In a turn of events, Pablo Vega Cuevas, known as “El Transformador” and leader of the Guerreros Unidos Cartel in the Chicago region, was released on bail from a US prison in late 2023. This news has sparked outrage and attracted new attention. to the ongoing case of the 43 students who disappeared in Ayotzinapa, Mexico in 2014. The confidential agreement, which included a hefty sum of 200 thousand dollars, was made between US authorities and Vega Cuevas, who had been arrested and charged with organized crime and drug trafficking.
Who is Vega Cuevas and why is he involved in the case the disappearance of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa?
According to documents from the Northern District Court of the United States, ‘The Transformer’ was responsible for coordinating the distribution of heroin and cocaine in the Chicago area on behalf of ‘Guerreros Unidos’. But his method of transportation was unconventional: he used commercial passenger buses to hide the drugs and transport them from Mexico to Illinois.
The disappearance of 43 students from the ‘Raúl Isidro Burgos’ Rural Normal School in Ayotzinapa, in Guerrero, is related to drug trafficking in the area. During an operation organized by the criminal group ‘Guerreros Unidos’, it was found that one of the trucks in which the students were traveling contained a shipment of heroin. This information came to light two months after the tragedy, when US authorities captured Pablo Vega Cuevas for organized crime and drug trafficking.
Although his arrest is not directly related to the disappearance of the students, it is believed that his testimony could be key to clarifying what happened. According to investigations, the students were confused with members of the rival group ‘Los Rojos’ and were victims of an attack planned by ‘Guerreros Unidos’ to control the drug trafficking territory between Mexico and Chicago.
The suspicion of the participation of criminal groups in the disappearance of the students has been one of the main lines of investigation in this case. However, no clear conclusion has yet been reached and the search for truth and justice for the victims’ families continues. The Ayotzinapa tragedy continues to be a reminder of the violence and corruption that affects the country in the fight against drug trafficking.
Recently, intercepted WhatsApp communications have been discovered that reveal that not only was it a random kidnapping, but that Vega Cuevas was involved in ordering a “sit-in” to carry out a class-action lawsuit against key figures in the Mexican government.
The Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has personally asked the US vice president, Kamala Harris, for access to these tests. The hope is that these communications can shed light on the whereabouts of the elusive “fifth truck” that was allegedly transporting the students and a shipment of heroin to Chicago, where Vega Cuevas and his associates operated.
The news of El Transformer’s release has caused outrage in Mexico, as the families of the missing students fear that key information will be lost if the cartel leader is not detained and made to testify in Mexican courts. It is crucial that both Mexico and the United States work together to ensure that Vega Cuevas is brought to justice and can be questioned in connection with this case. The search for truth and justice for the students of Ayotzinapa should not be harmed by the differences in the justice systems of both countries.
With information from Milenio