The federal Health Ministry reported 4,767 new coronavirus cases and 266 additional Covid-19 fatalities on Monday, increasing Mexico’s accumulated case tally to 443,813 and lifting the death toll to 48,012.
Of the confirmed cases, 28,741 are active, while there are also 79,030 suspected cases across the country.
Mexico City ranks first for total confirmed cases, with 75,383 as of Monday, followed by México state, where 54,093 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Four other states have recorded more than 20,000 cases. They are Tabasco, 22,523; Guanajuato, 22,009; Veracruz, 22,005; and Puebla, 20,448.
Just under half – 49% – of Mexico’s total confirmed cases were detected in the six states with the highest tallies.
Coronavirus deaths recorded as of Monday evening. milenio
Mexico City also leads the country for active cases, with an estimated 5,697. According to Health Ministry estimates, México state and Guanajuato rank second and third for active cases, with 3,836 and 3,162, respectively.
Four other states have more than 2,000 estimated active cases. They are Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León and Coahuila.
Federal data shows that 49% of all confirmed Covid-19 deaths occurred in just five states: Mexico City, which has recorded 9,032 fatalities; México state, 6,536; Veracruz, 2,831; Baja California, 2,655; and Puebla, 2,503.
The risk of coronavirus infection is currently classified as “red light” maximum in half of Mexico’s 32 states, according to the federal government’s “stoplight system,” and “orange light” high in the other half.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell suggested last week that state governors could face administrative and criminal charges if they failed to implement the recommended coronavirus mitigation restrictions that accompany each stoplight color.
Governors ironed out some differences with the federal government at a meeting on Monday.
The governors appear to have got their way, reaching an agreement with the Interior Ministry on Monday that decrees that the federal “stoplight” system advice will serve only as a guide for the state leaders to help them make decisions to combat the pandemic.
In a private meeting, six governors and federal officials also agreed to look for ways in which pandemic-related dialogue between them can be improved.
The governors of Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas charged that López-Gatell’s strategy to combat the pandemic has failed and called for his “immediate departure.”
One of the cenotes found in waters between Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy. rodrigo friscione
An underwater photographer has found five fresh water cenotes, or natural sinkholes, in the depths of the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Quintana Roo.
The news agency EFE reported Saturday that Mexican photographer Rodrigo Friscione made the unprecedented discoveries while diving off the northeastern Quintana Roo coast between Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy.
Cenotes are common on the Yucatán Peninsula but before Friscione’s discoveries none had been discovered beneath the surface of the sea.
EFE said that Friscione found one of the marine cenotes in 2016, another in 2017 and three in 2019. Friscione told the news agency that he went into a “hollow” while diving in 2016 and realized that it had no bottom.
“It was an infinite hollow,” he said, adding that the colder temperature of the water made him realize that he was diving in a mix of fresh water and salt water.
“There was … a change in the quality of the water, which speaks of a change in salinity. … Fresh water was coming out from the bottom of the sea,” Friscione said, describing his discovery as “extremely interesting.”
He subsequently found similar “hollows,” or cenotes, during subsequent diving expeditions.
“There is a great network of cenotes but nobody knows where the thousands and thousands of liters of fresh water come from. It has to come from somewhere because it’s flowing,” Friscione said.
The most likely hypothesis is that the five marine cenotes are connected to the vast subterranean network of water deposits on the Yucatán Peninsula.
It is possible that the limestone structures were dry caves thousands of years ago before becoming water-filled cenotes, said Guillermo de Anda, an underwater archaeologist currently working to obtain the necessary equipment to carry out a more extensive exploration of the first of the five cenotes discovered by Friscione.
De Anda, director of the Great Mayan Aquifer (GAM) project – in which archaeologists, biologists, underwater photographers and cave divers have explored, documented and mapped the Yucatán Peninsula’s extensive subterranean network of water deposits – has already recruited Robert Ballard, an American underwater archaeologist best known for the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, to participate in the cenote project.
De Anda said that an autonomous underwater vehicle and a remotely operated underwater vehicle to which Ballard, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, has access will make the exploration of the cenote easier and and less dangerous.
