Overview
- A control judge sentenced María Elena Martínez Robles to 70 years in prison for the January 2023 aggravated homicides of syndic Miguel Ángel Lara de la Cruz and his assistant Guillermo Jerónimo.
- The court ordered 207,234 pesos in restitution for each victim and suspended the former mayor’s civil and political rights.
- Prosecutors said she directed members of a Michoacán-based criminal cell to kill the syndic to keep control of municipal decisions, citing testimony about a phone call soliciting the murder.
- Witnesses reported she met repeatedly with La Familia Michoacana and delivered 1.3 million pesos every three months to the group.
- Authorities said she was detained under Operación Enjambre with army, National Guard and state police support, and count this as the 11th conviction in a 16-target effort that has produced 60 arrests.