Months after cartel-connected officials from a border state government reshaped its police force, top leaders are now racking up complaints about a sexually hostile workplace for females and other harassment allegations.
Rebranded as the Tamaulipas State Guard, the police force is proving largely inefficient in fighting cartels as evidenced by a rise in illegal checkpoints, outgunned police, and Americans kidnapped in Matamoros. The State Guard concept hopes to follow the model of Mexico’s National Guard after the federal police force was absorbed by the military under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Breitbart Texas exclusively obtained internal documents highlighting abuses and harassment by some officials who were moved into the new force. The debut of the State Guard came a few weeks after the October arrival of Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal. He is widely accused of receiving campaign funding from cartels and fuel theft organizations. Villarreal fired most of the police commanding officers and brought in military brass as replacements.
One of the leaders, Enrique Lopez Solis, is described in one complaint as mistreating female officers, snapping his fingers at them, calling them vulgar names, and threatening to have them arrested. When confronted, Lopez Solis reportedly claimed “I command you all” and those unhappy with his style should become accustomed to it. The complaint filed by a female high-ranking officer claims psychological and workplace abuse by Lopez Solis. She listed four male officers as witnesses to the pattern of abuse.
Breitbart Texas has also confirmed that other female officers lodged complaints against Retired Mexican Army Captain Humberto Aguilar Valdez, the new Office Coordinator for the Tamaulipas Public Security Secretary. Aguilar is one of the few heads who was not fired during the reorganization.
Aguilar allegedly used his position to have his wife, Nora Ramirez Garza, placed as the director for Internal Affairs and his daughter, Karen Rodriguez Ramirez, as a department head within the public security apparatus.
Breitbart Texas confirmed that Aguilar has previously been accused of vehicle theft but the case is now closed.
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.
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