Griselda Triana, widow of murdered journalist Javier Valdez, criticized the five-year prison sentence imposed on Dámaso López Serrano, alias 'El Mini Lic'. Identified as the mastermind behind the homicide, López Serrano received the sentence in a US court, a decision Triana finds insufficient given the gravity of the crime.
Javier Valdez, a reporter for the weekly Ríodoce and correspondent for La Jornada, was assassinated on May 15, 2017, in Culiacán. The attack took place just one block from his newspaper's offices, where gunmen intercepted him and shot him 13 times. Investigations revealed that the execution was ordered by López Serrano, a member of the Sinaloa Cartel who was in conflict with 'Los Chapitos', the sons of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán.
Through a social media post, Triana pointed out that the judge did not mention Valdez's murder during the sentencing, nor was Mexico's extradition request addressed. López Serrano is the son of Dámaso López Núñez ('El Licenciado'), a former close associate of El Chapo who was sentenced to life in prison in the US in 2018.
'What are five more years to this assassin? Nothing, because at any moment he will negotiate early release for good behavior, as has happened before.'
Triana described the situation as outrageous and painful, denouncing the authorities' omission in the case. The Attorney General's Office reiterated its formal extradition request for López Serrano in December 2024 so he can face justice in Mexico.
