Son of prominent Mexican politician charged in drug cartel case

 

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – The son of a prominent ruling party politician in Mexico was charged yesterday with withholding evidence as authorities investigate his potential ties to organized crime after a video surfaced showing him meeting with one of the country’s top drug lords.

Rodrigo Vallejo is accused of being part of a cover-up and failing to answer questions by investigators with the federal attorney general’s office, the government said in a statement.

The case threatens to damage the crime-fighting image of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has sought to deemphasize drug violence in favor of economic reforms.

Vallejo, the son of the former PRI governor of western Michoacan state, has claimed publicly that he was threatened and forced to meet with Servando “La Tuta” Gomez, leader of the violent Knights Templar cartel.

The leaked 18-minute video was made public last week and shows Vallejo chatting amicably with Gomez about Mexican politics, portions of which have been repeatedly played on national television.