Mexico's Defense Ministry Disavows Links to Retired General Gerardo Mérida

Secretary of Mexico’s Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), General Ricardo Trevilla, said the institution has no connection to retired General Gerardo Mérida, who surrendered to U.S. authorities after being accused of colluding with the Sinaloa cartel’s Los Chapitos faction. Trevilla clarified that Mérida retired from the army in 2022 and his only remaining ties to the military are administrative, related to salary and medical benefits through the Instituto de Seguridad Social para las Fuerzas Armadas (ISSFAM).

The secretary rejected claims by Sinaloa’s interim governor Yeraldine Bonilla that SEDENA was responsible for Mérida’s appointment as state security secretary, noting that state governments appoint their own officials and any assistance from the Defense Ministry would be limited to advisory support. He also stated that SEDENA has no information on the U.S. investigation into Mérida’s alleged cartel links.