The governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro, asserted that Alberto Prieto Valencia, murdered on December 29, 2025, in Zapopan, was not a businessman and that, according to official investigations, he was linked to crimes such as organizing Colombian raffles, extortion through predatory lending, and arms trafficking.
The governor’s statements mark a turning point in the case, as Prieto Valencia had previously been portrayed as a merchant and businessman at the Mercado de Abastos (wholesale market).
During a press conference, Pablo Lemus emphasized that Jalisco authorities have identified two main lines of investigation regarding Prieto Valencia.
The first line of inquiry is related to the operation of raffles and lotteries at the Mercado de Abastos (wholesale market), managed through a network of Colombian nationals allegedly working for Prieto to collect on illegal loans known as “gota a gota” (loan sharking).
The second line of inquiry points to arms trafficking and sales as a possible motive for the murder.
