10/27/10 – Former Chihuahua state Attorney General Patricia González Rodríguez has been accused of having ties to drug traffickers in a videotaped confession by her brother, which has prompted federal prosecutors to launch a corruption investigation against Ms. Gonzalez.
The confession came from her brother, Mario Gonzalez Rodriguez, who had been kidnapped on the 22nd of October, and suddenly appeared coerced by an off-camera interrogator and by the presence of several masked and armed individuals standing in view of the camera. Mr. González alleges in halting responses to a long series of questions that he served as a go-between for the Juárez Cartel (known also as “La Linea” because of their control over the border city Ciudad Juárez) and his sister, when she served as the state’s chief prosecutor from 2007 through September of this year. Her brother admitted to being the liaison, between the Juárez Cartel and his sister, in charge of “gathering up, in the distinct command stations or zones, the payment for services of protection [rendered] to this criminal organization.” He stated that they received between 50,000 and 200,000 dollars for providing the Juárez Cartel with protection.
When asked by his interrogators about assassinations that have taken place in the past several years in Ciudad Juárez, he said that some of them were ordered by his sister, Patricia González Rodríguez, or that she was aware of them and provided the perpetrators with protection. Among the assassinations that he accused his sister of being involved in are those of journalists Enrique Perea in 2006, and Armando Rodríguez in 2008. Mr. González also accused the former governor, Reyes Baeza, and the former secretary of Public Security (Seguridad Pública) in Chihuahua of having links to organized crime.
The video was removed from YouTube shortly after its appearance, but has been reposted to other sites. Ms. Gonzalez has protested her innocence to the Mexican press, suggesting that the kidnapping of her brother and the accusations against her constitute retaliation from the criminal groups she targeted during her time as state prosecutor.
Sources:
AOL Noticias. “México: Vinculan a ex procuradora estatal con narco.” 26 Octubre, 2010.
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