After the military seized a shipment of crystal meth from a bus in Apatzingán, Michoacán, on Wednesday, photos of the seizure — published in local media and on line — clearly showed that the vehicle bore an advertisement containing the logo of the ruling Morena party.
But in photos later released by the army it had disappeared.
The Ministry of National Defense announced the drug bust on Thursday, saying that the army and National Guard seized 280 kilograms of crystal meth in the operation, worth an estimated 83 million pesos (US $4.2 million).
Shortly after, the army shared its own images of the bust. The logo on the bus, which had originally read “Morena: the hope of Mexico,” had been erased. In its place a new inscription read, “The army: the great strength of Mexico.”
Social media users questioned the decision and shared the original images.
“Don’t modify the images. You are there to serve the nation, not a political party,” wrote one user.
The seizure occurred on the Apatzingán-Buenavista highway in Michoacán. Army officials found the drugs during a routine inspection.
With reports from Debate