The Second Collegiate Court of Appeals of the Second Circuit confirmed the acquittal of José Ángel Casarrubias Salgado, known as 'El Mochomo', in relation to the Ayotzinapa case. A district judge had initially issued this ruling in October 2023, exonerating Casarrubias Salgado of charges of organized crime and drug-related offenses due to lack of compelling evidence.
Despite this decision, 'El Mochomo' will remain detained due to an ongoing process regarding his alleged involvement in the forced disappearance of 43 students from the 'Isidro Burgos' Rural Normal School in Iguala, Guerrero. In this specific case, Judge Rodolfo Martínez Abarca expressed his disagreement with the court’s ruling, arguing that the evidence presented was sufficient to demonstrate the commission of crimes.
'El Mochomo' is identified as one of the leaders of the Guerreros Unidos cartel and was arrested on June 24, 2020, for his alleged involvement in the disappearance of the Ayotzinapa normalistas. Despite being released in July of that same year, his freedom was short-lived, as he was recaptured upon exiting the federal prison El Altiplano. The Attorney General's Office at that time indicated that 'El Mochomo's' release was involved in a scandal of multi-million dollar bribes.
On the night of September 26 to 27, 2014, the 43 Ayotzinapa normalista students disappeared under still unclear circumstances. Various investigations point to the involvement of criminal groups and government authorities in this unfortunate event. In August 2022, during the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, it was determined that the disappearance of the youths was a state crime according to the findings of the Commission for Truth and Access to Justice for the Ayotzinapa case.
