Borderland Beat

US Sanctions Sinaloa Cartel Chemical Precursor Supplier Network in India & Guatemala

2026-04-23T16:37:00.002-06:00

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned more than 20 individuals and companies involved in the global supply chain of chemical precursors and the production of synthetic drugs that have collaborated with the Sinaloa Cartel, specifically Los Chapitos and Los Mayos.

The precursor chemicals for producing both fentanyl and methamphetamine were shipped from India through Guatemala, to Sinaloa and Guadalajara in Mexico. Several of the suppliers and logistical companies sanctioned as part of this network have been reported to have supplied chemicals to both CDS and CJNG groups.

Chemical Precursors from India

From India and Guatemala, through Sinaloa and Guadalajara in Mexico, the sanctioned individuals and firms are now prevented from carrying out any type of business or financial transaction on U.S. soil, and all their accounts in that country have been frozen.

The first person named is Satishkumar Hareshbjai Sutaria, an Indian trader of chemical precursors who, along with a sales associate, Yuktakumari Ashishkumar Modi, sent shipments of chemical precursors to Mexico and Guatemala to synthesize fentanyl.

Both used the companies SR Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals and Agrat Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals to ship goods to the Americas, with counterfeit labels on the shipments. They were arrested in India in March 2025 and have now been sanctioned, along with the two companies they used.

Guatemalan Intermediaries

Also designated were Guatemalan national Jaime Augusto Barrientos Camaz and his companies J and C Import and Central Logística de Servicios. Barrientos was responsible for transporting chemical precursors and even finished fentanyl in collaboration with Agrat Chemicals and SR Chemicals, the Indian companies.

It has been reported that he received up to 116 kilos of N-Boc-4-Piperidone, a precursor chemical for fentanyl, in just two months.

"The intermediaries, acting in tandem with the Mexican cartels, facilitate the logistics and shipments of these chemicals to Mexico or Guatemala via maritime cargo. The shipments regularly contain kilograms of deadly fentanyl precursors and bear false labels as 'safe chemicals.' The intermediaries then transfer the chemicals to individuals known as 'cooks,' who operate clandestine synthetic drug labs controlled by the cartels," the U.S. Treasury Department stated.

'Dora' and 'Tobilio' the Mexicans linked to Los Chapitos were arrested last month in Mexico.

Mexican Companies Sanctioned

Karina Guadalupe Carrillo Torres, alias Dora, and her husband, Regulo Acosta Hernández, alias El Tobilio, were sanctioned; both are linked to the Los Chapitos faction.

Carrillo Torres is identified as an intermediary for chemical precursors such as 1-Boc-4-Hydroxypiperidine, in collaboration with the sons of "El Chapo" Guzmán.

Her husband, Acosta Hernández, is a fentanyl and cocaine supplier who is also involved in money laundering. He and his wife operate the companies Desarrollos Cartok SA de CV and Comercializadora Grupo Carhern, which have also been sanctioned.

Carrillo and Acosta were arrested in Mexico in March 2026 for drug trafficking.

In Mexico City, Reyma Global Trading, an importer of goods that has obtained large quantities of chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine by various criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, was sanctioned.

María Viridiana Rugerio Arriaga, owner of the company Química Soluciones y Logística Internal Bajío, in León, Guanajuato, was also sanctioned. She uses the company to acquire chemical precursors in India and then sells them for the production of fentanyl and methamphetamine for the Sinaloa Cartel.

Similarly, the company Aduaeasy was sanctioned, accused of receiving shipments of chemicals for the production of methamphetamine from Asia.

Also sanctioned were Jalisco-based businessman and importer José de Jesús Ramírez Torres and his companies Corporativo y Enlace Ram, Enlace Forwarding México, Cargo Global 3PS, and E-Ram Group, which is based in Miami, Florida, USA. He uses his companies to import chemical precursors for methamphetamine production.

Mexican Chemists & Traffickers

Alejandro Reynoso Jiménez is a chemist and businessman who operated clandestine laboratories via Botánica 2000 for the production of synthetic drugs for Los Chapitos, particularly dedicated to the production of fentanyl pills that are eventually shipped to the United States. He was known as the "Shadow Chemist."

He was arrested in Madrid, Spain, in November 2025. Spanish law enforcement detained Alejandro Reynoso-Jiménez, whom US authorities consider one of the most dangerous fentanyl producers. He arrived on a flight from Mexico City and, according to investigators, was planning to travel around Europe, but did not have time to leave the airport as he was arrested immediately after passing through passport control.

Reynoso-Jiménez is a figure well known to US and Mexican intelligence agencies. He is considered one of the key organizers supplying fentanyl to the United States, as well as someone capable of producing up to a ton of the substance every month. US authorities have long sought his capture and extradition, viewing him as a major link in the international drug trafficking network.

At the time of his arrest, he had a Mexican passport and documents confirming his identity. US authorities had previously provided their Spanish counterparts with all the necessary information, including the suspect’s biometric data and a physical description.

Ramiro Baltazar Félix Heras, known as "Güero Reyna" or "Félix" a high-ranking member of the Los Mayos faction, linked to the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine to the United States.

El Güero Reyna coordinates the faction's operations in Bacata, Los Vasitos, and Cosalá, manages several laboratories dedicated to the production of illicit substances, and leads the armed cell “Los F1” or “Gente del F1.”

Sources OFAC, Milenio, USSpain, Crux, Khoran

The U.S. is 'Supplying' Weapons to Mexico! Authorities Confirm a Massive Flow of Arms From the Border

2026-04-23T15:55:16.240-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

So far in 2026, 800 weapons and 78,000 rounds of ammunition have been seized at Texas's eight border ports of entry. This report comes from Marco Fragoso. These are no ordinary weapons.

