EXCLUSIVE: Cartel-Connected Politicians Continue Operations in Mexican Border State

Various individuals with familial or direct connections to drug cartels continue to hold high-level government positions in the border state of Coahuila. The issue comes at a time when the United States government continues to pressure Mexico to eradicate drug cartels.

Breitbart News Foundation reports extensively on the Coahuila State Undersecretary of Government Sonia Villarreal, who is married to Jorge Miguel “El Hummer” Barajas Hernandez, a founding leader of the GATES police force. Both individuals lost their visas to the United States last year. They have publicly tried to claim it was due to allegations of birth tourism.

Breitbart News Foundation confirmed that both lost their visas due to derogatory information that accumulated over time, making them inadmissible to the country. The information links the politicians to human smuggling allegations, corruption, and human rights abuses.

Another politically connected individual is Villarreal’s right-hand man Jose Hermelo Castillon — a man with deep familial connections to various drug trafficking organizations. Castillon has held various positions in local and state government and is currently seeking a new government position.

Castillon is the brother of Luis Armando Castillon, a man who was arrested in 2003 at an international port of entry in Eagle Pass after federal authorities found drugs in his vehicle. Jose Hermelo Castillon was the regional delegate for the Coahuila Attorney General’s Office and was forced to resign soon after his brother’s arrest became public.

The public official is also connected by familial relation to Noe Castillon, who was the leader of a cartel-connected drug smuggling group based out of Eagle Pass. In 2002, federal prosecutors targeted the Castillon drug trafficking organization, which was connected to the Zetas cartel, now known as the Cartel Del Noreste. At the time, they claimed the Zetas would move large amounts of cocaine through Eagle Pass into the country.

Another relative of Jose Hermelo Castillon is Alejandro Castillon, who is currently under house arrest in Mexico City, connected to a seizure of weapons in Guerrero, Coahuila in 2023. At the time, Mexican authorities seized a grenade launcher, an AR-15, three handguns, and a large amount of cash. Law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart News Foundation that through his cousin’s influence, Alejandro Castillon was able to avoid jail time and was granted house arrest.

Last month, Coahuila state authorities raided a ranch belonging to Alejandro where they found a small amount of meth and rifle ammunition.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.

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