El Mayo's Police Bodyguard Confirmed Missing, Sinaloa Governor Denies Involvement in "Mayo Meeting"

Mayo’s Missing Bodyguards

Zambada said he brought his own bodyguards, four in total, including José Rosario Heras López, a commander in the State Judicial Police of Sinaloa, and Rodolfo Chaidez, whom he described as “a longtime member of my security team.” 

“While walking toward the meeting area, I saw Héctor Cuen and one of his aides. I greeted them briefly before proceeding inside to a room that had a table filled with fruit,” Zambada said. Two of the guards stayed outside the perimeter. Two of the bodyguards with “El Mayo” were subdued by Joaquin Guzman’s men.

Zambada said that those two bodyguards who were with him, including the state police official, have been missing since the ambush and his kidnapping by Joaquin Guzman-Lopez. The statement also said Cuén Ojeda was killed at the scene and that his body was taken away.

One source, in an interview with Riodoce mentioned that among the men close to “El Mayo” whose current whereabouts are unknown were “Chayo” or Jose Rosario Heras Lopez, “Chaidez” or Rodolfo Chiadez and a man identified only as “Peña.” Peña was likely Jesús Peña González, known as “El 20.”

The police officer’s family filed a complaint on July 28 for his disappearance since the 25th of July, when he went to visit his parents in Culiacáncito, the same day as Mayo’s kidnapping and arrest.

“I am aware that the official version given by the authorities of the state of Sinaloa is that Hector Cuen was shot on the night of July 25 at a gas station by two men on a motorcycle who wanted to steal his truck. That is not what happened. He was killed at the same time and in the same place where I was kidnapped. Hector Cuen was a long-time friend of mine and I deeply regret his death, as well as the disappearance of Jose Rosario Heras Lopez and Rodolfo Chaidez, of whom no one has heard anything since.”

State authorities in Sinaloa have said Cuén Ojeda was declared dead by doctors at a private clinic in central Culiacán on the night of July 25. An autopsy showed he died from the impact of four bullets, one of which hit a major artery on his right leg.

Sinaloa authorities said a man, Fausto Ernesto Corrales, a close friend to Hector, who brought Cuén Ojeda to the Culiacán clinic reported that the shooting had occurred in a failed carjacking attempt at a gas station. In a statement, the FGE reported that this line of evidence was also confirmed by other video and expert evidence in addition to the statement by Corrales. 

In his statement, Fausto Ernesto Corrales said that on July 25 he had accompanied Cuén Ojeda to Campestre Condado de San Francisco, north of Culiacán, because he had a meeting scheduled with lawyers who never showed up. That same night, upon returning to the capital of Sinaloa, Corrales said that a pair of gunmen on a motorcycle approached and tried to steal their truck when they stopped to fill up with fuel at a gas station. When Cuén apparently refused to get out of the vehicle, the attackers shot him in the leg. 

Political Feud

Hector Cuen was the former rector of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa from 2005 till 2009 and founder of the Sinaloa Party (PAS). He had also been mayor of Culiacan from 2011 to 2013.

On July 5, the Director of Social Communication of the UAS was attacked by armed men in the parking lot of the rector’s building, although on that occasion the victim was unharmed.

The protests pointed to Héctor Cuén, who was accused of being a “boss” within the institution.

“Mr. President, help us get Cuén out of the UAS. You have always been an ally of the university students of Sinaloa and we are firm in our commitment to the transformation. We want to end corruption at the UAS. Let’s free the UAS. Héctor Melesio Cuén chooses the rector, directors, high-level administrators, he decides who works at the UAS,” claimed the protestors.

When questioned about these protests and the issues, Mexican President AMLO spoke in favor of finding a solution to the conflict in which irregularities are alleged. “I don’t want to take sides, except to say that I have a lot of confidence in Rubén Rocha, the governor, and he is in favor of dialogue; so, hopefully an agreement will be reached between the parties,” said López Obrador.

“Specific investigations have been carried out in the area known as Huertos del Pedregal de Culiacán and at the airfield that was possibly used in this case, as well as on all runways that may be specifically linked to these presumptions,” the report states.

The Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office requested information from Governor Rubén Rocha Moya in the investigation that he opened after the capture of Ismael el Mayo Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López and took on the investigation of the murder of Héctor Melesio Cuen Ojeda.

The FGR reported that immediately after the events involving Mayo and Joaquín occurred, it opened file number SON/HSO/0001/882/2024, for the possible crimes of illegal flight; illegal use of air facilities; violation of immigration and customs legislation; kidnapping; treason; and whatever else may result, and the crimes of homicide, illegal deprivation of liberty, and the resulting profits are being added following the recent allegations.

President-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced that Governor Rubén Rocha Moya will continue with all the support of the presidency stating. “That is why I come to commit myself, to continue fighting alongside you for our beautiful and beloved Mexico, to tell you that we will continue supporting the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya and his people, that whoever wants to stigmatize this beautiful state should stick with its history, because men and women of Sinaloa are good Mexicans, men and women of work.”