Néstor Troncoso holds a degree in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid. During the first three years of his studies, he also pursued studies in Political Science. He contributes to various media outlets, including El Sol del Sur, based in Tampico, Tamaulipas. The following is his latest on Americo Villareal and his appearance with well-known criminal leaders in a public event.
— In a scandalous display of cynicism hypocrisy, and institutional complicity, Governor Américo Villarreal has been caught—and does not deny it—sharing space, smiles, and official events with at least four fugitives from justice, active leaders of the criminal group known as “La Columna Armada” (The Armed Column), during a religious event held on December 12, 2025, in Hidalgo, Tamaulipas. An act that should have been one of faith, not impunity.
Yes: while the statue of the Virgin of El Chorrito—a symbol of mercy and hope for thousands of the faithful—was being inaugurated, Villarreal Anaya used the occasion to legitimize, highlight, and link his government to criminal structures responsible for terror, forced displacement, massacres, and the systematic plundering of entire communities in the northeast of the country.
And we’re not talking about rumors. This isn’t leaked journalism: it’s evidence-based journalism.
The arrest warrants for the individuals photographed with the governor were issued by a federal judge in Hermosillo, Sonora, after exhaustive investigations by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR). Three of them have already been arrested and are serving sentences in maximum-security prisons. The others remain free. And most of this group appears embraced by the state governor.
The governor’s presence in the municipality, along with his security detail, should have resulted in the execution of the arrest warrants and the apprehension of these individuals by the requesting authorities. Instead, they became his honored guests.
Who are the governor’s “honored guests”?
🔹 1. Juan José Contreras Castillo — a federal fugitive. Formally accused of:
▸ Organized crime
▸ Kidnapping
▸ Arms trafficking
▸ Selling stolen fuel
🔹 2. Cesáreo Leal Perales — also a federal fugitive. Their criminal records include:
▸ Human trafficking (including minors)
▸ Drug trafficking
▸ Extortion kidnapping
▸ Active armed command in rural areas
🔹 3. Adrián González Vielma — with outstanding warrants for:
▸ Criminal association
▸ Unlawful deprivation of liberty (kidnapping)
▸ Aggravated robbery
▸ Violent territorial control
🔹 4. Hugo Leal Rendón — under active investigation for:
▸ Violent land dispossession (displaced ejido members and farmworkers)
▸ Migrant smuggling
▸ Sale of stolen gasoline
▸ Collaboration with hit squads
These are not “bad neighbors”: they are systemic criminals. These are the same names that appear in the files of documented massacres in San Carlos, San Nicolás, Hidalgo, Padilla, Güémez, El Barretal, and their influence has even extended to the capital, Ciudad Victoria.
They are the ones who have burned houses, disappeared people, murdered, trafficked weapons and drugs, and turned migration routes into torture corridors.
And while the victims remain without justice—while mothers search for their children in clandestine graves—Governor Villarreal Anaya not only fails to denounce them or cooperate with federal authorities, but he also incorporates them into official public life: he includes them in inaugurations and official ceremonies, mentions them in implicit speeches, and embraces them in front of the cameras.
Where is the State?
Where is the Ministry of the Interior?
Where is the National Human Rights Commission, which has documented the forced displacement in Tamaulipas attributed to “The Armed Column”? Where is the INAI (National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection), which could demand transparency regarding the lists of official guests?
This isn’t a “misstep”: it’s a policy.
It’s the institutionalization of organized crime.
This governor is publicly legitimizing those who have tortured, kidnapped, and murdered innocent civilians—including minors.
Published by Néstor Troncoso on X.com
