Protected witnesses have cost US$12.9 million

After being an infantry lieutenant, Alejandro L. joined the "first generation” Zetas. Then he became a protected witness.

He joined the Gulf Cartel in December 1998 and left it in November 2001, when he escorted Arturo Guzmán Decena, better known as “El Z1”.

Alejandro L. was one of the founders of Los Zetas, created as the armed wing of the Gulf Cartel, until he was brought before a public prosecutor. It was then when he accepted to become a protected witness under the Federal Law Against Organized Crime.

The information provided by him led to the arrest of Maximino Moreno, Héctor Abel Alfonsín and Arnulfo Miguel Candelario, three former members of the special forces of Mexico's National Defense Ministry accused of protecting the Gulf Cartel. However, the case was dropped in June 2003, because the indictment against them was primarily based on the statements made by Alejandro L., who was known as “Yeraldín”.

As a protected witness of Mexico's Attorney General's Office (PGR), he has testified against ministerial, federal and municipal police, as well as prosecutors and other former members of the Gulf Cartel, like the alleged lawyer of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén.

Over the last 18 years, i.e. between 1997 and March this year, 806 people have helped the PGR in its investigations as witnesses protected under Article 35 of the Federal Law Against Organized Crime, that establishes that members of criminal organizations who provide effective assistance for the investigation and prosecution of other criminals can have their sentences cut by half or more.

People who are at risk, as well as victims or public servants, can also receive protection under the aforementioned law. This is the case of Clara G., better known as the protected witness in the case of Tlatlaya, with code name “Julia”.

According to data provided by the PGR, there were 95 protected witnesses in the last four years of Ernesto Zedillo's administration, compared to 251 during the tenure of Vicente Fox and 336 under Felipe Calderón. Since the beginning of the current administration and until March this year, 124 people have served as protected witnesses.

From 2000 to April 2015, Mexico's government spent US$12.96 million dollars (217.44 million pesos) in costs related to protected witnesses, such as maintenance, leasing and police protection.