FGR Searches Fausto Corrales' Home, Missing Witness in Hector Cuen's Death & Relative of Recently Killed Cartel Members

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

On Saturday morning, elements of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and the Mexican Army executed a search warrant at the home of Fausto Ernesto Corrales Rodríguez, the key witness in the murder of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda, former rector of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), former mayor of Culiacan tied to the kidnapping and arrest of "El Mayo" last month.

Fausto Corrales has been missing since July 25, the FGR has not been able to locate him since the night of the murder when he provided his statement to Sinaloan authorities as to what had happened.

 

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW

The Attorney General's Office (FGR) conducted an operation in the private Pueblo Bonito neighborhood, where the current President of the Sinaloa Party (PAS), Víctor Antonio Corrales Burgueño, resides as well as his son Fausto. Agents of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) were also present at the time.

Corrales Burgueño is the father of Fausto Corrales who accompanied Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda at the time of his murder and who, according to the Sinaloa Prosecutor's Office, gave the only official version of an alleged attempted robbery at a gas station that resulted in Cuen's death.

According to the registry of affiliates, Fausto Corrales joined PAS on March 17, 2017, and his registration was last validated on July 5, 2023.

Fausto Corrales Rodriguez

According to detained drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, Cuen was actually killed at a meeting setup in order for Joaquin Guzman Lopez and his men to kidnap him and deliver him FBI and HSI agents in New Mexico, just outside of El Paso, Texas.

The meeting was set supposedly to help mediate a political rivalry between Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda and Governor Ruben Rocha Moya. After Cuen's body was brought to the hospital Fausto Corrales told the state prosecutor that he had been Cuén Ojeda's driver that day to take him to a meeting with "lawyers," who did not attend. 

“Fausto Corrales reportedly stated that he and Héctor Melesio Cuén were waiting for lawyers in the rural Condado de San Francisco, near La Presita, from the morning of July 25 until late at night, and that when they did not arrive, they returned to the city of Culiacán, and that on the way they stopped at a gas station to fill up with fuel,” the Sinaloa state prosecution indicated.

This version was dismissed to the point that the FGR itself took over the investigation and the Sinaloa prosecutor, Sara Bruna Quiñónez, resigned from her position.

For his part, the governor claims and backed up his claim with flight records, that he had flown to Los Angeles, California in the US that morning and did not return until the following day after the reports of Cuen's death and the detained Sinaloa Cartel leaders across the border.

"If they said I was going to be there, they lied, and if he believed them, he fell into the trap,” said Rocha hours after the letter was published. “The government was on vacation; I made the decision to leave for three or four days.”

According to the flight logs, published by journalist Marcos Vizcarra, Rocha left Culiacán at 9:00 AM and landed in Los Angeles, California at 11:15 AM, which breaks with the timeline provided by El Mayo should Rocha have been at that meeting.

On July 25, Rocha and six of his family members arrived in LA and attended a Dodgers vs SF Giants baseball game there that day. The game began at 1:10 PM.

He arrived in the United States on a private plane belonging to Servicio Ejecutivos Aéreos Viz, a company owned by former PRI congressman Jesús Vizcarra and his brothers. Jesús Vizcarra was previously mayor of Culiacán (as Hector Cuen once was well) and his family is behind companies such as Salud Digna, which offers low-cost health services, and SuKarne, one of the country’s main cattle-raising emporiums.

The politician Jesús Vizcarra Calderon has been investigated by authorities for drug trafficking and money laundering, and linked for decades to “El Mayo” and the Sinaloa Cartel, allegations he has repeatedly denied.

Leaked photo of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda at the hospital following his death.

Deputy Sinaloa Prosecutor Claims No Irregularities

Deputy Attorney General Dámaso Castro Saavedra said there was no irregularity in the preparation of the investigation file for the murder of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda.

"As far as I'm concerned, as far as what I've done, yes (I'm calm), everyone who worked on the file is responsible and knows what they have to do," he said.

He mentioned that the gas station version was always said to be the witness's version.

