The top cop in the Mexican state of Colima resigned amid a probe over the kidnapping and dismemberment of seven police officers. The cops were working a security detail for mining businessmen when they were abducted.
Moments before going into a meeting with state legislators about the case this week, Colima State Public Security Secretary Enrique Alberto Sanmiguel Sanchez resigned his post and left the governor and secretary of state to field questions. In a prepared statement, the former top cop said he left to avoid interfering with the investigation.
Secretario de Seguridad Pública presenta renuncia al cargo. https://t.co/CRckrAkzQX pic.twitter.com/csps33U2Oq
— Gobierno Colima (@gobiernocolima) June 3, 2020
On May 28, a squad of 10 Colima officers consisting of seven men and three women were assigned to mining businessmen traveling to neighboring Jalisco the following day. The officers and two civilian employees traveled by land while the businessmen flew.
Ayer en conversación con el gobernador de Jalisco, @EnriqueAlfaroR, abordamos la desaparición de 10 elementos de policía estatal y 2 civiles en el Estado vecino.
Agradezco su disposición y coordinación que, desde el primer momento, ha mostrado para que la búsqueda sea exhaustiva.— José Ignacio Peralta (@nachoperaltacol) May 30, 2020
After the meeting, the officers were driving back to Colima when gunmen ambushed and kidnapped them. For several days, authorities searched for the missing officers with no results until the three female officers and two civilians were released on Saturday. On Monday, authorities found an SUV with the mutilated bodies of the seven police officers in a rural area near the Jalisco state line.
La Fiscalía General del Estado informó que los cuerpos sin vida, localizados ayer, coinciden con los rasgos físicos de los 7 policías estatales que desaparecieron en Jalisco, en la zona limítrofe con nuestra entidad.
— José Ignacio Peralta (@nachoperaltacol) June 2, 2020
While Colima and Jalisco both have a substantial cartel presence, the area also is home to some organizations focused on illegal mining. No one has been identified as responsible for the murders.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
Tony Aranda from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report
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