Bride jailed for 11 years after being arrested on her wedding day

A bride ended up with some unusual photos to remember her big day as she was arrested before she even cut the cake.

A lot of jokes about 'losing your freedom' often get thrown about at weddings, and while they are pretty old-fashioned, they often go down well as people know it's a joke.

At least, that's the case most of the time - but not for bride Nancy Lizeth Rodríguez Guadarrama.

She really did end up losing her freedom as officers detained her as she arrived at the church in Mexico where she planned to marry her fiancé, Clemente Mendiola Martínez.

Rodriguez's big day didn't quite go to plan. (Jam Press)

Her arrest came in relation to a violent robbery, which took place in March 2022, when a victim in Tenango del Valle was targeted by four people.

The robbers took money from the victim, but the victim was able to get enough information on the criminals to report them to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Rodríguez was consequently identified as one of the people who carried out the robbery, along with another woman and two male accomplices.

Prosecutors launched an investigation into Rodríguez, leading them to figure out that she was a member of the Familia Michoacana criminal organization.

Officials tracked her to the church on her wedding day on 3 December, 2023, and managed to take her into custody before her marriage celebrations even really got underway.

Photos show Rodríguez standing in handcuffs following her arrest, still dressed in her wedding dress, after getting ready for her big day just hours earlier.

Martínez was later found dead. (Jam Press)

On Friday (12 July), Rodríguez was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison for violent robbery, after prosecutors successfully argued their case.

Meanwhile her fiancé, an alleged hitman for a cell of the Familia Michoacana, evaded officers as he managed to escape the church where Rodríguez was caught.

Authorities in Mexico have been on the hunt for Martínez since at least 2021, when they first offered up a reward of $17,000 (MXN 300,000) for information leading to his capture.

Martínez was under investigation by police for extorting local chicken merchants in Toluca Valley, as well as more violent crimes including several kidnappings and homicides in the area.

However, the investigation into Martínez's whereabouts reached a sudden end when he was found dead in his car in Villa Guerrero, Mexico.

There were over 200 bullet casings found at the scene, though it is unclear exactly who is responsible for his death.