Guanajuato, Mexico: El Marro Is Not On The Most Wanted List

Exactly one year ago the ‘Golpe de Timón began’; The State prosecutor's office has not included him within its priority objectives, despite his supposed danger to society.

The list of the 14 most wanted criminals by the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) includes dangerous kidnappers, fraudsters, murderers and thieves ... but in this one José Antonio Yépez Ortiz 'El Marro' isn’t there, pointed out as leading the criminal group which operates in the Laja-Bajío region, and presumably responsible for the high crime rates in the state.

Through a digital system similar to that used by the FBI in the US. In order to exhibit the most wanted criminals, the FGE requests help to find the whereabouts of 14 criminals accused of various crimes such as homicide, kidnapping and fraud, most of them, more than a decade ago.

The list highlights that two of the “most wanted’ criminals were already arrested in 2013 and 2017, but the FGE keeps its search active.

However, the absence of ‘El Marro’ is more notable, due to the series of crimes attributed to him by the FGE itself; while José Mario Lara Mendoza does appear, brother of the current mayor of Villagrán, Juan Lara Mendoza, who has accounts pending for qualified theft.

It’s been one year since his search was initiated.

A year after the operation Golpe de Timón was launched, the leader of the group that operates in Santa Rosa de Lima, José Antonio Yépez, “El Marro”, is still a fugitive.

It was the dawn of March 4, 2019 when elements of the Navy, the Army and state police surprised the inhabitants of Santa Rosa de Lima and in a few minutes besieged the town. They said they had the criminal leader located and would soon be apprehended. A year later the authorities in matters of security in the State say that he’s on the run but remains free.

That day the leader's flight began, but at the same time, other crimes skyrocketed whose victims were residents of surrounding municipalities, mainly Celaya. Where extortion of merchants and businessmen from all walks increased considerably; the number of vehicle thefts also increased.

Criminals innovated their robberies against bank tellers, savings banks and department stores; the theft increased to businesses and bystanders where the constant is the violence with which they are carried out.

The violent murders were unleashed whose escalation from one year to another increased by more than 200%, the abductions and kidnappings also skyrocketed. Just as well several businesses have closed.

That day it was said that after months of intelligence work and several failed attempts they were able to enter the base of operations belonging to the group commanded by ‘El Marro’, who was then linked mainly to the theft of hydrocarbon.

Over the months, those who most resented the effects were the citizens, since crimes of all kinds increased, especially robberies and extortion, in the face of this increase and whose crimes the inhabitants of the region have suffered directly, the governor has asked the citizens "to endure a little more", and reiterated that thanks to the operation Golpe de Timón "the rule of law was restored."

Sol Prendido Borderland Beat   Source