Sinaloa Cartel Gave Millions to AMLO's 2006 Presidential Campaign: Report

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (commonly known as AMLO) received millions from the Sinaloa Cartel during his campaign for the presidency in 2006, local journalist Anabel Hernández reported on Tuesday on Deutsche Welle.

Hernández cited an investigation conducted by the United States' Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York between 2010 and 2010.

The investigation claims there is solid evidence that the criminal group gave between $2 and $4 millions to people close to the then-candidate's inner circle. In exchange, the Sinaloa Cartel requested protection and taking part in the appointment of the country's attorney general, Hernández said.

"I was able to corroborate the veracity of the events uncovered by the U.S. government with two people who were present in at least one of the meetings between those involved, one person close to AMLO's team and a member of the Sinaloa Cartel," she added.

The DEA's investigation dossier, dubbed "Operación Polanco," recalls that the events began in 2005 in a hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, when AMLO was already campaigning. Then, members of the Sinaloa Cartel and of AMLO's campaign agreed the former would give the latter at least $2 million. Most of the money deliveries, however, took place in Mexico City's Polanco neighborhood.

The report added that AMLO thanked Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as "La Barbie" and one of the members of the Sinaloa Cartel, for the support in a phone conversation. He allegedly said that he wanted to reduce levels of violence once in office and he asked the drug trafficker for help.

AMLO lost the 2006 elections against Felipe Calderón, from the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN). However, his was not the only campaign the cartel had contributed to, the report said. "According to what was revealed during the trial against Joaquín Guzmán Loera "El Chapo" in the U.S. between 2018 and 2019, the criminal organization also gave resources to Calderón's campaign and during his government the Sinaloa Cartel received protection from different authorities, mainly Public Federal Security Secretary Genaro García Luna."