Mexican authorities have arrested Gildardo Lopez Astudillo, an alleged cartel leader linked to the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in Iguala. This arrest comes just weeks before the 10th anniversary of the students’ disappearance, which shocked the nation and sparked years of protests.
Lopez Astudillo, also known as “El Gil”, was detained on charges of organized crime and taken to a maximum security prison in south-central Mexico. This is his second arrest, having been previously detained in 2015 and released in 2019 due to illegally obtained evidence. He later served as a protected witness, providing details about his cartel’s involvement in the students’ disappearance.
The missing students, who were believed to have been kidnapped by the Guerreros Unido drug cartel and corrupt police while en route to a political demonstration in Mexico City, have yet to be found. A truth commission set up by the government has labeled the case a “state crime”, implicating the military in some capacity.
Dozens of arrests have been made in connection to the disappearance, including military personnel and a former attorney general involved in the investigation. Despite these efforts, only a few of the victims’ remains have been identified.
Relatives of the missing students are planning demonstrations to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their disappearance, while the arrest of Lopez Astudillo serves as a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of justice in this tragic case.
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