Chihuahua Arrest Controversy

Chihuahua Prosecutor’s Office files complaints for obstructing justice in Javier Corral’s arrest, while INE dismisses fugitive claims, stirring jurisdiction confusion in Mexico’s legal and political realm.

### Primary Article: Chihuahua Prosecutor’s Office Reports Obstruction of Justice in Corral’s Arrest Attempt; INE Claims He Is Not a Fugitive

The Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Chihuahua (FACH) filed two formal complaints on August 22, 2024, for obstruction of justice with María de la Luz Mijangos Borja of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Corruption (FEMCC) and Rafael Chong Flores of the Mexico City Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office (FGJ-CDMX). The complaints pertain to the thwarted arrest of former Chihuahua Governor Javier Corral Jurado on August 14, 2024, at a restaurant in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood.

In a press release, FACH cited potential crimes including influence peddling, evasion, abuse of authority, noncompliance, and resistance by individuals. “The objective is to formally inform the investigative authority of these possibly criminal acts so that the perpetrators of these unprecedented and extraordinary events, representing clear obstruction of justice, are penalized,” stated the FACH.

Corral Jurado, who served as governor from October 4, 2016, to September 7, 2021, filed for legal protection on August 15, 2024, against an arrest warrant issued on August 9, 2024, by a Judge of First Instance in Chihuahua’s Morelos Judicial District. Sources privy to judicial matters reported that Corral’s legal move was lodged with the Criminal Amparo Courts in Mexico City.

On August 17, 2024, Patricia Marcela Diez Cerda of the Fifth District Amparo Court in Mexico City temporarily suspended the arrest order, setting a bond of 120,000 pesos for Corral to maintain judicial protection. The provisional suspension hearing is scheduled for August 27, 2024, with a constitutional hearing planned for September 27, 2024.

On August 18, 2024, Corral accused Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos Galván and FACH head Luis Abelardo Valenzuela Holguín of illegal detention, abuse of authority, and misuse of power. Corral shared his legal defense’s assertions on social media, claiming his arrest attempt lacked legal authorization from Mexico City authorities.

### Secondary Article: Mexican Authorities Tangle Over Jurisdiction in Corral Arrest Controversy

Additional developments have surfaced regarding the attempted arrest of former Chihuahua Governor Javier Corral Jurado. The General Council of the National Electoral Institute (INE) is poised to approve Corral Jurado’s senatorial candidacy despite allegations from the Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Chihuahua that he is evading justice. The INE’s Directorate of Prerogatives and Political Parties reviewed a petition by the National Executive Committee (CEN) of the National Action Party (PAN) to disqualify Corral based on an active arrest warrant and fugitive status but found insufficient evidence to support fugitive claims.

The directorate confirmed the validity of the arrest warrant but stated, “There is no evidence that local or federal authorities have undertaken efforts to enforce the arrest warrant, nor that Corral Jurado has evaded these efforts.” This decision challenges the assertion by FACH’s Luis Abelardo Valenzuela Holguín, who declared Corral Jurado a fugitive on August 15, 2024, following the Mexico City prosecutor’s refusal to aid in his detention.

Furthermore, Mexico City’s acting prosecutor Ulises Lara López clarified that preventing Corral’s arrest was rooted in legal compliance, not interference. Lara López emphasized the absence of formal collaboration agreements necessary for cross-jurisdictional arrests. Video footage distributed by Chihuahua’s Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office aimed to misinform the public, according to Lara López.

Chihuahua’s prosecutor’s office is considering legal action against Mexico City’s Attorney General’s Office (FGJ-CDMX) for non-cooperation. Meanwhile, the FACH continues to scrutinize the alleged 98.6 million pesos misappropriation during Corral’s tenure, which he purportedly channeled towards an unauthorized debt restructuring contract.

Stay updated with TJGringo.com for more developments on this high-stakes legal and political clash in Mexico.

**Related News:**

– Claudia Sheinbaum defends prosecutor’s actions in Corral case amid collaboration disputes.
– Javier Corral alleges political persecution by current Chihuahua administration.