Thursday, February 5, 2026

4 arrested in case of helicopter crash that killed governor of Puebla

Authorities have arrested four people in connection with a 2018 helicopter crash that killed five people, including the governor of Puebla.

All four were employees of Rotor Flight Services, a company that provided maintenance to the Agusta A-109 aircraft, which crashed near the city of Puebla shortly after takeoff on Christmas Eve 2018.

Among the passengers were then-governor Martha Érika Alonso and her husband Rafael Moreno Valle, who preceded his wife as governor and was a senator at the time of the accident. Alonso had been sworn in as governor just 10 days before the accident in an election that was disputed by the Morena party, which alleged electoral fraud.

The crash raised suspicions of sabotage but a federal investigation concluded earlier this year that there was no evidence of sabotage but there were two loose screws in the rotor’s linear actuator, which caused the helicopter to roll unexpectedly.

The four suspects are under investigation for homicide and making false statements. The arrests were made in Mexico City, México state, Hidalgo and Puebla.

Source: Animal Político (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Tequila Mayor Diego Rivera Navarro handcuffed with Mexican federal agents

Mayor of Tequila, Jalisco, arrested for extortion and alleged cartel ties

0
The mayor has been accused of extorting tequila maker José Cuervo and illegally turning the National Tequila Museum into his personal residence.
mexican team ready to board Ukrainian vessel

Mexico teams up with Ukraine for its first Antarctic research campaign

0
Mexico is a strong supporter of Ukraine's right to defend its homeland, and Ukraine has had a strong presence in Antarctic scientific exploration. Now they're working together.
Jeffrey Epstein

The Epstein files’ Mexico connection: Former US ambassador responds to allegations

1
The most recent tranche of Epstein file documents include the name of a former US ambassador to Mexico, as well as several former Mexican presidents.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity