Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum defended Morelos authorities’ decision to release an alleged gang leader in exchange for three abducted prosecutor’s-office employees, saying the move was made to save lives while officials prepare to arrest him again.
The events unfolded on Monday, October 12, in Totolapan, where state agents detained José David Vergara, whom authorities identify as a suspected member of the Pueblos Unidos criminal group. Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said the agents had been carrying out property-recovery proceedings, not a planned operation to arrest Vergara, and encountered him during the work. After the detention, armed men seized three employees of the Eastern Regional Prosecutor’s Office, while violence in the area included roadblocks and burned vehicles.
Morelos authorities handed Vergara over, and the three employees were freed that evening; one had suffered a gunshot wound and was reported in stable condition. Speaking Tuesday, Sheinbaum said the state government should explain the operation, but defended prioritizing the hostages’ safety over holding the suspect. Harfuch said the force on the ground was insufficient to manage the reaction safely, and that civilians had gathered in the streets, raising the risk of a wider confrontation.
He said the release did not mean Vergara would escape prosecution and that authorities would seek to detain him again.