Chívis Martínez for Borderland Beat
 |
| The Tuta meeting with the mayors now arrested |
A federal judge ordered the arrests of three mayors of Michoacán, including Salma Karrum Cervantes, mayor of Patzcuaro, for alleged links to the Caballeros Templarios.
Thomas Zerón Lucio, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Agency PGR reported today they conducted the apprehensions of Karrum with Archimedes Oseguera Solorio and Dalia Santana Pineda, mayors of Lázaro Cárdenas and Huetamo, for links to organized crime. Santana was also arrested for murder.
"PGR in investigating the Caballeros Templarios operating in Michoacán, the preliminary investigations, and videos that reveal the mayors were involved in at least "at least two meetings between Servando Gómez Martínez, leader of Templarios, in the state of Michoacán.”
![]()
On August 14, Santana, mayor of Huetamo, was arrested on separate charges for extortion and murder. according to the investigations, the mayor allegedly ordered the murder of her friend Antonio Granados Gomez, with whom she had a personal conflict, the killing took place on 9 April 2013 in the city of Huetamo.
As for Karrum, she has the distinction of being in two "Tuta videos". The first is one in which she sits down with a representative of Tuta's, "Tony" the plaza chief of Patzuaro. In a disgusting display of behavior, remember she is the mayor sitting with the organized crime plaza chief of her city. She grovels, show respect, and even takes his hands in her own as she pleads for answers.
The video shows the two seated at a table, outdoors. Karrum's objective is to find out answers of why her son in law, Jonathan Noe Rondan, 28, was killed. Noe Rondan was killed at he was aboard his Jeep Cherokee, on Februrary 28, 2014. He was shot close range with three bullets to the head.
Karrum explains how her daughter is grieving, and how they always felt safe, and don't know what they did "wrong".
There are two sons in law, apparently the other is named Victor, here is part of the transcript from the video (A is the mayor T is Tony Plaza chief Management is Tuta):
![]()
Tony prompts her to be honest, asks if she thinks they had something to do with the killing.
Karrum says: Well, yes, I feel betrayed, because I have not failed (you), I have not failed you and my life changed.
T: I understand.
A: My daughter was left by herself…it’s not fair…you tell me…
T: When you say you feel betrayed, what are you talking about, honestly?
A: No, what I want is to know, for you to tell me…I felt very safe with you…but I knew…I felt very sure about you but I must have done something wrong…if I did anything wrong, tell me.
T: I understand.
A: No...what I want to know is what happened, whether you know (inaudible) if I could find out who did it, why he did it. My daughter… (inaudible).
T: Look, let’s start with that. Are you talking about Victor? (A: Yes). Look, Victor and I have a good relationship. Actually, we’ve worked out some good agreements. I was with him 2 days before this happened.
(A: Yes, he told me.)
T: We negotiated some agreements and he lived up to them. That is, on our side, it is not logical for us… when I say “us”, I’m speaking for all of management, for all of the company to which I belong. It is not logical for us to want to harm him. I’m telling you this while looking you straight in the eye. I became aware of this at 12:00 at night when I got a call telling me to –There’s your water (flunky delivers the bottled water)—(A: Thank you.) When I got a call telling me to place myself at your orders because your son in law had been killed.
The First thing that came into my mind was Victor, I’ll be frank with you, because I didn’t know you had another son in law.
A: Yes, there were only two daughters and they’ve told me … (inaudible).
T: Yes, you told me, M’am. I never met him, I didn’t know anything about him, that he even existed. Believe me, no. I began to investigate. I spoke with Ricardo, Mr. Molina, and I said to him this morning, “Hey, is it true this happened?”, and he says, “Yes”. So I told him, “Tell me something: They think we did it, right?” And, in so many words, he said, “Yes.”
That was the first…
A: It’s not what one thinks… but I had my doubts, and I had felt so sure. I had felt so secure with you and they called me … (inaudible).
