Arturo Durazo Moreno
Encyclopedia
Arturo "El Negro" Durazo Moreno (1924 – August 5, 2000) was the Chief of Police in Mexico City
for six years, from 1976 to 1982. He was arrested in 1984 and incarcerated on multiple counts of corruption, extortion, tax evasion, smuggling and possession of illegal weapons and cocaine
trade kickbacks.
and moved to the capital at a young age. He studied business and worked in the central bank for four years starting in 1944. In 1948, he switched careers to that of traffic inspector, moving on to becoming an agent of the Federal Security Directorate (DFS). At the end of the 1960s he became a member of the infamous 'White Brigade', a right wing paramilitary police force made up to crush the student movements of 1968 and eradicate the threat of communists and communism in general in Mexico.
In 1976 Durazo's childhood friend, José López Portillo
, was nominated as the presidential candidate for the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI). Durazo became López Portillo's personal security chief, and was rewarded with command of the Mexico City police when Portillo won the election, even though, eleven months earlier, Durazo had been indicted by a U.S. grand jury on narcotics charges. Durazo had a reputation for placing loyalty to his friends above all else. Once in the job, he reported directly to the president, bypassing the Mexico City mayor.
trade and kickbacks on the purchase of police equipment.
Durazo was also known for his egomaniacal ways. He asked President Lopez Portillo to make him a five star Army Division General even though Durazo never served in the military. It was granted, and he proudly wore the five star insignia, ignoring the fact that Mexican Division Generals only wear four. When his personal convoy was on the move, roads were blocked to speed his commute.
Mexico's inhabitants were mostly unaware of the methods Durazo's detectives used to keep crime under control until the bodies of 12 Colombian
s, alleged to be bank-robbers, were found in the Tula River with signs that they had been tortured and executed, questions began to be asked.
in 1984 by the FBI
as he stepped off a private jet. He was held temporarily in U.S.A. and extradited to Mexico in 1986, where he was tried and incarcerated on multiple counts of corruption, extortion and cocaine
trade kickbacks.
Because of his ill health, Durazo was granted a $3M pesos bail on March 1992 and he was released, having completed only 6 years of his 16 year-sentence. Durazo died on August 5, 2000 at the age of 76. His Mexico City palace has been opened as a corruption museum and has become a popular attraction. His palacial house in Zihuatenajo built to resemble the Parthenon has been offered to the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero by the government.
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
for six years, from 1976 to 1982. He was arrested in 1984 and incarcerated on multiple counts of corruption, extortion, tax evasion, smuggling and possession of illegal weapons and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
trade kickbacks.
Biography
Durazo was born in the northern border state of SonoraSonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
and moved to the capital at a young age. He studied business and worked in the central bank for four years starting in 1944. In 1948, he switched careers to that of traffic inspector, moving on to becoming an agent of the Federal Security Directorate (DFS). At the end of the 1960s he became a member of the infamous 'White Brigade', a right wing paramilitary police force made up to crush the student movements of 1968 and eradicate the threat of communists and communism in general in Mexico.
In 1976 Durazo's childhood friend, José López Portillo
José López Portillo
José López Portillo y Pacheco was the President of Mexico from 1976 to 1982.Born in Mexico City, López Portillo studied Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico before beginning his political career with the Institutional Revolutionary Party in 1959.He held several positions in the...
, was nominated as the presidential candidate for the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI). Durazo became López Portillo's personal security chief, and was rewarded with command of the Mexico City police when Portillo won the election, even though, eleven months earlier, Durazo had been indicted by a U.S. grand jury on narcotics charges. Durazo had a reputation for placing loyalty to his friends above all else. Once in the job, he reported directly to the president, bypassing the Mexico City mayor.
Chief of police
Durazo converted the police into a racketeering empire Although he earned less than $1,000 a month, he acquired two palatial homes, a collection of vintage automobiles and properties in Canada and the U.S. Durazo amassed a fortune in illicit wealth from the bribes paid by every cop in the city, the cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
trade and kickbacks on the purchase of police equipment.
Durazo was also known for his egomaniacal ways. He asked President Lopez Portillo to make him a five star Army Division General even though Durazo never served in the military. It was granted, and he proudly wore the five star insignia, ignoring the fact that Mexican Division Generals only wear four. When his personal convoy was on the move, roads were blocked to speed his commute.
Mexico's inhabitants were mostly unaware of the methods Durazo's detectives used to keep crime under control until the bodies of 12 Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
s, alleged to be bank-robbers, were found in the Tula River with signs that they had been tortured and executed, questions began to be asked.
Arrest and death
When an order of apprehension was emitted for his arrest, Durazo escaped Mexico and reportedly, hid in several countries. Durazo was arrested in Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
in 1984 by the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
as he stepped off a private jet. He was held temporarily in U.S.A. and extradited to Mexico in 1986, where he was tried and incarcerated on multiple counts of corruption, extortion and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
trade kickbacks.
Because of his ill health, Durazo was granted a $3M pesos bail on March 1992 and he was released, having completed only 6 years of his 16 year-sentence. Durazo died on August 5, 2000 at the age of 76. His Mexico City palace has been opened as a corruption museum and has become a popular attraction. His palacial house in Zihuatenajo built to resemble the Parthenon has been offered to the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero by the government.