One of the functions of the Prosecutor's Office, he mentioned, is to confirm or discard versions and that one would possibly be discarded because they were obtaining information that did not match that of the witness.

"What we had at that time was a report of a person who had died and then we started the investigation file with the information we had," he said. Beyond the allegations mentioned in the FGR statement, I do not see any irregularities, he indicated.

Federal agents pointed out 10 inaccuracies in the local Sinaloa investigation folder after experts and analysts from the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) and FGR analyzed it. They concluded that the autopsy does not correctly establish the immediate cadaveric signs, temperature, thanatological signs, lividity, nor the correct description and evolution of the body.

The video released by the FGR to seemingly confirm their version of Hector Cuen's death following the claims made in "El Mayo's" letter released via his attorney Frank Perez led to questions of its own. In the gas station video, the robbery or carjacking attempt seems due as the gunman quickly opens the passenger door, no struggle or attempt to steal the truck occurs before they take off before the truck does in the opposite direction.

The autopsy noted bruising to Cuen's head, and four gunshot wounds to his legs while the video plausibly only shows one gunshot and the gas station attendants did not react to or report the gunshots when interviewed.

The sole account that connects these events and that was backed up by the gas station video came from Fausto Corrales.

Hector Cuen and Víctor Antonio Corrales Burgueño. 

Fausto Corrales was described as a long time family friend of Hector Cuen as his father was a former rector of UAS as well and took over as the leader of the PAS when Hector Cuen was named to be the Secretary of Health in Sinaloa under Governor Rocha.

The Sinaloa Party has recently seen some additional attention as well due to several murders occurring in the aftermath of the betrayal, kidnapping and US arrest of "El Mayo."

Sinaloa Party Connected Murders

Hector Cuen Ojeda founded the Sinaloa Party (PAS) in 2012 and was its President until he was named by Governor Rocha in 2021 as Secretary of Health, which he was dismissed from earlier this year. His replacement as head of the political party was Víctor Antonio Corrales, the father of the key witness to Cuen's death.

Víctor Antonio Corrales Burgueño, current President of the PAS

PAS as a political organization that plays an important role in political alliances in Sinaloa. Since in the elections for governor in 2021, it was in alliance with Morena that Héctor Cuén was a key member of Rubén Rocha's team to promote his campaign.

For the 2024 elections, the PAS was in coalition with the PRI, PAN and PRD, that resulted in a federal deputy seat for Héctor Cuén. He was to begin that term at the end of this month and had an element of GN soldiers as part of his protection detail until his term began in August. Several weeks before his death, that protection was removed and Cuen blamed Governor Rocha and held him responsible for whatever was to happen to him.

Cuen's mysterious death following the kidnapping and US arrest of "El Mayo," hasn't been the only death connected to the political party and possibly the events of that day.

Hector Cuen Ojeda and Sonia Estela Garcia Corrales.

Through an obituary post shared on the PAS social networks, PAS in Elota sent condolences to Sonia Estela García Corrales for the death of her brothers who were linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Sonia is the president of PAS party in the municipality of Elota where her brothers, Martin and Jose Ricardo Garcia Corrales, and another were found tortured and murdered along with another unidentified man.

“We deeply regret the passing of: José Ricardo García Corrales and Martín García Corrales, brothers of our president and friend Sonia Estela García Corrales,” the statement said.

The three men were found in Elota on a dirt road that connects Conitaca with Las Higueras. Their bodies showed obvious signs of torture and their hands were tied. Bullet casings were also found at the scene, suggesting that they were executed on the spot.

Martin Garcia Corrales was the brother of Leobardo Garcia Corrales. According to the US Treasury OFAC, both Mexican nationals and associates of Los Chapitos, are large-scale methamphetamine and fentanyl manufacturers in Sinaloa, Mexico. The US State Department was offering a $4 million reward for information leading to the capture of "El Tano."

