Jalisco Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer has disclosed the recent capture of 13 suspects linked to the operation of two criminal gangs involved in kidnappings, forced disappearances, murder and drug trafficking in the municipality of Jocotepec.
He also announced that state and local police are beefing up security with a regular patrols and tighter vigilance along the main north and south shore highway stretches. The program is labeled Ruta Segura (Safe Route).
After listening to grievances among a crowd of more than 500 concerned citizens during a public meeting Friday, August 8 at the Jocotepec auditorium, Alamaguer attempted to ease fears with the news that suspects connected to two recent kidnappings are behind bars.
One case is related to the August 8 abduction of an 18-year-old Jocotepec student who was held for a 10-million-peso ransom that was bargained down to 450,000 pesos before he was released safe and sound two days later. The other involves the August 30 kidnapping of a 28-year-old farmer from the village of Huejotitán who was rescued from a criminal safe house before relatives caved into a demand for 30 million pesos.
The arrested suspects include five men and one woman, ranging between ages 19 to 22. The presiding judge at Chapala’s District Five criminal court subsequently ordered them to remain in custody for up to 18 months while further investigations are carried out.
Almaguer had earlier revealed the detention of the other group of suspects – one woman and six men, aged from 19 to 24 – during a press conference in Guadalajara.
These individuals allegedly participated in the abduction of at least eight persons reported as missing and three homicides, as well as robberies and drug dealing.
The latest presumed murder victim was an elderly woman who rented out the ground floor of her home in the village of El Molino to members of the gang. She was strangled to death, apparently after complaining about the tenants’ unruly behavior. Afterwards, the thugs holed up in a Jocotepec hotel, keeping the entire premises hostage until their arrest. They were caught in possession of three firearms, assorted ammunition and a cache of crystal meth and marijuana.
In addition to the recent detentions, state police ran a local sting operation on Tuesday, September 12 in search of stolen vehicles. They hauled in 31 motorcycles for irregular paperwork and recovered a three-ton 2010 model Ford truck reported stolen 2011.