Mexican town’s police force placed under arrest
All 27 police officers in Ocampo taken in for questioning over political candidate’s murder
A Mexican town’s entire municipal police force has been put under arrest on suspicion of hindering an investigation into the murder of a mayoral candidate.
All 27 officers in the rural town of Ocampo, in Michoacan state, were stripped of their weapons and taken in for questioning by state police over the weekend, Mexican news site Sin Embargo reports.
Fernando Angeles Juarez, running for the centre-left Party of the Democratic Revolution, was shot dead as he left this home on Thursday - the second killing of an electoral candidate in Michoacan in a 24-hour period.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Officials from the government’s ministry of public security arrived in Ocampo on Saturday to detain municipal public security chief Oscar Gonzalez on suspicion of being complicit in the assassination - only to be blocked by local police.
After a “tense” stand-off, federal officials “decided to avoid a possible confrontation”, says Sin Embargo, and left without arresting their target.
However, in an early morning raid on Sunday, state police arrested Gonzalez and the 27 officers under his command. They are now being investigated on suspicion of violating the police code of conduct.
The bizarre incident is part of a wider tide of intimidation and violence in the run-up to the country’s presidential and local elections this Sunday.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Dozens of candidates have been murdered over the past three months by criminal gangs, often with the complicity of local law enforcement.
Electoral corruption and violence may have become depressingly commonplace, but “the fact that an entire municipal police force is being questioned for its potential links to a candidature killing is nearly unprecedented,” says Telesur.
State police officers have been assigned to protect the town’s 24,000 residents while the investigation takes place.
-
The six-seven meme that has taken over the worldIn the Spotlight With roots in rap and basketball, the phrase has young people obsessed, and it could be here to stay
-
Five takeaways from Plaid Cymru’s historic Caerphilly by-election winThe Explainer The ‘big beasts’ were ‘humbled’ but there was disappointment for second-placed Reform too
-
A journey through Trinidad’s wild heartThe Week Recommends Experience the island’s natural wonders, from watching baby turtles hatch to visiting an ancient bat cave
-
What is Donald Trump planning in Latin America?Today’s Big Question US ramps up feud with Colombia over drug trade, while deploying military in the Caribbean to attack ships and increase tensions with Venezuela
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come