He said that Ballard, who was also involved in the discoveries of the wrecks of the German battleship Bismarck and the British ocean liner Lusitania, was excited about the prospect of working on the cenote exploration project and accepted his invitation to participate immediately.
Friscione will also be part of the team put together by de Anda, one of Mexico’s best known and most respected underwater archaeologists.
De Anda said the exploration was scheduled to go ahead this year but has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. He added that he has approached the federal Environment Ministry and the National Council of Science and Technology for financial support but has not received a response.
“It’s an expensive project because the divers require a mixture of gases and we’ll most probably need rebreathers,” de Anda said, referring to the breathing apparatus that absorbs the carbon dioxide of a user’s exhaled breath to permit the recycling of the substantially unused oxygen content.
Rebreathers will allow divers to stay underwater longer and increase their safety while exploring the marine cenote, he explained.
News of the discovery of the five marine cenotes comes six weeks after a sinkhole that opened up on the highway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum exposed a large water-flooded cave with conduits that allow water from the Caribbean sea to flow into it.
The Bank of México said Monday that remittances by Mexicans living outside Mexico — a significant portion of Mexico’s GDP — rose to US $3.53 billion in June, 4.7% higher than in May and 11.1% higher than in June 2019.
The numbers come as a bit of better news amid a lot of bad news regarding the Mexican economy: the latest Bank of México survey of private sector economists predicts a decline in the gross domestic product of 10.1%, up from 8.97% a month earlier.
The bank said Mexicans living abroad sent 19.07 billion pesos home during the first half of the year, which represents a 10.55% increase from the same period in 2019.
The money comes principally from Mexicans who live and work in the United States and is the second highest source of foreign exchange after automobile exports. President López Obrador has called migrant Mexicans “living heroes” for their economic support of the country.
Are we tired of cooking yet? I know I am. I yearn to be able to go sit at any of my favorite restaurants for a meal, a coffee, ANYTHING, without having to think about the coronavirus.
Yes, I know some places are open, but the social distancing, masks, gloves and disinfecting just changes the mood, y’know?
In reality, it’s too hot to cook now anyway. Let’s make popsicles/paletas/ice pops, even bolis, instead.
Basically, any agua fresca or smoothie can be made into an ice pop; what you must remember, though, is that you need some sugar to give your paleta a better texture and prevent it from freezing into a rock-hard ice cube. So if you just try to freeze pure juice that’s what will happen.
Any sugar will work: honey, coconut or date sugar, grated piloncillo, regular white sugar, even corn syrup. You can also make a simple syrup (recipe below) and add some of that.
Layering makes for pretty popsicles.
For creamy pops, add regular or Greek yogurt to the fruit and sweetener; pudding mixes also work great. Layering makes pretty popsicles; plan what you’re going to do, prepare each layer, then add to the molds with enough time in between that they’ve frozen a bit, so the layers stay separate.
If you don’t have popsicle molds, there are many ways to successfully improvise, although I bet once you get into making them, you’ll want to “invest” in buying some. Small “Dixie” paper cups work well, with sticks inserted after they’ve firmed up a bit, and then you can just tear off the paper after they’re frozen.
In Mexico, bolis are made in narrow rectangular plastic bags, tied off at the top. Although I personally find them messy to eat, the bags are easily available at storesthat sell paper goods.
Silicone ice cube trays work great; so do small recycled yogurt containers, with the sticks added after they’ve frozen a little. Liquids expand when frozen so leave ¼ inch or so at the top of your pop when filling.
How long it takes your pops to freeze depends on what they’re made from. To release popsicles from plastic molds, hold them under cold water for 10-15 seconds. You might want to release them all and store in a Ziploc bag.
Simple Syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
In a small pot, combine sugar and water; stir to dissolve slightly. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.
Avocado-Lime Ice Pops
The avocado adds a luscious creaminess.
