Chilpancingo, Gro: All Municipal Police Under Criminal Investigation as Mexican Military Takes Over Public Security

Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Proceso

Jan 5, 2017
By: Ezequiel Flores Contreras
Extra Material from: Universal and El Sol de Acapulco
Jose Francisco Zorroza for El Sol

CHILPANCINGO, Gro. The 123 agents of the municipal police of Chilpancingo, including the director of the corporation, Esteban Espinoza Montoya,  are subject to investigation for the crimes of organized crime, forced disappearance and qualified homicide.

Preliminary investigations determined that only 80 municipal police are certified and the situation of the rest of the uniformed is unknown, sources indicated.

Municipal Police Chief Esteban Espinoza Montoya

The government of the State of Guerrero, confirmed that, in coordination with the Mexican Army, they took control of the Public Security of the municipality of Chilpancingo and that as of yesterday, the security was in charge of the state force of the entity. In addition, it indicates that this facilitated "the ministerial diligences carried out by the Attorney General's Office for the commission of various crimes in which presumably preventive police are involved in the capital."

General Pedro Almazán Cervantes, Secretary of Public Security, read a statement in which he reports that "as of 4:30 p.m., following instructions from the Chief Executive of the State" , Héctor Astudillo Flores, and based on state laws, the Public Security is now left to the State.

"In this context as of today, based on Article 91, section XIX, of the Political Constitution of the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero; and Article 15, sections I and II, of Law number 281 of Public Security of the State of Guerrero; the public security of the municipality of Chilpancingo will be in charge of the Public Security Secretariat of the State supported by elements of the State Police and the Federal Police, "he said.

Accompanied by the Secretary General of the Government, Florencio Salazar Adame, the State Attorney General, Xavier Olea Peláez and the Federal Police Commissioner, David Portillo Menchaca, reported that the "operation involved 150 elements and 20 patrols of the State Police; 60 members of the Mexican Army and 10 official vehicles, as well as 120 elements and 18 patrols of the Federal Police, without which any incident will be presented. "

Almazán Cervantes detailed that the personnel of the Secretariat in charge "makes a magazine of verification of the personnel and armament that is covered by the Official Collective License No.110, as well as of the patrols and other equipment of charge, in parallel to the proceedings carried out by the Attorney General's Office "" in the facilities of the Municipal Police of Chilpancingo, with strict adherence to the Law and absolute respect for human rights. "

Elements of the Army and the federal and state police broke into the municipal police barracks in Chilpancingo on Thursday and disarmed the uniformed, following the constant public complaints about the alleged participation of agents in the disappearance and execution of young people in this capital .

Later, the head of the Public Security Secretariat (SSP), Pedro Almazán Cervantes, reported that soldiers and elements of the state and federal police assumed control of security in this city.

At a press conference at the official residence of Casa Guerrero, the state official said that a review of the personnel, weapons, patrols and radio communication equipment of the corporation is being carried out, because the Prosecutor's Office investigates municipal police officers allegedly involved in criminal acts, such as illegal deprivation of liberty, disappearance of persons and qualified homicide.

So far, the PRI mayor of Chilpancingo, Jesus Tejeda Vargas has not set a public stance on the situation of the municipal police that shows again the alleged collusion between authorities and crime to perform crimes against society as the Aytozinapa case.

Current PRI Mayor of Chipancingo : Jesus Tejeda Vargas

In addition to the municipal police, also the traffic management agents are subject to investigation and being deposed before ministerial authorities.  

In turn, the prosecutor Xavier Olea Peláez detailed that on December 30, municipal agents arrested Jorge Arturo Vázquez Campos and Marco Catalán Cabrera, for disturbing public order in the facilities of the Chilpancingo fairgrounds.

Later, he said, a person who identified himself as Milton paid the administrative fine for the youths and they left the facilities of the police headquarters, but since that date their whereabouts were unknown, until last night they were found dead north of this capital.

In another incident, relatives of Efraín Patrón Ramos reported that the young man was arrested on December 29 by police officers in the vicinity of the Granados Maldonado central mall, and to date he is still missing.

Guerrero Governor Hector Astudillo Flores

This morning, relatives and friends demonstrated in front of the municipal police barracks to demand the live presentation of Efraín, and denounced the "indolent criminal" of Governor Hector Astudillo Flores and the interim mayor Jesus Tejeda Vargas, in the face of the dramatic situation that lives in the state capital.

Yesterday, the leader of merchants in Chilpancingo, Pioquinto Damián Huato, denounced that since the last week of December and until this date they have documented the disappearance of seven young people, and in most cases municipal police officers had been involved.