Pre-trial Detention Ordered for Morelos Officials Over Alleged Ties to Sinaloa Cartel

Among the Accused Are Mayors, Former Officials, and a Former Municipal Candidate Under Investigation in “Operation Enjambre”

A federal judge has ordered pre-trial detention for six current and former public officials from Morelos, who are accused of having alleged ties to a criminal cell linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, as part of the ongoing investigations known as “Operation Enjambre.”

The initial hearing took place this Friday via videoconference before a judge at the Federal Criminal Justice Center based in Hermosillo, Sonora, while the accused remain in the custody of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office on Organized Crime (FEMDO).

Among those detained are Agustín Toledano Amaro, the mayor of Atlatlahucan; Irving Sánchez Zavala, the former mayor of Yecapixtla; as well as Horacio Zavaleta Malacara, Jonathan Espinoza Salinas, and Pablo Adrián Portillo Galicia, all linked to the Cuautla municipal government. Also brought before the court was Arisbel Rubi, a former candidate for the municipal presidency of Atlatlahucan.

The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) is investigating them for the alleged crimes of organized crime and possible collusion with Júpiter Araujo Bernard, alias “El Barbas,” whom federal authorities have identified as a regional operative for the Sinaloa Cartel in the eastern region of Morelos.

According to the investigations, the officials and former public servants allegedly held meetings with members of the criminal group and purportedly facilitated activities related to providing protection to criminal cells, in addition to engaging in possible acts of corruption and extortion across various municipalities within the state.

As part of the precautionary measures, the judge ordered that several of the accused be transferred to a federal prison in Sonora while investigations continue and their legal status is determined in the coming days.

The case is part of the operation dubbed “Operation Enjambre” (Operation Swarm)—a federal strategy focused on detecting alleged networks of collaboration between municipal authorities and organized crime groups. In this context, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, reported that authorities are also continuing the search for Jesús Corona Damián, the mayor of Cuautla, who is likewise under investigation for possible ties to criminal organizations and against whom there is reportedly an outstanding arrest warrant.