'El Mochomo’ and his lawyer face organized crime charges

A federal judge bound José Ángel Casarrubias Salgado, aka "El Mochomo ," and his lawyer, Arturo Rodríguez García, over for trial on organized crime charges. The judge decided both men will remain in jail and sent them to a maximum-security prison.

“El Mochomo” and his lawyer were arrested last week after a judge issued an arrest warrant against both of them.

According to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), Rodríguez García is a member of the Guerreros Unidos cartel and is also involved in drug trafficking .

An investigation launched by the FGR indicates the lawyer is a key member of the local cartel who operated drug trafficking, bribed authorities, acted as a straw-man to purchase and sell properties. Moreover, Sidronio Casarrubias used him as an intermediary to order illicit operations.

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On the other hand, “El Mochomo” is the alleged Guerreros Unidos leader who ordered the kidnapping and massacre of the 43 Ayotzinapa students; however, the cartel boss and his lawyer were bound over for trial in connection with other crimes.

Arturo Rodríguez appeared in court as El Mochomo’s lawyer on July 1, when a judge decided to release the cartel leader. However, the Attorney General’s Office detained the cartel boss and placed him under home arrest for two months.

Then a recording featuring Francelia Salgado, El Mochomo’s mother, and a man leaked. The woman is arranging the payment of bribes to a federal tribunal so that authorities would release the cartel leader.

After the recording went viral, the Judiciary took legal action against the government officials who participated in the bribery.

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“El Mochomo” & Guerreros Unidos

According to investigations, “El Mochomo” ordered the murder of the 43 Ayotzinapa students in September 2014.

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.

The criminal organization is currently active and operates in Guerrero, Morelos, 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 DEA maintains that the Guerreros Unidos are known to traffic heroin and other drugs into the United States.

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