In Jalisco, Omar García Harfuch, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), announced the arrest of Diego Rivera Navarro (referred to as Diego “N”), the municipal president of Tequila, the renowned town synonymous with Mexico’s iconic tequila industry.
The detention occurred as part of “Operación Enjambre” (Operation Swarm), a coordinated federal effort targeting extortion networks and corruption in local governments. Alongside the mayor, three other high-ranking municipal officials were arrested:
- The Director of Public Security
- The Director of Cadastre and Property Taxes (Catastro y Predial)
- The Director of Public Works
(Three more public servants from the city council were also arrested.)
Authorities executed search warrants at multiple locations in the municipality following citizen complaints and intelligence work. The group is accused of operating a corruption scheme from within Tequila’s city hall, allegedly involving extortion of tequila producers, beer companies, and local businesses, as well as the diversion of public funds. Investigations also point to possible ties to a cell of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), the dominant criminal organization in the region.
(In a video of the operation, we see a UH-60M helicopter flying overhead.)
Video footage from the operation, shared by official sources, shows a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter (operated by SEDENA or SEMAR) and a SEMAR Escualo armored vehicle supporting the multi-agency raid, which involved personnel from:
- Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA)
- Secretaría de Marina (SEMAR)
- Fiscalía General de la República (FGR)
- Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI)
- SSPC
In a video of the operation, we see a SEMAR Escualo armored vehicle.
Diego Rivera Navarro, a member of the Morena party, assumed office on October 1, 2024. The municipality of Tequila is now under state police oversight while federal investigations proceed. This arrest follows similar actions under Operation Enjambre in other states, including the State of Mexico, as part of a broader national campaign against extortion and organized crime infiltration in local administrations.