Request for clarification regarding events concerning public security and consular representation.
To: Dr. Clemens von Goetze, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Mexico
Dear Mr. Ambassador:
I am writing to bring to your attention a specific matter that has raised concerns and requires institutional clarification.
In December 2022, the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Oaxaca (FGEO) issued a public statement reporting that Attorney General Arturo Peimbert Calvo had received an award from Götz Knobloch, identified as the Liaison Officer for the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) for Mexico and Central America. This award was presented in recognition of the investigative work that led to the rescue and release of a German tourist who had been kidnapped in Santa María Colotepec, Oaxaca, in September 2022.
The statement notes that the event took place at the German Embassy in Mexico and that investigation file 31769/FDAI/UECS/2022 documents how the victim was deprived of her liberty, a ransom was demanded, and her release was ultimately secured through an inter-agency operation involving the Specialized Unit for Combating Kidnapping (UECS), the National Anti-Kidnapping Coordination (CONASE), and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC). It also reports the arrest of an alleged perpetrator, who is currently facing legal proceedings.
This official account by the FGEO—which directly links the German Embassy and BKA representatives in Mexico to the case—raises several questions regarding the nature of diplomatic and consular involvement in a high-profile incident that has not, however, been reported in national media or in official statements from the Embassy itself.
Attached for reference is the following brief excerpt from the FGEO statement:
“Oaxaca’s Attorney General, Arturo Peimbert Calvo, received an award from Götz Knobloch, the BKA Liaison Officer for Mexico and Central America, at the German Embassy in Mexico. The award was presented in recognition of the investigative work that led to the rescue and liberation of a German tourist who had been kidnapped in Santa María Colotepec, Oaxaca, in September 2022.”
Questions for Clarification
Who is Götz Knobloch?
He presents himself publicly as the BKA (Federal Criminal Police Office) Liaison Officer for Mexico and Central America, and is even cited in official statements and news reports as part of the German Embassy in Mexico.
- Can his affiliation with the Embassy be formally confirmed, and what exactly is his institutional role?
Relationship with the Honorary Consulate and local authorities
- Public records show that Honorary Consul Thomas Wagner and Governor Mauricio Kuri met with Götz Knobloch; an official statement regarding the meeting was even issued.
- Why does an Honorary Consul participate in high-profile meetings concerning public security measures and collaboration with intelligence services?
Kidnapping of tourists.
- The statement from the FGEO (Oaxaca State Attorney General’s Office) refers to the kidnapping and rescue of a German tourist in Oaxaca.
- Why did this incident not appear in official statements or national media, but rather only in a local news outlet?
- Is there an institutional explanation justifying the lack of public disclosure regarding an event of such significance?