On Monday, Mexican federal forces captured José Manuel García Simental, alias “El Chiquilín“, and Raydel López Uriarte, alias “El Muletas“, brother to Teodoro García Simental “El Teo,” who was detained last month. As members of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, both were considered to be successors of “El Teo.”
Ramón Pequeño, the anti-drug division chief of the federal police reported at a press conference that “El Chiquilín” and “El Muletas” were apprehended Monday along with two bodyguards in La Paz resort, in the state of Baja California Sur. Both assumed leadership of the group vacated by “El Teo” after his capture.
Pequeño said that the detention of the duo allowed them to obtain information in order to perform another operation in Tijuana, in the neighboring state of Baja California and the U.S. border, resulting in the detention of 11 others. Five of which were municipal police, including two chiefs. At the time of detention they had with them two kidnapped males, identified as members of the Tijuana cartel.
Among the police officers detained was Francisco Ortega Zamora, appointed chief of the La Mesa district and the deputy chief of the area Juan Carlos Espinoza. The other agents detained are Enrique Ramírez Zambrano, Macario Arturo Ramírez y and Ramón Angel Soto Corral.
According to El Universal, the mayor of Tijuana, Jorge Ramos Hernández, acknowledged then the five municipal police that were detained could have criminal connections. He admitted that the military training of two of the detainees and presented by the Federal Public Safety Secretariat was not enough to keep them incorruptible. However, he maintained that the municipal authorities are keeping a constant watch on the performance of municipal policemen, asserting that it was the municipal Public Security Secretary, Julián Leyzaola Pérez, who turned in the agents.
Sources:
Martínez , Julieta. “Tijuana pone ojo en corrupción de policías.” El Universal. 9 febrero, 2010
