During the early hours of Sunday, August 7, the arrest of five members of the LeBaron familywho presumably carried high-caliber weapons that are for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces (FA) of Mexico.
According to the information shared by the security institutions of the municipality of New Big Houses (NCG)in chihuahuathe arrest occurred on the highway from Casas Grandes to Benito Juárez, where the agents intercepted a truck in which the weapons were being transported.
Official reports indicated that it was four hunting rifles and an AR15which is an automatic rifle whose use is restricted to military personnel.
The arrested persons were identified as Jesi Nephi LW, Jethro LS, Joel Nephi LS, Hiram Nephi LS, and Nephi Dayer LMwho were made available to the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR).
The version of the Police was refuted hours later by the activist Alex LeBaron through some messages and pronouncements shared on his Twitter account.
According to him, the arrest carried out by officers of the Municipal Police of Nuevo Casas Grandes occurred in a arbitrary and with various irregularities.
He explained that during the night of August 6, a group of assassins began to stalk the house of one of her cousins and, later, they attacked one of her workers, for which she (Jolie Jhonson LeBarón) and her husband contacted the rest of the community to warn that they were in a dangerous situation.
“Full of fear, as they could, they left their house through the back window and hid with their children. While this was happening, several members of the community notified the Municipal Police and they approached my cousin’s house to try to protect her”, Alex wrote on his social networks when narrating his version of the events.
Later, he pointed out, the officers ignored the call for help and, instead, family members arrested for alleged possession of weapons for the exclusive use of the FA. In this regard, he commented that they did carry weapons, but they had the documents proving their legality.
“Instead of taking action, the police illegally detained members of the community. It is completely false that the weapons they brought in the vehicles were for the exclusive use of the army, it has already been proven that they all brought hunting rifles that have the corresponding permits”, he commented.
“My cousin’s house was surrounded by hitmen, first it was some cousins with hunting rifles and when they asked the corrupt NCG authorities for help they were beaten and arrested. My cousin and her children are fine. The situation is surreal,” said Julián LeBarón, also an activist.
Continuing with his pronouncement, Alex LeBarón accused the local authorities of being involved with organized crime and stated that several of the colluded officers entered the Nuevo Casas Grandes police force.
“For years we have requested the review of the municipal police, without any authority intervening, a situation that has generated conflicts and put the lives of my uncles @julianlebaron and @AdrianLebaron at risk,” added the community member.
Finally, he pointed out that what happened to his relatives is part of the general reality that the country is experiencing: “corrupt police officers, arbitrary arrests, planting of evidence and false accusations”. The latter, in reference to the alleged possession of the AR-15 rifle.
For his part, in an interview with local media, Julian LeBaron He stated that they have long denounced the corruption of the NCG municipal police, because “it helps and protects criminals.” In addition, he pointed out that they went to the security forces for an emergency “and instead of helping us they plant a long weapon to my cousins to stop them and protect the hit men”.
Upon learning of the arrest of the members of the LeBarón family, other members of the community went to the place where they were being held to demand their release, which generated a confrontation with the police. Given this situation, the municipal corporation requested support from state agents and the National Guard to contain the fight.
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