T: I spoke with our "management", and the first thing they told me is that we will not charge you this month’s payment. (so compassionate, she doesn’t have to pay piso for a month)
He attempts to convince her that they did not have anything to do with the killing, and says these things happen;
"Just like, you know, in the U.S., which has the best police and the best control, these things happen."
and the video goes on.... it was filmed shortly after the son in law was killed. This is about half of the footage there are 3 parts, but this is a good overview.
Read the transcript below the video, it is long and repetitious, but has some tidbits on how the relationships work between cartels and municipalities.
Already in custody, the mayors will be formally arrested and moved to a medium security prison in the next few hours. (next page)
TRANSCRIPT OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN
Mayor of Patzcuaro and Templario known as “Tony” Translated narrative by Vato
(Scene opens with Mayor and Tony beginning to sit down and asking for drinks. Mayor asks for water at room temperature. Flunkey scoots off to get their orders. “A” = Alcaldesa (Mayor) and “T” = Tony).
00:23
T: How are you?
A: Truly? I don’t know what happened.
T: Look, we want you to let us know how you feel, we want to be honest, for you to let us know what you feel inside without being afraid of us, being afraid of anything. Please let me know how you feel and we’ll start with that. What do you think about that? We are worried, I want to be honest with you, looking at you in the eyes, because I like to look at you in the eyes because I’m sincere. Well…I know that you are hurting, hurting very much. I want you to tell me what you’re thinking. Honestly and from the heart, that is how we’re going to talk, honestly.
A: Well, yes, I feel betrayed, because I have not failed (you), I have not failed you and my life changed.
01:27
T: I understand.
A: My daughter was left by herself…it’s not fair…you tell me…
T: When you say you feel betrayed, what are you talking about, honestly?
A: No, what I want is to know, for you to tell me…I felt very safe with you…but I knew…I felt very sure about you but I must have done something wrong…if I did anything wrong, tell me.
T: But, if you’re thinking that we had something to do with what happened, tell me, honestly.
A: No, what I want to know is what happened, whether you know (inaudible) if I could find out who did it, why he did it. My daughter… (inaudible).
02:20
T: Look, let’s start with that. Are you talking about Victor? (A: Yes). Look, Victor and I have a good relationship. Actually, we’ve worked out some good agreements. I was with him 2 days before this happened. (A: Yes, he told me.) We negotiated some agreements and he lived up to them. That is, on our side, it is not logical for us… when I say “us”, I’m speaking for all of management, for all of the company to which I belong. It is not logical for us to want to harm him. I’m telling you this while looking you straight in the eye. I became aware of this at 12:00 at night when I got a call telling me to –There’s your water (flunky delivers the bottled water)—(A: Thank you.) When I got a call telling me to place myself at your orders because your son in law had been killed.
The First thing that came into my mind was Victor, I’ll be frank with you, because I didn’t know you had another son in law.
A: Yes, there were only two daughters and they’ve told me … (inaudible).
T: Yes, you told me, M’am. I never met him, I didn’t know anything about him, that he even existed. Believe me, no. I began to investigate. I spoke with Ricardo, Mr. Molina, and I said to him this morning, “Hey, is it true this happened?”, and he says, “Yes”. So I told him, “Tell me something: They think we did it, right?” And, in so many words, he said, “Yes.”
That was the first…
A: It’s not that one thinks… but I had my doubts, and I had felt so sure. I had felt so secure with you and they called me … (inaudible).
T: I spoke with our management, and the first thing they told me is that we will not charge you this month’s payment.
A: And are they saying around there that I…
T: I swear they’re not saying that.
A: I’ll keep on doing the same thing, but I was just sitting there…not knowing what… and what’s more, I think it’s better to say what you think…
04:37
T: No. I’m telling you honestly it was not us. Our management is worried. I tell you honestly, it was not us. The persons who give me orders are very annoyed, just like you are. Why? Just like you’re telling me, we’re supposed to have everything under control, but unfortunately, in Patzcuaro, we cannot move around like we did before. Because as you know, the government…when we had a little more presence in Patzcuaro, we had a little more control. We still do, but it is a little more difficult because there’s so much government around. Just like, you know, in the U.S., which has the best police and the best control, these things happen.
They asked me to… My management explained to me that I was to look for whoever did this, and to talk to you and between the two us, to find out who did this harm. Unfortunately, there was no communication with you because you went somewhere, you were hurt,, you were fearful, whatever. But there is still time for you to tell me … I wish Victor had come with you. I told Mr. Molina that I would guarantee his safety for him to come and talk to me. We would see what came out. Whether there were problems among us, or whether Victor had problems with anybody.
A: No. Well, you know how everything is, how the work is going, but I cannot accuse anybody…
T: Look, with Victor we made some agreements that you were involved with and that nobody could negotiate with Carlos. We talked with you, we negotiated some agreements, we are working well together. To such an extent that the persons in management sent word to me to support you and to observe proper form so we would not prejudice you, remember I told you this? (A: Yes.) So that you would be the next congressional delegate, because they saw you as a good candidate, with a good heart, so you would be the next congresswoman. I had that conversation with you. (A: Yes, yes.)
07:05
T: It’s not logical, on our part, it can’t be… What I’m thinking, things that come into my head, that I’ve heard, a lot of rumors, and that they’re investigating now. And one of those things, I’ll be honest with you, is that it (may have been) revenge by (?Pollo?) over something.
A: I’ve never even spoken with that man, the truth is I’ve never even talked to him. When I was campaigning, he supported my people and we agreed on one (city) department. Then he took two departments, and towards the end, he wanted three, and I told him, “Sir, the deal was for two”. But I never had any problems with him. But all of a sudden, it looked like he wanted to be in charge, he came to city hall and hung around all day, acting like a boss. But it didn’t bother me, I would just say, “Good morning” to him and leave him there. So I have no idea… I never had problems with him, you know.
T: But they arrested him…
A: I didn’t have anything…
T: I know you didn’t, you have a good heart.
A: I was not even aware they arrested him. But I don’t think that was even the first time, I believe they had arrested him once before.
T: Yes. That is…
A: It’s not logical to think that I would have had him…
T: That is not the point, not the case. The thing is, I wanted to find out what you thought, whether you think he could have done it? Sent somebody (to do it)? Because what Ricardo told me is that it was a single person (A: Yes.). One person by himself walked up, which is something we don’t do. As you know, we do things differently, we come in a pickup when we have to take care of something. We would never use a single person, to begin with. Somebody could have hired one person, a hoodlum or whatever, they pay them cheap, 20,000 or 30,000 pesos or less, you know, and they’ll go and kill somebody. So we want to know whether he had enemies.
10:22
A: I feel very safe with you, that’s why I wanted to ask whether he did anything wrong. I know there are codes of conduct that one could violate without knowing. The truth is, I have never failed you, I lived up to the agreement. Speaking from my heart, I’ve never asked for a favor, and now…
T: Believe me, management is very happy with you. And I personally appreciate something else, that you spoke well of me, because Isabel told me there was a good relationship.
A: Yes, I think very highly of you. I had nothing else to say…
T: I’ll tell you one thing: the death of you son in law hurts me deeply, it hurts me, and I speak from the heart. I’m not a hypocrite. I’m being sincere. It hurts me because of you, maybe not because of him, because I did not know him. Because I don’t want… we have a good relationship and, really, those people were trying to harm us.
My management called me, I repeat, and told me, “Bring me the guilty person,” because they did not ask me, they told me. So I’m doing what’s necessary, because if we wait, everything will come out. Because between heaven and earth, nothing can hide, and you know that. And time will prove us right, that it was not us.
And the man, well, again, the management is annoyed, it’s annoyed with what is happening. Yesterday they killed another director of public security, and, again, it was us, you know?! That, supposedly, it was us!.
A: I’ve never said that you… but, what I’m saying is that you know about everything that happens. I mean, I used to leave work by myself, just with the driver. I never had the police look after me. It was…
Tony pledges to continue the investigation in finding who is responsible for the murder.
Tony pledges to continue the investigation in finding who is responsible for the murder.