In the Laredo sector, U.S. authorities have seized everything from Barrett .50-caliber rifles—capable of piercing armor—to gold-plated pistols featuring images of Saint Jude Thaddeus, the Mexican flag, and even some engraved with the surname "Trump." These types of weapons are frequently intercepted at the gateway to Mexico.

This is a .50-caliber weapon—specifically a Barrett .50 Cal.—which is also nicknamed "Tostón" in Mexico, a term used because of its .50-caliber size.

There are also homemade weapons, crudely fashioned from steel pipes. It is an arsenal as diverse as it is alarming, yet it shares a single destination: across the border into Mexico.

To curb this flow, enforcement tactics have evolved. Today, X-ray scanners allow agents to peer inside vehicles in mere seconds, while K9 units sniff out contraband that remains invisible to the naked eye. And for the authorities, there are signs of progress.

In fiscal year 2025, across the eight ports of entry in South Texas—stretching from Brownsville to Laredo—more than 500 weapons and 54,000 rounds of ammunition were seized. Yet, in the short time elapsed in 2026, that figure has already surpassed 800 weapons and 78,000 rounds.

Even so, concealment methods remain as ingenious as they are difficult to detect. Authorities explain that weapons are hidden using the very same methods employed to smuggle drugs or cash.

"I mean, there are natural compartments within vehicles—you know, gas tanks, false floors."

And while authorities continue to refine their technology and strategies, the underlying problem continues to grow. They acknowledge that the greatest challenge lies not merely in detecting the weapons, but in the sheer volume and the persistent demand for them.

"That, and... just the amount of weapons that are being requested."

Thus, amidst hidden compartments, cutting-edge technology, and an unrelenting demand, the border has become a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek—where every weapon that slips through risks fueling the violence plaguing Mexico.

Source: El Heraldo de México

FBI Operation Gangsta's Paradise Arrests 43 Tied to Orange County Mexican Mafia Leaders

2026-04-23T15:10:00.006-06:00

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

“This morning, we executed operation “Gangsters Paradise. We’ve indicted forty members and associates of the Mexican Mafia, who is the most powerful, prolific gang that operates out of state prisons,” said L.A.’s top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli.

“They control and operate all the Hispanic street gangs out in the neighborhoods,” he added. Federal agents working with local police arrested 43 suspects in all, confiscated firearms and seized illegal drugs, conducting 30 raids mostly in Santa Ana, Anaheim, Lake Elsinore and Lakewood, California.

The California Post (NY Post) was invited to witness a raid in nearby Lakewood, California, as dozens of agents gathered before dawn in the parking lot of an Orange County mall.

The convoy of vehicles heading to the residence of Andrew “Speedy” Hernandez, wanted on charges of drug trafficking.

Upon arrival at the bungalow home of Hernandez in Lakewood, the agents detonated a flash-bang and announced themselves, calling for the alleged drug dealers to come out.

Hernandez and an associate came out from the bungalow and the agents cuffed them and took them into custody. Other raids have taken place in Santa Ana and Anaheim as well as in Lake Elsinore in Riverside County.

Operation Gangsta's Paradise

"When criminal organizations attempt to hide their profits behind violence, intimidation, and complex cash-based networks, IRS Criminal Investigation will uncover the truth," said Darren Lian, acting special agent in charge, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office.

"Our agents followed the money through drug trafficking revenues, extortion schemes, and illegal gambling operations that fueled this enterprise’s power. By tracing and dismantling these financial pipelines, we cut directly into the organization’s ability to operate. IRS CI remains committed to protecting our communities by attacking the financial infrastructure that supports organized crime, no matter how deeply it is embedded."

Throughout the investigation, FBI agents seized 25 firearms, tens of thousands of dollars in cash, four kilos of fentanyl, 120 pounds of methamphetamine, three kilograms of cocaine, two pounds of heroin and 5,000 fentanyl pills.

Officials said Luis Cardenas, 48, an inmate at Ironwood State Prison and Jose Antonio Ochoa Madrigal, 41, of Santa Ana, who is incarcerated in an Orange County jail, are senior gang members already in custody, and are expected to make their initial appearances and be arraigned in the coming weeks.

From his prison cell, Cardenas used an encrypted messaging app on contraband cell phones to direct Alvarado in the operation of the Mexican Mafia’s activities in Orange County, according to the FBI.

Another ten indictments were for the members of the Mexican Mafia already in state prison. The two main Mexican Mafia members targeted include:

Luis Cardenas, 48, a.k.a. “Gangster,” “Pops” and “Tio,” an inmate at Ironwood State Prison.

Jose Antonio Ochoa Madrigal, 41, a.k.a. “Sparky,” of Santa Ana, who is incarcerated in an Orange County jail.

According to a 66-count indictment, from June 2024 to April 2026, Cardenas oversaw the Mexican Mafia’s criminal activities in Orange County and within Orange County jail and prison facilities.

Alvarado, Cesena, Madrigal, and Flores held the position of high-ranking associates for Cardenas.

Cardenas directed others to kidnap and assault people in bad standing with him, and Alvarado, Cesena, and others carried out his directions. Defendants operating for the Mexican Mafia shot at and assaulted victims.

"The defendants accused of operating their own 'Gangsta's Paradise' in Orange County by peddling illicit drugs and carrying out assault and murders, among other crimes, are being held accountable today," said Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.

Slap Houses & Seedy OC Motels

The group ran illegal gambling businesses, known as 'slap houses' within commercial strip malls and private residences. The gang collected extortionate taxes and provided security, including the use of violence, to protect the illegal gambling businesses.

The gang also sold narcotics including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine via the slap houses as well as to gangs, and drug dealers in Orange County.

