Title: Pancho Villa relative Mexico’s new tough cop
Source: AP
Date: May 4, 2011
Byline: E. Eduardo Castillo
The AP reports that retired Mexican army Gen. Carlos Bibiano Villa Castillo has been appointed the new director of security for the state of Quintana Roo. According to the report, Villa received a note from the Zetas that stated that he was “next”. According to the AP, the reference to “next” seems to be the kidnapping, torture and murder of Villa’s predecessor two years previously.
The news report quotes Mexico’s Institute for Security and Democracy as stating that 17 of Mexico’s 32 states have former military officers leading their security departments. The article also quotes the newspaper Reforma as stating that in 2009, only six states’ security offices were led by former military leaders.
The report adds that the Coahuila state commission on human rights opened four investigations against Villa for alleged arbitrary detentions by his department which he led for 15 months prior to his recent appointment. The paper reports that the commission did not provide information on the outcomes of the investigations.