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Former Mexican presidential candidate arrested for electoral crimes

General Terán, Nuevo León — Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, the former governor of Nuevo León and former presidential candidate, was arrested Tuesday for electoral crimes involving the alleged diversion of resources. The man who also goes by the nickname “El Bronco” was apprehended on a state highway in the municipality of General Terán from where he was transferred to an Apodaca prison.

His arrest stems from a complaint filed in July 2018, by the then senator and current governor of Nuevo León, Samuel García Sepúlveda, who, shortly after the arrest, uploaded a video to social networks saying whoever steals from the treasury will go to jail.

“We are an incorruptible government. Whoever made the payment, whoever stole or diverted public resources to their friends, nephews, favorites or campaign will go to jail (…) enough of them playing and looting our state,” he said in his video.

The INE began an investigation into El Bronco when he ran as an independent candidate for the Presidency of Mexico in 2018. The Institute began to investigate independent candidates who resorted to trafficking citizen signatures. In the case of El Bronco, there was suspicion of the selling and buying of electoral rolls.

In a statement, the Nuevo León Special Prosecutor for Electoral Crimes reported “on March 15, 2022, an arrest warrant was issued against Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, by a judge of the state of Nuevo León, for his probable participation in events with characteristics of electoral crimes.