Mexican 11th Military Zone gets a new commander

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

The Mexican 11th Military Zone received its new commander, General Antelmo Rojas Yáñez, last week, the zone's 49th commander since 1936, according to Mexican news accounts.

A news item posted on the website of El Sol de Zacatecas news daily, General  Rojas Yáñez recently moved from chief of staff of the Mexican 41st Military Zone in Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco state last week.  He gained his second star last November, as General de Brigada de Estado Major.

General Rojas Yáñez first appeared in the Secretaria de Defensa Nacional (SEDENA) website in 2007 when he was promoted to colonel.  He was serving under the Mexican 29th Military Zone.  Some time around then he  had taken command of the 39th Infantry Battalion, a command he held between 2007 and 2010, when he was promoted to General Brigada de Arma, his first star.

In fact between 2007 and 2010 he spent in Tuxpan in Veracruz state under the Mexican 29th Military Zone, mostly in command of the 39th Infantry Battalion.

Little press exists about General Rojas Yáñez, except it was noted in one publication, vaxtuxpan.blogspot.com blog, that he was not very open to the press.  General Rojas Yáñez did attend public functions as a representative of his military unit and gave speeches with the subject matter being national duty.

General Rojas Yáñez is an infantry officer and is staff trained.  He was recently authorized by the Mexican national Chamber of Deputies to wear the Honduran medal, the Cruz de las Fuerzas Armadas.  In none of the references for the medal in Mexican press were the actions described which led to the award.

The preceding commander of the 11th Military Zone, General Brigada de Estado Major Bernardo Pineda Solis heads to Guanajuato to take command of the 16th Military Zone.  General Pineda Solis was appointed command of the 11th Military Zone last February. He received his promotion to General de Brigada de Estado Major in 2010. 

General Pineda Solis is an artillery commander.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com.