Jamie "Junior" Alvarado oversaw gang-controlled motels and, along with Cesena, directed violent retaliation against slap houses that did not pay the gang’s extortionate taxes. Orange County, specifically across Anaheim, Standon and Garden Grove is home to notorious strips of seedy motels.

On March 14, 2025, Cardenas, Alvarado, Flores, and Cesena directed the kidnapping and assault of a victim who was an employee at a Cardenas-controlled slap house in Stanton.

Alvarado and Cesena stored methamphetamine and firearms at a storage unit in Orange County as well as at local private residences.

Anaheim Murder

On February 3, 2025, Matthew Kundrat, 29, a.k.a. “Bubba,” of Anaheim, and Manuel Ramos, 45, a.k.a. “Rhino,” of Santa Ana, murdered a victim at the Akua Inn, a gang-controlled motel in Anaheim. Kundrat and Ramos committed the murder for the purpose of gaining entrance to the Mexican Mafia and increasing their standing in the criminal enterprise.

Both Kundrat and Ramos are charged with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and, if convicted, would face a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison and would be eligible for the death penalty.

Sources DOJ, California Post

Aureliano Guzmán Loera, aka El Guano

2026-04-22T19:56:35.326-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

Video translation is as follows:

"The brother of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Aureliano, nicknamed El Guano, has this version been confirmed?"

"Operational actions are being developed since this morning in Sinaloa, specifically in Badiraguato and its surroundings. There are actions of the security cabinet, mainly headed by the Secretariat of National Defense. There are detainees; the detention of this subject, hasn’t yet been confirmed. Nonetheless, operations are ongoing at this time. Thank you."

Omar Garcia Hurtuch confirmed a federal operation carried out in the mountainous area of Sinaloa, where several detainees have already been reported. Although he didn't confirm the capture of Aureliano Guzmán, brother of El Chapo Guzmán.

According to reports from local and national media, the deployment was concentrated in Badiraguato and bordering areas with Durango, in the region known as the Golden Triangle, a historic bastion of the Guzmán family.

Medias in Sinaloa reported since this morning of helicopter overflights and the presence of federal forces by air and land in the mountains, which generated unofficial versions about a possible capture of El Guano.

Radio frequencies of criminal groups even circulated about the capture of El Guano Guzman and Churras Calabazas. The federal government hasn’t specified the number of people detained nor the identity of those captured.

For its part, the media InfoBae reported that the Secretariat of National Defense denied that Aureliano Guzmán is among those detained. Originally from the mountainous area of Badiraguato, his name has appeared in various security reports related to criminal activities in the northwest of the country.

According to official investigations, he is linked to operations in the region known as the Golden Triangle. A strategic area for drug trafficking due to its geographically difficult access conditions.

Over the years, Guano has been considered by authorities as a relevant target within federal operations, from which he has previously escaped. The US State Department is offering a reward of $5 million for information leading to his capture.

He is facing charges in that country for international conspiracies to distribute marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

On August 31st, 2025, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service, ICE, its acronym in English, belonging to the Department of Homeland Security, announced a reward of $10 million for information leading to the arrest of Aureliano Guzmán Araujo, also known as El Juanito, son of El Guano.

That publication, the department made inaccuracies by wrongly identifying the young man as the brother of the Chapitos, sons of El Chapo, when in reality he is their cousin.

Source: Grillonautas 2

Fentanyl Delivered to Your Door in the U.S.: the Network That Ships Drugs by Mail Without Going Through Mexico

2026-04-22T09:27:06.974-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

In Toledo, Ohio, Marcus Gaines donned his U.S. Postal Service (USPS) uniform every morning and headed out to deliver the mail. What his neighbors didn't know was that, along that very same route, he was also delivering fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine right to people's doorsteps. He charged $500 per package.

While Donald Trump has designated fentanyl a "weapon of mass destruction" and pressures Mexico with threats of military intervention, a database compiled by MILENIO—based on 36 court records made public by the Department of Justice (DOJ)—reveals that the problem has senders and recipients located right within the United States.

That’s right: the country’s postal service has become a conduit for corrupt mail carriers, gang members, networks directed from prison cells, and packages sent under fictitious names—all without U.S. authorities themselves having been able to put a stop to the problem.

The records reviewed by this publication reveal that at least 80 individuals have been prosecuted over the last 15 months for using the postal service to traffic hard drugs. The majority of these cases—six out of every ten—operated exclusively within U.S. territory, with no ties to Mexican cartels.

Deliveries span from Tennessee to Hawaii, and from Ohio to Florida. Sometimes the drugs travel concealed within books—their pages soaked in synthetic narcotics—or in packages addressed to hotel front desks, such as those at Holiday Inn Express; other times, they arrive in correspondence disguised as legal letters, or in shipments delivered by a mail carrier along his own route in exchange for $500 per package.

In July 2025, the White House itself acknowledged the magnitude of the problem: in fiscal year 2024, 98 percent of all narcotics seizures involving customs cargo originated from shipments valued at less than $800—shipments that were exempt from standard customs inspections. That universe reached 1.36 billion packages annually, circulating through both private carriers—such as FedEx and UPS—and the international postal service, where inspections were equally minimal or nonexistent.

Phantom Senders and Recipients: The Network the Government Cannot Shut Down

In its semiannual report of April 2025, the Postal Service Inspector General acknowledged that drug trafficking organizations are actively targeting postal employees because these workers have access to the Postal Service’s vast distribution network.

Gaines, the mail carrier from Toledo, is just one example—but not the only one. In October of that same year, the same agency documented the case of a female mail carrier who smuggled in 62 kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin concealed within ordinary shipments.

The preferred method for those utilizing the mail is simple: packages bearing false names. Jose Ruben Leyva shipped fentanyl from Phoenix, Arizona, to Columbus, Ohio, using invented senders and recipients; his associate, Ontario Yarbrough, received at least five packages and tracked another 13 in the Columbus area from a house in the Hilltop neighborhood, where authorities discovered 500 grams of fentanyl, bags of white powder, weapons, ammunition, and cash.

