Ojocaliente mayor threatened by narcomanta, officials say
Original reporting: Tribuna Sonora
What happened
Zacatecas officials said Mayor Juan Manuel Zambrano was threatened by a banner attributed to organized crime and urged him to file a complaint. Authorities also announced the arrest of a man they allege made and placed the banner, linking him to an earlier car-bomb attack that injured 11 people and damaged 198 properties.
Reporting and context
Authorities in Zacatecas said Mayor Juan Manuel Zambrano of Ojocaliente was threatened by a narcomanta attributed to an organized-crime group. Tribuna Sonora reported that the mayor had not filed a complaint with the Zacatecas state prosecutor’s office as of Friday, Sept. 25, prompting state officials to urge him to provide testimony and information for the investigation.
Deputy Prosecutor Edgar Nieves Osornio and state government secretary Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza discussed the case during a security cabinet news conference. Officials linked the threats to continuing violence in southeastern Zacatecas and to an Aug. 30 attack on the Ojocaliente municipal police headquarters. That attack involved a car bomb, injured 11 people and damaged 198 properties, according to authorities cited by Tribuna Sonora.
Reyes Mugüerza said the lack of a complaint could make it harder to determine who made and placed the threatening banner. Separately, authorities announced the arrest in Cosío, Aguascalientes, of Edgar Guadalupe, also known as “El Mou,” “Mojo” or “Guatemala.” Zacatecas officials said he may be linked to the criminal cell they associate with the attack and identified him as the alleged maker and placer of the banner. Authorities said they seized a firearm, ammunition, magazines and suspected narcotics during the arrest. The allegations and seizure details remain attributed to the state authorities.