On Thursday, June 18, 2026, the State of Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGJEM) announced criminal charges against six individuals, including Nancy “N,” the mayor of Tenancingo, for allegedly staging her own kidnapping. The scheme aimed to demand a 40 million peso ransom from public funds, which would have been used to cover an alleged embezzlement.

According to the FGJEM, three suspects—Karla Valeria “N,” Víctor Manuel “N,” and Christian “N”—have already been arrested. The mayor faces a formal hearing scheduled for July 9, while arrest warrants remain active for her husband and brother-in-law, all implicated in the fake kidnapping that took place on May 31, 2026.

Investigations revealed that since February 2026, José Roberto “N” (the mayor’s husband) and Oscar “N” (her brother-in-law) planned the staged kidnapping to justify the disappearance of 40 million pesos from the municipal treasury. One suspect confessed that the plan was to demand the ransom from the city hall’s funds to cover the alleged financial shortfall.

The mayor herself is suspected of participating in the plot to legitimize the missing public resources during her administration. The scheme involved Oscar “N” recruiting his friend Cristian “N” with a promised payment of 500,000 pesos. Cristian then involved his partner Karla Valeria “N” and her brother Víctor Manuel “N.” Phone records show 136 calls between Oscar and Cristian from April to June 2026, and 49 calls between José Roberto and Oscar during the same period, despite denials of contact.

On June 1, Nancy “N” filed a complaint stating she was allegedly abducted outside her home while in a beige Volkswagen Jetta. She described how two men and a woman forced her into a red Volkswagen Virtus, threatening her with a firearm and demanding 40 million pesos for her release, instructing her to take the money from municipal funds if necessary.

Witnesses alerted local police, who coordinated with other agencies and later located the mayor. During her interview, Nancy claimed she escaped by taking advantage of a moment when her captors were distracted and sought help from a nearby house. She also reported threats against her and her family, emphasizing the ransom demand.

Further evidence showed the phone given to the mayor for ransom calls moved from Mexico City’s Tabacalera neighborhood to San José La Noria in Oaxaca between June 8 and 10. Surveillance footage captured the red Volkswagen Virtus used in the incident, showing no signs of physical violence; instead, one suspect helped the mayor into the vehicle without resistance.

The vehicle was regularly used by Karla Valeria “N,” who, along with her brother and partner, fled to Oaxaca but were arrested there on June 11 with the help of local authorities.

On the day of the event, the mayor arrived home with her sister and mother in a beige Jetta. A red Virtus driven by Karla Valeria arrived, and Víctor Manuel pretended to force the mayor into the car. During the trip toward San Pedro Zictepec, the mayor reportedly directed the route to avoid surveillance cameras and used a phone belonging to Víctor Manuel to contact her sister, asking her not to notify the police.

At some point, the mayor admitted the situation had spiraled out of control and asked to be left on a dirt road in El Capulín, Tenancingo, from where she called for help. Her husband and the municipal security chief found her and took her home, while the three accomplices fled.

Karla Valeria, Víctor Manuel, and Cristian “N” face charges including extortion, punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The FGJEM has referred the case of the