Mexican Mayor Detained Amid Cartel Training Camp Scandal

Prosecutors have detained the mayor of Teuchitlán, José Murguía Santiago, amid an investigation into a cartel training camp uncovered near the town, raising concerns about official collusion with organized crime.

Mexican authorities have arrested Teuchitlán mayor, José Murguía Santiago, as part of an investigation into a suspected cartel training facility near the town in Jalisco state. The arrest followed alarming discoveries by activists who found bone fragments and a large quantity of abandoned personal items at the Izaguirre ranch earlier this year. Rights groups have raised concerns that the location was possibly used as an "extermination camp" by the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Activists searching for missing loved ones stumbled upon what appeared to be evidence of mass killings at the ranch, stunning the nation where cartel violence is a persistent issue. Mexico's Attorney-General, Alejandro Gertz, held a news conference to update the public on the investigation, stating that the ranch had served as a training center for CJNG recruits. He clarified, however, that there was no conclusive evidence of it being used for extermination, which caused outrage among families of the missing.

Gertz mentioned that forensic evaluations indicated the bone fragments found were not recent, and the fires allegedly lit at the site lacked the intensity to incinerate human remains. This information has led relatives, known as "searchers," to demand a more thorough investigation into the evidence and the fate of those associated with the abandoned belongings found.

The controversy surrounding Mayor Murguía Santiago is intensifying, given allegations that he was aware of the ranch's operations without taking appropriate action. Before his arrest, he expressed confidence in his innocence, stating, "If they want to investigate me, let them, I'm clean and willing to say what I know." However, the ongoing investigation seeks to uncover any potential ties between local officials and the CJNG.