2 avocados, pits removed
1 cup (packed) mint leaves
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup simple syrup
Pinch of kosher salt
Scoop avocado flesh into a blender; add mint, lime juice, simple syrup and salt. Purée until smooth. Divide among 6 popsicle molds. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
Minty Cucumber Lime Pops
1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 6 limes)
½ cup simple syrup
Pinch of salt
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
In a blender, combine the cucumber slices, lime juice, simple syrup and salt. Blend until smooth. Add mint and pulse until finely chopped. (Avoid blending the leaves too much or you’ll have a murky-looking) popsicle. Pour mixture into molds, freeze for 30 minutes, then insert sticks and allow to freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
Berry Yogurt Pops
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
½ tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey, divided
1½ cups mixed berries and/or cubed mangos or peaches
½ cup granola
Microwave honey jar 10 seconds or place in a bowl of hot water to soften. Whisk yogurt, vanilla and 1 Tbsp. honey in a large bowl. Fold in berries and/or other fruit. In another bowl, drizzle granola with remaining 1 tsp. warmed honey. Stir lightly. Divide yogurt mixture between molds, leaving about ¼ inch at the top. Tap molds on counter to get rid of any air pockets; top with granola. Cover molds, insert sticks and freeze until ice pops are firm, at least 2 hours. –epicurious.com
Double Chocolate Fudge Pops
These rich, creamy treats can be varied according to your (or your kid’s) taste buds.
¼-½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch OR 4 Tbsp. white flour
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla, almond or peppermint extract
1 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Combine sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and butter. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes. Stir chocolate chips into the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into molds and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
Variation: for Café Mocha flavor, substitute 1 cup brewed coffee for 1 cup of the milk. Reduce sugar to ¼ cup. Use vanilla extract.
Try mango and tajín for a refreshing treat.
Mango-Tajín Ice Pops
1 lime
3 mangos, peeled and diced
½ cup water
1 Tbsp. Tajín powder
2 tsp. sugar
Cut lime into 6 slices. Cut each slice in half and place 2 slices in the bottom of each ice pop mold. Set aside 1/3 cup of the diced mango. Place remaining mango, water, chile-lime seasoning and sugar in blender; blend until smooth. Stir in reserved diced mango. Divide mixture between 6 molds. Freeze 8 hours or overnight. If you like, sprinkle with more Tajín after removing from molds.
Janet Blaser has been a writer, editor and storyteller her entire life and feels fortunate to be able to write about great food, amazing places, fascinating people and unique events. Her first book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, is available on Amazon. Contact Janet or read her blog at whyweleftamerica.com.
Stamping out government corruption, as President López Obrador frequently asserts his administration is doing, is easier said than done.
The scourge is allegedly plaguing the federal government’s schools improvement program, which explicitly sought to put an end to corruption in educational projects by allocating funds directly to committees made up of parents and teachers.
The committee members supposedly have the freedom to decide how to spend the money they are allocated, and to hire contractors of their choice or even carry out projects themselves.
But parents of students at schools in eight of the poorest municipalities in Guanajuato say that state-based federal officials known as national servants have pressured them to hire their favored contractors. In some cases, parents forked out federal funds to the preferred contractors but the work they paid for was never completed.
Roberto Durán Grajales, an official with the Guanajuato Ministry of Education, said that members of parents’ groups have accused national servants of telling them who must carry out school improvement projects and ordering them to hand over resources to the favored contractors.
“The national servants dedicate themselves to pressuring mothers, … they wait for them at the bank, watch them make the withdrawal and then escort them to the contractor,” he said.
Parents accuse Arisbeth García Monjarás, a sub-delegate with the federal Welfare Ministry, of being behind the scheme, Reforma reported.
The newspaper said that at least 201 schools in the Guanajuato municipalities of Atarjea, Doctor Mora, San José Iturbide, San Luis de la Paz, Santa Catarina, Tierra Blanca, Victoria and Xichú have received funds from the federal government program known as LEEN, short for La Escuela es Nuestra (The School is Ours.)
Parents from 83 of those schools say they were pressured to hand over the resources to contractors approved by sub-delegate García.
One contractor who benefited, Reforma reported, is Efraín Calixto López, whose sister is a national servant in Guanajuato.
