The mysterious case of Jesús Piedra Ibarra revives with unexpected data

From car collector to investigated for money laundering

The capture of Justo N in Mérida exposed a contrast: the businessman who exhibited luxury cars on social networks today faces accusations of organized crime and money laundering. The Security Cabinet indicates him as an alleged financial operator of the Northeast Cartel.

In the automotive environment of Yucatán, Justo N was known for his collection of supercars—Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche—that appeared in influencer videos and specialized pages. His garage and warehouse became meeting points for fans and photographers, projecting an image of success and legitimacy.

The operation that revealed another face

The Secretary of the Navy carried out four searches in Mérida and Komchén, where they seized 15 luxury vehicles, weapons, cartridges, dollars, methamphetamine, jewelry, electronic equipment and documentation. The total value of what was seized exceeds 145 million pesos.

The authorities have been investigating Justo N for months as one of the main people in charge of articulating money laundering schemes for a criminal organization with a presence in several regions of the country.

After his arrest, versions circulated about possible links to other high-impact cases. It also resurfaced that in 2025 he was wrongly reported as deceased during an attack in Querétaro, a version denied with his arrest.

In Yucatán, some linked the operation with the case of businessman José Ángel D.B., but the Attorney General’s Office and the Navy have not confirmed that connection. Both investigations remain officially separate.

The case has generated interest in the Yucatecan community, while authorities continue to investigate possible links to other illicit activities.

A lifeless body was located inside the Nueva Castilla Motel, on the Highway to Laredo, in Escobedo, Nuevo León. The State Prosecutor’s Office began an investigation after the discovery reported early Sunday morning.

The discovery

Elements of the Escobedo Police went to the scene around 1:15 a.m. after a tip. A group of people recording content for digital platforms entered the abandoned motel and found the body. They reported it to the authorities.

Municipal police cordoned off the area. Subsequently, agents from the State Investigation Agency took over the investigations. Personnel from the Institute of Criminalistics and Expert Services processed the scene and collected evidence. The body was transferred to the Forensic Medical Service to determine cause of death and identity.

Unofficial versions indicate that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition. Days before, other people who entered the property to record paranormal phenomena reported intense odors, but there was no intervention. Those who found the body observed apparent blood stains, which will be corroborated by experts.

The Nueva Castilla Motel gained notoriety in 2022, when the body of young Debanhi Escobar was located in a cistern after her disappearance. The property was under official guard, then it was released and is now abandoned.

The authorities have not issued official information about the identity of the deceased or the circumstances of the death.

Deputy describes the arrest of former president as political

The president of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies, Kenia López Rabadán, stated that the former governor of Baja California, Ernesto Ruffo Appel, arrested on July 16 for his alleged participation in the crime of fiscal huachicol, is a political prisoner.

In a press conference, the PAN legislator declared:

“Ernesto Ruffo forged our democracy in the late eighties… he was, for the first time, the Mexican who won an election in our entire country.”

López Rabadán questioned why Ruffo Appel, who has no public position, was detained while other authorities involved in the same network have not been prosecuted.

“I cannot accept that in such a pitiful issue… the person they put in jail is an opposition person who had no position,” he stated.

The deputy also pointed out that the judge who ordered the arrest won her position in the first judicial election of 2025, promoted by the federal Executive and through the so-called “accordions.”

“We all saw… the investigation that showed that the person who requested the arrest was a judge elected by the accordions… it is very worrying,” he said.

The case revives the debate about the selective use of justice against opposition political figures. Ruffo Appel was the first opposition governor in Mexico, after winning Baja California in 1989.