There are many more such cases. Take, for instance, that of Justin Dupras from Massachusetts, who would fly to California, purchase cocaine, mail it that very same day, and catch a return flight home. He was arrested when he arrived to pick up the package at the Fall River post office.

Organizations are targeting postal workers because of the extensive access they have.

Torrez Drane, a 32-year-old man, engaged in a similar scheme: he made several trips to California, purchased large quantities of methamphetamine, and mailed them to Louisiana, where he personally redistributed them throughout the southern part of the state.

Of the cases revealed through U.S. Department of Justice reports, 31 were prosecuted in 2025, and five in the first months of 2026. Fifty-eight percent—specifically, 21 cases—operated entirely within U.S. territory, with no direct ties to foreign cartels.

Fentanyl or carfentanil figured in 17 of the 36 cases; methamphetamine, in 15; and cocaine, in 11. Massachusetts accounts for nine of the case files; Ohio, six; and Florida, five. The remaining cases are scattered across the country, ranging from Alaska to South Carolina, and from Idaho to Hawaii.

Court records reveal cases where drug shipments sent via the postal system originated from within prisons. Such is the case of Anthony Bravo, who coordinated a network trafficking methamphetamine and carfentanil—the latter being 100 times more potent than fentanyl—between California and Hawaii, using contraband cellphones from a state penitentiary. The shipments were sent via federal mail (USPS) and arrived in Kauai, an island in the Hawaiian archipelago.

In Florida, Mario Clifford Rivera—known as "Chuky"—a member of MS-13 (a gang designated as a terrorist organization by Trump in February 2025), also operated his fentanyl network from inside a state prison, utilizing a contraband cellphone and the U.S. Postal Service.

In Massachusetts, the H-Block gang devised a different solution to supply inmates: they soaked sheets of paper in synthetic cannabinoids, printed them with fake law firm letterheads, and mailed them as legal correspondence. Guards typically did not inspect letters from attorneys.

The same scenario unfolded in Ohio: Austin Siebert used a homemade binding machine to infuse the paper of paperback books with synthetic drugs, which he then mailed to the Grafton Correctional Institution.

Other International Shipments

While Trump has focused his attention on Mexico, Department of Justice records document other routes involved in postal trafficking. In Florida, a man named Dudzinski Poole led a 17-person organization that received fentanyl directly from China via mail; over a two-year period, nearly 400 packages were shipped from California to Florida. Poole laundered the proceeds by paying legitimate artists to organize concerts.

In Framingham, Massachusetts, four undocumented Brazilian nationals operated a clandestine pharmacy catering to the Portuguese-speaking community, importing controlled medications from Brazil via the mail.

There are also documented cases of drug trafficking via mail bearing Mexican postage stamps. Fidel Félix Ochoa, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel extradited by Mexico to the United States on January 20, 2025, directed mail-based distribution operations from Mexico. According to the Department of Justice, his case serves to illustrate the significant role played by the postal service within drug trafficking routes.

Federal prosecutors in Florida identify him as one of the key leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel responsible for directing trafficking and money laundering activities; they allege that he coordinated the entry of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine into the United States, utilizing both human couriers and the U.S. postal service itself.

There are records of other international routes in postal traffic, such as China and Brazil.

Another individual sentenced in Texas to more than 26 years for supplying fentanyl from Mexico was Juan Manuel Navarette Robles. The Department of Justice reported that this Mexican trafficker was sentenced in East Texas to 315 months in prison—that is, just over 26 years—after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to information presented in court, Navarette Robles was a high-level source for the supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Mexico; he trained others and directed drug distribution within U.S. territory, primarily utilizing the postal service and various hubs or receiving points.

The illicit cargo was then redistributed to Texas and other destinations. Navarrete traveled to the United States, where he was apprehended in possession of substantial quantities of fentanyl.

In Nebraska, a woman named Amy Holmdohl was awaiting her packages of methamphetamine—sent from Mexico—at the front desk of a Holiday Inn Express in Omaha.

According to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released in August 2025, fentanyl seized in international mail had an average purity exceeding 90 percent—a stark contrast to the less than 10 percent purity found in fentanyl intercepted at the land border.

At least 80 people have been prosecuted for this crime over the past 15 months.

The volume of these shipments rose from 134 million in 2015 to 1.36 billion in 2024—four million packages daily, the majority of which went unchecked.

These cases involve at least 80 implicated individuals who exploited the postal infrastructure, whether through local networks, transnational operators, corrupt employees, logistics intermediaries, or schemes for the receipt and distribution of packages within the United States.

Sources: Milenio, Borderland Beat Archives

"El 51" is Captured, Linked to Seven Murders in Colima

2026-04-21T17:19:00.005-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

In Colima, the alleged perpetrator of the double homicide of a bakery owner and his brother—proprietors of the *El Pichón* bakery—was arrested; the crime took place on April 14 in the state capital. The detainee has been identified as José Antonio N., alias "El 51."

Investigations link him not only to the murder of the bakers but also to at least seven other killings committed over the past two weeks—including the murder of three siblings in the capital's Alvarrada neighborhood, as well as that of a state police officer on January 2, 2026.

Colima’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Ricardo Gómez, reported that the detainee was a member of a criminal cell belonging to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), specifically the cell known as "Cobra."

"So, we’re talking about a hitman who executed seven people in just two weeks; this highlights the magnitude of the violence generators relative to the population of a given state, doesn't it? A single individual takes seven lives in two weeks."

During the same press conference, security authorities disclosed details regarding the operational methods of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel's criminal cells within the state.

