José Murguía Santiago has been arrested over alleged ties to a horrific training camp operated by the deadly Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The grim discovery at Izaguirre Ranch exposes the terrifying reality of cartel operations and government complicity that continues to plague Mexico’s rural communities. Are there any other officials beyond the mayor who might be implicated?
Mayor Arrested For Cartel Connections
José Murguía Santiago, mayor of Teuchitlán in Mexico’s western Jalisco state, has been arrested for alleged connections to a training camp run by the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The mayor had previously denied any links to the ranch, telling local media, “If they want to investigate me, let them. I’m clean and willing to say what I know.”
The investigation centers on Izaguirre Ranch, which authorities confirm was used for forced recruitment, training, torture, and killings by one of Mexico’s most violent criminal organizations. Human bones, clothing, and charred remains were discovered at the site, leading to its description by victims’ families as an “extermination camp” despite official reluctance to use this term.
🇲🇽 MAYOR CUFFED IN MEXICO’S “RANCH OF HORROR” PROBE
The mayor of Teuchitlán, José Murguía Santiago, has been arrested over alleged ties to a gruesome cartel training site in Jalisco.
The Izaguirre Ranch—dubbed an “extermination camp”—was uncovered in March, littered with… https://t.co/lhM2Iu405Q pic.twitter.com/qC7JGV9jC7
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 6, 2025
Grieving Families Challenge Official Narrative
The gruesome discoveries at the ranch were made by the Jalisco Search Warriors, a group of families looking for missing loved ones who received an anonymous tip about the location. Members of the group expressed outrage after Attorney-General Alejandro Gertz suggested last week that the facility had not been used as an “extermination or cremation site,” despite physical evidence including human remains.
The search group’s work has come at a deadly cost, with two of its members, Carmen Morales and Jaime Ramirez, murdered last month while investigating disappearances. Their deaths highlight the extreme danger faced by civilians attempting to locate missing persons in cartel-controlled territories where officials may be complicit in criminal activities.
Mayor of Teuchitlan, Jalisco José Ascención Murguía Santiago has been detained for his possible relation to Rancho Izaguirre where a ranch from CJNG was recently seized by authorities. This mayor belongs to the party “Movimiento Cuidadano” also known as the orange party. CJNG… https://t.co/INWgFV5EX9 pic.twitter.com/TuFlMLgOrg
— Josue Ramirez (@Jreyesramirez80) May 4, 2025
Mexico’s Ongoing Cartel Crisis
The Mexican state Human Rights Commission had informed local authorities about suspicious activities at the ranch in 2021, but no action was taken until recently. This failure to investigate promptly raises serious questions about potential collusion between government officials and cartels beyond the mayor’s alleged involvement.
Mexico’s cartel crisis continues to strain U.S.-Mexico relations, with President Donald Trump recently offering to send American troops to combat drug cartels. President Claudia Sheinbaum firmly rejected this proposal on May 3, insisting Mexico would address its security challenges internally despite the U.S. designation of several Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.