cartels have been fighting for control of lucrative drug and sex trafficking hotspots such as Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and the Mayan Riviera.
Quintana Roo is controlled by the MORENA Party, the political group created by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which has been widely accused by rivals and pundits of protecting drug cartels under the guise of humanist ideals.
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.
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