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Salvador Cienfuegos, a former Mexican defense minister who was arrested by the United States this week, is suspected of acting as the “godfather” in a notorious drug trafficking criminal line in Mexico.
Salvador Cienfuegos, who served as Mexico’s Defense Minister from 2012 to 2018 (Image: AP)
A few years ago, while eavesdropping on the lines of a Mexican drug gang, United States law enforcement learned of a mysterious and powerful figure called by men and women by the name of “godfather.”
Then US agents zoned the suspects for months, theorizing that the central figure in the drug line could be a high-ranking official in the Mexican military.
An unexpected situation occurred when a subject was being monitored by telling members on his line that “godfather” was on television at the time.
Four informed sources New York Times that the US agent quickly verified who the drug traffickers were referring to. Eventually, they discovered the man, Salvador Cienfuegos, who was still Mexico’s Minister of Defense.
At that point, US officials began to suspect that the backer of one of Mexico’s most violent drug traffickers was leading the country’s fight against organized crime.
On the night of October 15, Cienfuegos was arrested by US officials at the Los Angeles airport while traveling with his family.
Cienfuegos served as Mexico’s defense minister from 2012 to 2018, charged with money laundering, transporting heroin, drugs and marijuana between 2015 and 2017, according to a formal indictment from a New York court.
This is the result of a survey that lasted years and that the United States called the “Godfather Campaign.” Investigators accused Cienfuegos of supporting the H-2 gang, a group of criminals who trade drugs across the sea. Mr. Cienfuegos is suspected of lucrative bribery by H-2 in exchange for ordering his subordinates not to pursue H-2 but to target their opponents.
Since 2006, Mexico has allowed the military to be the main force in the war on drugs because the police cannot complete the mission. The defense minister oversees military personnel deployed in areas where organized crime is rampant.
In 2017, Mexico enacted a security law that upholds the role of the military in the fight against drugs. Mr. Cienfuegos played an important role in convincing Mexican legislators to pass the law, stating that the military is the only force to combat the evils of drugs.
High-level “indigo” characters
Mr. Cienfuegos (center) was Defense Minister of former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (left) (Image: Reuters)
Follow New York TimesThe arrest of Cienfuegos seems to indicate the prevalence of drug cartels in Mexico and the participation of high-ranking figures in the country. About 10 months ago, the United States accused former Mexican official Genaro García Luna, who ran the organization in Mexico as the equivalent of the FBI, for allegedly taking bribes to protect Sinaloa, Mexico’s most powerful mafia.
If both characters are also found guilty, it means that two high-ranking former Mexican officials in the war on drugs are joining organized crime gangs, spreading a serious threat. important to the people and the country.
In addition, the United States has for many years assisted Mexico in its war on drugs, and has conducted raid campaigns with the participation of Mexican forces. If two former Mexican officials are convicted, that means the United States will have to reconsider its strategy.
Both García Luna and Cienfuegos served at the highest levels of government as homicides rose to alarming levels, drug cartels were unleashed and military operations expanded.
In Mexico, Mr. Cienfuegos is seen as a symbol of the prominent role of the military. Generals were given a lot of autonomy, rarely influenced by political pressure. In particular, Mexico’s defense minister is considered the second most powerful figure, second only to the president. So go on New York TimesNot many investigations have been opened to attack high-ranking officials in the Mexican army.
Follow New York TimesThe Cienfuegos arrest is not believed to be a joint US-Mexican operation. It appears to be related to a US-led investigation since late 2013 into crime boss Fausto Isidro Meza Flores’s Mexican drug gang. At the time, there were details that showed that Mr. Cienfuegos was suspected of being involved, but that he had not been investigated by either US or Mexican law enforcement. However, in 2015, suspicion began to grow and Mr. Cienfuegos was targeted.
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