Cancun mayor’s arrest sparks fears

May 27, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

MEXICO CITY

The arrest of Cancun’s mayor on suspicion of protecting two violent drug gangs as he campaigned for governor has heightened fears that cartels are muscling their way into Mexican politics. There also are worries the gangs are tightening control over the country’s most important tourist resort.

Gregorio Sanchez faces drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges a year after his police chief and other close collaborators were arrested on allegations of protecting cartels, said Ricardo Najera, a spokesman for the federal Attorney General’s Office.

Sanchez is suspected of tipping off and protecting the Beltran Leyva and Zetas drug cartels — gangs known for brutal tactics including beheading rivals. He had taken a leave of absence as Cancun mayor to run for governor of Quintana Roo state, known for turquoise Caribbean waters and white-sand beaches marketed as the Mayan Riviera.

The mayor is the first candidate in the July 4 elections formally linked to cartels, but fears have been rising that drug gangs are infiltrating the vote in several states through intimidation and bribes.

On May 13, gunmen killed a mayoral candidate in a town near the border with Texas after he ignored warnings to quit the race. Several other candidates have received threats, and in some towns near the U.S. border, some parties couldn’t find anyone to run for mayor.