President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced the release of Nayeli Cyrene Cinco, the singer at the center of a kidnapping ordeal involving the illegal detention of 16 Chiapas Public Security Secretariat members. Cinco was originally abducted from her home on June 22, allegedly on the orders of the Sinaloa Cartel.
“The kidnapped lady, the one who supposedly, presumably, originated the kidnapping of the 16 public servants, where is she? What happened?” asked a journalist from Reforma during a press briefing, prompting President Obrador to confirm, “I can tell you that the lady is back.”
Singer’s Kidnap Linked to Rival Cartels
Reports suggest Nayeli Cyrene Cinco was held hostage by Jesus Esteban Machado, “El Güero Pulseras,” a lieutenant of the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS).
Her capture was reportedly ordered because of her association with Fredy Ruiz Gutiú, an operative of Juan Manuel Valdovinos, “El Señor de los Caballos,” the leader of the rival Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (CJNG).
An Escalation of Criminal Activity
The situation escalated on June 27 when the CJNG perpetrated a mass kidnapping, taking 16 members of the Public Security Secretariat captive. The police were accused of operating under the Sinaloa Cartel’s command, leading the CJNG to demand an exchange of hostages – the singer for the captive officers – and the removal of three security chiefs.
Further reading:
- Former Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel narco leader Eleazar Medina Rojas, AKA El Chalelo, indicted in the US
- Tepito Union member Harold Bladimir Soto, AKA El Antuan, shot dead in Mexico City’s Morelos neighborhood
- Sinaloa Cartel leader in Sonora, Jesus Aurelio Ibarra, AKA Comandante Aurelio, arrested in Sonoyta
The policemen were subsequently released on the afternoon of June 30.
President Obrador Defends Chiapas Security
Despite the recent wave of violence and the emergence of numerous armed groups, President López Obrador dismissed concerns over security in Chiapas, governed by Morenista Rutilio Escandón. He argued that such groups were limited in number and maintained that the state was secure.
“There are self-defense groups, but not many, and there is the presence of the National Guard in Chiapas,” he assured. He refuted claims of widespread insecurity and violence in Chiapas, saying, “I can prove to you with data that there are no homicides. We do not have a high crime rate.”
He continued, “When an event such as the kidnapping of public servants, the media magnifies it and generates a perception that there is a lot of insecurity. But we are watching daily… Look at Chiapas, 26th place; sorry, this has nothing to do with what the media says… Yes, there are (displacements), but it is normal. We have a presence in the northern zone, the highlands. We are calm.”