Overview

• José Mauricio Hernández Gasca, known as El Tomate, died on September 1, 2025 inside the Reclusorio Preventivo Varonil Sur in Xochimilco, according to the Mexico City police.
• Authorities attribute the death to complications from a past gastric bypass, with custodial staff reporting CPR attempts before he was declared dead at the scene.
• Witness accounts reported by local media allege delayed medical attention, a claim not confirmed by officials and now part of ongoing reviews.
• Reporting notes chronic post‑surgical issues, including refractory stenosis and frequent medical visits while jailed, alongside accounts of drug use that worsened his condition.
• A founding operator of La Unión Tepito linked by investigators to the 2018 Plaza Garibaldi massacre, he had been held at Reclusorio Sur since February 25, 2024 on weapons and drug charges after multiple prior arrests.