Ricardo Monreal had a hard time keeping calm when answering about Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, Morena and drug trafficking

The issue of Mayo Zambada's lawyer, Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, Morena and drug trafficking , caused Ricardo Monreal to be on the verge of losing his calm during a conference on February 24, 2025.

The above is due to the fact that in the meeting with reporters, the coordinator of the Morena bench in San Lázaro, was questioned insistently about Mayo Zambada 's lawyer .

Despite having responded to all the questions about the alleged links between Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez and Morena , the truth is that Ricardo Monreal had a hard time keeping calm .

After the war of accusations and disassociations that Morena and the opposition carried out over Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez , deputy Ricardo Monreal came out in defense of his party.

This happened because at the press conference, Ricardo Monreal was repeatedly questioned about the alleged links between Mayo Zambada 's lawyer and Morena.

When questioned, the coordinator of the Morena bench firmly maintained that neither the party, nor he , nor the Chamber of Deputies, have any relationship with the drug trafficker's lawyer.

For this reason, Ricardo Monreal asserted that there is no link with any person who is accused of committing crimes, because he said that Morena and the Chamber of Deputies act responsibly .

“I assure you, I give you my word, believe me, we have no relationship with him or with anyone who is suspected or linked to committing crimes, no, Morena in the Chamber of Deputies acts with strict responsibility”

Ricardo Monreal

After clearing Morena and the Chamber of Deputies of the accusations of alleged links with Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, Ricardo Monreal justified the photographs that indicate the alleged links.

Explaining what could have happened to Juan Pablo Penilla Rodriguez , the deputy indicated that due to his activities, it is common for people he does not know to ask him for photos and selfies.

In this regard, the president of the Political Coordination Board in San Lázaro also denied knowing the lawyer of the founder of the criminal group dedicated to drug trafficking, the Sinaloa Cartel.

He even compared the situation experienced by legislators and politicians with that of artists who “ don't know who they are photographing with ” and that does not make them complicit in any way.

He added that the accusations are "an exaggeration" and that it seems totally "absurd that a photograph of a person in the 'tenth row'" suggests complicity.

“I go out or any of us go out to rallies, or meetings, or interviews and anyone asks you for a photo (...) I don't know him, it's normal, I must have hundreds of thousands (of photos with people he doesn't know) (...) it's like artists, they don't know who they're taking photos with, they take photos with everyone, right here they ask everyone for selfies and that doesn't make you an accomplice in any way”

Ricardo Monreal

Even though he repeatedly said that Morena and the Chamber of Deputies have no relationship with Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez , the questions to Ricardo Monreal on the subject were insistent.

Because of this, at one point in the press conference, the Morena coordinator in San Lázaro was on the verge of losing his cool due to the insistence of a reporter who questioned him on the subject.

And even though Ricardo Monreal repeatedly rejected the allegations, the journalist reiterated the questions and even asked him if he would be willing to "put his hands in the fire."

It was in response to this question that Ricardo Monreal became excited and, after once again rejecting the accusations, indicated that in this case the journalists would also have to disclaim responsibility.

Closing the conference, he reiterated his stance of demarcation and denied that the “mayiza” had reached San Lázaro, because he said that in the Chamber of Deputies “ there is nothing of that, we are totally clean .”