Mexican municipal police officials arrested for crimes

Law enforcement officials in various Mexican municipalities have been arrested for involvement in serious crimes.

In Michoacán, the Director of Public Security for the municipality of José Sixto Verduzco, José Manuel Tapia Hernández, was detained alongside two municipal police officers and one civilian. The operation, involving the State Attorney General's Office, the Mexican Army, and the National Guard, was linked to investigations into forced disappearances. This follows a similar incident in 2022 when a previous director in the same municipality was processed for alleged involvement in kidnapping.

In Zacatecas, Pedro Humberto de la Cruz Balvanera, the Municipal Public Security Director of Juchipila, was arrested for alleged involvement in aggravated kidnapping. He was apprehended alongside an active police officer during the SAGAZ operation. De la Cruz Balvanera, who used the alias ‘Aquiles’, had served in leadership roles across two municipal administrations. The detainees were transferred to the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Combating Kidnapping, Extortion, and High-Impact Crimes.