Two Mexican Cops Sentenced for Beheading Journalist on Mayor’s Order

Two Mexican police officers from Veracruz were sentenced for their roles in the kidnapping and beheading of journalist Moises Sanchez. The mayor of Medellin, the alleged mastermind of the murder, remains at large while the municipal public safety director who reportedly ordered the officers to act was released.

This week, the Veracruz Attorney General’s Office announced it was able to get a 25-year prison sentence against Luigi Heriberto Bonilla Zavaleta and Jose Francisco Garcia for their roles in the murder of the veteran journalist. The cops were initially arrested in 2015 on murder charges.

Moises Sanchez, a reporter with La Union newspaper, was the victim of a brazen kidnapping at the hand of local police officers in January 2015. Weeks after, authorities discovered a large trash bag with his body; he was tortured and beheaded, Breitbart Texas reported.

Shortly after the discovery of Sanchez’s body, authorities arrested local cop Clemente Noe Rodriguez, who confessed to his role and revealed that he acted under the orders of Medellin Mayor Omar Cruz Reyes–who remains at large. The confessed killer also said he and five other cops were ordered to carry out the hit by Medellin Public Safety Director Martin Lopez Meneses on the mayor’s behalf. Lopez Meneses was briefly detained in early 2015 but was released shortly after.

Jan Albert Hootsen, the Mexico representative for the international press freedom organization, Committee to Protect Journalists, stated that the sentence is not the end of the case.

“I cannot stress enough that the sentencing of these two policemen does NOT mean that the Moises Sánchez murder case is solved,” Hootsen said in a public statement. “The former mayor of Medellín also allegedly involved is still at large, as is his former head of security. Justice is still not completely served.”

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon.  You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.