The former secretary of public security for the Mexican state of Sinaloa has disappeared from the US Federal Bureau of Prisons registry, according to Mexican newspaper La Jornada. The report, published Monday, says authorities have not clarified where the former official is now.
The development was first flagged by La Jornada, which noted that the individual's name no longer appears in the federal prison system's online database. The outlet did not provide a specific reason for the removal, and no further details on the former official's current location or legal status were given.
The news follows a pattern of reporting from multiple Mexican outlets, including Reforma and EL PAÍS, which have also covered the case of General Gerardo Mérida, a former security official linked to Sinaloa. EL PAÍS reported that Mérida has left prison in the United States, while Reforma said he has been removed from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The reports suggest that Mérida's removal from the registry may be tied to a broader shift in his detention status, though none of the outlets provided specifics on whether he was released, transferred, or moved to a different facility. Excélsior, in a separate piece, linked Mérida's case to other figures, referring to a "shipwreck" involving Mérida, a person named Díaz, and another individual called Andy, though the details of that connection remain unclear.
What to watch next: Whether US or Mexican authorities issue an official statement clarifying Mérida's status and the reason for his removal from the prison registry.
