The Hand of 'El Mayo' Behind the Removal of Gerardo Vargas Landeros’ Immunity
Both López Valdez and Vargas Landeros reportedly have active red alerts at U.S. border crossings with the label “strong ties to the Sinaloa Cartel,” meaning they would be detained immediately upon pre
LOS ANGELES, California — On Monday, April 28, the board of directors of the 65th Legislature of the State Congress of Sinaloa issued a call for a secret session. Just minutes before this announcement, the controversial governor of the same state, Rubén Rocha Moya, was meeting with the federal security cabinet at the National Palace. The common link between both meetings has a name: Gerardo Vargas Landeros.
The Sinaloa Congress is accusing the current mayor of Ahome, Sinaloa, of diverting more than 171 million pesos, allegedly paid for the fictitious lease of 126 municipal police patrol vehicles. But what seems like another case of political corruption runs much deeper.
According to federal government sources consulted by Pie de Nota, Vargas Landeros is facing a removal of immunity process—a serious procedure that could remove him from office—not just for a public service infraction, but due to direct links to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, himself accused of connections to the 'Los Chapitos' faction of the cartel, is said to have delivered the final blow against Vargas Landeros: he allegedly requested President Claudia Sheinbaum’s approval to initiate the removal and gathered enough evidence to support the accusations.
However, the evidence Rocha Moya may have presented to Sheinbaum wasn’t necessarily what convinced the top Morena leadership to withdraw support for the Ahome mayor. A series of recordings—some fragments held by Pie de Nota—and an ongoing U.S. investigation into a close political ally of Vargas Landeros for working with the Sinaloa Cartel, were reportedly sent from the U.S. to the National Palace, with a warning: protecting Vargas Landeros would be seen as siding with the cartel.
“They want to spin the investigation into Vargas Landeros as a public office issue to avoid more embarrassment within Morena,” said a federal source to Pie de Nota.
But the truth, according to the source, is that the relationship between Vargas Landeros and the cartel is “untenable” for the 4T political movement.
“Gerardo (Vargas Landeros) has been for many years an ally—almost like family—to Malova (Mario López Valdez, former governor of Sinaloa), and both were close to El Mayo Zambada. When they took Mayo down, they lost their protection,” said the source.