“Eden” turned into “hell”: In the early hours of Wednesday, August 20, an armed group intercepted four municipal police officers in Jalapa, Tabasco (a state where a case of human screwworm was detected), beat them, stripped them of their weapons and belongings, and stole the patrol car they were traveling in.
The officers were responding to a case of domestic violence, reported by the C4 (Center for the Defense of the Nation), when they were surrounded by individuals aboard more than 10 vehicles.
Authorities reported that the officers were abandoned in the Aquiles Serdán ranch without their handguns or rifles, handcuffs, or bulletproof vests.
Mayor of Jalapa, Tabasco, reports threats
Mayor José Manuel Hernández Pérez revealed that this might not be an isolated case, as he himself had received threats in previous months.
“They’re strange and even funny. They tell us, ‘Mayor, get your police out, we’re in charge here,’ and that was in December and January,” he commented in an interview with Azucena Uresti this Friday, August 22.
Regarding the recent case, he confirmed that the vehicle was recovered, although the attackers tried to burn it, and described the difference in force between the police and the average number of weapons held by organized crime as “enormous.”
“The weapons weren’t recovered; they were four long guns and four handguns, along with tactical vests that were taken. They tried to do so, but thank God they didn’t succeed,” he stated.
Why didn’t the police try to resist being kidnapped?
The mayor of Jalapa explained that the police were outnumbered and didn’t fire their weapons because they realized they would be easily shot down.
“Well, we’re outnumbered, easily 4 to 1. There were 16, 20 people, maybe more, all with long weapons. It’s something that can’t be combated,” he said.
José Manuel Hernández Pérez added that investigations are ongoing following the attack and acknowledged that the region has been the target of coordinated operations with the National Guard and the Army, which has reduced certain crimes.
“Whenever I talk to them, the message is clear: Put your lives first. Police officers are not heroes; they are human beings who risk their lives all the time,” he emphasized.
State agents, the Olmeca Interinstitutional Tactical Reaction Force (FIRT), and experts from the State Attorney General’s Office are handling the investigations.
The mayor of Jalapa clarified that he does not intend to increase the number of officers protecting him, as he prefers that the federal government and the state send more personnel to protect the population.
What organized crime groups operate in Tabasco?
At least four criminal groups are active, each with its own sphere of influence and criminal activities. According to the analysis conducted by Víctor Manuel Sánchez Valdes, a public security specialist, these groups are:
Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel: This organization is the most powerful in Tabasco, with a presence in every municipality. Its influence has expanded considerably, displacing other organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel.
La Barredora: This criminal group, which has been linked to Hernán Bermúdez Requena, former Secretary of Public Security of Tabasco, is known for its fuel theft activities and its alleged alliance with the CJNG until 2024.
Sinaloa Cartel: Although its presence is smaller compared to the CJNG, it operates in specific municipalities such as Cárdenas, Jonuta, Emiliano Zapata, and Tenosique.
Pura Gente Nueva: This group has operations in Huimanguillo, Cárdenas, Paraíso, and Comalcalco, although its impact appears to be more limited than that of the other groups mentioned.
Source: elfinanciero
