Nacho Coronel and his PAN Friends

Presdient Felipe Calderon during a press conference with Jalisco Governor Emilio González Márquez to his right.

The discovery of a personal computer of Ignacio Nacho Coronel, after his execution by troops of the Mexican Army, has unnerved many prominent political figures in Jalisco and Mexico, because allegedly the computer contains a wealth of information of a network of complicity at the highest level of government that allowed the capo his uninterrupted operation in the trafficking of drugs from within the state and Mexico at large.

Two other relevant data in this regard are at least 7 million dollars in cash in suitcases arranged supposedly for the payment that is apparently detailed in a statement on the laptop of Nacho Coronel. The other are the confessions of Hiram Quinones Gastelum, who as his top lieutenant was known to have political and police connections, most apparently identified with the National Action Party (PAN).

Although the army has guarded custody of this sensitive information that was obtained after the elimination of Colonel - a success that Felipe Calderon urgently needed amid so many questions about the failure of the drug war - rumors have begun to circulate at the highest level of government of the Felipe Calderon administration, who now has better data of a possible collusion by officials from his party in Jalisco with cartel bosses.

According to unofficial information that has begun to seep it has not yet been determined how to use the information found in the Laptop of Nacho Coronel, although there are only two options for Calderón: Proceed against police chiefs and politicians linked to the narco network or maintain current impunity.

The stern face shown by Governor Emilio González Márquez of Jalisco at a dinner with Felipe Calderón during the inauguration of the stadium for las "Chivas" - was evident because he was not advised of the tactical operation against Colonel made hours earlier, and the silence of the former Governor Alberto Cardenas and Francisco Ramirez Acuna, precisely reflects a sense of nervousness.

In fact, Ramírez Acuña, former Secretary of the Interior, President of the Chamber of federal representatives and aspiring to head the PAN, reacted angrily when reporters asked for his opinion and more information on the capture of the drug lord who ruled in the state since December 2006 .

- "No, there's no comment."

- "Why?"

- "Because you already have it" - he said angry - "There is no more! You don't need to continue commenting!"

It is hard to understand the angry reaction of Ramirez Acuna, but one thing is certainly known: The criminals can only operate freely through the ineptitude or complicity of the authorities, and one can start to speculate how a narco network can take sanctuary in Jalisco without the collusion of police and politicians that have influence in the system.

In Jalisco it has been documented how prominent drug traffickers from Sinaloa settled with their families in the Guadalajara metropolitan area since the early 80s, at the begining of Operation Condor, and they became incorporated into the frivolous local bourgeoisie, thanks to their flamboyant lifestyle .

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, Don Neto, Rafael Caro Quintero and Manuel Salcido "El Cochiloco," among others, lived in the capital of Jalisco as if nothing, with the knowledge of PRI governors such as Flavio Romero de Velasco, Carlos Rivera Aceves, Enrique Álvarez del Castillo and Guillermo Cossío Vidaurri.

With the arrival of PAN in state government it allowed for drug traffickers to maintain a haven in Jalisco until it expanded in January 2001 up to the federal level with the election of president Vicente Fox, whose governor was Alberto Cardenas, the same time when Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera escape the maximum correction prison of Puente Grande.

Some of the most wanted Sinaloa narcos on the run, or their families, were residing in Jalisco: Juan Jose Esparragoza El Azul, Ismael El Mayo Zambada, Ignacio Nacho Coronel and the Beltran Leyva brothers, who then formed the Federation.

This was Known by governors and police chiefs in the state, but it is evident that they enjoyed protection at the highest level, which now is possible to understand an incident that took place in March of last year: The capture and release of Colonel José Angel Carrasco, nephew of Nacho .

It turns out that "El Changel," as he was known, was arrested on March 14 along with five other men, after a shootout with soldiers in the town of Tlajomulco, and were turned over to the Attorney General of the State (PGJE) and the Weapons that were confiscated were turned over to the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR).

But then the very own PGJE said no crime could be proven against the suspects because they did not have the five weapons that had been confiscated, which were in the custody of the PGR, so they let them walk. This, despite that the prosecuting attorney, Thomas Coronado, said the detainees had been placed under the authority of the PGR, but were never actually brought in.

The fact is that Colonel Carrasco was not bothered until the army killed him on the same day as his uncle Nacho was killed, because they were no longer protected by the characters that are named on the computer that has unnerved many of the PAN in Jalisco.

Source: Proceso