Gang Leader in Mexico Sentenced to 60 Years For Kidnapping

José Antonio Yépez Ortiz—a gang leader in Mexico known as “El Marro” or “The Sledgehammer”—has been sentenced to 60 years in prison over kidnapping, according to authorities in Guanajuato.

Yépez Ortiz was arrested on Aug. 2, 2020 following a police shootout. His gang—Santa Rosa de Lima—was known for stealing gasoline from government fuel ducts, per ABC News, and was reportedly involved in a turf battle with the Jalisco cartel. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has previously called the arrest “important, very important,” as Yépez Ortiz has been blamed for much of the violence in Guanajuato, according to the publication. 

Yépez Ortiz still reportedly faces charges of attempted homicide, robbery of fuel and organized crime, but his local court sentencing has marked a definite pause to his time robbing trains and stealing fuel. The gang eventually worked its way into extortion and other crimes over the years, early during López Obrador’s time leading the country. It turned to extorting money specifically from local businesses after the government made fuel theft increasingly difficult, ABC News shares. 

The gang leader would often post videos online to rally his followers, with some emotional pleas after the arrest of several affiliates. At one point, he threatened to team up with the Sinaloa cartel in the ongoing turf battle against Jalisco.