Calixto received contracts to carry out projects at 40 of 51 schools that received federal funding in Xichú, which is considered the state’s poorest municipality.
Román Cifuentes, state president of the National Action Party, which governs Guanajuato, claims that García personally took 11 mothers from five different municipalities to banks and forced them to withdraw 150,000 pesos (US $6,600) each and hand the resources over to her.
After García received the money from the 11 mothers – 1.65 million pesos (almost US $ 73,000) in total – she was supposed to pay contractors to carry out school improvement projects, Cifuentes said. But no work was ever completed.
Reforma said that it has seen several complaints that parents have filed in Guanajuato against federal officials allegedly involved in the scheme.
The federal Education Ministry said in July that some 9.15 billion pesos (US $403.8 million) had been allocated to more than 49,000 schools under the LEEN program. Education Minister Esteban Moctezuma Barragán said recently that the program eliminates intermediaries and corruption.
When it was launched in February 2019, López Obrador said LEEN would help to eradicate misuse of funds allocated to the improvement and maintenance of schools, which he claimed was “a source of corruption.”
But a year and a half later, the scourge doesn’t appear to have disappeared in Guanajuato.
Although parents supposedly have freedom to decide how to spend the funds they receive, a group from Doctor Mora, a town in the northeast of Guanajuato, had a very different experience.
Durán, the Guanajuato education official, said that a group of parents in Doctor Mora decided to spend LEEN resources on computers, an internet connection, the improvement of water infrastructure and face masks for their children.
However, when they went to a bank to withdraw the funds they had been allocated, the transaction was denied.
Durán said the bank manager told the parents that the money was being withheld on the instructions of the national servants, who disapproved of the way in which it was going to be used apparently because they couldn’t get their hands on it.
Cuernavaca's water utility makes a delivery to a home in March 2018 after electricity to the pumps was cut off.
The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) cut off electricity on the weekend for nonpayment by one of its biggest deadbeat customers — the water utility operated by the municipality of Cuernavaca.
Citing a debt of 111 million pesos (US $4.9 million), the CFE turned off the power to 15 wells operated by the Cuernavaca Potable Water System (SAPAC), leaving 100 out of 350 neighborhoods in the Morelos capital without water.
The commission cut off electricity to nine wells on Thursday and six more on Saturday, SAPAC officials said, adding that the electricity provider had pursued SAPAC for liquidation of the outstanding amount owed but that neither the water agency nor the municipal government could produce the money needed.
SAPAC said the agency has been making current payments and has arranged meetings with the agency’s directors to discuss paying the debt.
Mayor Antonio Villalobos Adán and SAPAC directors were scheduled to meet with CFE officials in Mexico City Monday about reestablishing service to the wells. In the meantime, SAPAC plans to send out water trucks to make sure the affected neighborhoods have water, citing the Covid-19 health emergency, until an agreement can be reached.
However, some neighbors were less than understanding. About 40 residents of Antonio Barona blocked the Mexico-Acapulco highway on Friday for an hour and a half, demanding drinking water. On Sunday, residents of Flores Magón staged a similar demonstration, intermittently blocking the sides of parts of the Cuernavaca Expressway for two hours, prompting the appearance of SAPAC functionaries, who assured the demonstrators that water service had already been restored to their neighborhood.
Power has been cut to the water system at least twice since March 2018 because of the outstanding debt.
A man dressed as the mythological figure of Death has been patrolling the beaches of Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, urging people follow coronavirus rules and “stay at home.”
Covered from head to toe in a skeleton suit and walking with a large pole made to look like Death’s traditional scythe, the unidentified man has been surprising sunbathers on the beach and at the town’s famous marina boardwalk with his admonitions to take more precautions to avoid spreading the disease.
At times, he sits on a lifeguard chair like a specter surveying the beach. At other times, he advises people on the beach illegally to wear masks, maintain a safe distance, and take other recommended measures, according to local reports.
Photos taken by observers of the costumed do-gooder have been heavily circulated on social media, often with exhortations to take Covid-19 rules seriously.
