Hank Rhon Freed After Mexican Federal Judge Ruled Illegal Weapons Case Lacked Evidence

Jorge Hank Rhon

Photo: Terra

Former Tijuana Mayor freed for lack of evidence.

By H. Nelson Goodson
June 15, 2011

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico - On Tuesday, a Mexican federal judge ruled that the Federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) lacked evidence against Jorge Hank Rhon for possessing an alleged military arsenal. Rhon, 55, a former Tijuana Mayor was set free after the ruling.
Rhon's defense team had turned over about 120 minutes of five hours of home surveillance video which showed that the military didn't find a military arsenal at his home. Rhon had been accused of possessing 88 weapons, most of them exclusively used by the military and more than 9,000 cartridges at his Tijuana residence. Two handguns were also connected to several homicides, according to the PGR.
The PGR will appeal the judge's decision.

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Hank Rhon's Defense Team Claims Mexican Military Planted Arsenal And Turned Over Video Evidence To Judge

Jorge Hank Rhon

Photo Terra

Mexican military accused of planting arsenal at Hank Rhon's residence in Tijuana.

By H. Nelson Goodson
June 12, 2011

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico - On Friday, Fernando Benítez Álvarez del Castillo, an attorney for former Tijuana Mayor Jorge Hank Rhon, 55, announced that the allegations against his client and the arrest report by the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) conflicts with actual events taped by home surveillance video footage from Rhon's home. Álvares del Castillo confirmed, Rhon's defense team had turn over 120 minutes of 5 hours of video footage from 8 home video cameras as evidence that will show no weapons exclusively used by the military were confiscated at Rhon's residence other than the handguns that were properly registered and licensed to Rhon's security detail.
Some of the video shows how the military disarmed the private security guards at the home and how the main gate unarmed security guard was mishandled when detained in the raid.
The surveillance video was being taped at another location and the military disabled some cameras at Rhon's residence, but failed to secure the video footage from a different location, according to the defense team.
The video footage was turned over to Judge Blanca Evelia Parra Meza, from the Mexican Federal 9th District Court in Baja California who is presiding over the case. Judge Meza who reviewed the video footage went to Rhon's residence on Saturday to inspect Rhon's residence.
Vladimir Téllez another attorney for Rhon has said, the military lacked a search warrant at the time of Rhon's arrest and the video evidence shows the weapons used exclusively by the military were not at Rhon's residence.  Also, the military did not come in through the front of the residence as the PGR criminal complaint states.
The defense team is claiming the Mexican military planted the weapons to frame Rhon for illegal possession of a military arsenal and ammunition used by the arm forces.

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Hank Rhon And 10 Suspects Facing Federal Charges For Illegal Possession Of Military Arsenal In Mexico

Jorge Hank Rhon

Photo: Terra

Mexican Attorney General's Office found probable cause to charge former Tijuana Mayor Hank Rhon for weapons arsenal.

By H. Nelson Goodson
June 9, 2011

Mexico City, Mexico - On Wednesday, the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) reported that Jorge Hank Rhon, 55, had been transferred to the Hongo federal prison in Tecate, Baja Califronia after federal investigators found probable cause to charge Rhon and 10 other suspects with illegal possession of weapons. Rhon, a self proclaimed billionaire served as Tijuana Mayor between 2004 to 2007 for the PRI political party.
On June 4, military personnel found 88 weapons, 9,250 cartridges and a gas grenade at Rhon's residence in Tijuana, Baja California. Investigators from the PGR found that only 10 of the 88 weapons recovered from Rhon's residence were legally license. Four weapons had permit numbers 186 from the State Public Security of Baja California, one had a permit number 6 from the Secretary of Federal Public Security, and 5 other weapons had individual permits assigned to other people not in custody. 78 remaining weapons had no permits or a license.
Two of the weapons, a .40 Caliber and a .380 Caliber were used in several homicides in Baja California, the PGR confirmed. Rhon has denied both weapons belong to him.
From the 88 weapons that were confiscated, 49 weapons are exclusively reserved for the use by the military and 39 weapons can be possessed by individuals, if a license or permit had been issued by a state or federal government.
Federal investigators confirmed, from the 9,250 cartridges confiscated, 8,944 were for military use only and 306 cartridges were deemed legal when a permit is issued.
Rhon and the following suspects, Juan Ignacio Parra Santos, Luis Alfonso Sánchez Solis, César Pérez Guerrero, Javier Marcopolo Ayala Roldán, Rubén Muñoz Nava, Víctor Manuel de la Torre Horta, Marco Antonio Trinidad Gómez, Rigoberto González López, Carlos Gonzalo Pérez Contreras and Ramón López Apodaca are facing federal charges for illegal possession of weapons and ammunition exclusively used by the military, according to the federal PGR.

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