Mexican Mayor Arrested for Alleged Links to Jalisco Cartel and Extorting Tequila Companies

For decades, the municipality of Tequila, Jalisco, has been known worldwide as the birthplace of the eponymous distilled alcohol made from the blue agave plant. In 2006, the state government transformed the region into a major tourism hub, drawing thousands of visitors each year to sample tequila-based drinks and enjoy other attractions.

The region's rapid growth, combined with the large sums of money generated by tourism, also drew the attention of criminal groups, which over time gained power and influence in the area.

This week, Mexican authorities arrested the mayor of Tequila for allegedly extorting major distillers in collusion with the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho."

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Diego Rivera Navarro took office in October 2024 after running as a candidate for Morena, Mexico's ruling party and the same party as President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has repeatedly denied that members of her party have ties to organized crime.

According to state and federal investigations, Rivera Navarro allegedly led a corruption network operating from Tequila's city hall, in which public officials extorted business owners and merchants and diverted public funds.

En seguimiento a la Operación Enjambre, donde fueron detenidos tres presidentes municipales del Estado de México, y derivado de varias denuncias ciudadanas, en un operativo coordinado @Defensamx1, @SEMAR_mx, @FGRMexico, @SSPCMexico y CNI fue detenido en Jalisco, Diego “N”,…

— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) February 5, 2026

Last December, tequila producer José Cuervo filed a complaint with the Jalisco Attorney General's Office accusing the mayor's administration of imposing a property tax up to 20 times the legal rate and a fine exceeding 60 million pesos, or around $3.45 million, while withholding permits and attempting to shut down one of its plants.

During the operations, authorities also arrested three municipal officials: Juan Manuel Pérez Sosa, head of Public Security; Juan Gabriel Toribio Villarreal, director of property records and taxes; and Isaac Carbajal Villaseñor, director of Public Works. Federal authorities say all three are allegedly tied to the CJNG.

According to an investigation by Mexican outlet Milenio, the Jalisco cartel was responsible for installing Rivera Navarro as mayor of Tequila with the help of Pérez Sosa, who the report identified as the intermediary between the mayor and the CJNG.

Milenio reported that the cartel has backed Rivera Navarro's political career from the beginning, going so far as to abduct two candidates to push them out of the race when he was running for city council. On March 24, 2021, Guillermo Cordero García and Alejandro García Gutiérrez withdrew as Morena candidates after being kidnapped while dining at a restaurant.

Based on testimony from two victims obtained by authorities, additional operations on Feb. 5 led to the arrest of five more municipal officials from Rivera Navarro's inner circle, as well as one alleged CJNG member.

According to Milenio, federal and state authorities arrested Diego López Ibarra, the mayor's chief of staff, who is allegedly involved in money laundering; Julio César Limón Trigueros, head of the municipal treasury; and Francisco Javier Rivera Gutiérrez, director of business registrations and licensing, accused of closing businesses to collect extortion payments. Authorities also took into custody Flores Mendoza Severo, known as "El Rey Mago," who is reportedly a CJNG intermediary.

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