However, the vigilante’s in-person encounters have not always been so positive, according to some locals. While some thank him for his concern, others ignore or insult him, they said.
A new lifeguard watches over the beach.
The state has recorded 7,971 cases of the coronavirus, according to the federal Ministry of Health. Even though the state has reopened to tourism, it remains at the orange level on the risk level stoplight map, which has kept beaches closed. On Sunday, the state reported 147 new cases of the disease and 18 new deaths.
In June, Puerto Morelos Mayor Laura Fernández Piña had large banners erected at the entrances to beaches informing the public that beaches were closed and that they entered them at their own risk.
A YouTube travel channel started seven months ago by a United States expat in Guadalajara is managing to thrive despite Covid-19 restrictions and reduced international travel worldwide.
“The coronavirus has definitely presented some challenges with travel and making videos, but I’m still finding subject matter that keeps me going,” says Blake Wilkinson, 39, who came to Mexico from Portland, Oregon, two years ago and decided to start the Colibri Travel channel on YouTube this past January, just as news was coming out of China about a new, highly contagious virus.
Like many other travel YouTubers, Wilkinson started the channel both to show other people the hidden parts of Mexico most tourists never find and to help fund his love of travel and living in foreign countries, which has led him to travel throughout Latin America and to live in places like Madrid and Santiago, Chile.
“To really understand a country and its people, you have to get off the beaten path,” he says. “I’ve traveled for years and years and have always loved to dive deep into the local culture wherever I go. I moved to Mexico so I could explore everything Mexico has to offer, and I thought I could take people with me via my YouTube channel.”
Starting a channel dedicated to travel in January 2020 might come across as incredibly unfortunate timing, but despite reduction in travel worldwide this year that has bankrupted airlines and resorts, Wilkinson’s channel has been steadily growing and recently reached 1,000 subscribers, perhaps in part because he’s found ways to adapt while staying true to his channel’s original purpose.
He’s recently expanded his content to include tip videos on how to move to a foreign country like Mexico and videos that take into account the pandemic, where he discusses average Mexicans’ reactions to and beliefs about Covid-19 in his current home city of Guadalajara, while continuing to make videos featuring lesser-known destinations.
“I feel very fortunate that 1,000 people have chosen to follow my channel and join me on my ride throughout Mexico,” he said.
The federal Health Ministry reported 14,409 additional coronavirus cases over the weekend including 9,556 on Saturday, a new single-day record.
With 4,853 new cases reported on Sunday, Mexico’s accumulated case tally rose to 439,046.
Saturday’s record number of cases exceeded the previous high of 8,458 cases, registered by health authorities a day earlier, by 13%.
Just over 7% of the total number of confirmed cases – 32,015 – are considered active, while there are also 83,119 suspected cases.
The Health Ministry also reported 1,058 additional Covid-19 deaths over the weekend, 784 on Saturday and 274 on Sunday.
Mexico’s official Covid-19 death toll now stands at 47,746, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Brazil.
Director of Epidemiology José Luis Alomía told reporters at Sunday night’s coronavirus press conference that 1 million people have now been tested for Covid-19 in Mexico.
Alomía also reported that 44% of general care hospital beds set aside for coronavirus patients and 39% of those with ventilators are currently occupied.
At 74%, Nuevo León and Nayarit share the highest occupancy rate for general care beds. The former state also has the highest rate for critical care beds, at 65%.
Alomía presented more detailed data about the coronavirus outbreaks in Hidalgo, México state and Morelos.
Estimated active Covid-19 cases as of Sunday. milenio
He said that new case numbers in Hidalgo increased during several consecutive weeks until epidemiological week 21, which ran from May 17 to 23.
New cases subsequently remained stable at about 500 per week until week 28 – July 5 to 11 – when they reached 600. However, new case numbers rose again in week 29, reaching almost 800, before declining to about 700 the following week.
But Alomía said that additional cases corresponding to week 30 may have not yet been reported and thus Hidalgo’s upward trend may have in fact continued.
The central state has recorded 6,994 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic and 1,086 Covid-19 deaths.
