Background on Key Figures and Relevance
Omar García Harfuch, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, announced the transfer of 25 inmates from Michoacán to federal penitentiaries located in Durango, Coahuila, Nayarit, and Veracruz. These transfers took place via air transportation, with none of the prisoners having an extradition order. This action is part of a broader strategy to strengthen security in Michoacán’s penitentiary system.
García Harfuch, accompanied by the Secretaries of National Defense (Sedena) and of the Navy (Semar), Ricardo Trevilla Trejo and Raymundo Morales, respectively, along with the head of the National Guard (GN), Hernán Cortés, and Sandy Karen Orihuela, the central fiscal of Specialized Attention from the Fiscal General de Justicia del Estado de México (FGJEM), detailed the reasons behind these transfers.
Reasons for Transferring Inmates
The 25 prisoners were moved due to several concerns, including:
- Negative leadership behaviors
- Incitement to disorder
- Active criminal connections
- Economic capacity to corrupt prison staff
- Risk to the stability of state penitentiaries
- Potential for criminal regrouping, increased internal tensions, possible riots, and collective pressure acts
Extortion Crackdown and Arrests
As part of the National Security Strategy initiated on July 6, and as a result of the National Agreement to Combat Extortion signed by the federal government in coordination with all 32 states, over 600 extortionists have been detained.
This crackdown on extortion is a significant effort in coordination with the federal entities, as stated by García Harfuch.
Dismantling a Criminal Group
In addition to the prisoner transfers, García Harfuch reported that a criminal group responsible for violent merchandise theft has been dismantled. This was achieved through coordinated operations in Hidalgo and the State of Mexico, leading to the arrest of 12 individuals, including Mario Iván ‘N’, identified as the group’s leader.
Prisoner Distribution in Federal Penitentiaries
The 25 transferred prisoners were allocated to the following federal penitentiaries:
- Cefereso No. 14 in Durango (10)
- Cefereso No. 4 in Nayarit (5)
- Cefereso No. 5 in Veracruz (5)
- Cefereso No. 18 in Coahuila (5)
Operation Details and Security Measures
The transfer operation, part of the Plan Michoacán por la Paz y la Justicia, involved a force of 225 elements: 105 from the GN, 50 from the Penitentiary Reaction Unit, and 70 from the Federal Protection Service.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who made the announcement? Omar García Harfuch, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection
- How many inmates were transferred, and where? 25 inmates from Michoacán were transferred to federal penitentiaries in Durango (10), Nayarit (5), Veracruz (5), and Coahuila (5).
- Why were these inmates transferred? Due to negative leadership behaviors, incitement to disorder, active criminal connections, economic capacity to corrupt prison staff, and risks to state penitentiary stability.
- How many extortionists have been detained? Over 600 extortionists have been apprehended as part of the National Security Strategy.
- What criminal group was dismantled? A group responsible for violent merchandise theft, with 12 arrests including the leader, Mario Iván ‘N’.
