Background on Key Figures and Relevant Context
In Michoacán, Mexico, the security situation remains tense as authorities investigate the mayor’s security team following a recent assassination. The Secretary of National Defense (Sedena), Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, reported that 70 security personnel are currently assigned to protect public officials, with over 450 operatives dedicated to this task.
Omar García Harfuch, the head of Security and Citizen Protection, is set to visit Morelia on Thursday as part of the ongoing security operation for Michoacán. This visit comes after Michoacán’s governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, rejected the actions taken during Felipe Calderón’s presidency and the war on drug trafficking.
Ramírez Bedolla emphasized the importance of intelligence and specialized groups for judicialization and generating arrest warrants, rather than relying on brute force. He also mentioned that political conflicts during Calderón’s term hindered Michoacán’s development, which is no longer the case due to political alignment with the federal government.
Investigation into Mayor’s Security Team
García Harfuch confirmed that municipal police officers assigned as the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo Rodríguez’s security detail, have given statements to authorities following a recent armed attack that claimed the mayor’s life on November 1st.
One of the security personnel acknowledged shooting at the assailant, but forensic analysis is still ongoing to determine which weapon caused both the attacker’s and the mayor’s deaths.
“Indeed, one of your mentioned statements (shooting at the assailant after subduing him) was made by one of his security detail from the start, stating that he shot at the attacker of the municipal president. However, forensic analysis continues to identify the weapon that killed the attacker and also struck the municipal president,” explained García Harfuch.
The Security chief clarified that the municipal officers are not detained but are being located and summoned for questioning whenever required by the Michoacán State Attorney General’s Office, which is leading the investigation.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Omar García Harfuch? He is the head of Mexico’s Security and Citizen Protection department, responsible for overseeing security operations across the country.
- Why is García Harfuch visiting Morelia? He is there to support ongoing security efforts in Michoacán, a state grappling with organized crime and violence.
- What is the investigation about? Authorities are looking into the mayor’s security team following a fatal attack on Carlos Manzo Rodríguez, the mayor of Uruapan.
- What is the current status of the municipal officers involved? They are not detained but are being questioned as required by the investigation led by the Michoacán State Attorney General’s Office.