At the municipal level, Pachuca, the state capital, has recorded the highest number of cases followed by Mineral de la Reforma and Tizayuca.
In México state, which has the second highest case tally in the country after Mexico City, new case numbers rose steadily for several weeks until epidemiological week 23, which ran from May 31 to June 6, when they reached about 5,000.
Case numbers then declined for three weeks before rising again in week 27, or June 28 to July 4. However, case numbers fell again the following week and remained steady in week 29 before declining in week 30 to about 2,000.
México state has recorded 53,735 cases since the new coronavirus was first detected in Mexico, and 6,511 confirmed Covid-19 deaths, the second highest number among Mexico’s 32 states.
Alomía said that only 7% of cases are estimated to be active, “which means that the epidemic is slowing down in México state.”
He said Toluca has the highest incidence of cases per 100,000 inhabitants but state government data shows that Ecatepec and Nezahualcóyotl, both located in the metropolitan area of greater Mexico City, have recorded the highest number of cases in sheer terms.
Among the top 10 México state municipalities with the highest number of confirmed cases, nine are in the greater Mexico City area with Toluca, the state capital, the only exception.
In Morelos, which borders Mexico City to the south, new case numbers rose steadily until epidemiological week 19 – May 3 to 9 – before declining in week 20.
Covid-19 death totals as revealed Sunday by the Ministry of Health. milenio
New infections rose again the following week to just over 300 cases before remaining stable for three weeks in the second half of May and early June. Case numbers began to decline again from mid-June, a trend that lasted three weeks.
Case numbers rose again in week 28 – July 5 to 11 – to about 250 before declining slightly in the following two weeks.
Alomía said the estimation that just 8% of cases in Morelos are active is indicative of the downward trend seen in recent weeks.
The small central state has recorded 4,131 confirmed cases, the sixth lowest tally in the country, and 842 Covid-19 deaths.
Cuernavaca, the state capital, has recorded the highest number of cases in Morelos, with 999 as of Sunday. Cuautla ranks second with 690 confirmed cases.
José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, a crime gang boss better known as “El Marro” and allegedly one of the main instigators of violence in Guanajuato, was arrested early Sunday, bringing an end to a long manhunt for one of Mexico’s most wanted persons.
State police and soldiers detained the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, a fuel theft, extortion and drug trafficking organization, at a property in a small town in Juventino Rosas, a Guanajuato municipality about 75 kilometers southeast of the state capital, Guanajuato city.
The National Defense Ministry said the arrest of Yépez, who was wanted on charges of fuel theft and organized crime, was the result of intelligence work.
In addition to Yépez, security forces arrested eight other people at a farm property in the community of Franco Tavera, located just six kilometers from the town of Santa Rosa de Lima, where El Marro’s gang was formed.
Among those detained was a man identified as Saulo Sergio N. – allegedly Yépez’s security chief – and other members of the Santa Rosa cartel.
El Marro, 42, is believed responsible for much of the violence in Guanajuato.
The security forces freed a businesswoman who was being held captive at the property, and seized numerous weapons including a grenade launcher, an armored pickup truck, a motorcycle, an all-terrain vehicle and cash.
They cordoned off the property, which is surrounded by trees and on which there are two homes, a chicken pen and horse stables.
Shots were fired during the arrest operation that took place in the early hours of Sunday morning and one person was reportedly wounded.
Federal Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said that Yépez, 40, would be taken to México state’s Altiplano federal prison, from which notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán escaped via a tunnel in 2015, and appear before a federal judge.
The feud between the two criminal organizations has turned Guanajuato, once one of Mexico’s most peaceful states, into the country’s most violent.
Between 2017, when Yépez became leader of the Santa Rosa cartel, and now, authorities have registered more than 10,000 homicides in the Bajío region state, including almost 2,300 in the first half of this year.
The majority of the murders are believed to be linked to organized crime, especially the turf war between El Marro’s gang and the CJNG, which is led by Mexico’s most wanted man, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
Some analysts say the arrest of Yépez, whose gang issued two threats against President López Obrador, represents a victory for the CJNG and that the Jalisco-based cartel will now unequivocally dominate the criminal landscape in the state.
