12 CJNG Members Who Attacked García Harfuch In 2020 Receive A Total of 316 Years

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

The 12 subjects who on June 26, 2020 attacked Omar Hamid García Harfuch -Morena's candidate for the Senate, in the capital of the Republic-, when he was head of the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC-CDMX), were convicted on March 15, 2024 to 316 years in prison.

Ulises Lara López, office manager of the Attorney General's Office of Mexico City (FGJ-CDMX) reported that "he obtained a conviction against 12 men who participated in the armed attack against the former Secretary of Citizen Security, Omar Hamid García Harfuch, which left three people dead and five more injured.”

Through a message to the media, broadcast through an account on the YouTube platform of the law enforcement institution, the capital official explained that the full participation of the 12 involved in the crimes of homicide, to the detriment of three people, and attempted homicide, to the detriment of five more.

For this reason, as explained by Lara López, the maximum penalty for these crimes was obtained from a trial court: 50 years in prison for each of the three people who died and 33 years and four months for the crime of attempted homicide in grievance of five people, including García Harfuch.

“That is, when adding all the sentences, each of the accused was sentenced to 316 years, eight months in prison. However, the defendants will only serve 70 years in prison, as established by the Penal Code,” emphasized the FGJ-CDMX office manager.

According to Lara López, regarding the crime of attempted homicide, those convicted must prove full payment of reparation for the damage. In addition, indirect victims must be paid to repair the emotional damage, as well as the damage caused to vehicles related to the attack.

The FGJ-CDMX verified that the 12 men had active participation in the attack that occurred on June 26, 2020, when they shot at the convoy in which García Harfuch was traveling, at the intersection of Avenida Paseo de la Reforma and Monte Blanco, in the Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood, Miguel Hidalgo district, in the capital of the Republic.

Those sentenced, “from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Guerrero, Nayarit, Chihuahua, Michoacán, and one more of Colombian nationality, tried to flee, but were captured by elements of the capital's Citizen Security Secretariat.”

Likewise, the FGJ-CDMX determined that the attackers were hired three weeks before the attack and that they would receive money in exchange for attacking the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City.

According to the person in charge of the capital's Prosecutor's Office, the men were organized into cells and later concentrated in Mexico City. On the day of the attack, they were taken to the site, however, the night before they collected weapons in different places.

“Later, they were taken to three different points, specifically to the places where they would intercept the truck in which the Secretary of Citizen Security was traveling. As a result of these unfortunate events, a woman who was at the scene, unrelated to this situation, died,” said Lara López.

GARCÍA HARFUCH STATES IN INVESTIGATION FOR ATTACK AGAINST HIM IN 2020

Omar Hamid García Harfuch - then a candidate for the title of the "Coordination of the Defense of Transformation in Mexico City", that is, the virtual candidate for the Head of Government of the capital of the Republic - attended, on October 2023, to testify as a victim in the investigation process of the attack he suffered on June 26, 2020, when he was head of the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC-CDMX).

The former capital official responded, at the headquarters of the Attorney General's Office of Mexico City (FGJ-CDMX), to questions from the defense of 12 people allegedly responsible for the armed attack with long weapons that he suffered under. 

Within the process carried out in judicial file 009/1085/2020 and its accumulated file 006/0969/2020, the accused party sought to dismiss García Harfuch's testimony, as it had been collected while he was hospitalized.

THE ATTACK AGAINST GARCÍA HARFUCH IN CDMX

At around 06:38 on June 26, 2020, the head of the SSC-CDMX suffered an attack against him, at the intersection of Avenida Paseo de la Reforma and Monte Blanco, in the Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood, in which three people died and five more were injured. The attack was arrived out with five Barret .50 caliber rifles, a grenade launcher, seven fragmentation grenades, 24 long weapons and eight short weapons.

The head of the SSC-CDMX asked for help from two commanders of the corporation: Jorge Hirschberg Salazar, General Coordinator of the Metropolitan Police (“Sérpico”) and Rogelio Ramón Hipólito, General Coordinator of Technical Operational Areas of the Undersecretary of Police Operation (“Ocelotl").

In a 48-second audio, presented by journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva on Imagen Noticias' nightly newscast, the head of the SSC-CDMX was heard when he was transferred in an ambulance to be taken to a heliport in the Vicereyes neighborhood, located on Montes Urales Street, approximately one kilometer away from where the attack occurred.

On the way, García Harfuch reported that he had suffered a “serious attack”, he asked “Ocelotl” to deploy patrols in the area and “Sérpico” to arrive at the heliport while he coordinated the transfer of the Cóndores group helicopter, the head of the SSC-CDMX was transferred to a hospital in the southern area of ​​the capital of the Republic.

After receiving three gunshot wounds to the arm, shoulder and knee, in addition to having several injuries from shrapnel during the attack, García Harfuch was admitted to a hospital. That same day they operated on him and four days later he had to return to the operating room, in continuation of one of the injuries he suffered, as reported at the time.

