Mexican authorities have rearrested Gildardo Lopez Astudillo, also known as “El Gil,” a suspected leader of the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel, who is allegedly tied to the disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa teachers’ college in 2014.
Astudillo was previously released from prison in 2019 after a judge ruled that evidence against him had been obtained unlawfully.
A federal security source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the arrest on Friday. According to the source, Astudillo has been transferred to the Altiplano maximum security prison in Mexico State on charges of “organized crime,” with potential for the investigation to be expanded.
The Ayotzinapa case dates back to September 2014, when 43 students were traveling to a political demonstration in Mexico City. Investigators believe the students were abducted by the Guerreros Unidos cartel, with assistance from corrupt police officers. Although the circumstances of the disappearance remain unclear, a government-established truth commission has described the case as a “state crime,” implicating both military officials and police in the tragedy.
Over the years, arrests have been made, including that of military personnel and a former attorney general who led a controversial investigation into the students’ disappearance. However, only a few of the victims’ remains have been identified.
Lopez Astudillo was initially apprehended in September 2015 in Taxco, Guerrero, a city about 35 kilometers from Iguala, where the students vanished.
His release in 2019 was met with outrage from the students’ families, who continue to seek justice. His latest arrest coincides with preparations for protests to mark the upcoming anniversary of the students’ disappearance.
The investigation into the Ayotzinapa case remains ongoing.
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