Carlos Martínez surrenders following federal money laundering probe

Carlos ‘Conejo’ Martínez, the former mayor of Aguas Blancas, surrendered to police in Orán on Wednesday after being a fugitive since Saturday. Martínez was attempting to evade a federal arrest during an operation targeting a suspected money laundering organization linked to drug trafficking.

The investigation, led by the Narcotrafficking Prosecutor's Office (Procunar) and the Prosecutor's Office for Economic Criminality and Money Laundering (Procelac), follows nearly two years of research. A recent operation involving 32 raids resulted in the arrest of 11 individuals, including Martínez’s children, his current partner, his ex-wife, and two accountants.

Federal Judge Gustavo Montoya has ordered preventive detention for seven of the detainees. The prosecution alleges the group operated an illicit association to integrate funds from narcotics into the legal economy. The investigation is expected to continue over the next six months.