Why the Mayor of Tequila, Mexico, Was Arrested
The arrest of the Mayor of Tequila, Mexico, sent shockwaves throughout the region and beyond.
Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced that Diego Rivera Navarro is among the city officials arrested for their alleged involvement with the cartel.
Navarro's Alleged Cartel Ties
Authorities allege Navarro and three other municipal officials have ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which extorted nearby tequila and beer companies. Navarro's arrest is part of the government's Operation Swarm, a crackdown on criminal networks involving local city officials who work hand in hand with the cartel so they can operate with impunity.
The Mexican government said in a statement that Navarro is "known to lead a corruption network within the City Council in which public officials extort businesspeople and merchants in the municipality, in addition to diverting public funds."
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José Cuervo Caught Up in the Mess
At this moment, it's not immediately clear which tequila and beer companies fell victim to Navarro's alleged cartel ties, but government officials reportedly received a flood of complaints from business owners about the shakedown.
According to a 2023 annual report from the company that owns José Cuervo, officials were already onto Navarro after complaints that Cuervo tequila was among the brands targeted for extortion. The New York Times was first to report on Cuervo's complaint, which alleged that Tequila city officials demanded payments to continue operating in the famed city.
According to Drinks International, Navarro's administration was accused of withholding building permits and imposing a property tax of up to 20 times the legal rate. There was also a $3.45 million fine in an attempt to close one of Cuervo's plants.
Among those also tied up in the government's crackdown are the city's director of public safety, the director of tax registry, and the director of public works. Along with the mayor, the cartel targeted these individuals due to the local influence they exerted.
For example, the city's director of public safety commanded the municipal police force.