Arturo Durazo Moreno

Born	1924 Sonora, Mexico
Died	August 5, 2000 Mexico City
Charge(s)	Drug trafficking, corruption, extortion
Penalty	16 years in prison (served 6)
Status	Deceased

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.^[1][2][3][4]

Biography

Durazo was born in the northern border state of Sonora 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.

Chief of police

Durazo converted the police into a racketeering empire^[5] 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.^[6] Durazo amassed a fortune in illicit wealth from the bribes paid by every cop in the city, the cocaine trade and kickbacks on the purchase of police equipment.^[4]

Durazo was also known for his egomaniacal ways.^[4] 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 Colombians, 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.^{[citation needed]}

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 Rica in 1984 by the FBI as he stepped off a private jet.^[6] 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.^[2]

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.^[3] His palacial house in Zihuatenajo built to resemble the Parthenon has been offered to the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero by the government.^[7]

References

1. ^ "Mexico: Police Fund". Time. February 6, 1984. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954146,00.html. Retrieved 2010-09-23. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "LO NEGRO DEL NEGRO: ARTURO DURAZO MORENO" (in Spanish). http://www.alaingarcia.net/conozca/durazo.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-23. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Obituary Arturo Moreno Mexico's crooked cop chief". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2000/aug/14/guardianobituaries1. Retrieved 2010-04-20. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "ARTURO DURAZO MORENO: Vida de denuncias y controversias" (in Spanish). El Universal. August 6, 2010. http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=28961&tabla=nacion. Retrieved 2010-09-23. 
5. ^ Alan Riding in Distant Neighbours, his book about 1980s Mexico.
6. ^ ^{a b} "Mexico: Thumbs-Down for Top Cop". Time. April 14, 1986. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961118,00.html. Retrieved 2010-09-23. 
7. ^ Milenio: Ofrecen El Partenón de Durazo a la UAG

Persondata
Name	Durazo, Arturo Moreno
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1924
Place of birth	Sonora, Mexico
Date of death	August 5, 2000
Place of death	Mexico City