Leaders of Guerreros Unidos say that Abarca was a member of the organization

Members of the criminal organization Guerreros Unidos said that José Luis Abarca, former mayor of Iguala, Guerrero, was his accomplice.

According to statements obtained by Mexico's Attorney General's Office (PGR), the official received leaders and members of the criminal group at his office in the municipal presidency to plan their activities.

In September 2014, before the disappearance of the 43 students of Ayotzinapa, Abarca met at his office with Raúl Nuñez Salgado “El Camperra”, financial operator of Guerreros Unidos; José Luis Ramírez, manager of the Buena Vista shopping mall and Gildardo López Astudillo “El Gil” to ask them for help to remove street vendors from Iguala's downtown.

According to statements of members of Guerreros Unidos, the former mayor of Iguala had an active participation in the organization and allowed its operation.

Sidronio Casarrubias Salgado, “El Chino”, leader of Guerreros Unidos, has said that Abarca and his wife, María de los Ángeles Pineda, were the “financial brains” of the organization. He added that Abarca controlled half of the municipalities of the northern region of Guerrero and bribed the mayors of six municipalities in the State of Mexico and Morelos, as reported by EL UNIVERSAL on October 10.

Moreover Yazareth, daughter of José Luis Abarca and María de los Ángeles Pineda, declared that his father received several phone calls on September 26 and 27, 2014 informing him about the activities of the students. According to Yazareth, his father spoke with Francisco Salgado, former director of the Municipal Police of Iguala that has been linked with Guerreros Unidos.

Abarca is accused of kidnapping Arturo Herández Cardona, a member of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and the Popular Union, and of being involved in the murder of Justino Carvajal Salgado, that worked for the government of Iguala.

He is also held responsible for the murder of Julio César Mondragón Fontes, Daniel Solís Gallardo and Julio César Ramírez Nava, students of Ayotzinapa; Blanca Montiel Sánchez, a woman who was killed in a taxi on the day of the attack; David Josué García Evangelista, member of the soccer team Avispones de Chilpancingo and Víctor Manuel Lugo Ortiz, driver of the bus in which the team traveled.