Authorities have already arrested scores of Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel members, including several of El Marro’s relatives, although many of them were subsequently released due to a lack of evidence and irregularities related to their detention.
Before Yépez’s capture, federal and Guanajuato authorities used a fleet of drones to search for the criminal leader and monitor his movements once he was located, Milenio reported.
Unnamed government sources told the newspaper that the aircraft, equipped with high resolution cameras, had been used to aid the search for El Marro since April but aerial surveillance was increased after the release of Yépez’s mother in late June because authorities believed the criminal leader would attempt to make contact with her.
Soldiers and National Guardsmen parade the gang leader El Marro after his arrest Sunday.
The sources said that authorities tracked Yépez to the community of Franco Tavera in recent weeks, noting that three drones detected gunmen stationed at the entry points to the property where he was detained and the arrival of vehicles at strange hours.
They told Milenio that Yépez had been recently hiding out in rural localities in the Guanajuato municipalities of Juventino Rosas, Apaseo el Alto and Apaseo el Grande as well as in the neighboring state of Querétaro. The sources said that El Marro had not been in Villagrán, the municipality where Santa Rosa de Lima is located, or Cortazar, another cartel stronghold, for the past month.
They said Yépez and his inner circle had no idea they were being watched by the drones, which were made by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
According to Milenio, the operation of the kind of unmanned aerial vehicles used in the surveillance of El Marro requires the permission of the United States Department of State because the U.S. Marines have an exclusive contract with their manufacturer.
Milenio also reported that two days before Sunday’s raid, the federal government’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) blocked the accounts of 11 people who were part of Yépez’s legal and accounting team.
Funds held in the accounts were related to El Marro’s criminal activities, the UIF told the newspaper. The UIF has previously blocked the accounts of 88 people with alleged links to the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.
López Obrador said Sunday that the arrest of Yépez, and corruption cases against former officials including ex-Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya, showed that the government is not “hijacked” by nor at the service of crime groups, whether they be bands of white-collar criminals or violent cartels.
In a video message posted to social media, the president reaffirmed his commitment to combating corruption and eliminating impunity.
“If we cleanse the government of corruption, if impunity comes to an end, the rebirth of Mexico will be achieved,” he said.
López Obrador described the arrest of El Marro as “very important” and charged that the Santa Rosa cartel was able to increase its strength and expand due to the complicity of state and municipal authorities.
“How was it that this cartel grew so much to the point that Guanajuato became the most violent state in the country? … Complicity, shady deals with municipal authorities and state authorities and impunity! Now the Ministry of Defense, with the support of the state government, achieved this arrest which is important, very important.”
For his part, Guanajuato Governor Diego Sinhue said on Twitter that Yépez’s arrest was “a big step toward recovering peace” in the state.
José Antonio Yépez is marched to jail by security forces.
David Saucedo, a security analyst and consultant, said that El Marro could choose to cooperate with authorities and as a result implicate government officials in his criminal activities.
“The process that will follow opens the possibility that Yépez will become a protected witness. … To reduce his sentence or to have more favorable prison conditions he [could] give the names of all the politicians and National Action Party [state] authorities in Guanajuato that provided protection to him,” he said.
Saucedo said that Yépez could become a “Guanajuato Lozoya,” referring to the former Pemex chief’s willingness to collaborate with authorities.
He said the arrest of El Marro doesn’t mean that the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel has been completely dismantled and predicted that internal disputes among plaza chiefs could lead to an increase in violence.
Saucedo said that violence could also spike because the CJNG will likely seek to take advantage of the situation and launch a new offensive against its weakened arch enemy in Guanajuato.
It is probable that the CJNG will move into Querétaro, the analyst explained, because that state “had a wall that defended it from the Jalisco cartel, which was precisely … the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.”
However, if the CJNG succeeds in taking down its rival, nothing will stop it from moving into Querétaro, Saucedo said.
“The capture [of El Marro] is a triumph for both the state government and the federal government but the main winner is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.”