"They are organized into squads of six operatives; notably, every participant or member within these groups is an outsider. If there are young people from Jalisco operating in Colima, it’s highly probable that there are young people from Colima operating in Jalisco. Furthermore, they may operate in Michoacán one day, in Colima the next, and back in Jalisco the day after that."

The official noted that the members of these cells are not natives of Colima but rather hail from other states across the country. This strategy, he explained, aims to prevent them from being recognized by the local population. Given this operational logic, authorities do not rule out the possibility that individuals recruited within Colima may currently be operating in other states.

"The criminals extract themselves—or flee—from urban areas into rural zones in order to go into hiding. They engage in a practice known as 'locking down,' 'cooling off,' or 'lying low' inside safe houses, allowing them to eventually escape or make their exit."

Upon committing a homicide, the alleged perpetrators take refuge in safe houses and subsequently plot their escape via dirt roads located in the city's outskirts, which complicates their immediate detection.

During his remarks, the Secretary delivered a message directed at young people who might be vulnerable to recruitment by organized crime. In reality—and young people need to understand this—the lifespan of a hitman is extremely brief. They’re exploited by these criminals, exploited by these criminal groups, used, and then discarded like trash.

Colima, Colima

Source: Uno Tv

Two CIA Officers Among Four Dead in Chihuahua Car Accident, Sheinbaum Denies Knowledge of Joint Ground Operations

2026-04-21T13:52:00.007-06:00

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

According to the Washington Post, citing two unnamed sources; the two U.S. embassy officials who died in an automobile accident in northern Mexico worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Two others, including the Chihuahua AEI Director, were killed in the car accident as well.

The officials were returning from an operation in which they shut down six synthetic drug labs belonging to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Mexican media outlets have recently reported the identities of the two CIA officers on Tuesday, April 21 as 44 year old John Dudley Black, and 36 year old Richard Leiter Johnston. Their bodies had been handed over to the US Consulate in Juarez, Mexico.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday she would demand explanations after the two U.S. and two Mexican officials died in an accident over the weekend, adding she was unaware of collaboration between the U.S. and the state government in northern Chihuahua.

Claudia Sheinbaum said more information would be provided once all details are gathered, but insisted that “there are no joint operations on land or in the air,” only mutual sharing of information between her government and the U.S., carried out within a well-established legal framework.

The U.S. Embassy on Monday had declined to identify who the U.S. officials were or which agency of the U.S. government they worked for, but said the officials were "supporting Chihuahua state authorities' efforts to combat cartel operations." The CIA has also declined to comment.

People familiar with the matter discussed the spy agency’s role in the events in Chihuahua on the condition of anonymity, because of the issue’s sensitivity. Under CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the agency has taken a larger, more aggressive role in counternarcotics, one of Trump’s top priorities upon assuming office.

This morning, a tribute to the killed AEI agents was held.

Sheinbaum Denies Knowledge of US Involvement

“It was not an operation that the security cabinet was aware of,” Sheinbaum told journalists. “We were not informed; it was a decision by the Chihuahua government." She said they must have authorization from the federal government for such collaboration at the state level "as established by the Constitution."

“We were unaware of any direct collaboration between the State of Chihuahua and personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. We are requesting all the information from the Government of Chihuahua and also from the Government of the United States, and reviewing whether there is any violation of the National Security Act,” the President of Mexico stated.

Sheinbaum reported that the Federal Government will review whether the presence of U.S. agents in the operation constituted a violation of the National Security Act, and specified that the Constitution establishes that any collaboration between U.S. agencies and state authorities requires federal authorization.

There has been escalating pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for the Sheinbaum administration to crack down on cartels. His government has launched joint military operations in Ecuador.

Officials provided few details about the incident. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson expressed his condolences on social media but didn't specify his colleagues' roles.

The U.S. Embassy on Monday declined to identify who the U.S. officials were or which entity of the U.S. government they worked for, but said the officials were "supporting Chihuahua state authorities' efforts to combat cartel operations."

While U.S. officials' training of Mexican security forces is common, their presence on Mexican territory has been the subject of ongoing debate, which has intensified after Trump's military actions in Venezuela and Iran.

Recent CIA Activity in Mexico

It has been widely reported that the CIA has shared more intelligence with Mexican anti drug units and increased training for local counternarcotics units, current and former U.S. officials said. The CIA has flown unarmed drones over Mexico to help track cartel leaders and locate illicit drug labs.

Intelligence provided by the CIA in February was critical in helping Mexican authorities locate "El Mencho," according to U.S. officials.

Most recently and notably was the use of a US drone to track and monitor CJNG leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes "El Mencho" prior to the raid on the Tapalpa Country Club area resulting in his death and numerous narco blockades and targeted killings of GN troops across Mexico.

Jáuregui, the Attorney General in Chihuahua, said Sheinbaum’s office was not notified prior of the US officials presence at the lab operation because, according to him, only Mexican agents, about 80 in all, participated in the seizure of the drug labs. The two Mexican agencies involved were the Chihuahua AEI and SEDENA.

However, multiple social media posts have mentioned the Americans had been present and had donned Chihuahua state uniforms. According to Luis Chaparro and Azenuca Uresti, there had actually been four CIA officers present. The team had been in Mexico for several months, likely predating the start of the investigation into the large drug lab.

Based in Chihuahua but operating throughout Mexico, according to Azenuca Uresti, they had operated without the knowledge of the federal Mexican government.

Jáuregui, on Monday insisted once again that the agents were conducting a drone operation course, intended to train the AEI, but that it was 6 hours away from the area where the operation was carried out to dismantle one of Mexico's largest drug labs.

