Hidalgo Police Chief Arrested for Alleged Cover-up; Second Officer Detained

Authorities in Hidalgo, Mexico, have arrested the head of the municipal police's control and command center in Villa de Tezontepec for alleged complicity with a criminal organization. The arrest occurred during a raid by federal and state forces.

This marks the second detention within the local police department in recent weeks. Last week, a shift supervisor and two other individuals were apprehended. Investigations into their activities led authorities to identify and detain the control center chief, who is suspected of providing protection to members of a criminal cell operating in the municipality.

Salvador Cruz Neri, the state's Secretary of Public Security, confirmed that the operation, conducted in coordination with the State Attorney General's Office, the National Defense Secretariat, and the National Guard, involved executing a search warrant at a property in the town center. During the raid, authorities also discovered and seized various doses of illicit substances, including marijuana and crystal methamphetamine.

The arrested individual and the seized items have been transferred to federal prosecutors, who are continuing the investigation into the case. The detentions come amid a recent increase in criminal activity in the area, including homicides, which authorities believe may be linked to the implicated police officers.