Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Governor Mara Lezama has called the recent arrest of a former FGE officer “a resounding blow against impunity”. Lezama said the arrest of Miguel Ángel Cuéllar Rangel, alias El Tigre who is accused of murder and other crimes in the service of the Sinaloa Cartel, has more facets that are just coming to light.
At the same time, Lezama also reproached the negligence of the previous administration for allowing him to be an active member of the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE).
During her La Voz del Pueblo program before the holiday break, she revealed that Cuéllar Rangel, who was hired and became head of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Drug Dealing during the administration of Carlos Joaquín González, also carried out espionage activities against politicians, athletes, businessmen and journalists.
El Tigre was arrested last week for his connection to the murder of equestrian businessman Jorge Catania, which occurred on May 23, 2023.
During her live program, Lezama said that in 2019, El Tigre began working with the previous government that included “then Attorney General”. Although she avoided mentioning names, the previous governor was Carlos Joaquín González, currently Mexico’s ambassador to Canada. The Attorney General during Joaquín’s term was Óscar Montes de Oca, whom Lezama asked to resign in 2023.
“I say this clearly,” she said when explaining the El Tigre situation from 2019.
“This person (Miguel Ángel Cuéllar Rangel) worked in the Attorney General’s Office with the previous prosecutor and today he is accused of homicide. Whose side were they on?” Lezama asked during her The Voice of the People program.
She noted that in 2022, under the current administration, Cuéllar Rangel was identified and fired when his illicit activities were discovered.
The Governor said his recent arrest was the result of a coordination strategy between various security agencies including the Secretariat for Citizen Protection and Security (SSPC) of the Government of Mexico.
“This man, accused of murder and accused of spying on politicians, athletes and journalists, was hired by the previous administration. Today we are facing the consequences of that negligence,” she said.
“In this government there is no place for impunity or for those who betray the trust of the people.”
Lezama reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening security and combating corruption in the state, stressing that these actions are part of the fight against impunity and to restore the confidence of citizens.
Miguel Ángel Cuéllar Rangel is already in Cancun prison awaiting his preliminary hearing. He was arrested December 17 in the city of Pachuca, Hidalgo and transferred back to Quintana Roo to face charges.
