Ramón Martín Huerta

Ramón Martín Huerta (January 24, 1957 – September 21, 2005) was a Mexican politician affiliated with the National Action Party (PAN). He served in Vicente Fox's cabinet as Public Security Secretary.

Personal life

Ramón Martín Huerta was born in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco. He studied business administration in the Universidad del Bajío. He was married to María Esther Montes Hernández with whom he had 3 children: Héctor Ramón, César Alejandro and Denisse.

Political career

During the 1980s he joined the PAN and became an active member. He was Director of Guanajuato's Industrials Association; there he met Vicente Fox and introduced him into politics.

From 1988 to 1991 he served in the lower house of the Mexican Congress. He was assigned personal secretary of former Governor Carlos Medina Plascencia. When Vicente Fox was elected Governor of Guanajuato he became a cabinet member and later, when Fox resigned in 1999 to run for the presidency, he was appointed substitute governor.

A trusted Fox ally and friend, Martín Huerta worked in the Secretary of the Interior from 2000 to 2004. In 2004 President Fox assigned Martín Huerta as Public Safety Secretary replacing former incumbent Alejandro Gertz Manero.

Helicopter crash

Ramón Martín Huerta, his deputy and seven others crashed in cloud-shrouded mountains outside Mexico City on Wednesday September 21, 2005 killing everyone on board. The craft, a Bell 412 helicopter, crashed into a wooded mountaintop about 11,200 feet (3700 m) high at a spot about 20 miles (30 km) outside Mexico City.

It has been speculated that the crash was not an accident and was caused by drug lords. However, authorities have always stated the crash was an accident.