Mario Rigoberto Ascencio Tejada

Mario Rigoberto Ascencio Tejada, known as Rigo, is a former mayoral candidate in Salamá, Baja Verapaz, who gained notoriety after pleading guilty in the United States to drug trafficking charges. He was associated with the now-defunct political party Frente de Convergencia Nacional (FCN-Nación), which was linked to former Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. His involvement in a significant cocaine trafficking organization was identified by U.S. authorities, revealing that he had been engaged in drug trafficking activities from around 2011 until at least June 2020. Ascencio's case highlights the intersection of politics and organized crime in Central America.