Government denies extortion in case of kidnapped miners

Bilateral recognition of arms trafficking

President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that the United States government formally accepted that the majority of weapons seized in Mexico come from its territory. This recognition, he noted, reinforces the need to stop illegal trafficking as a priority in security cooperation.

“They already recognized it. And in the understanding that we have, now with President Trump’s government, they recognize that something fundamental is to seize the weapons that come to Mexico,” declared Sheinbaum.

The key data was given by the US Department of Justice before the end of Joe Biden’s administration: about 75% of the weapons seized in Mexican territory originate in the American Union.

Civil litigation and progress in the evidence phase

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Velasco, confirmed that the civil lawsuit that Mexico maintains against arms manufacturers and distributors in the United States is still active. It is currently in the discovery phase, despite the fact that other previous litigation was dismissed by US courts.

“This demand continues. We are going to follow up on it and we are committed to ensuring that this phase goes well,” Velasco said.

Concrete actions at the border

Velasco explained that the fight against arms trafficking is also addressed in bilateral coordination tables. The United States has increased actions to detect weapons and ammunition in its border area.

Additionally, Mexico has direct access to the ATF’s eTrace tracking system, which allows the origin of seized weapons to be identified. According to data from that platform, approximately 70% of the weapons seized and tracked come from American gun stores or distributors.

The chancellor also highlighted a recent operation in the United States that secured a shipment of weapons destined for the Mexican border, including detainees. This reflects greater cooperation to stem the flow of arsenal into the country.

The Attorney General’s Office of the State of Morelos obtained preventive detention for Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, former director of Pemex. The risk it represents for his wife, the Cuban engineer María Felicia Jiménez Lavie, was demonstrated. The attack occurred last March, at a weekend house in Club Country, municipality of Emiliano Zapata.

Details of the attack

The attack was recorded on video. In the images you can see a minor running out of the room while her father beats her mother with extreme violence. During the hearing, the defense requested house arrest, arguing that the former official is 69 years old and suffers from a malignant tumor in the prostate. However, Judge Consuelo Adriana Carrera pointed out that the principle of exceptionality applies from the age of 70. Furthermore, Rodríguez Padilla does not have a home in Morelos and represents a risk to his wife and their daughter, according to the Public Ministry of the Women’s Justice Center.

The Prosecutor’s Office reported two violent episodes. The first occurred in June 2022, three years after the couple married in Coyoacán. On that occasion, Rodríguez stuck a pen in María Felicia’s left arm. She tried to abandon him, but he threatened to denounce her for child abduction and deport her to Cuba.

The second attack occurred in March of this year, in a house in the Paraíso Country Club subdivision. It all started when María Felicia received a phone call and confronted her husband about a romantic relationship with a secretary. The former official’s response was to physically attack her. In the video projected in the courtroom you can see how he hits her in the ribs, subdues her by the hands, pulls her hair and throws her to the ground repeatedly, all in front of her daughter.

The FGE Women’s Justice Center reported that it has two investigation files against Víctor Rodríguez Padilla.

Official denial

The federal Security Cabinet rejected versions of an alleged operation to change location and hide the governor with a license from Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya. The accusation arose after the United States requested his arrest and extradition for alleged links to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Through a clarifying letter, the institutions that make up the cabinet—Defense, Navy, FGR, National Guard and SSPC—qualified the information published on July 9 in EL UNIVERSAL as “absolutely false.”

They denied that Rocha Moya is protected by the Army in military facilities. They also rejected any action by the Government of Mexico to protect or hide people from investigations by national or foreign authorities.

“In the Government of Mexico no one is protected,” the statement highlighted.

The cabinet stressed that the zero impunity policy is applied without distinction of positions, political affiliations or personal relationships. He assured that the results are public and verifiable.

The official position seeks to clear up doubts about the case, which keeps the former Sinaloan president in its sights in the face of the extradition request from the United States.