The brothers negotiated the sale of illicit fentanyl in the United States and operate fentanyl labs in Oaxaca, Mexico. They used the proceeds from fentanyl sales to purchase automatic rifles, grenades, and other weapons. Both are known associates of Joaquin Archivaldo “El Chapo” Guzman Loera and “El Mayo”.

Martin worked under his brother Leobardo Garcia Corrales who is considered a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel. "Don Leoba" is described by the US government as a key operator for Ivan and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, who liked to brag about his closeness with the leaders of Los Chapitos.

Fentanyl for Weapons Deal

According to the April, 2023 indictment against Los Chapitos and other members of the Sinaloa Cartel Martin Garcia Corrales and a co-conspirator met at a restaurant in Mazatlán on November 14, 2022. Martin Garcia Corrales agreed to purchase hundreds of automatic rifles and other weapons, including grenades, with payment for the weapons in the form of fentanyl to be imported and delivered in the U.S. Prior to that meeting, in September 2022, Martin Garcia Corrales facilitated the delivery of approximately one kilogram of fentanyl at an address in California.

Also known as "El Tano" or "Cachuchas," Martin Garcia Corrales was one of the most wanted in the United States for trafficking fentanyl for the Sinaloa Cartel and it is believed that he had protection from political relatives, members the PAS.

In Elota, with a population of just over 55,000 inhabitants and about 80 miles south of Culiacán, Martín and Jose's sister, Sonia Estela García Corrales, is the municipal leader of the PAS. Among their relatives according to Reforma, is also the state leader of the PAS, Víctor Antonio Corrales Burgueño, former Rector of the UAS, and the longtime friend of Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda whose son is the primary witness in his death.

Luis Alonso García Corrales

Culiacan Candidate Disappeared for 3 Days in April

"El Tano" was also unofficially identified as the brother of Luis Alonso García Corrales, a former candidate for councilor in Culiacán for the PAS. In the records of the State Executive Committee of the PAS, Luis Alonso appears as “Secretary of Organization.”

On April 13, 2024 Luis Alonso was reported missing along with Francisco Cerón Beltrán, also a PAS activist. At the time, Sonia Estela asked for help to locate him, but referred to him as a “comrade and friend,” and not as a brother.

Three days later, the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, confirmed that Luis Alonso García Corrales and Francisco Cerón Beltrán had been found alive. However, he did not disclose the cause of their disappearance.

Through a press conference, the founder of the political organization presented a video that exposes the moment in which García Corrales and one of his collaborators, Juan Francisco Cerón Beltrán, were intercepted by alleged elements of the Municipal Police on the morning of April 13, 2024.

When searching for information on García Corrales and Cerón Beltrán in the National Registry of Arrests (RND), no record appears that identifies them as arrested, so the conditions under which the apparent elements of the Municipal Police stopped them are unknown.

"This is a political matter. Luis is in charge of everything that is organizational in the Sinaloa Party and they know that he is an element that has a lot of information [...] It is very evident what is happening, Mr. Governor," said Cuén Ojeda when calling on Rubén Rocha Moya to demand the release of the candidate and his companion in April 2024.

The PAS candidate and Francisco Cerón, were found alive after three days of searching. During a press conference, PAS founder Héctor Cuén Ojeda revealed a series of videos that the organization obtained as part of the investigation they were conducting outside of the Sinaloan authorities. The videos showed a red and black Ford Mustang car that, as previously reported, was seemingly watching Luis García's home minutes before his disappearance.

At 7:47 a.m., while driving along Las Torres Boulevard, Luis Alonso and Francisco were intercepted by a Municipal Police patrol unit, near the intersection with Álvaro Obregón Avenue.

At 7:55 a.m. the alleged municipal elements let them go and 15 minutes later, Luis Alonso's phone went off.

When the police vehicle stopped them, the Ford Mustang that had previously been parked at the candidate's house passed by and momentarily stopped. Cuén cited this as an indicator of its possible connection to the disappearance.

Sources Proceso, Riodoce, Reforma, Infobae, Infobae, OFAC, US State Dept., Radio Formula, Radio Formula, El Pais