On December 16, 2025, a control judge at the Federal Criminal Justice Center in Reclusorio Norte sentenced Armando Escárcega Valdez, alias “El Patrón,” to 14 years in prison for attempted murder against journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva. The ruling was issued during a shortened trial procedure hearing, where the defendant accepted full responsibility for the events. Federal Judge Edmundo Manuel Perusquia Cabañas determined the sentence after validating the evidence presented by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), which identified Escárcega Valdez as the mastermind and logistical coordinator of the armed attack. In addition to the prison sentence, the convicted man must pay