Sinaloa Cartel Meth Lab Operation

The operation to locate and dismantle the labs spanned around three months of investigation by state and federal officials. The labs (believed to be six in total, but only two have been officially reported) was located using CIA drones. “The operation lasted two days, due to the size of the find and the transfers that had to be made to the community; the distances are enormous,” Jauregui commented.

Officials found tons of material to manufacture drugs but no people present. They were likely alerted during or before the raid and fled, meaning there was no confrontation at the labs. AEI provided photos do not show any evidence of a firefight or issues at the labs.

In the early morning of April 19, 2026, the two American CIA agents assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico were killed along with the head of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency (AEI), Pedro Oseguera, and his subordinate, Genaro Méndez Montes, on a stretch of the Sierra Tarahumara highway connecting the municipality of Morelos with Guachochi.

Jáuregui said the convoy of U.S. and Mexican officials died as they were driving in the middle of the night through rugged mountain territory connecting Chihuahua to the state of Sinaloa, when the truck "appears to have skidded at some point and fell into a ravine, exploding."

He added that, once the scene of the crime was located and secured, and placed at the disposal of the authorities of the Attorney General's Office, the Director of the AEI, Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, proceeded to return to the city of Chihuahua.

“He was traveling in a convoy of five vehicles, and in the community of Polanco, which is approximately six and a half hours from El Pinal, the director met with instructors from the US Embassy, who were in Polanco giving a course on drone operation (…) they had a flight on Sunday morning from the city of Chihuahua and asked for assistance to travel along with the convoy in which the Director was traveling. They got into the vehicle at approximately two in the morning, and suffered the accident in which they lost their lives when it went off the road into one of the ravines in the area,” the Prosecutor lamented.

He emphasized that these are two separate incidents in which "there was never any involvement of any foreign agent in El Pinal."

Sources AP News, Washington Post, Azenuca Uresti, Borderland Beat, FGE Chihuahua, El Diario

Banned Beer and Empty Coolers: This is How La Familia Michoacana Dictates the Market in Taxco

2026-04-20T19:44:00.002-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

In Taxco de Alarcón, Guerrero, La Familia Michoacana controls everything from the price of beer to the vulnerability of the mayor himself.

Compounding this criminal organization's encroachment are widespread extortion schemes targeting merchants, along with a wave of kidnappings and disappearances. As a further aggravating factor, the town faces a nearly 20-year-old strike that has paralyzed the mining sector—historically a vital source of employment.

This snapshot of the "Magic Town" forces its inhabitants to coexist within a system where both the market and the political sphere no longer answer to the State.

The sale of beer serves as a prime example. While the refrigerators in convenience stores sit empty—under the pretext of a non-existent "official regulation"—small neighborhood grocery stores sell the product at inflated prices, operating with the express approval of the criminal organization.

—"You don't sell beer, do you?"

—"No alcohol at all. You won't find alcohol in any Oxxo store. The city council won't allow it."

—"Why?"

—"I suppose they just don't like our promotions," quips one of the employees at a store in the municipality.

The market and politics no longer respond to the "magical town."

MILENIO has documented that, two years after first reporting on this phenomenon, the situation remains exactly the same. The refrigerators in the major retail chains remain empty, and only a handful of small corner shops sell "cervezas."

Employee testimonies confirm the climate of fear: while ice and mixers are available for purchase, alcohol remains a prohibited commodity for the major retail chains, thereby leaving the market entirely in the hands of those sanctioned by the criminal underworld.

At the stores surveyed, only brands from Grupo Modelo (Anheuser-Busch InBev) are available, and prices vary drastically.

For instance, a standard 355-milliliter bottle is sold for anywhere between 35 and 39 pesos, while in other locations, a 473-milliliter tallboy can is priced at 32 pesos. Other establishments simply stopped stocking products from Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma—a brand that is now part of Heineken Mexico.

—The Oxxo stores don’t sell them; it’s been about three years now...

—Why?

—Because they weren’t given permission.

—Well, they *used* to sell them. But once [the cartel] moved in—you know... with everything that’s going on...

—How much are you selling them for?

—35.

—Just Corona?

—Modelo, Victoria, and mixed drinks... They haven’t restocked us since Holy Week; we’ve run out.

This phenomenon of supply control is mirrored in basic necessities such as chicken and meat, or construction materials, which carry disproportionately inflated prices compared to other cities.

The same applies to essential services—such as public transportation, taxis, and passenger vans—as well as the retail sector; these industries operate under the shadow of criminal organizations that have successfully co-opted, regulated, or intimidated the local economy.

Moreover, the population is learning to coexist with the siege of a cartel that has effectively become the *de facto* administrator of daily life.

Criminal Control Across 18 Locations

The presence of *La Familia Michoacana* extends across a network of at least 18 localities within Taxco. This region serves as a strategic hub for the trafficking of illicit goods and for facilitating movement between towns to evade law enforcement operations: to the east, it borders the state of Morelos; to the north, the State of Mexico; and to the south, Chilpancingo—the capital of Guerrero. Press reports and federal sources document the operational presence of La Familia Michoacana—manifested through roadblocks, checkpoints, or kidnappings—in the following communities:

* Acamixtla

* Tetipac

* Teacalco

* Acuitlapán

* Papala

* Tehuilotepec

* Cacalotenango

* San Gregorio

* Texcaltitla

* Huiyatengo

* Pedro Martín

* Montaña de Plata

* Cholsingo

* El Cedrito

* Pilcaya

* Axixintla

* Huajintlán

* El Gavilán

In the town of Acamixtla, for instance, the establishment of criminal checkpoints is a constant occurrence; it was there that the car belonging to the mayor's father was located following his abduction.

This location connects directly to Tetipac, a place well known as the base of operations for Roberto Carlos Zagal Jacobo—alias "El Pelón"—a local ringleader believed to be responsible for the kidnapping.

