In Narco-Banners, Criminals Accuse Guerrero Governor of Protecting the Beltrán Leyva Cartel

“Parro” for Borderland Beat

Three narcomantas (narcobanners) were placed in various places in the port of Acapulco where they accuse Governor Héctor Astudillo Flores of protecting Los Rusos, a local faction of the Beltran Leyva Cartel.

The banner said that he allegedly received 10 million pesos from businessman Joaquín Alonso Piedra AKA El Abulon, detained in July 2016 by federal agents and accused of being the top money launderer of the cartel in Acapulco.

Official reports from the Ministry of Public Security (SSP) indicate that the banners were located on Miguel Aleman Avenue, in Las Playas subdivision, and in Cuauhtémoc and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza Avenues.

“Why doesn’t anyone stop Los Rusos? Not Maldonado, not the municipal police, nor the state police? We know that the governor is helping Los Rusos because he is a friend of Joaquín Alonso Piedra. The governor feels committed because Joaquín gave Astudillo 10 million pesos for his campaign. César Flores Maldonado knows about this and that is why the director of the Ministerial Police. Esteban Maldonado Palacios [also] takes care of and protects Los Rusos”, read the first part of the banner.

César Flores Maldonado, current adviser to Governor Astudillo, is the head of the Guerrero State Police. Esteban Maldonado Palacios is the lead prosecutor for Serious Crimes of the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE).

“Let Maldonado not forget that he worked for Víctor Aguirre García AKA El Feo or El Gordo. The money was given to him by Pita, Pilar or Tornado. I ask for the removal of Maldonado.”

Los Rusos group is the armed wing of the Beltran Leyva Cartel that was once led by Carlos Alberto Navarrete Soriano AKA El Ruso, arrested in July 2016 in the port of Acapulco.

He was acccused of maintaining direct communication with the capo Hector Beltrán Leyva, currently imprisoned. Security forces say El Ruso managed the money laundering and drug trafficking activities for the cartel in Acapulco.

The arrest of El Russo was occurred in the midst of public accusations against Governor Astudillo for providing alleged protection to drug traffickers in Acapulco.

The Astudillo and Alonso Piedra relationship

In June 2016, cartel members left several banners across Acapulco where they accused the sons of Governor Héctor Astudillo of conducting business under the protection of state officials together with the current candidate for mayor of Acapulco for the Institiutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Ricardo Taja Ramírez.

The Governor described the accusations against his children as blackmail by “a businessman”, but he never identified the person responsible and it is unknown if he proceeded legally.

A month later, in July, Acapulco businessman Joaquín Alonso Piedra, AKA El Abulón, was arrested and accused of being a Beltran Leyva financial operator. Piedra has been publicly identified as being one of the main funders of Astudillo’s campaign, as well as for other PRI and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) politicians in Acapulco.

Source: Proceso