Said de Jesús Godos Luna, the Movimiento Ciudadano municipal president of Tepeyahualco, was arrested Friday afternoon by officers from the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) pursuant to an arrest warrant for the alleged crimes of abuse of authority, bribery, and failure to fulfill a legal duty.
The arrest took place in the Centro neighborhood of the municipality of San Juan Xiutetelco, where ministerial agents located and subsequently arrested the mayor. Godos Luna was transferred to the Justice Center in Ciudad Serdán, where he will be placed at the disposal of the appropriate authority to determine his legal situation.
Under criminal law, abuse of authority occurs when a public official uses their position to carry out improper acts, exceeds their powers, or acts contrary to their legal obligations.
Bribery generally refers to situations in which a public official requests, receives, or accepts an improper benefit in exchange for carrying out or failing to carry out an act related to their duties. Meanwhile, failure to fulfill a legal duty occurs when an official fails to comply with an obligation imposed by law because of their position.
Godos Luna’s Background
Godos Luna became municipal president of Tepeyahualco in 2021 as a candidate for Movimiento Ciudadano, in an election marked by controversy surrounding the result. In that contest, he faced, among other candidates, then-mayor Eyerim Espinosa Luna, who was seeking reelection and, according to the vote count, had initially obtained a 35-vote advantage.
However, during the early morning hours following election day, a group of armed individuals surrounded the Municipal Electoral Council, creating moments of tension for electoral authorities. The following day, the result ultimately favored Godos Luna, who assumed control of the municipal government.
Tepeyahualco is crossed by important transportation routes used to move goods between central Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico region, which has made it a municipality with frequent reports of cargo-truck robberies.
Despite a 33 percent decrease in cargo-truck robberies during the first half of 2026, Puebla remains second nationally for this crime, according to the report “Mexico: Q1-2026 Cargo Transportation Theft Report,” prepared by the firm Overhaul.
This context contrasts with the public allegations that Godos Luna’s administration also faced. Last July, his political group organized a raffle for a truck tractor with an announced value of one million pesos. The drawing could not take place because not enough tickets were sold, with each ticket costing 1,000 pesos.
In addition, on August 23, allegations emerged on social media linking the mayor to the alleged sale of vehicles reported as stolen.
“Tepeyahualco President Said Godos Luna linked to the sale of vehicles reported as stolen,” reads the headline of a publication that continues to circulate on Facebook.
Seven Mayors Arrested During the State Administration
Godos Luna’s arrest adds to the cases of other sitting or recently removed municipal presidents during the current state government. These include the former mayors of Chalchicomula de Sesma, Tlachichuca, San Nicolás Buenos Aires, Cuautempan, and Ahuazotepec, who have faced investigations for alleged crimes including extortion, abuse of authority, embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and alleged links to organized crime.
The most recent case before Godos Luna was that of Juan Pérez Moral, mayor of Tianguismanalco, who was arrested on August 17 and charged with rape after a complaint was filed by a municipal employee.
With the arrest of the Tepeyahualco mayor, seven municipal presidents have been arrested during the current state administration.
Source: jornada
