Anaya in the hands of an “acquaintance”

Anaya in hands of an “acquaintance”

Businessman Manuel Barreiro Castañeda has become the key man on the case of the alleged money laundering involving the presidential candidate of the coalition For Mexico to the Front, Ricardo Anaya , of the conservative National Action Party (PAN). We're told that federal authorities will have, at any given minute, the arrest order for Barreiro, who has been accused by two witnesses who claim they worked for him laundering some money that had Anaya as final beneficiary. According to Mr. Ricardo, Barreiro is merely an acquaintance but the witnesses insist they're more than that, that they are joined by bonds of friendship, according to a statement given before Mexico's Office of the Attorney General. Per legal procedure, if all operations are in order, Barreiro will appear before the Office of the Attorney General yet on Wednesday they asked immigration to flag his passport. Do they fear he will flee to foreign lands?

Two-day jail time for a cartel boss

The joy of arresting in Tamaulipas one of the key leaders of the Gulf Cartel, José Alfredo Cárdenas Martínez , was short-lived for the federal forces. According to the federal control judge, Saúl Cota Murillo, the arrest of the alleged criminal was inadmissible. As you might remember, Cárdenas is the nephew of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén , former maximum leader of the Gulf Cartel who was arrested in Matamoros in 2005 and extradited to the United States in 2007 – where he is currently serving a 25-year sentence in jail. We've been told that in the case of Cárdenas Martínez, the judge took into consideration videos which cast some shadows on the location where the Navy arrested him. Our sources say the Navy is surprised by the lenient criteria of the Judge towards Cárdenas Martínez, and the harshness adopted towards the federal forces. It was because of these criteria, they claim, that the cartel boss received a pass to get out of jail and leave the maximum security prison of El Altiplano. “Apologies for the inconvenience, Mr, Judge,” the federal elements who risked their lives to captured the alleged cartel boss should say.

Appropriating Meade

The popular sector of the center-right Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) wants to prove that José Antonio Meade is theirs, their presidential candidate, in order to show some muscle before the electoral campaign launches. During the 75 anniversary of the National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP), its leader, Arturo Zamora , wants to spare no expense on an event scheduled for February 28 with the attendance of the leaders of the farmers and worker's sectors. The team of Mr. Arturo, our sources claim, is drafting a speech highlighting the possibility of an alliance of the party with the needs of the citizens, aimed for the 2018 General Election . Two dilemmas appear from this celebration: A worn party will manage to connect with the electorate? And does the presidential candidate have all the PRI marbles in his pocket?

Party at the house of Minister Aguilar

In the mood for a party are also the members of the Federal Judicial Branch, who on March 7 will have a ceremony to give awards to ministers and magistrates. We've been told that the Mexican Association of Justice Enforcers has selected the names of the members of the judicial system which will receive the award AMIJ 2018, on the “Day of the Mexican Judge.” The laureates at the party of the president of Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice , Luis María Aguilar, will be retired Minister Sergio Salvador Aguirre, Minister José Fernando González, Magistrate Alberto Machuca, Magistrate Laura Emilia Aceves, and Magistrate Fernando Tovar y de Teresa. Congratulations!

am