The mayor of Teuchitlán, José Murguía Santiago, has been arrested by prosecutors amid a growing investigation related to a cartel training site near the town in western Jalisco state. Authorities allege that Murguía Santiago had colluded with the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG), a claim he has repeatedly denied. This investigation was initiated following alarming discoveries made by activists in March, which included bone fragments and countless discarded items such as shoes and backpacks at the Izaguirre ranch. Rights advocates indicated concerns that the location may have served as an "extermination camp," where individuals were trained under duress and those who resisted faced severe repercussions.
The shocking revelations about the ranch, where relatives searching for missing persons found what appeared to be evidence of mass killings, have ignited outrage in a nation grappling with rampant cartel-related violence. During a recent press conference, Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz provided updates on the federal investigation, confirming the site's use as a training center for CJNG recruits. However, he maintained there was insufficient evidence to suggest it had operated as an extermination site. The attorney general noted that forensic tests indicated the bone fragments found were not of recent origin, and fires used at the ranch did not reach temperatures sufficient to incinerate human remains.
Gertz's remarks ignited frustration among "searchers," referring to relatives of over 120,000 people reported missing in Mexico over two decades. These families demanded a more thorough investigation into the origins of the abandoned belongings discovered at the ranch and the fate of their owners. While the authorities continue to investigate potential ties between local officials and the CJNG, Mayor Murguía Santiago's arrest signifies a troubling peak in the ongoing attempts to address the alarming cartel violence that casts a shadow over Mexican society. Prior to his detainment, the mayor expressed a willingness to cooperate with investigations, insisting on his innocence and claiming he had nothing to conceal. However, prosecutors allege he was aware of the training center's existence and failed to take action.
The shocking revelations about the ranch, where relatives searching for missing persons found what appeared to be evidence of mass killings, have ignited outrage in a nation grappling with rampant cartel-related violence. During a recent press conference, Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz provided updates on the federal investigation, confirming the site's use as a training center for CJNG recruits. However, he maintained there was insufficient evidence to suggest it had operated as an extermination site. The attorney general noted that forensic tests indicated the bone fragments found were not of recent origin, and fires used at the ranch did not reach temperatures sufficient to incinerate human remains.
Gertz's remarks ignited frustration among "searchers," referring to relatives of over 120,000 people reported missing in Mexico over two decades. These families demanded a more thorough investigation into the origins of the abandoned belongings discovered at the ranch and the fate of their owners. While the authorities continue to investigate potential ties between local officials and the CJNG, Mayor Murguía Santiago's arrest signifies a troubling peak in the ongoing attempts to address the alarming cartel violence that casts a shadow over Mexican society. Prior to his detainment, the mayor expressed a willingness to cooperate with investigations, insisting on his innocence and claiming he had nothing to conceal. However, prosecutors allege he was aware of the training center's existence and failed to take action.
