The figure of Adán Augusto López, former governor of Tabasco and coordinator of the Morena senators, has occupied a large space in public debate in recent weeks.
The reason? An arrest warrant has been issued for his former Secretary of Security, Hernán Bermúdez Requena, accused of being the leader of the criminal group “La Barredora.” He was arrested overnight on September 12 in Paraguay.
Bermúdez was found in a house in a luxurious area with jewelry and cash.
Bermúdez Requena’s involvement in organized crime triggered an avalanche of accusations against Adán Augusto due to his alleged complicity in enabling “La Barredora” operations in Tabasco, where he carries out crimes such as fuel theft, extortion, and migrant smuggling.
This scandal arose amid information circulating about alleged US investigations into Morena supporters for alleged criminal ties, according to reports from foreign media outlets such as ProPublica and Reuters.
It appears that Adán’s name may also be under US scrutiny, according to a column by a journalist.
In an article titled “The Worst for Adán Has Yet to Happen” for El Financiero, journalist Raymundo Riva Palacio details that Adán Augusto López is allegedly a “person of interest” for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and US intelligence services.
He even goes so far as to mention that Adán has been under US scrutiny since he was appointed Secretary of the Interior in 2021, during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, for alleged links to crime.
“Information that has been accessed shows that Adán Augusto became a person of interest (…) since he was appointed Secretary of the Interior in August 2021, when an investigation was opened against him in Washington and the first indications of his alleged involvement in organized crime emerged,” the journalist explains.
According to Riva Palacio, the fact that there has not yet been a formal indictment by the US Department of Justice could point to a possible investigation into Adán for his ties to Hernán Bermúdez.
“The investigation per se does not mean he is guilty of anything, but the revelation of the criminal ties of his former Secretary of Security, Hernán Bermúdez Requena, does nothing to help,” the article argues.
It is unknown whether Adán Augusto’s visa has been revoked or whether he has any proceedings against him by the US, as is the case with Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila.
Implications for the 4T
Despite the support Adán Augusto López has received from some activists, the crisis that erupted within Morena over his closeness to Bermúdez Requena has been difficult to navigate for two of its leaders: Luisa María Alcalde, the party’s national leader; and President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Both have had to cautiously navigate the conflict. First, Sheinbaum asked Adán Augusto to clarify his relationship with the alleged leader of La Barredora.
“It would be good if he gave his version so people know what he experienced as governor; what he experienced with this person,” he said at his morning press conference on July 18.
Days later, Luisa Alcalde also appeared in various media outlets to discuss the case, after the Morena National Council met on Sunday, July 20.
“Morena does not protect anyone linked to acts of corruption (…) whether they are Morena members or not. If there is any evidence of acts of corruption or deviation from our principles in Morena, it must be investigated. Whoever it may be. It cannot be covered up,” Mayor Luján stated in an interview with Ciro Gómez Leyva for Grupo Fórmula.
If the United States is indeed investigating the Tabasco native, Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration will once again have to bear the brunt of the scandals surrounding the movement she leads from the National Palace.
The arrest was announced by the Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, who indicated that elements of the National Intelligence Center, the Ministry of Defense, the Navy, the Attorney General’s Office, the National Guard, and the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) participated in the operation.
Mexican authorities collaborated with the Government of the Republic of Paraguay, and Hernán “N” was located in that country, and actions were taken to arrest him and transfer him to national territory.
The former Secretary of Security of Tabasco has an arrest warrant for the crimes of criminal association, extortion, and express kidnapping in Tabasco.
Source: politico
