Three members of organized crime sentenced to up to 34 years in prison

Mexico City. The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) obtained sentences ranging from 20 to more than 34 years in prison against three members of organized crime, including Pablo Magaña Serrato, considered the boss of the plaza in Zitácuaro, for the organization of The Knights Templarand Juan Antonio Santillán García, former director of the municipal police of Acámbaro, Guanajuato, who had ties to the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

In the first case, a federal judge based in Tamaulipas, sentenced Magaña Serrato to 20 years in prison, The Viseconsidering that sufficient evidence was provided to declare him guilty of organized crime, in the event of committing crimes against health, with administrative, management or supervisory functions.

The Vise He was notified of this criminal process in July 2019, and was already imprisoned in the “Santiaguito” Penitentiary and Social Reintegration Center in the State of Mexico.

Thus, the Second District Court of Federal Criminal Proceedings in Tamaulipas sentenced him to 20 years in prison against whom the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) considered to have been part of The Michoacan Familysince 2008, in which he first carried out activities as a hawk, then as a hitman and in 2010 he was appointed as plaza boss in Zitácuaro, Michoacán; later he joined The Knights Templar.

In the second case, in an oral trial, Juan Antonio Santillán, former director of the Municipal Police of Acámbaro, was sentenced after being found guilty of the crimes of stockpiling firearms, possession of magazines and cartridges, and possession of marijuana, methamphetamine hydrochloride and cocaine.

According to the file, in October 2021, an investigation file was opened against the former police chief and Jesús Hernández, after being arrested by elements of the Criminal Investigation Agency, attached to the State Attorney General’s Office, derived from a search warrant carried out at a home located in the downtown area of ​​the city of Acámbaro, in Michoacán and which was referred to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, by its common jurisdiction counterpart, for incompetence.

During the search, local police located and seized four grenades, 10 rifles, a grenade launcher, five pistols, 10 magazines and 3,269 cartridges for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces, as well as 258 grams of marijuana, 15 grams of cocaine and two grams of methamphetamine.

In addition, tactical equipment such as masks, vests, pants and various garments with the initials of security institutions; a gram scale, plastic containers with methamphetamine hydrochloride residues and spoons with drugs.

Based on the evidence provided by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the judge sentenced the former police director to 34 years and three months in prison, while Jesús Hernández received 25 years and six months in prison.