Background and Relevance
In Guadalajara, Jalisco, two American nationals were arrested for producing counterfeit tequila in the municipality of San Pedro Tlaquepaque. The arrest was made by the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) under the Federal Ministerial Police, following a report from the legal representative of the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) about a clandestine alcoholic beverages factory called “Lotecito” in the San Francisco neighborhood of Tlaquepaque.
Who are Grover “A” and Scarlet “S”?
Grover “A” and Scarlet “S” are the two Americans arrested for their alleged involvement in producing and adulterating alcoholic beverages, specifically tequila, which violates both health regulations and the Denomination of Origin Tequila standards.
Key Actions and Findings
- Report and Investigation: The CRT’s legal representative alerted the federal authorities about the illegal “Lotecito” factory, which did not adhere to the Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) for tequila production.
- Search and Seizure: With the support of CRT specialists, the Federal Ministerial Police, the National Guard, the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, and the Coordinación Nacional Antisecuestro, a search was conducted at the property.
- Seized Items: Authorities confiscated glass bottles containing turbid liquid, labels, over 540 glass bottles, plastic containers, two stills, a distillation setup, pots, a scale, and laboratory equipment such as pipette bases, nine alcoholimeters, two tubes, two pipettes, a thermometer, three graduated cylinders, two glass tubes, a digital decimeter, a pH measurement kit, a microscope, and a refractometer.
- Vinculation to Prosecution: After conducting thorough investigations, the Federal Ministerial Police of the FGR in Jalisco requested an audience with the corresponding judge, who then bound Grover “A” and Scarlet “S” to the process for the aforementioned offenses and granted two months for complementary investigation.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who was arrested? Two American nationals, Grover “A” and Scarlet “S”
- What were they arrested for? Producing and adulterating counterfeit tequila, violating health regulations and the Denomination of Origin Tequila standards.
- What was seized during the arrest? Glass bottles with turbid liquid, labels, plastic containers, stills, distillation equipment, pots, a scale, and laboratory equipment.
- What is the significance of the Denomination of Origin Tequila? It’s a Mexican appellation of origin for tequila, ensuring that only spirits made in specific regions from blue agave can be labeled as tequila. This designation protects the reputation and quality of tequila products.
