U.S. alleges El General sold security leaks to traffickers

Reporting and context

U.S. prosecutors allege that Edgar Aarón Vázquez Alvarado, known as “El General”, sold criminal groups confidential security information obtained through contacts with Mexican officials, according to El Imparcial’s account of the investigation.

The outlet, citing Agencia Reforma and U.S. Justice Department documents, described a protection service financed through initial payments, monthly fees and additional charges. The alleged services included warnings about police and military operations, investigations, arrest warrants and searches, as well as altered official identification and passwords for checkpoints.

Prosecutors said the checkpoint codes changed almost daily and allowed cocaine transporters working for Ryan Wedding’s organization to pass Mexican police and military controls. They also accused Vázquez of paying officials to delay investigations, alter or remove evidence and secure the withdrawal of charges.

El Imparcial reported that the public Justice Department statement issued November 10 did not detail the exact subscription amounts cited by Reforma. The available article body does not establish a specific monthly price.

U.S. authorities identified Vázquez, 42, as a founder and leader of the Cártel Nuevo Imperio. The report says his alleged relationship with Wedding stretched from 2015 to 2026, involving cocaine shipments from Colombia to the United States and Canada. Prosecutors allege he protected Wedding from detection between October 2024 and January 2026.

Vázquez died during a security operation in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, on November 5, 2026. Edwin González, identified in the report as a former senior state prosecutor’s office official, also died. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said Vázquez was under investigation for drug distribution and trafficking; the article also describes allegations linking him to the July 2024 killing of Mexico City police official Milton Morales Figueroa.

A related U.S. case concerns Mexican federal judge Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, whom the Justice Department said was arrested in Colombia on November 1. Prosecutors accuse him of accepting about US$2 million to release Andrew Clark, identified as Wedding’s second-in-command.

According to the report, Clark allegedly transferred about US$2.75 million through intermediaries between November 2024 and February 2025 to arrange his release. The alleged US$2 million payment to the judge forms part of that account; the figures are not separate totals to add together. Prosecutors say Benítez granted bail and ordered Clark released on February 24, 2025. Clark was arrested again days later and taken to the United States.

Benítez faces nine U.S. charges and a possible maximum of 15 years per count if convicted, the report said. U.S. authorities announced plans to seek his extradition from Colombia.

Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic athlete, was arrested in Mexico in January 2026 and transferred to the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges. Los Angeles federal prosecutors also disclosed an indictment against Roberto Gómez on November 10 over alleged police-information gathering and collaboration with Wedding.

The publicly described allegations do not identify every official or agency allegedly involved. Investigations into Vázquez’s alleged associates continue following his death.

Original reporting: El Imparcial.