Mexico’s Attorney General of the Republic Alejandro Gertz Manero. Photo: Google

By KELIN DILLON

During a press conference held on n Wednesday, March 19, Mexico’s Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) Alejandro Gertz Manero detailed the FGR’s first official report on the controversial Teuchitlán case, addressing multiple failures made by the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office in its investigation into the Jalisco New Generation Cartel’s (CJNG) purported crematoriums.

“This is a very important issue for the country’s public life, and we have to handle it very seriously,” said the federal Attorney General. 

According to Gertz Manero, the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office failed to fingerprint the area properly, did not register the more than 400 clothing items found and did not process any of the vehicles parked at the ranch – three of which have reportedly already been stolen.

“Constitutionally, the local public prosecutor’s office is responsible for any investigation file. If any irregularity was committed, responsibilities will be established,” he continued, saying the local prosecutor’s office has not been forthright about handing over information.

The Jalisco authorities also have yet to release a report on the ages of the victims found at the site and declined to take testimonies from eyewitnesses, neighbors or people allegedly involved in the crematorium.

“There is no conclusive report yet,” said Gertz Manero. “They did find remains, small pieces of bones. The report doesn’t guarantee the credibility and specific characteristics of the skeletal remains, but they did find them.” 

The Attorney General went on to say that the FGR cannot yet conclusively establish that the site was used as a crematorium or extermination camp until it conducts a thorough investigation, saying, “There’s an assessment system to determine whether a cremation of that nature took place… here’s no way to say that no one knows what happened there.”

“We have two priority tests: a process analysis to determine whether there were crematoriums at that location and an analysis of the structures that led to the garments arriving there,” he continued.

Gertz Manero said the FGR will assume its investigation of the case once the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office hands over all the relevant information.

“There’s so much evidence that the truth will undoubtedly come out,” concluded the prosecutor.