Mexican federal officers detained Mayor Diego Rivera on Thursday during coordinated raids that also led to the arrest of the municipality’s security director and the heads of public works and the land registry.
Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said the group ran a corruption scheme that targeted beer and tequila producers in Tequila, birthplace of the agave spirit and centre of a multi-billion-dollar industry.
Investigators said in December that Becle, the world’s largest tequila producer and owner of the Jose Cuervo label, had been among the companies affected.
The firm accused the mayor’s administration of imposing property taxes at up to 20 times the legal rate and issuing a fine exceeding 60 million pesos while withholding permits and attempting to close one of its plants.
State officials intervened, and the governor said at least 10 companies had filed complaints.
Becle did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the Tequila Regulatory Council said it had no position on the case.
Officials allege Rivera’s network not only extorted businesses but also diverted public funds and collaborated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, described by authorities as one of the most powerful and violent criminal organisations in the country.
Rivera had previously drawn scrutiny after images of the cartel’s fugitive leader, Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho”, were projected during a local concert.
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Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday thanked FIFA and its President, Gianni Infantino, for reaffirming that the country’s 2026 World Cup host venues will remain unchanged, following violence that erupted after the killing of a major cartel leader.
Mexico has dispatched fresh humanitarian shipments to Cuba as fuel shortages deepen under renewed U.S. pressure, while Canada prepares assistance of its own.
At least 62 people have been killed in Mexico after a pre-dawn military raid targeting one of the country’s most wanted cartel leaders, triggered coordinated violence across more than a dozen states. Troops have been deployed and flights disrupted as security forces sought to regain control.
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
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President Donald Trump said NATO is making a “very foolish mistake” by refusing to help the U.S. as Israel Katz claimed Ali Larijani was killed in Israeli strikes.
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A Chinese man, Zhang Kequn and his Kenyan associate, Charles Mwangi, have been charged by a court in Kenya for alleged involvement in illegal dealings of wildlife species.
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Employees of Voice of America (VOA) who had spent nearly a year on paid administrative leave may soon return to work after U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that efforts to scale down the broadcaster were unlawful.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 18th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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