Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Video Credit: CEN
This is the moment a heavily armed cartel interrogate four cops who were kidnapped during an attack on a Public Safety building – and they were later found dead.
The video reportedly shows members of the Grupo Elite (Elite Group) section of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) with four police officers who were kidnapped after an attack on the building of the Direction of Public Safety in Villagran, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato.
In the video, the officers and be seen sitting in chairs surrounded by heavily armed cartel members. The cops are interrogated by a man who does not appear on camera as one of the cartel points an assault rifle at their heads.
The cops give their names and give the roles they allegedly carried out for Jose Antonio Yepez, alias El Marro, leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, the CJNG’s main rivals.
The cops were identified as Maria Guadalupe Lopez, Pedro Antonio Neri, Roberto Lopez and Jose Juan de la Fuente, while the prosecution is investigating the case.
The female cops say she was in charge of “Checking the cameras when the National Guard, state police and army are passing”.
Video Credit: CEN
One of the cops explains that one of his activities was to collect the quotas following orders of the municipal President of Villagran, Juan Lara.
Another, Roberto Lopez Lozano says he “gave” 10 people to El Marro.
The cops also say that the Director of Public Safety Mauricio Osorio works for the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel.
The four cops who appear in the video were found dead on Friday on the road Panamerican highway between Salamanca-Celaya, only a few kilometres away from the place where the attack on the government building took place.
Local media report an unnamed judge who was kidnapped in the same attack was later found injured but alive.
Sophia Huett, the Commissioner of Security of Guanajuato, explained that municipal authorities of Villagran confirmed that the officers belonged to the municipal police.
The CJNG announced they were launching attacks in Villagran last week before 15 armed members attacked the Public Safety building using grenades and killing three cops.
El Marro reportedly has his base in Villagran and uses the area as the centre of his petrol-stealing operation.
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