Fausto Corrales, key figure in ex-rector's murder, accompanied victim on day of crime

Fausto Corrales Rodríguez has become a pivotal figure in the ongoing investigation into the murder of former rector Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda, and potentially linked to the alleged kidnapping of Ismael Zambada García. Corrales was with Cuén on the day of the crime and is accused of participating in the staging of a supposed vehicle robbery attempt.

According to the initial account from the Sinaloa State Attorney General's Office, Cuén was shot at a gas station in Culiacán and later died from his injuries. However, the Federal Attorney General's Office later took over the case, characterizing the state's version as a fabrication.

Corrales, who has political ties and has posted support for Adán Augusto López on social media, was considered a trusted associate of Cuén and served as president of the Partido Sinaloense. He was described as Cuén's right-hand man. Despite the investigation, Corrales continued to work at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) with escorts.

Reports from the weekly publication Ríodoce indicated that Corrales had stopped going to his job at UAS in June, reportedly after armed individuals threatened him and his family. He was later detained in Mexico City on August 19, accused of making false statements and being an accessory after the fact. The article notes a subsequent shift in the state's political landscape, with Governor Rubén Rocha Moya briefly returning to his post before leaving again.