A Michoacán criminal judge ordered the conditional release on Monday, March 23, of 11 Ecuandureo municipal police officers arrested for allegedly facilitating Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) narco-blockades after Nemesio Oseguera's, ‘El Mencho’s’, death. The officers face precautionary measures for six months as their legal process continues.
On February 24, Michoacán State Public Security Secretariat personnel arrested the 11 Ecuandureo municipal police officers, including Jorge Andrés ‘N’, the Municipal Public Security Director. The officers were caught in civilian clothes with high-powered weapons as state police cleared roadways blocked by burned vehicles set up by the CJNG in response to the takedown of their leader, ‘El Mencho’ (Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes). According to the Michoacán Prosecutor’s Office, evidence includes social media conversations warning CJNG members of municipal, state, and federal police movements, such as “pasaron dos verdes” referring to military trucks and “pasaron dos pandas” for police vans. They also possessed drugs, CJNG insignias, and lacked the unique police certificate and registration with the National Public Security System, barring them from carrying weapons legally. Six officers bear the surname Valencia, and some hail from Jalisco, though no proven link exists to the Valencia family of ‘Los Cuinis’, CJNG allies. The judge granted process suspension with conditions including no change of residence, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, community service, weekly sign-ins in Zamora, no weapons, no leaving the country, and leading an ‘honest life’. They are supervised by the Precautionary Measures Unit for six months.
