A judge in Baja California ruled not to link Pedro Ariel Mendívil, former Security Director of Mexicali, to the prosecution just seven days after his arrest for the crimes of disappearance of persons and organized crime association.
The former official was detained for the disappearance of young men David Melesio and Manuel Bramasco at the bar "Shots" in Mexicali in 2023.
Local media shared excerpts in which Judge Fernando Serrano states that the evidence presented by the Public Prosecutor's Office "is not effective" in establishing that Pedro Ariel Mendivil participated in the commission of these crimes.
The modus operandi at the bar "Shots" involved reporting individuals for consuming drinks and instigating fights with other customers, who were then handed over to the municipal police of Mexicali, and in turn referred to organized crime, according to the Attorney General's Office of Baja California.
In this regard, the governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila, said she respects the judicial decision in the case; however, she noted that the state attorney's office continues with the investigation.
"We will always respectfully urge all institutions in the area of security to ensure that there is no impunity and to attend to the victims in any case," she said after the press asked if she was satisfied with the ruling.
Additionally, she indicated that legal resources can still be presented against the ruling and did not rule out that it may be filed by the Baja California attorney's office.
"This is a very delicate case and I always ask the attorney's office to conduct all investigations related to this and any other investigation file that exists, and in that sense, well, we trust the work that the attorney's office is doing," she added.