This area functions as a logistical corridor: to the north, routes passing through Pilcaya and Tetipac connect to the State of Mexico; to the east, the passage through Huajintlán and Teacalco opens a gateway to Morelos.

In Acuitlapán and Papala, the use of surveillance cameras has been documented, as has the deployment of *halcones* (lookouts) positioned at strategic vantage points.

In Tehuilotepec and Cacalotenango, federal forces have confirmed the location of safe houses used to hold victims in captivity—as occurred in the case of the municipal police officers kidnapped in 2023.

The Mayor: "Located," Yet Absent

The security crisis in Guerrero demonstrates that, in this "Magic Town," not even the figure of the municipal mayor enjoys immunity against a criminal system that has thoroughly permeated the region.

Although federal authorities confirmed the whereabouts of Mayor Juan Andrés Vega Carranza and his father—after they had been kidnapped by an armed group and subsequently released days later during an operation by federal forces—the mayor has chosen to remain in isolation. He has become a phantom figure.

MILENIO repeatedly attempted to contact the official to obtain a statement regarding the situation in the municipality, but received no response.

His communications team limited itself to stating that he "continues to carry out his duties," yet he has refused to make public appearances or hold press conferences, effectively deferring the handling of the crisis to a legal process that, they claim, "doesn’t fall within the purview of the municipal government." "We don’t have any press conferences scheduled. This is a process that doesn’t fall within the City Council's purview; it is a legal process that must be handled by the appropriate authorities. He continues to carry out his duties," a representative from his team stated emphatically in response to this media outlet's persistent inquiries.

So far, the mayor has only been seen on social media. In a video, flanked by members of the City Council, he refuted claims regarding his absence and any administrative paralysis.

"We remain here at the helm, working for the Taxco that we all desire," he affirmed.

However, his voluntary seclusion following the kidnapping serves only to confirm that, in Taxco, political power, too, lives under the yoke of fear.

Taxco: Two Decades of a Pact

The recent kidnapping and subsequent rescue of the mayor represent merely the most visible symptom of a pandemic that Taxco has been suffering from for two decades.

In interviews, former officials, mining leaders, and representatives from various sectors analyze the current crisis; they view it as a problem rooted in the upper echelons—specifically, the consolidation of a *de facto* pact between the political establishment and organized crime—which has eroded institutions and directly impacts key sectors such as commerce.

Abraham Ponce Guadarrama—who served as Mayor of Taxco (2002–2005) and as a local legislator—has dedicated himself to academic life for the past two decades. He possesses an intimate knowledge of Taxco and its key figures, yet he offers a caveat: "These are different times."

"These are very distinct times—very different from the era we lived through. I recall that during the three years I served at the head of the Taxco City Council, there were no criminal incidents; the statistics from over 20 years ago bear this out. There was one kidnapping during that three-year term, but for legal purposes, it effectively never happened because the family chose not to report it," he recounts.

Drawing upon his academic perspective, the former official attempts to explain the recent events that have caused public perception of safety within the municipality to plummet.

"Consider the stark contrast: we just experienced one of the most heavily attended Holy Weeks in many years, yet the very next week, the episode involving the kidnapping of the mayor and his father unfolded," he noted.

"We are very happy—delighted, really—about the economic windfall; we depend on tourism or on handicrafts, on the people who come to buy silver on weekends at the largest open-air market in the world," he laments.

For Ponce Guadarrama, events of this nature inflict deep economic and social damage, exposing what he defines as an "institutional crisis."

The academic highlights the phenomenon of the relationship between the State and organized crime—a dynamic in which the civilian population is left vulnerable.

"What I find particularly troubling are these 'narco-pacts,' because, in reality, society itself is being handed over. In any area where a deal is struck with criminal elements, you are practically placing society into their hands—leaving it open to robbery, extortion, and the imposition of protection rackets. Since an agreement is in place—and perhaps even support was provided to help them gain power—they feel obligated to reciprocate," Ponce explained.

While refraining from casting direct judgment upon the current administration—yet refusing to vouch for anyone—he warns that this situation is simply the inherent logic of organized crime at work.

"I have no concrete proof regarding either the previous mayor or the current one; however, this aligns with the underlying logic of the organized crime problem. There are places where rival groups clash, engaging in gunfights among themselves as they vie for control of the territory—and that is precisely where the ordinary citizen gets caught in the crossfire," the former official noted.

**Resolving the Strike Means Resolving the Crisis, Miners Say**

Historically, one of Taxco’s economic pillars has been mining; however, for the past 19 years, a strike has kept the municipality’s three mines—El Solar, Remedios, and San Vicente—completely paralyzed.

The silver displayed and sold on the sidewalks isn’t even sourced locally within Guerrero; the raw silver granules originate in Zacatecas, leaving local artisans and

merchants without a domestic supply of raw material to work with.

What ought to be a source of mass employment—serving as a vital counterweight to the co-optation by organized crime—remains at a standstill; it is a structural issue that only adds another layer of complexity to the equation of violence plaguing the region. In an interview, Roberto Hernández Mojica, General Secretary of Section 17 of the Miners' Union, asserts that ending the strike would reactivate the mines, thereby serving as an economic catalyst and, consequently, a viable alternative for establishing legitimate sources of employment.

It would represent, he notes, a fundamental economic solution for Taxco. For this reason, he calls upon the federal government to exercise its good offices and resolve the conflict with Germán Larrea—the current owner of the mining companies—once and for all.

"There will be jobs, and with jobs comes a reduction in crime. Many young people are sometimes dazzled by false promises; however, by opening up this vital source of employment—which is very well-paid—Taxco’s economy will recover," maintained Hernández Mojica.

"We want to tell the people of Taxco to have confidence in us; we are not fighting solely for our own families, but for the entire municipality—opening up this vital source of employment, above all for the youth," she emphasized.

