A former police commissioner and a commander were arrested for the kidnapping and execution-style murders of six officers under their command in Puebla.
The two officials, along with two civilians, were ordered held for the murders the officers who worked in Amozoc, located approximately 90 miles northwest of Mexico City, according to local reports.
According to information released by the state prosecutor’s office, the police commissioner, Javier Rojas Alonso, is suspected in ordering the execution of six officers after they filed a corruption complaint against him a week prior. The officers reportedly met with government officials and accused their command staff of protecting organized crime interests dedicated to the theft of fuel, known as “huachicoleros.” According to reports, Rojas Alonso while under the authority of his position was offering protection to these criminal groups in return for bribes. Based on the information provided, Rojas Alonso was forced to resign–but according to some media reports, continued to work in his same police capacity.
The six victims were identified as Laura Rojas Romero, Martín Estudillo Vergara, David Ortega Menchi, Arturo Hernández Gallardo, Alejandro Muñoz Antonio and José Luis Montes Anaya. It is currently believed they were lured to a call for assistance in colonia Signoret where they were ambushed by multiple gunmen and beaten until they each suffered a gunshot to the head.
Initial reports released by the mayor’s officers claimed the six officers were killed by a gang of “huachicoleros” in the process of stealing gas from a pipeline. State investigators disproved this theory after they spoke with witnesses and next of kin, eventually developing evidence pertaining to the former police commissioner and a commander identified as Alfredo Castro Puentes, also arrested. The police commissioner and commander were initially charged with bribery and firearm violations with murder charges expected soon.
The remaining 20 Amozoc police officers were ordered to be interviewed by investigators and patrol duties of the municipality were temporarily taken over by the military.
Breitbart Texas previously reported on the crime and corruption related to the illicit tapping of fuel pipelines in Puebla. In early May 2018, a raid on a municipal police force led to the discovery of 136 fake officers participating in crimes related to fuel theft.
Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.) You can follow him on Twitter. He can be reached at robertrarce@gmail.com
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.