The mayor of Tequila, Diego Rivera Navarro, has been arrested, reportedly in connection with allegations of extorting spirits and beer companies in the Mexican municipality.
A statement from Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar Hamid García Harfuch on X yesterday (5 February) confirmed the arrest of “Diego ‘N’, municipal president of Tequila, Jalisco”.
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Three other municipal officials were also arrested alongside Navarro, according to the statement. These were the director of public security, the chief of cadastre and property tax and the head of public works.
A combination of citizen complaints and work by Mexico’s intelligence agency led to the arrests, the security secretary said.
The move was part of Mexico’s anti-extortion strategy ‘Operation Swarm’, launched by the national government last year, which looks to tackle corruption between municipal authorities and criminal groups in the country.
According to reports from The New York Times and Spanish news outlet El País, the arrest of Tequila’s mayor was linked to allegations of extorting beer and spirits companies in the region.
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By GlobalData“It is known that Mayor Diego Rivera Navarro leads a corruption network operating within the City Hall, in which public officials extort business owners and merchants in the municipality, in addition to diverting public funds,” a statement from the Mexican government seen by El País and TNYT but not Just Drinks, said.
Reports from El País and TNYT also suggest Tequila major Becle’s José Cuervo factory was one of the distilleries that the city council had demanded payments from.
According to TNYT, Jalisco Attorney General Salvador González told journalists in December he was probing an extortion complaint filed by Becle against Navarro and some Tequila officials.
The complaint reportedly alleges the Tequila officials demanded payment in order for Becle to continue operating in the area.
Just Drinks has asked Becle, José Cuervo’s parent for comment.
Navarro and the three municipal officials are also reportedly being investigated for their ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
A statement from Tequila’s government office yesterday said “municipal institutions continue to operate normally, in accordance with the law and the principles of legality and transparency”.
It added: “Any legal matter is being addressed in the corresponding instances, respecting due process and the presumption of innocence”.
