FAST DOWNLOAD
Mexican mayor investigated for thanking drug lord for giving gifts
A Mexican mayor is under investigation for possible criminal ties after a banner appeared in her town thanking a notorious cartel leader for delivering gifts to children, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday.
Mexican media reported that in a small town in the western state of Michoacan, a sign appeared during a public event that read: ” The children of Coalcoman thank Mr. Nemesio Oseguera and his children… for their noble gesture. Thank you for your gifts.”
Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera is one of the most wanted drug traffickers in the world, leader of the ultra-violent Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel . The United States DEA has announced a reward of up to 15 million dollars for his arrest.
“An investigation is being carried out into whether or not the municipal president (Anavel Ávila) has ties to this criminal group, and why this banner was presented,” said President Sheinbaum.
“We obviously condemn these banners . We are against any apology for these criminal groups,” he added.
It’s not the first time
It would not be the first time that drug cartels have distributed gifts to try to consolidate support among Mexicans.
In 2022, Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador , urged people not to be fooled by drug traffickers handing out Christmas gifts.
The call came after videos on social media showed alleged criminals distributing gifts from vans decorated with Christmas ornaments to residents of the city of Guadalajara.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, food deliveries by drug cartels have been reported in several communities in Mexico, where a spiral of drug-related violence has led to the murder of more than 450,000 people since 2006.
US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations after he takes office on January 20.
