Headline: Controversy Erupts as Mexican Military Commander Joins Event Honoring Drug Lord "El Mencho"
A Mexican military commander found himself at the center of a controversy after participating in an event that honored Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as "El Mencho," the leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG). The event was organized by the town of Coalcomán’s municipality, and the unusual participation of the colonel has raised concerns and questions.
Colonel Rolando Méndez Cruz, commander of the 65th Infantry Battalion, attended the event on December 10 alongside Coalcomán’s mayor, Anavel Ávila Castrijón. The event included references to El Mencho, who is wanted by authorities and is one of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords. The commander, who assumed his post under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration and was recently decorated, has not publicly commented on his attendance at the event.
Méndez Cruz is responsible for military operations in the volatile Sierra Madre del Sur region of Michoacán. This area has been the scene of numerous violent incidents, including the deadly ambush of his predecessor, Colonel Héctor Miguel Vargas, in January 2023. The crime remains unsolved.
The event in Coalcomán marked the 193rd anniversary of the town’s elevation to municipality status. During the celebration, students performed skits, including one that depicted a cockfight set to the narcocorrido "El del Palenque." The song explicitly references El Mencho, with lyrics such as "Soy el dueño del palenque, cuatro letras van al frente, soy del mero Michoacán donde es la tierra caliente." The mayordescended from her position to participate in the skit with children aged five to seven, with the military commander present but not intervening to stop the performance.
Mayor Ávila Castrijón, a member of Movement Ciudadano, is currently under investigation by the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) for alleged criminal association. The investigation stems from a previous Christmas event where children, officials, and residents thanked El Mencho for presents supposedly sent by the drug trafficker. The municipality also allowed a banner to be placed near the town hall expressing gratitude to Oseguera and his lieutenants.
Jorge Álvarez Máynez, national coordinator of Movement Ciudadano, supported the investigations against the mayor and stated that municipal presidents do not enjoy immunity. This case highlights the apparent connections between criminal groups and local authorities in Michoacán and the challenge faced by the Mexican Army in one of the country’s most violent regions.
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