The Secretary of the Navy, Rafael Ojeda, acknowledged on Friday that elements of the institution have stolen uniforms to sell them to organized crime groups.
During a press conference in Oaxaca, where he accompanied President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the admiral said that this has happened “two or three times” and that the people responsible have been removed from the secretariat.
“It has happened to us two or three times within our institution. We have detected elements that take out of our cloths especially uniforms and sell them to organized crime, but fortunately our counterintelligence has detected them and we have discharged them, because putting them in jail is very difficult for legal reasons, but that they leave the institution, they leave, “said the secretary.
“If they want to commit crimes, let them do it outside but not inside,” he concluded.
🗣️ On the increase in confiscated armored vests, the @AlmiranteSrio Rafael Ojeda reported that “two or three times” they have detected that elements “take out the uniforms and sell them to organized crime.”
“We have discharged them, because putting them in jail is very difficult.” pic.twitter.com/dBG7FfWK7j
— Animal Político (@Pajaropolitico) June 10, 2022
Ojeda spoke about the issue after he and Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval were questioned about recent seizures of criminal groups that have been found bulletproof vests and other pieces of tactical equipment.
General Sandoval said that work is being done on changes to the national regulation to restrict access to these instruments, so that they are only in the hands of security corporations.
Both military commanders, as well as other officials, accompany President López Obrador on the tour that began yesterday in Oaxaca, where he supervises the work to attend to the people affected by the passage of Hurricane ‘Agatha’.
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