Ayotzinapa: Despite judge's ruling, 'El Mochomo' will remain in custody

On July 6, a federal judge ordered the release of José Ángel Casarrubias aka “El Mochomo,” the cartel leader involved in the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa students in September 2014. Nevertheless, the Guerreros Unidos leader will remain in custody.

The judge based in Mexico City admitted the writ of amparo filed by “El Mochomo” after he was arrested for a second time.

By admitting the amparo, the judge granted the appeal, forcing the Attorney General’s Office to release the suspect if he is being accused of organized crime or brings the cartel leader before a judge.

However, the appeal granted by the judge won’t lead to his release.

After “El Mochomo” was released from prison, the Attorney General’s Office released a recording between Francelia Salgado, the criminal’s mother, and lawyer Arturo Onofre. During the call, they arrange a bribe for unnamed court officials.

Later, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said “there was money involved” in the release of “El Mochomo.”

López Obrador asserted that the release was “an attack against the institutions and the State” so he announced those involved will be punished.

The President said these acts of corruption used to be hidden and that they must be condemned so that they do not happen again.

José Ángel Covarrubias Salgado is part of the investigation of the Iguala case because Osvaldo Ríos Sánchez, “El Gordo,” and his brother, Miguel Ángel “El Pozol,” testified “El Mochomo” ordered them to kill the 43 students who were then allegedly buried in a clandestine grave in Pueblo Viejo.

On July 7, it was reported that the Federal Judicial Council will impose a six-month suspension against the court secretary who released “El Mochomo.” The court official is also being investigated for alleged corruption acts.

The Judicial Council announced the Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against the court secretary, who was allegedly bribed to release the cartel leader by arguing there was not enough evidence against him.

On July 1, a judge ordered the Casarrubias Salgado’s release after he was charged with organized crime.

The cartel leader filed two writs of amparo on July 4. The first was against his second arrest minutes after being released from El Altiplano prison, and the second because he is allegedly afraid of being the victim of enforced disappearance.

Later, a judge granted “El Mochomo” an appeal against any enforced disappearance acts.

The notorious criminal argues that his arrest was illegal because officials didn’t show him an arrest warrant.

“El Mochomo”

On June 24, Mexican authorities arrested Ángel Casarrubias Salgado, also known as “El Mochomo”, a member of the Guerreros Unidos Cartel, the criminal group linked to the disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.

Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero confirmed his arrest on June 30.

Federal sources confirmed the arrest took place on June 24, after a federal judge issued an arrest warrant against “El Mochomo” for his involvement in organized crime.

Mexican authorities said Guerreros Unidos is the criminal organization behind the kidnapping and disappearance of 43 students. According to previous investigations, former Iguala Mayor ordered municipal police officers from Iguala and Cocula to hand the students to the local cartel.

Sidronio Casarrubias, Ángel Casarrubias’ brother, was arrested in 2014 and confessed his involvement in the enforced disappearance of the 43 students.

Guerreros Unidos

The criminal organization is currently active and operates in Guerrero and the State of Mexico.

The Guerreros Unidos Cartel is part of the larger Beltrán Leyva Cartel. It has an important participation in the heroin trade and was involved in the disappearance of the Ayotzinapa students.

The Guerreros Unidos traffics cocaine as far north as Chicago in the United States and reportedly operates primarily in the central and Pacific states of Guerrero, State of México, and Morelos.

The Guerreros Unidos, according to Mexican authorities, was responsible for taking the 43 Mexican teacher trainees, who were handed to them by local authorities in Iguala, Guerrero; the group allegedly murdered the students and burned their bodies.

The DEA maintains that the Guerreros Unidos are known to traffic heroin and other drugs into the United States.

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