Puebla municipalities face crisis amid mayoral arrests and crime links

A series of criminal investigations and political shifts are unfolding in Puebla, Mexico, as several municipalities face the installation of provisional municipal councils. This follows the removal, resignation, or arrest of eight mayors due to alleged links to organized crime.

In the municipality of Esperanza, former mayor Isaac Rodríguez Ochoa and eight others, including his brother Manuel Rodríguez Ochoa and former security director Abigail Contreras Camacho, have been formally charged by a federal judge. The group faces charges including the possession of exclusive military-grade firearms and crimes against health. The Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) alleges the group provided institutional protection to ‘Los Zúñiga’, a criminal organization responsible for cargo theft, extortion, and kidnapping along the Puebla-Veracruz highway.

Investigations suggest the former mayor may have distributed products, such as milk, that were stolen by criminal groups as part of social assistance programs. In response to the instability, Governor Alejandro Armenta announced meetings with the newly appointed municipal councils to ensure they operate with strict adherence to the law. The Governor defended the decision to appoint male leaders for these specific councils, citing the high security risks posed by organized crime in these regions.