Servando Gómez Martínez Was Apprehended Because Of A Chocolate Cake

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Video translation is as follows:

Male Reporter: The following story is from the journalist specialized in organized crime Oscar Balderas. Who, through his Twitter account, shared one of the stories he likes to frequently mention because it’s so wonderfully absurd. The manner in which Servando Gómez Martínez aka La Tuta, leader and founder of the Knights Templar in Michoacán, was arrested.

Oscar Balderas narrates that the events occurred in February 2015 when El Chapo Guzmán had already been in prison for a year after his second arrest in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. With the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel arrested, the number one enemy of that time was La Tuta. A former elementary school teacher who left the classroom to become one of the most powerful drug lords in the state of Michoacán.

La Tuta was elusive because he had a social base that loved and feared him, many public servants who protected him. Furthermore, he knew Michoacán like the back of his hand. His subordinates fell little by little. But he always managed to get away.

Oscar Balderas relates that in August 2014 the federal government had a clue about his whereabouts. They had located trusted people from La Tuta who served as intermediaries between him and his relatives. They collected clothing and food and took it to the mountains. The monitoring of the criminal targets bore fruit a month later: suddenly these intermediaries stopped going to rural areas and began to move to a house in a popular neighborhood in the city of Morelia.

For several months that house was discreetly watched. Oscar Balderas narrates that the agents in charge of surveillance for the criminal objectives disguised themselves as fruit vendors, telephone salesmen, even preachers, in order to know more about what was happening at number 49 Fidencio Juárez Street, in the Tenencia Morelos neighborhood.

Oscar Balderas continues his story by pointing out that the New Year of 2015 arrived. And the information that the agents had until then about that house was not enough to request a search warrant. The federal government also didn't want to risk breaking in illegally and jeopardizing the entire case. However, someone had an idea: in the criminal file created on "La Tuta" it was established that his date of birth is February 6, 1966. So, they decided to wait for that date.

From the street they could see the organization of a birthday party, they had found their target. It wasn’t until someone had a great idea and here is the most incredible thing in history tells Oscar Balderas. On the afternoon of February 6, 2015, federal agents saw intermediaries for La Tuta enter the guarded house with a birthday cake.

A damn chocolate cake gave away the most wanted criminal in the country, said Oscar Balderas. That chocolate cake confirmed all suspicions. And 19 days later Servando Gómez Martínez was arrested. When federal agents asked why he believed he had been arrested. The capo replied that it was for leading a gang of dumb asses.

Interrogator: Could you please give me your name?

The Tuta: Servando Gómez Martínez.

Interrogator: What's your alias?

La Tuta: La Tuta or El Profe.

Interrogator: Where are you from?

La Tuta: I am from Arteaga, Michoacán.

Interrogator: Do you know why you've been detained?

La Tuta: Because I'm a criminal?

Interrogator: Can you please be more specific?

La Tuta: It’s for narco trafficking and for leading a gang of morons.

Interrogator: Which gang were you leading?

La Tuta: The Knights Templar.

Male Reporter: The chocolate cake led to the fall of one of the most powerful drug traffickers in Mexico to a solitary cell at the maximum security prison in El Altiplano. Oscar Balderas concludes his account by pointing out that there’s a rumor that the cake was even decorated with the words "Congratulations, Professor!”

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