Xochitl Galvez’s sister Malinali Galvez sentenced 89 years for kidnapping

A relative of the former presidential candidate Xochitl Galvez faced trial for the kidnapping of Marcela Flores and Rodolfo Morales, alongside charges of organized crime and possession of cartridges intended solely for military use.

Malinali Gálvez has received a sentence of 89 years in prison for her involvement in organized crime, kidnapping, and the unlawful possession of ammunition designated solely for military use by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The sibling of Xóchitl Gálvez, who previously ran for president under the right-wing coalition Fuerza y Corazón por México, was taken into custody on July 20, 2012. This arrest occurred during an operation conducted by the now-disbanded Federal Police in the State of Mexico, related to the abduction of Marcela Patricia Flores Domínguez and Rodolfo Morales Hernández. Following her arrest, she was presented in court in February 2024, where she received her verdict this past Friday from Judge Mariana Vieryra Valdés.

Malinali Gálvez, together with five accomplices, was part of the criminal group referred to as Los Telmex, which was active mainly in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. Inquiries conducted by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) have established that Malinali orchestrated a meeting with the victim and her driver, assuring a reunion with her sister, Xóchitl Gálvez, who at the time served as a congresswoman for the National Action Party (PAN). She instructed them to follow her in her vehicle to a van where she was joined by another associate of the criminal enterprise. Upon reaching the designated meeting point, they found themselves ensnared and confined within a cage.

Court documents reveal that the defendant confessed to exploiting her sister’s contacts and name to ensnare her victims. Nearly a month later, they were freed in an operation conducted by the Federal Police in Tultitlán, located in the State of Mexico.

In 2012, Xóchitl Gálvez dismissed the notion that her sister was involved in kidnapping, asserting instead that Malinali found herself in the Los Tolmex safe house due to her relationship with one of the criminals. I made repeated attempts to assist my sister. She is not a kidnapper; she had a romantic relationship with that man, and as a family, we endeavoured to assist her and support the daughters. “I remain composed; my sister has not engaged in any wrongdoing aside from associating with that individual,” the former gubernatorial candidate for Hidalgo remarked to La Jornada at that time.

Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, Gálvez once more spoke on the matter of her sister, who remained in anticipation of her sentencing. “My sister has spent 12 years behind bars.” I remain uncertain about her guilt or innocence. She maintains her innocence, and I have faith in her claims as she is my sister; however, it will ultimately be up to a judge to decide her guilt or otherwise. And if she is indeed guilty, rest assured, she will face the consequences. “Throughout these 12 years, I have refrained from leveraging my role as a senator to pursue any form of impunity,” she asserted.