Mexico judge orders preventive detention for alleged La Unión Tepito member accused of drug dealing

A judge in Mexico City ordered Francisco Javier López Mata into mandatory preventive detention after prosecutors accused him of drug dealing and possession of a restricted firearm.

The Federal Attorney General’s Office said López Mata, an alleged member of La Unión Tepito, was responsible for selling and distributing drugs in the Cuauhtémoc borough. A control judge ordered him to stand trial on charges of possessing a firearm reserved for the armed forces and possessing narcotics for commercial purposes. The judge also granted prosecutors two months for further investigation.

Authorities detained López Mata in the Doctores neighborhood after carrying out a search warrant at a home. The operation involved the Federal Attorney General’s Office, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, and the National Guard, which provided security around the area.

Prosecutors said the search followed an anonymous complaint reporting that armed people connected to the criminal organization were entering and leaving the property. Authorities said they seized methamphetamine hydrochloride, cocaine hydrochloride, marijuana, fentanyl tablets, a firearm, ammunition, cash and a precision scale.

Officials described López Mata as a person who generated violence in the same area. The charges remain allegations while the investigation continues.