“This morning we were cowardly attacked by the CJNG, two colleagues and friends of mine lost their lives, I have three bullet wounds and several splinters. Our Nation must continue to confront cowardly organized crime. We will continue working,” the capital official wrote on his Twitter social network account that same day.

“I inform that at approximately 06:38 in the morning the Secretary of Citizen Security of the City suffered an attack, he is out of danger being treated in a hospital, there were deaths and several detainees; The corresponding investigations are being carried out,” said Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, then head of the Head of Government of the capital of the Republic, minutes later.

The more than 400 bullet impacts against the vehicle in which the former director of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), of the then Attorney General's Office (PGR), was traveling, caused the death of his two bodyguards and friends, Rafael “O” and Edgar “G”. In the fray, Gabriela “G” also died, who was shot in the head while traveling with her husband, sister and sister-in-law in her car, heading to her quesadilla stand, located outside the Metro Auditorium.

Two weeks later, on July 6, 2020, the head of the SSC-CDMX announced in a tweet: “I was discharged from the hospital, I deeply appreciate the expressions of solidarity and support received. In a few days I will return to work with the greatest determination to continue building the best Police in Mexico and combat the crime that does so much damage to us.”

The head of the Secretariat of Citizen Security of the Government of Mexico City reiterated on July 28, 2020, that those responsible for the attack against him, registered on June 26, was organized by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho.”

When participating in the videoconference headed by the head of Government of Mexico City, the capital official indicated that this assertion is based on previous investigations that have been carried out in the SSC-CDMX since August 2019.

García Harfuch commented that the CJNG was not the only threat of an attack against him that he has received, and that there have been threats since he was director of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) in the now defunct Attorney General's Office of the Republic ( PGR), and, also, since he belonged to the Federal Police (PF).

For this attack, at least 25 people were arrested, although according to a report from the FGJ-CDMX, obtained and cited by the newspaper Milenio, currently only 14 were being prosecuted for homicide and attempted homicide.

WHO IS OMAR HAMID GARCÍA HARFUCH?

Omar Hamid García Harfuch, 42 years old, was born in Cuernavaca, Morelos, on February 25, 1982. He has a Law Degree from the Intercontinental University and a Degree in Public Security from the University of the Valley of Mexico (UVM).

He has specialized studies in Security at Harvard University, as well as from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States.

He was director - from November 9, 2016 to June 1, 2019 - of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), of the now defunct Attorney General's Office (PGR), and previously served as general commissioner and head of the Investigation Division of the Federal Police (PF).

On June 15, 2019, he was appointed general chief of the Investigative Police (PDI), of the then Attorney General's Office of Mexico City (PGJ-CDMX) and Intelligence coordinator of the Security Cabinet of the capital of the city. Republic.

From October 4, 2019 until his resignation on September 9, 2023, he held the position of head of the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City (SSC-CDMX), during the heads of Government of Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo y Martí Batres Guadarrama.

He is the son of the actress María Harfuch Hidalgo (better known as María Sorté), whom he transported on a private plane from the PF, during the floods that occurred in Acapulco, Guerrero, after the meteorological phenomena “Ingrid” and “ Manuel”, in September 2013, as reported by various media at that time.

In January of that same year, the PF had to clarify that García Harfuch, son of the former head of the defunct Federal Directorate of Security (DFS), Javier García Paniagua, was investigated, along with eleven other federal agents, by the US government as part of a protocol procedure to be able to attend “an advanced course to combat gangs” in El Salvador.

The weekly Proceso had announced that through cable 142144Z, dated December 9, 2009, issued by the United States Embassy in Mexico and addressed to the head of the US Secretary of State, an investigation was requested of the background of the 12 Mexican federal agents, which was carried out by the Narcotics Affair Section (NAS), according to a cable revealed by the international non-governmental organization Wikileaks.

Likewise, the digital media La Silla Rota assured that García Harfuch had “accelerated growth” within the federal public administration, since in just eight years and without previous experience in security issues, he went from management in a construction company to becoming the head of the Investigation Directorate of the Federal Police, one of the highest positions within the National Security Commission (CNS).

On September 1, 2008, García Harfuch joined the PF as head of the Department of Intelligence Coordination for Crime Prevention. His only work history was the position of manager at Red Inmobiliaria del Ángel S.A. of C.V. with “construction supervision” functions, from June 2003 to June 2008, as indicated in its 2007 asset declaration.

At that time, the head of the AIC reported that he had limited studies in the Business Administration Degree at the Universidad Anáhuac México Sur, with a record of only four semesters.

He was appointed non-commissioned officer in Cuernavaca, Morelos, and in January 2013 inspector general of the Federal Police in Guerrero. Later they appointed him head of the Intelligence Division of the PF, with a monthly salary of 130,992 pesos, according to the same digital media.

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