Mexican prosecutor sees clear links to crime of former official arrested in Paraguay

Mexico's Attorney General, Alejandro Gertz Manero, stated this Tuesday that the alleged leader of the criminal group La Barredora -linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)-, Hernán Bermúdez Requena, has "very clear links to organized crime," following his recent arrest and extradition from Paraguay. "We have already established very clear links with organized crime," said the head of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) during the presidential press conference, referring to the federal investigation stemming from a case of extortion of gas station owners in Tabasco that began in 2024. Gertz Manero explained that the Tabasco Prosecutor's Office opened the original investigation for common crimes, which later led to the issuance of arrest warrants against Bermúdez and several of his collaborators. Subsequently, the FGR joined the case to locate him outside the country. "Very meticulous work was done, the red notice was obtained and, with the support of intelligence from the Secretariat of Security, the presence of this individual was able to be established with the Paraguayan authorities," he reported. The former Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Tabasco (south) until 2023 was located and expelled from Paraguay in an operation coordinated with the authorities of that country and transferred to Mexico, where a local arrest warrant was executed. The prosecutor pointed out that the federal investigation was strengthened thanks to the information provided by two people close to Bermúdez: one of them already prosecuted and another who availed themselves of a leniency agreement. "One of them has already been processed federally, is in jail, and the other has given us a series of information that has been very valuable," he detailed, specifying that the federal arrest warrant against Bermúdez has already been issued and is pending execution, once the local proceedings are concluded. Bermúdez has since been accused of alleged links to criminal groups dedicated to extortion and control of gas stations in the state. Gertz Manero assured that the case "is on a very good track" and that the Federal Public Ministry awaits the intermediate hearing of the local process to strengthen the federal accusation. "This person refused to testify before the local authority," added the prosecutor. "But their defense will have to respond to all the charges, which will allow us to strengthen our federal project." Bermúdez Requena is one of the alleged leaders of La Barredora, a criminal cell dedicated to crimes such as drug dealing and extortion, linked to the CJNG, one of the six Mexican cartels that the United States designated as terrorists last February. According to intelligence information, the former official allegedly had links with criminals since 1999 and a possible arrest in 2006 for the execution of a cattle farmer.

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On September 13th, Bermúdez Requena was captured in a luxurious residence in a gated community in the city of Mariano Roque Alonso, in Asunción, Paraguay. Despite the accusations against him, the ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) has indicated that Bermúdez Requena is still part of said political association and will not be expelled until there is a final sentence.