Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In recent revelations, two independent reports published by Propublica and DW on Tuesday have raised questions about the alleged involvement of the Sinaloa Cartel in contributing $2 million to Andrés Manuel López Obrador's presidential campaign in 2006. Journalists Anabel Hernández and Tim Golden have shed light on these claims, suggesting that the financing aimed to secure favorable operations and appointments in the event that López Obrador assumed the presidency.
Both reports underscore that the United States government conducted an extensive investigation, utilizing protected witnesses and inquiries on both sides of the border. They even orchestrated an undercover operation to establish contact with individuals closely associated with the current President of Mexico.
According to these reports, Nicolás Mollinedo, who once served as López Obrador's driver, and Mauricio Soto, a current member of Morena's national congress, are alleged to have received the money and purportedly committed to meeting the demands of organized crime.
Anabel Hernández's publication claims that López Obrador expressed gratitude to Édgar Valdez Villarreal, known as "La Barbie," over the phone for the support received. Meanwhile, Tim Golden points out that the investigation did not definitively conclude whether López Obrador had knowledge of the alleged traffickers' donations. Still, it did provide evidence that "one of López Obrador's closest collaborators had accepted the proposed agreement."
(Photo: Mexico's President Greets the Mother of Sinaloa Cartel Leader)
The alleged connection between criminal elements and individuals close to López Obrador is said to have originated from a meeting that took place in Puerto Vallarta in January 2006. This meeting was reportedly organized by Francisco León García, a mining businessman who ran for the Senate as part of López Obrador's alliance, with the knowledge and support of López Obrador himself.
During this meeting, it is believed that an agreement was reached: in exchange for financial support, the future López Obrador government would allegedly select law enforcement officials to assist traffickers.
Reports suggest that the money was delivered on three separate occasions to a residence in the Polanco neighborhood, where Mollinedo and Soto Caballero maintained an office. The deliveries were purportedly made by Roberto López Nájera, an operator for the Beltrán Leyva cartel, who later surrendered to the DEA and became a protected witness.
Remarkably, the investigation appears to have been terminated due to a lack of support at the highest levels of the US government. This decision was influenced by a desire to avoid intervening in the 2012 presidential elections and faced continual criticism, particularly in light of the failure of Operation Fast and Furious.
These revelations have ignited significant debate and further investigations into the alleged financial contributions to López Obrador's 2006 campaign and the potential ramifications on the political landscape.
