In an interview with Diana Alcaraz on MVS Noticias, in the absence of Luis Cárdenas, security analyst David Saucedo discussed Operation Swarm: the arrest of the mayor of Cuautla.
The political and security landscape in the state of Morelos has been severely impacted by the recent federal actions. Security specialist and analyst David Saucedo dissected the true scope of Operation Swarm, which resulted in the arrest of the mayor of Cuautla, as well as another sitting mayor and a former mayor, all belonging to the opposition coalition of the PRI, PAN, and PRD parties.
According to the analyst, this mobilization of federal forces not only responds to a strategy of directly confronting criminal organizations in highly contested areas, but also carries significant weight in the country’s political narrative.
“It would seem that federal authorities are not only combating the Sinaloa Cartel in its vast narco-empire, but also in some regions where they didn’t exactly have territorial control,” Saucedo noted regarding Operation Swarm.
The expert explained that the state of Morelos has long been embroiled in a brutal territorial dispute between cells of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel. However, he emphasized the partisan impact of the arrests: “Regardless of the fact that no one can defend the mayor of Cuautla due to his political-criminal ties, it’s clear that the Federal Government wants to send a narrative that narco-governments and narco-politicians exist not only within Morena, but also in other coalitions and groups.”
Saucedo explained that the state’s geographic conditions and connectivity have made it a strategic and historical hub for the development of criminal governance, attracting Mexico’s most dangerous organizations through Operation Swarm.
“There are several factors, Diana. Its highway network, its proximity to Mexico City, and unfortunately, the fact that it’s a state with a high level of drug consumption for several years. There are also political groups that support the various criminal projects… They all came to Morelos to get a piece of the pie,” he stated.
According to the security expert, the municipal arrests made by Operation Swarm should be just the tip of the iceberg in a strategy that reaches the highest levels of the state’s executive branch, directly addressing the omissions of Morelos’ recent past.
“The next logical step in combating local authorities, such as mayors linked to criminal groups, would be the arrest of narco-governors. In particular, the case of Cuauhtémoc Blanco,” the interviewee stated.
Saucedo recalled that, according to SEDENA intelligence reports leaked by Guacamaya Leaks, former Governor Blanco allegedly attempted to broker a “narco-peace” to define territories with the Jalisco Cartel’s plaza bosses. Therefore, he insisted that federal investigations must move forward: “I think Operation Swarm should take a step forward. So far, it’s limited to the arrest of mayors and municipal police chiefs, but I think the next logical step would be precisely what the Americans are asking for, demanding: the arrest of narco-governors.”
Finally, the analyst warned that pressure from US security agencies is playing a decisive role in the focus of Mexican investigations, which extend beyond the municipal governments weakened by Operation Swarm.
Saucedo revealed that the Americans are keeping a close eye on sitting governors such as Américo Villarreal (Tamaulipas), Marina del Pilar (Baja California), Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla (Michoacán), and Alfonso Durazo (Sonora). He even highlighted that the lines of investigation reach figures in the central cabinet such as Mario Delgado, accused of allegedly financing Morena campaigns with resources from Sergio Carmona, the “King of Fuel Theft.”
The list of states under criminal governance schemes targeted by international and federal agencies is completed by Guanajuato, Michoacán and Veracruz, where criminal groups financed or intimidated candidates in the 2024 electoral processes, consolidating a complex scenario that is only now beginning to be addressed through Operation Swarm.
Source: mvsnoticias
