With 14 months at the helm of the Baja California Secretariat of Citizen Security—and serving as the agency’s third chief—General Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez spoke to *ZETA* regarding investigations into drug thefts allegedly committed by his own agents; the entry of the “Chapitos” faction into the turf war for drug trafficking routes in Baja California; the surge in arms trafficking; and the internal power struggle within the State Citizen Security Force (FESC). He also explained why he disbanded—and subsequently suspended the operations of—the agency’s Technical Intelligence Unit.
He affirmed that, since his arrival, and as part of ongoing internal cleansing efforts, the number of investigations targeting state agents has increased by 10 percent. “Currently,” he stated, “personnel from the State Citizen Security Force are facing 52 open complaints filed with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and 36 filed with the State Attorney General’s Office.”
Regarding the continued retention of certain agents in command positions—despite allegations of corruption—he remarked, “These are individuals who deliver results,” and maintained that there is insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims against them.
With respect to the FESC’s capture of a disproportionately high number of criminals belonging to the “Mayos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Secretary asserted that this is not—as has been alleged—because certain operational units have struck deals with the mafias from Jalisco, the Chapos, or the Arellanos; rather, he argued, it is simply because the Mayos currently maintain a larger presence within the state. Carrillo Rodríguez further noted that, at present, there is a lack of clear definition regarding the leadership structures within the various cartels.
