RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Approximately 160 police officers in the municipality of San Juan de los Lagos, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, have been disarmed and suspended from their duties on charges of suspected involvement with organized crime groups.
According to the State Security Council of the state government, the measure was the result of an investigation by federal officials who determined that there might be “an infiltration” by the police corporation into organized crime.
“The decision to intervene on Monday in the municipality of San Juan de los Lagos was taken because, according to information from the state and federal intelligence services, there are grounded suspicions of police links with organized crime,” Jalisco Security Coordinator Macedonio Tamez announced in a press conference.
The municipality will be policed indefinitely by 500 state police officers, the National Guard and the Mexican Army.
“This measure aims to return peace and tranquility not only to the municipality but to the whole region and show the residents of this state that the government will not tolerate any municipal official disengaging from the duty to protect and serve the people,” he said.
The 160 police officers from San Juan de los Lagos will be stationed at the Security Secretariat’s Academy while the investigations are conducted.
Last Sunday four people died and two were injured during an attack by a group of armed men on a bar and a wine and liquor store.