Business owners and merchants in Tequila, Jalisco, were subjected for months to an extortion and abuse of power scheme led by Mayor Diego Rivera Navarro and his inner circle, who allegedly used the city hall’s resources to impose illegal fees, charges, and penalties.
Since the mayor took office in October 2024, a criminal network, allegedly supported by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was reportedly established in the municipality, according to complaints, testimonies, and journalistic investigations.
The case that sparked national attention was that of José Cuervo, the country’s largest tequila producer, which in December 2025 reported a property tax bill of 60 million pesos, an amount that represented double the annual property tax revenue in Tequila.
After the tequila company refused to pay the property tax demanded by the city council, municipal agents placed closure seals on the distillery’s facilities, temporarily halting its operations.
Following pressure and negotiations, the company ended up paying 17 million pesos. Subsequently, the seals were removed and the plant was able to resume operations, but the incident highlighted the use of closures as a pressure tactic to force the payment of fees outside of legal limits.
This pattern extended to other companies: the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus, acknowledged at the end of 2025 that at least 10 tequila companies and hotels had reported extortion and irregular charges by the mayor.
According to testimonies gathered by Milenio, merchants and tourist transport operators stated that the municipal administration demanded a payment of 50 pesos for each tourist entering Tequila, an amount that transport companies had to pay as a kind of “land rights” to operate in the municipality.
The sanctions were not limited to large companies. Local entrepreneurs and merchants recounted how, even after paying fines and complying with all the required measures—such as purchasing fire extinguishers and first-aid kits—their businesses remained closed for more than a year. Ana Rosa, an affected merchant interviewed by the aforementioned media outlet, paid an 11,600-peso fine without getting the closure seals removed.
Other testimonies, included in the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) case file against Diego Rivera Navarro and analyzed by Latinus, describe how some business owners had to pay an initial sum of 50,000 pesos to reopen their businesses after a closure, and were subsequently required to pay monthly fees of 20,000 pesos to continue operating.
Furthermore, there are cases in which the extortions reached single amounts of up to 150,000 pesos, according to the victims’ accounts included in the federal investigation.
The FGR, which accuses the mayor of organized crime for extortion and kidnapping, maintains that Diego Rivera Navarro used the power of the government to carry out criminal activities, in what it describes as “the fusion of crime with political power.”
According to the arrest warrant request, the Tequila city hall was transformed into a platform for kidnappings, extortion, and political control, under the alleged protection of the CJNG cartel.
The court file and collected testimonies identify the following individuals in the criminal organization:
Diego Rivera Navarro: Mayor of Tequila, identified as the leader and coordinator of the network.
Juan Gabriel “N”: Director of Cadastre and Property Tax.
Juan Manuel “N”: Director of Public Safety.
Julio N: Position unknown.
Isaac “N”: Director of Public Works.
Severo N (“El Rey Mago”): Police officer with ties to the CJNG cartel, according to U.S. authorities, since 2022.
Francisco Javier “Faraón”: Operator, specific role not detailed.
Diego Rivera Navarro’s wife: Mentioned in an anonymous complaint as part of the inner circle.
Bodyguards and municipal police officers: Several officers identified for their direct involvement in threats, extortion, and acts of violence.
The presence of “El Rey Mago,” Severo Flores Mendoza, gives the case an international dimension. Flores Mendoza, originally from Tequila, coordinated the police chiefs of the Valles region for over a decade. This area, known as the “Golden Triangle” of Jalisco, is a key area of influence for the CJNG cartel.
He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2022, accused of providing protection and resources to the cartel in exchange for bribes.
Source: infobae
