Navy captain sentenced for disappearance intensifies disinformation campaign, they accuse

NUEVO LAREDO, Tamps. (apro).- In an attempt to overturn a conviction that keeps him behind bars in a military prison, Navy Captain Raúl Sánchez Labrada has launched a media campaign to present himself as a victim in the forced disappearance of Armando Humberto del Bosque Villarreal, which occurred on August 3, 2013, in the town of Colombia, Nuevo León, denounced the president of the Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee, Raymundo Ramos.

He said that, taking advantage of his status as a member of the Mexican Navy, Sánchez Labrada has granted interviews from Military Camp Number 1, where he remains imprisoned, a privilege not enjoyed by other sailors prosecuted in the same case.

He reported that the captain faces a sentence in criminal case 9/2021, which finds him criminally responsible for the crime of enforced disappearance along with sailors Alfi Ahumada Espinoza, Carlos Adán Verdugo Camarillas, and Eliseo Sánchez Padrón. The sentence is nine years and four months in prison.

Another of the defendants, sailor Renato Juárez Arellanes, died in prison in what was officially reported as a suicide, although his family maintains he was silenced for reporting irregularities attributable to Sánchez Labrada.

Measures to enforce the sentence included reparation for the damages, a public apology from the Navy, and the installation of a memorial in honor of the victim. None of these actions have materialized.

New trial for aggravated homicide

In addition, Sánchez Labrada faces criminal case 33/2024 in the Fourth District Court of Monterrey, Nuevo León, for the crime of aggravated homicide against the same victim, whose remains were found with a gunshot wound to the head on October 3, 2013, at the Santa Cecilia ranch, a short distance from the naval operations base he headed.

He said that although the captain appealed the formal arrest warrant, experts believe his chances of success are minimal, as he has not presented any new exculpatory evidence.

It should be remembered that on February 21, 2024, the First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) denied a direct amparo (5/2023) to him and three sailors, thus confirming the reduced sentence issued by a Collegiate Court.

Recommendation of the CNDH

On March 21, 2016, the CNDH issued Recommendation 11/2016 to the then Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberón Sanz, accrediting the forced disappearance and arbitrary execution of Armando Humberto del Bosque.

The naval institution accepted the order and, three years later, reported its compliance.

Defense changes and pending charges

Sánchez Labrada has changed lawyers on at least four occasions, without accepting his legal status. Although he insists he is innocent, his conviction for enforced disappearance is final, and the Navy must permanently dismiss him.

So far, neither the captain nor his advisors have filed formal complaints against agents of the Federal Public Ministry, whom he accuses of participating in a "fraudulent and unconstitutional" investigation.