Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, former secretary of Public Security of Sinaloa, surrendered to US authorities in Arizona on May 11. He faces charges of conspiracy to import narcotics and possession of firearms.
US authorities transferred Mérida to New York, where the Southern District prosecutor charges him with conspiracy to import narcotics, possession of firearms and conspiracy to possess firearms. The charges could lead to a life sentence.
According to the criminal case made public on Friday, Mérida accepted more than 100 thousand dollars monthly in bribes from Los Chapitos in exchange for alerting about operations against drug labs and allowing the cartel free operation.
Senator Gerardo Fernández Noroña questioned the surrender and stated that the accused individuals should have remained under surveillance. “They should have these people under custody, under surveillance, under certain mobility limitations,” he declared during a live broadcast.
