The municipal police stations of Teocaltiche and Villa Hidalgo were intervened by state and federal forces, after the disappearance of eight police officers from Teocaltiche and their driver, announced the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro.
Since Wednesday, local authorities have intensified the search, as he indicated that there are possibilities that at least five of the missing are still alive. “We continue the search because what has been confirmed so far is that probably five people could still be alive,” said the governor.
In the context of this situation, 12 black plastic bags were found on the Teocaltiche-Villa Hidalgo highway in the town of La Esperanza, which could contain human remains. The authorities will carry out forensic tests to determine if they are related to the missing police officers.
During an interview, Lemus Navarro expressed his concern about the insecurity situation in the Altos Norte region, indicating that the death of the eight officers cannot yet be confirmed. “I cannot confirm it yet. We cannot raise false expectations either. Everything seems to indicate that it would be some of them, but it has not yet been confirmed by the prosecution itself,” he added.
The governor also stressed that they are investigating the reasons why all the police officers were traveling in a single unit and if there was any leak of information about their journey. “The investigation is being carried out above all to find out the reasons why they were all taken in a single unit,” he said.
Lemus Navarro said that the state government coordinated efforts with the National Guard and the Army to advance in the search for the elements. “From the first moment I was informed of this matter, I first established communication with the National Guard and with the Mexican Army to do a coordinated work in locating these elements,” he said.
As part of the actions to guarantee security in the region, Lemus Navarro announced the intervention of the police forces of Teocaltiche and Villa Hidalgo. “I have made the decision to intervene in the police forces of Teocaltiche and Villa Hidalgo… they will be intervened in a coordinated effort,” he said. In his statements, he also addressed the worrying possible infiltration of the police forces by criminal groups. “It is very likely that the two police forces could be infiltrated, but also defending a criminal group for several weeks,” he suggested.
Lemus Navarro asserted that the government he heads is committed to security in Jalisco, stating: “As governor of Jalisco, I cannot let this situation pass as if nothing had happened.” In addition, he emphasized the need to take decisive action: “We have to take tough measures, measures that truly send a message that as a State we will never be defeated.”
“On the contrary, what we have to do is fight them all equally,” he concluded, reiterating that this event deeply hurts the community. “The truth is that this event hurts Jalisco a lot, and the first thing I want to do is express my solidarity with the inhabitants of Teocaltiche, but mainly with the families of these elements.”
The State Attorney General’s Office and the Public Security Secretariat implemented an exhaustive protocol for the review of weapons, collective licenses and protection of the municipal police stations of Teocaltiche and Villa Hidalgo.
To carry out these actions, operational personnel were available in both localities: 59 elements in Teocaltiche and 48 in Villa Hidalgo. The surveillance and supervision of the police stations will be the responsibility of a combined contingent of the Security Secretariat, the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office, the Armed Forces and the National Guard, who will make 100 elements available in each municipality.
Source: proceso
