Mexico arrests judge accused by US of cartel ties
November 23, 2019, 11:52 am

Mexico arrests judge accused by US of cartel ties

Mexican police patrol in a street of Culiacan, state of Sinaloa, Mexico. (AFP)

Authorities arrested a Mexican judge on Friday accused by the United States of corruption and ties to the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, officials said.

“Agents from the federal prosecutor’s office detained Judge Isidro Avelar Gutierrez this afternoon in the city of Guadalajara. He is being transferred to Mexico City,” the federal judiciary council (CJF) said in a statement.

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklisted Avelar in May, accusing him of taking bribes from Jalisco New Generation and Los Clinic, an allied drug gang, “in exchange for providing favorable judicial rulings to their senior members.”

A week later, the CJF accused him of “financial irregularities and undeclared income,” the charges that led to his arrest.

The United States considers Jalisco New Generation one of the most dangerous criminal groups in the world, accusing the cartel of trafficking tons of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl-laced heroin into the US and sowing bloodshed in Mexico.

source: AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”