Edgar Aaron Vázquez Alvarado, 42—known as “El General” or “Mini”—operated a system of daily code words that allowed cocaine shipments to pass through military and police checkpoints in Mexico without being inspected, according to a U.S. federal indictment unsealed today.
The court document, which contains two counts, describes Vázquez as the founder and leader of the *Cártel Nuevo Imperio* (New Empire Cartel), a violent organization with operations centered in Mexico City. The defendant was shot and killed by Mexican police last week, before the charges against him were made public.
Code words used to bypass checkpoints
According to prosecutors, Vázquez provided members and associates of his organization with code words that were changed almost daily. This system served as the operational core of his trafficking scheme.
Those transporting cocaine shipments within Mexican territory would relay these codes to law enforcement and military personnel stationed at checkpoints. The mechanism allowed them to pass through without the risk of being inspected or detained.
While the indictment does not specify the exact origin of the code words or how they were updated, it confirms that their purpose was to ensure the safe passage of the contraband across Mexican territory, free from interference by local authorities.
Payments to officials to obstruct investigations
Vázquez’s scheme went beyond mere trafficking logistics. According to the indictment, he also assisted members and associates of his organization by making payments to Mexican public officials.
These payments served three purposes, the federal document states: to slow down ongoing criminal investigations, to destroy or tamper with incriminating evidence, and to secure the dismissal of criminal charges already filed against members of the network.
