Mexico City, Mexico — Mexican police on Wednesday arrested Miguel Sánchez Altamirano, the mayor of the small town of Juchitan de Zaragoza in the southeastern state of Oaxaca. Authorities allege he was connected to a criminal syndicate that extorted people in the region.
Sánchez Altamirano was on his second consecutive term as Mayor of the small municipality under the banner of the ruling Morena political party when he was arrested alongside Carlos Alberto, also known as “La Parca,” as both are suspected to be operators and enforcers for drug cartels active in the state.
Mexico’s head of Security, Omar García Harfuch, said the mayor was key figure of organized crime in the region, protecting their operations through an armed group called “Los Cromos,” linked to the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG).
“The investigations link them to a criminal structure allegedly dedicated to extortion and the collection of protection money from merchants and business owners, retail drug trafficking, human trafficking and homicide, as well as protection schemes that would have facilitated the operation of criminal groups in the region,” explained Harfuch on his X account.
On September 20, Los Cromos took center stage in Oaxaca following the murder of a 23-year-old in Juchitan.
The young man, identified only as Antonio by authorities, was killed by the criminal group for his alleged involvement in the recent attack against Indigenous designer Elvis Guerra. Guerra designed a dress worn by President Claudia Sheinbaum during Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations.
The body of the young man was found next to a written message allegedly authored by “El Comandante Cromo,” claiming the murder of the young man was in response to shooting “working people.”
El Comandante Cromo has been singled out by Mexican intelligence as part of the leadership of Los Cromos, although authorities have denied the murder of Antonio is linked to the attacks against Guerra.
Guerra was attacked on September 18 when armed assailants shot at her home in Juchitan. She survived the attack and on September 23 she met with President Sheinbaum and her security chief Harfuch in Mexico city.
The president and head of security had earlier said they’d investigate the shooting.
“The investigations and operational actions continue to completely dismantle this criminal structure and arrest all those involved. As new arrests are made, we will continue to report,” said Harfuch.
Altamirano is currently under arrest and is awaiting his first hearing.
According to Harfuch, the Mexican government has frozen all his assets and accounts linked to the investigation.
