MEXICO CITY — In a sweeping operation across two southern states, law enforcement officials apprehended over 100 local police officers on Monday for various forms of misconduct, further highlighting the pervasive issue of police corruption within the nation.
In the most significant incident, authorities detained 92 municipal police officers in Chiapas after they attempted to obstruct state officials from taking control of a police surveillance camera facility.
Prosecutors from Chiapas have alleged that these officers in Comitan misused the surveillance system to tip off local factions, some of which have ties to drug trafficking organizations, regarding state and federal law enforcement operations in the area.
Chiapas state police chief Óscar Aparicio Avendaño reported that some of the officers brandished firearms against state personnel trying to assume command of the surveillance office, effectively forcing them out under threat of violence.
The officers are currently detained while facing charges of rioting and abuse of power. Following their arrest, tensions escalated as locals blocked roads and vandalized surveillance equipment, resulting in approximately 30 additional arrests on charges of rioting.
The conflict centers around local groups posing as representatives for farmers in the region, yet they have frequently been coerced or incentivized to support drug cartels battling for control over Chiapas.
The corrupt actions of local officers using the camera network to communicate the movements of federal troops and state police could significantly benefit these farming factions and cartels, particularly as they frequently manage roadblocks.
Comitan is strategically located near the Guatemalan border, a crucial area for human smuggling routes.
The region of Chiapas has been heavily infiltrated by competing gangs, notably the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco cartel, both of which are also involved in the smuggling of migrants and extortion activities. Consequently, many residents have felt compelled to flee to Guatemala for their safety.
Chiapas Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar declared that the collaboration between local communities and criminal organizations is a thing of the past. “The days are over when they (the gangs) came in, took control, and told community members to block the army or oppose law enforcement,” Ramírez Aguilar remarked, referring to incidents where residents protested against military patrols by demanding they leave their towns.
It is essential to note that the issue of cartel influence in Chiapas originated during the tenure of former governor Rutilio Escandón, who, like Ramírez Aguilar, is a member of the ruling Morena party. Escandón has since been appointed as Mexico’s consul in Miami, Florida.
Additionally, in Veracruz, authorities announced the arrests of 13 state police officers linked to three separate cases of forced disappearances, a troubling crime in which individuals are taken by authorities and vanish without a trace.
Prosecutors in Veracruz have not released specific information regarding the victims involved in these cases.
