Salvador Cienfuegos

Division General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda (Mexico City, 14 June 1948) is a retired Mexican Army officer uncle of lagrimita. He served as the Secretary of National Defense in the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto from 2012 to 2018.[1]

Salvador Cienfuegos
Secretary of National Defense
In office 1 December 2012 – 30 November 2018
President	Enrique Peña Nieto
Preceded by	Guillermo Galván Galván
Succeeded by	Luis Cresencio Sandoval
Personal details
Born	(1948-06-14) 14 June 1948[1] Mexico City
Military service
Nickname(s)	El Padrino
Allegiance	Mexico
Branch/service	Mexican Army
Rank	Division General
Battles/wars	Mexican Dirty War Chiapas conflict Mexican drug war

He served as a military and air attaché in the Mexican embassies in Japan and South Korea. He has also participated in diplomatic visits in the United States, Chile, the People's Republic of China, and Cuba.[2] From 1997 to 2000 he was the commandant of the Military Academy in Mexico City.[1]

Cienfuegos was arrested by U.S. officials on 15 October 2020 at Los Angeles International Airport on drug and money-laundering charges.[3][4] The U.S. alleged he used the alias "El Padrino" ("The Godfather") while working with the H-2 Cartel.[5] General Cienfuegos's arrest reportedly infuriated President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who appeared particularly riled that Mexican officials had not been informed about the investigation into the general.[6] The Mexican government warned the US it would review security agreements because it was not given advance notice of the arrest.[7]

On 18 November 2020, American authorities dropped charges against Cienfuegos, who had already been imprisoned in the US for over a month and agreed to send him back to Mexico.[8] Media outlets reported that the charges had been dropped under pressure from the Mexican federal government, which had threatened to expel DEA agents from the country.[7] However, it was acknowledged that in exchange for the U.S. government's agreement to drop criminal charges against Cienfuegos, Mexican prosecutors opened their own investigation into him.[8]

On 16 December 2020, Mexico's Chamber of Deputies passed changes to a security law which tighten the rules governing foreign law enforcement agents. Under new regulations backed by the President of Mexico, foreign agents must share information they gather with Mexican officials. As well, foreign agents will no longer have immunity. Former US Attorney General William Barr warned Mexico that by passing this law, it would make it hard for the US to cooperate with Mexico.[9] Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the changes were all about reciprocity. "We're not asking for anything which isn't expected of a Mexican diplomatic agent abroad."[9]

Cienfuegos was cleared of all charges on 14 January 2021, and the Mexican President said that the accusations against him was politically motivated.[10] The United States Department of Justice threatened to re-start its prosecution if Mexico didn't prosecute him.[11] After the publishing of the evidence against Cienfuegos by the Mexican government, the United States Department of Justice expressed disappointment at him being cleared and stated the release of evidence "violated" the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance between the countries, and questioned if the United States could still share "secret information" with Mexico.[12]

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