Arrested Mexican Mayor Allegedly Disposed Human Remains, Worked With Cartel Leaders at Extermination Camp

José Ascensión Murguía Santiago, former mayor of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, was arrested by Mexican authorities this past weekend following an investigation that uncovered an alleged network of criminal ties between officials of the rural Jalisco community and the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

Murguía is now being accused of working directly with cartel leaders in operations involving kidnappings and the disposal of human remains at the Izaguirre Ranch — an infamous property allegedly used by the CJNG as a training camp, detention center and execution site.

According to investigators, Murguía was among several public officials allegedly targeted by the Jalisco Cartel to expand its influence across the region. The Mexican Attorney General's Office is charging the former mayor with organized crime, citing testimonies that claimed he was not only aware of cartel activity in the area but also met regularly with key CJNG figures, including José Gregorio "El Comandante" Lastra and Gonzalo Mendoza Gaitán, also known as "El Sapo."

Both men are described by authorities as regional leaders operating in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit and Zacatecas, and are believed to have overseen recruitment and training efforts at the Izaguirre Ranch.

According to Infobae México, one witness who testified against Murguía revealed that the former official supplied patrol vehicles, firearms and municipal police officers to support the criminal organization. In exchange he allegedly received monthly payments of approximately $3,500, delivered in cash at remote locations.

Prosecutors also presented early evidence suggesting Murguía played an active role in the disposal of human remains, including dumping organs into a clandestine grave near the property.

Santiago was arrested on May 3. About 12 others have also been arrested in connection with the camp, including a police chief and two police officers from a nearby town.

But according to journalist David Saucedo, who covers criminal organizations, Murguía's case is one of many involving public servants in Jalisco.

Saucedo has anticipated a "gradual arrest of more political leaders from Murguía's Citizens' Movement party" who were part of what he described as a "ring of political protection" granted to the Jalisco Cartel. He also suggested that federal prosecutors should prioritize investigating former Jalisco Gov. Enrique Alfaro.

"There's nothing wrong with investigating the narco-mayors," he said. "But we also need to go after the narco-governors."

The Jalisco prosecutor's office has faced mounting criticism over its handling of the Izaguirre Ranch, which first gained public attention in September 2024 — under Alfaro's administration — after an anonymous tip alerted authorities to suspected cartel activity at the Teuchitlán property.

When law enforcement first raided the site, members of the National Guard arrested 10 suspects and rescued two individuals who had been kidnapped by the cartel.

The activist group Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, which identified the site in early March, has condemned both state and federal authorities for mishandling the investigation — including failing to properly secure the property and allowing potential tampering of evidence.