SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS, MEXICO — A massive anti-corruption and anti-drug operation in the municipality of Suchiapa has resulted in the arrest of 21 individuals, including the current mayor, a former mayor, and a high-ranking judge, amid allegations of systematic narco-retail and institutional corruption.
The State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) confirmed that the arrests were part of “Operation Enjambre.” The high-profile detainees include the current Morena party mayor, Jorge N, and former mayor Alexis Nucamendi Gómez. The sweep also netted 15 municipal police officers, a former qualifying judge, Yeni Elsi “N, and an administrative employee, Ismael N.
The crackdown follows the previous arrest of the former director of the municipal police, Jesús Antonio N, on September 28, who was accused of facilitating the escape of a detainee.
According to FGE head Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca, the investigation was triggered by a surge in reports regarding retail drug sales—specifically targeting students—near local educational institutions, including the Universidad Politécnica and the Juan Sabines Gutiérrez high school.
“We received anonymous reports via the 089 emergency line regarding individuals on motorcycles offering drugs to minors and students,” Llaven Abarca stated. “Following an operation on September 25, four men were apprehended and taken to the municipal jail. We then received a report from the municipal police themselves that one of those suspects had escaped.”
The Attorney General further noted that information now suggests the evasion of detainees was a recurring practice within the local police force.
In response to the collapse of local law enforcement integrity, Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar ordered the Secretariat of Security of the People (SSP) to take immediate control of security in Suchiapa, a municipality bordering Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
“We have a unified command, and we will continue to engage with those detained as we begin a complementary investigation to gather further evidence and fully clarify the facts,” Llaven Abarca added. He emphasized that there will be further operations and investigations to identify additional accomplices.
The Governor framed the crackdown as a cornerstone of his administration’s strategy to pacify the state of Chiapas. He highlighted that the state’s current priority is a direct and aggressive campaign against narco-retail, a crime that has seen a record number of criminal filings across the region this year.