The Coahuila government searches a ranch belonging to "El Mono" Muñoz.

SALTILLO, Coahuila (apro).- A report of a tractor-trailer loaded with stolen fuel triggered a search of the "Paola" ranch, owned by gasoline entrepreneur Juan Manuel Muñoz Luévano, alias "El Mono," who returned to Coahuila two years ago after being prosecuted for money laundering crimes in the United States, where he was extradited from Spain in 2016.

The search was carried out by members of the State Security Secretariat and the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Coahuila Attorney General's Office, said Javier Rangel Ramírez, Ministerial Prosecutor in the state, who noted that various chemical substances used to make fuel mixtures were found.

"There was a report of a vehicle entering that property, a tract entering the property, and a 911 report followed. We went in with an investigation, and a request was made from the Public Prosecutor's Office to the Judiciary for a search warrant to enter, and what we found is history. It's a property called Rancho Paola," he said.

Seven people were arrested at the scene. They have refused to testify before the Public Prosecutor's Office, which has opened investigations for threats and bribery. Their legal status will be determined in the coming hours, as will whether they will be released or brought before a judge.

"We found certain chemicals that suggest there is fuel on the property. We used chemical forensics and found chemicals to make different mixtures with fuel, and we stopped there, secured the site, and informed FJR so they could continue their investigation," he said.

The Laguna businessman told local media that Coahuila government authorities entered his property without a warrant.

For his part, the delegate of the Attorney General's Office, Efraín Alonso Gastélum, stated that the agency was not involved in these actions carried out on Muñoz Luévano's properties, but since these are hydrocarbon-related crimes, they hope that the Coahuila authorities will address them soon.

"The search was carried out by the State Attorney General's Office in conjunction with state police officers, and they will be sending the information on the seizures. We were not involved in this search. I understand that this was initiated by a report they received that there was illicit merchandise at that location, and upon entering, they found hydrocarbons. They initiated the search for stolen merchandise, but the hydrocarbons are the responsibility of the Attorney General's Office, and we hope they will give us a hearing," he stated.

The search took place hours after Coahuila Governor Manolo Jiménez Salinas announced in Torreón that further operations would follow the seizure of smuggled fuel found in the Saltillo rail yards and a station in Ramos Arizpe.

“Here, everyone is willing to take action, and that translates into very concrete actions, such as the fuel seizure a few days ago. We achieved that because we decided to get to grips with the issue. We don't care who is involved in the crime here; we go at it head-on, and just like this operation, others have developed, and, most importantly, more operations are coming, with more coordinated teamwork,” he said.