Cartel Training Site Investigation Leads to Arrest of Mexican Mayor
Busted Mayor Tied to Cartel's Notorious Training Compound
In a shocking turn of events, the mayor of a small town in Mexico's western Jalisco province has been nabbed for his suspected links to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)'s training ground. José Murguía Santiago, the accused, was detained on Saturday as part of a federal investigation into the Izaguirre Ranch, a site infamous for its grisly discovery of human remains and personal belongings.
Originally owned by the Izaguirre family, the ranch lies outside Teuchitlán, the municipality where Murguía Santiago serves as mayor. Due to its remote location, rumors had long circulated about the ranch serving as a training and recruitment base for the notorious CJNG.
When unsettling findings surfaced in March, the ranch made headlines, painting a chilling image that would later be tagged as Mexico's "perverted countryside." Scan teams, led by the Jalisco Search Warriors, encountered charred bones, shoes, and clothing on the premises, following a tip-off. Describing the find as an "extermination camp," the group blamed the authorities for negligence in their investigation.
The investigation into the ranch gained nationwide attention, prompting the government to take a stand. Federal officials announced they would spearhead the investigation, digging deeper into the ranch's dark past. However, conflicting reports about the precise scope of operations at the ranch have surfaced. Some sources suggest that it was used solely for cartel training and recruitment, while others claim it served as a macabre extermination site.
Attorney-General Alejandro Gertz dismissed the latter claim last week, fueling frustration from the Jalisco Search Warriors, who insist that the property was more than just a training camp.
In the weeks that followed the initial discovery, two members of the Jalisco Search Warriors collective, Carmen Morales and her son Jaime Ramirez, were gunned down. Their tragic demise added fuel to the fire, with campaigners claiming that the federal authorities have fallen short in their investigation of human rights abuses.
With over 120,000 people disappearing in Mexico over the past few decades, the pressure is on for the authorities to dismantle organized crime networks and bring justice to the victims’ families.
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- Drugs
- cartel
- Mexico
- The investigations linked José Murguía Santiago, the mayor of a western Mexico town, to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Izaguirre Ranch, a notorious training ground for the cartel.
- The owner of the Izaguirre Ranch, originally owned by the Izaguirre family, is under federal investigation for its use as a site for grisly discoveries and cartel activities, making headlines as Mexico's "perverted countryside."
- Despite conflicting reports about the scope of operations at the Izaguirre Ranch, Attorney-General Alejandro Gertz denied claims that it served as a macabre extermination site, while the Jalisco Search Warriors insist it was more than just a training camp.
- Rumors about the remote ranch serving as a training and recruitment base for the CJNG had circulated before unsettling findings were discovered, attracting attention to the ranch and raising concerns about organized crime networks in western Mexico.
