by Jim Barton, Sources: Infobae MΓ©xico and El Bravo
Mexican authorities have arrested a key suspect in the killing of Federal Prosecutor Ernesto CuitlΓ‘huac VΓ‘zquez Reyna, who was gunned down earlier this week in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, in what officials believe may have been retaliation for recent crackdowns on organized crime.
The suspect, identified as Jaret Roberto HernΓ‘ndez Rojas, is an alleged member of Los Metros, an armed faction of the CΓ‘rtel del Golfo. He was apprehended by federal forces while hiding in a rehabilitation center in Reynosa, following coordinated intelligence work between the Specialized Regional Control Prosecutor’s Office, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, and members of the armed forces.
During the arrest, authorities seized two high-caliber firearms, magazines, cartridges, drugs, and a cellphone. According to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the device contains key information on the criminal group’s activities and directly links HernΓ‘ndez Rojas to the attack on VΓ‘zquez Reyna.
“Data found on his phone made it possible to precisely establish his direct involvement in the homicide, in his role as a member of Los Metros, a faction of the CΓ‘rtel del Golfo, which is one of the main groups behind fuel tax fraud in the region,” the FGR said in a statement.
VΓ‘zquez Reyna, who served as the regional delegate of Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office in Tamaulipas, was responsible for investigating federal crimes including drug trafficking, fuel theft, human smuggling, and extortion. On the day of his killing, a group of armed men intercepted his vehicle in Reynosa, reportedly throwing a fragmentation grenade into the car before opening fire and fleeing the scene.
Authorities believe the assassination could be linked to VΓ‘zquez Reyna’s knowledge of a powerful fuel smuggling network, sometimes referred to as fiscal huachicol. In July, law enforcement seized 1.8 million liters of stolen fuel and dozens of vehicles in operations targeting the illicit trade.
Sources told Infobae MΓ©xico that some individuals may have sought to prevent VΓ‘zquez Reyna from revealing sensitive information about political and criminal figures tied to the late businessman Sergio Carmona, known as El Rey del Huachicol. Carmona allegedly amassed his fortune trafficking illegal fuel from Texas into Mexico through connections with both the CΓ‘rtel del Noreste and the CΓ‘rtel del Golfo. His influence reportedly extended into politics, including campaign financing for the ruling Morena party. Carmona was murdered in November 2021, shortly after he began cooperating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
HernΓ‘ndez Rojas, who already faced a federal arrest warrant prior to this case, will be brought before a judge in the coming hours. Authorities say operations are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects involved in the assassination.
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