MEXICO CITY (AP) – Federal agents arrested the security chief for the central Mexico state of Aguascalientes on Wednesday on charges of torture, state authorities said.
Porfirio Javier Sánchez Mendoza had served in the state position since 2018. Earlier he held positions in the federal Attorney General’s Office and the now disbanded Federal Police, where he was director of undercover operations.
The Aguascalientes state government said in a statement that Sánchez Mendoza was arrested on an order from the federal Attorney General’s Office. “During Sánchez Mendoza’s performance as Public Safety secretary he carried out his duties with impeccable conduct and optimal results,” the statement said.
A federal official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak about the case, confirmed Sánchez Mendoza’s arrest, but offered no additional details on the origins of the torture charge.
Sánchez Mendoza has been tied to the former federal security chief Genaro García Luna, who is awaiting trial in the United States.
