The leader of one of Mexico’s largest labor unions is denying allegations and news reports that linked a newly captured boss with the Sinaloa Cartel, who is the alleged leader behind the widespread extortions of ranchers and truckers, and was a regional secretary for the union. A series of leaks has revealed that the two were allegedly close allies.
Known in the underworld as “El Limones,” Edgar Rodriguez Ortiz is an alleged leader of the Los Cabrera Sarabia cell of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is aligned with the Mayos faction. Mexico’s security forces initially arrested El Limones earlier this week in the western state of Durango as part of an operation targeting the Sinaloa Cartel. According to information revealed by Mexico’s top security chief, Omar Garcia Harfuch, El Limones was under investigation for extorting local businessmen and ranchers, as well as for being the financial brain of the cartel cell.
Following the arrest, Mexican authorities moved El Limones to Mexico City, where he is awaiting trial inside one of the country’s most secure federal prisons. The arrest sparked considerable controversy after a series of leaks and news reports pointed to El Limones as the regional secretary for the CATEM, one of Mexico’s largest labor unions.
In the aftermath of the revelation, the leader of the CATEM, Pedro Haces, released a video denying any connection between his union and El Limones. In his statement, Haces claimed that the leaks were false and politically motivated.
However, additional photographs and videos that have gone viral in Mexico show the union leader and the cartel boss as close friends and allies.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
