A state governor in Mexico said Monday that his predecessor and the former police head had negotiated with a Mexican drug gang.

Local soccer star turned Morelos governor Cuauhtemoc Blanco has been forced to deny any drug links after an October 2018 photo recently surfaced showing him posing with three known local drug cartel leaders.

The controversial photo that was leaked to the newspaper El Sol de Mexico showed Blanco posing with known drug traffickers Irving Eduardo Solano Vera, alias "El Profe," of the Guerreros Unidos Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel; Homero Figueroa Meza, alias "La Tripa," of the Tlahuica Command; and former Jalisco New Generation Cartel cell leader Raymundo "El Ray" Castro. 

The newspaper reported that the photo was found on the telephone of a drug suspect. Castro was killed inside his prison cell in October 2019, while Solano is still in prison after being captured in February last year.

Figueroa Meza, who was linked to the assassination of indigenous activist Samir Flores in 2019, is still on the loose and leading the Tlahuica Command.

Morelos Governor in Mexico Says Predecessor Made Deals With Mexican Drug Gang

On Monday, Cuauhtemoc Blanco claimed that former Governor Graco Ramirez had made deals with a drug gang called "The Reds." He also accused former state police chief Alberto Capella of being involved in the deals.

Blanco appeared at prosecutors' offices on Monday and asked them to investigate any allegations against him, reiterating that he doesn't make deals with criminals.

Morelos, located just south of Mexico City, has a warm climate and was once known as a peaceful weekend getaway for city residents. However, its image has changed due to the rise in kidnappings, killings, and extortion in the past two decades.

In defending himself, Alberto Capella said Blanco was lying as the former soccer star player intended to divert attention from his own problems. 

In his Twitter post, Capella called Blanco "ignorant, corrupt and perverse." The former state police chief said that police had combatted "The Reds" with vigor under Ramirez's administration from 2012 to 2018.

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Mexico Governor Investigated Over Alleged Links to Mexican Drug Cartels

Last week, the Morelos State Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation against Cuauhtemoc Blanco after 11 deputies of the Morelos Congress, and the local opposition political party requested the intervention of the justice body.

In denying any links to the drug traffickers in the photo, Blanco earlier said he has "nothing to hide" since he's not making deals with criminals. Being a former soccer star, the Morelos governor noted that he would never deny a fan a photo op.

"I have nothing to hide. I take a lot of photos and I'm not going to ask them: 'Hey, who are you and what do you do?'," Blanco noted.

He also cited a time when he was seen in a photo with a son of Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, noting that he did not even know who he was.

"But because I'm such a good guy, I take photos with everyone... I am going to continue taking photos. Perhaps more will come out," he said. 

State attorney general Uriel Carmona earlier told local media that the photograph by itself does not constitute a criminal act. However, Carmona said they would investigate the matter.

Blanco previously served as mayor of Cuernavaca, the Morelos state capital. He was known for his aggressive and combative style as a Mexican national soccer team player.

After retiring from soccer, Blanco ran for Morelos governor in 2018 and won. Blanco, as state governor, has been criticized for appointing former soccer associates to government posts.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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