Alberto Granados, the Morena mayor of Matamoros, was detained at the Brownsville, TX bridge by US authorities
The names of the criminal Édgar Alejandro alias "El Fresa," detained in January and the lawyer of "Los Zetas," Juan Pablo Penilla, emerged as key pieces. Authorities believe in a possible network of financing and political protection.
El Fresa was photographed multiple times with Granados and had alleged work connections with the city council. These Morena's links to organized crime are not new, as they have been reported since 2021.
The Morena mayor of Matamoros, Alberto Granados, was detained this Thursday by U.S. authorities while attempting to enter Texas through the Brownsville border crossing.
The detention involved the DEA, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security and caused panic in the close circle of Américo Villarreal. The Morena governor has been accused of alleged links to organized crime.
Granados was subjected to an extensive interrogation in a closed room. Although he was released during the early morning, his visa was revoked and he was sent back to Mexico. The mayor attempted to calm the waters with a public appearance on Friday, but canceled a key event at the last minute, increasing speculation.
The detention is not an isolated incident. During the interrogation, U.S. agents questioned Granados about the financing of Villarreal's campaign in 2021.
They also asked him about his son, known as "Ameriquín," one of his trusted operators, and Mario Delgado, current Secretary of Education and key promoter of Villarreal.
Subsequently, the mayor was released, but reports indicate that the United States has revoked his Visa due to the drug trafficking investigation against him. The mayor spoke out this Friday about the incident, denying everything that happened but without presenting evidence, that his visa has not been revoked.
The case is not isolated. The White House is closely monitoring the movements of Governor Villarreal, but also of other figures of the self-proclaimed "Fourth Transformation."
According to reliable sources, figures like Rubén Rocha in Sinaloa and the former governor of Chiapas, Rutilio Escandón, now consul in Miami and in possible diplomatic flight could be arrested.
Washington not only demands that Mexico combat organized crime, but also act against the politicians who have opened the doors of power to them.
This puts the government of Claudia Sheinbaum at a crossroads. Either it will continue with the simulation or face the uncomfortable truth that the cartel not only rules the streets, but also the campaigns.
