The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, declared that the accusations of links between Rutilio Escandón and organized crime are false, emphasizing that if there is evidence, it should be presented. Rutilio Escandón was the governor of Chiapas until 2024, when he was assigned the consulate of Mexico in Miami, Florida.
In December 2024, the Senate received a request for ratification for the appointment of Escandón Cadenas as consul in Miami. Recently, Willy Ochoa Gallegos, former governor of Chiapas, warned U.S. President Donald Trump about the alleged risks that Escandón poses to the internal security of the northern country.
In a letter addressed to Trump, Ochoa Gallegos mentioned that Escandón's appointment as consul is a grave mistake that endangers the security of the United States in its fight against organized crime and corruption. Under Escandón's administration, Chiapas became a region with security issues and a humanitarian crisis due to mass migration and the impunity of criminal networks.
Escandón, born in the municipality of Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas, in 1958, is a lawyer with postgraduate studies at UNAM and experience as a senator of the Republic. During his tenure as governor, illicit activities have been reported in Chiapas, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and trafficking of individuals linked to extremist organizations.
In Chiapas, the presence of criminal groups such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which dispute territorial control, has been identified. In December 2024, narcomantas were found in Chiapas thanking the local government for allowing the CJNG to enter the region, promising security with the collaboration of a newly formed police group.
In response to Ochoa Gallegos' accusations and the suspicions surrounding Escandón's administration, Sheinbaum reiterated that it is false to create an atmosphere of distrust through reports that seek to damage the reputation of the former governor of Chiapas.