Regarding the silver trade, she confirms that "extortion fees are being demanded, and the economy is sluggish; earnings aren't even enough to cover the fees—but well... that is the reality we are facing."

The silver displayed and sold on the sidewalks isn't even sourced from Guerrero.

**We Don't Want Another Pandemic**

Marta Beatriz Mejía Domínguez, President of the Association of Hotels and Tourism Businesses of Taxco, vividly recalls the 2020 pandemic as one of the most tragic episodes for the sector.

She acknowledges that insecurity could become a pretext for travelers to stop visiting this destination; however, as a tourism entrepreneur, she knows that one must put on a brave face in the face of adversity.

The representative for tourism businesses explains that this sector generates at least 50 percent of the municipality's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Consequently, she maintains, they cannot falter in the face of the perception of insecurity, underscoring the need to keep the local economic engine running through world-class events.

First and foremost, she is emphatic: tourism here is safe. And regarding the kidnapping incident, she states: "It was an isolated event"; "It doesn't happen only in Taxco."

"Unfortunately, we are currently in the spotlight, but if you watch the news, you’ll see this is an issue affecting the entire nation," comments Mejía Domínguez.

While she recognizes that the situation is difficult for the sector—which has faced a sort of "silent inflation" over recent years—she extends a vote of confidence to Mayor Vega Carranza, Governor Evelyn Salgado, and President Claudia Sheinbaum.

"We all have to do our part from where we stand. And we, for our part, must provide tourists with better—and high-quality—service; we must offer them the certainty and assurance that they are visiting a safe and peaceful 'Magic Town.' We live here; we make our living from tourism. We are all truly committed to continuing our work and promoting this destination so that the tourists don’t leave—because we certainly do not want to experience another pandemic," asserted Mejía.

Taxco de Alarcón, Guerrero

Source: Milenio

Eight Killed in Bar Massacre in Ayala, Morelos

2026-04-20T13:54:00.004-06:00

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Eight people died after gunmen attacked a bar in the state of Morelos early on Saturday morning.

Around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, a group of gunmen attacked the “Rincón de la Banda” bar in the municipality of Ayala in Morelos state, according to a local government press release. By the time authorities arrived at the scene, seven men and one woman were slain by gunfire.

Diario de Morelos reported that the bar’s owner also owns several other bars across the state which have been attacked over the last couple months. If this is accurate, it could suggest a motive for the massacre.

According to the Ayala city press release, the bar was operating illegally, without the appropriate alcohol license. In response to the attack, the city has begun inspecting the cities’ bars, shutting several down.

Authorities have not publicly identified a motive for the attack. Across Mexico, bars are common targets of brutal attacks, as organized crime groups seek to pressure the owners to pay extortion rents and allow the sale of narcotics and prostitution. Oftentimes, the attackers do not have a specific human target in mind, instead looking to kill anyone on site as punishment for the owner resisting their demands. Morelos state has one of Mexico's highest homicide rates, despite recent decreases. The state saw 997 murders in 2025, a per capita rate of 50.57 per 100,000. This decrease in homicidios dolosos (murders) from 2024 1,324 to 997, is slightly dampened by a suspiciously significant increase in homicidios culposos (manslaughter), which jumped from 304 to 388.

Sources: El Financiero, Diario de Morelos, Ahora Noticias, Morelos Rinde Cuentas

Major Fuel Theft Boss Roberto de los Santos, ‘El Bukanas’, Captured in Puebla

2026-04-20T07:44:00.010-06:00

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Major fuel theft boss Roberto de los Santos, ‘El Bukanas’, was captured by state and federal authorities in southeastern Puebla state this Saturday. El Bukanas had spent ten years on the run, avoiding government capture at least three times.

The operation in Tres Cabezas in the municipality of Chignahuapan was announced by Puebla’s state government on 19 April. The arrest was carried out by the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública (SSP), la Secretaría de Marina (MARINA), Secretaría de la Defensa (DEFENSA), Guardia Nacional (GN) and Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE).

Six other gunmen were arrested in addition to El Bukanas. Authorities seized various weapons, including AR-15s, a Mossberg shotgun, and two pistols.

In addition to running fuel theft operations in Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo, El Bukanas led a criminal organization involved in extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and cargo theft. A former police officer, Bukanas was a member of Los Zetas in the early 2010s, before starting his own faction Sangre Nueva Zetas when Los Zetas were dismantled. He set up operations in Veracruz, later expanding to Puebla, and Hidalgo.

Bukanas fought against the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación in Puebla, where he was threatened in several CJNG narco banners accusing him of extortion.

El Bukanas had been a main target of the Mexican government for almost a decade. He most recently escaped capture after a failed February 2026 raid in El Paredón, a small town just two miles from Tres Cabezas, where he was finally captured.

Sources: Puebla Gob, Milenio, Laneta Noticias, Borderland Beat Archives 2018, Callejero

Two US Embassy Staffers and Chihuahua AEI Director & Agent Killed in Car Accident After Narco Lab Raids in Rural Morelos

2026-04-19T19:40:00.006-06:00

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Chihuahua FGE head, César Jáuregui Moreno, announced the deaths of two members of the State Investigation Agency (AEI), as well as two instructor officers from the United States Embassy.

As previously reported by Borderland Beat, two large drug laboratories were raided in a rural area between Morelos and Guachochi, Chihuahua.

Two AEI agents and two US Embassy personnel, along with four other vehicles, were returning from the area near Morelos where authorities found the two clandestine synthetic drug and methamphetamine laboratories, when their vehicle was involved in an accident resulting in their deaths.

UPDATE: The Washington Post has reported that the two Americans were CIA officers.

Initially, US Ambassador Ronald Johnson, without mentioning details of the incident, posted news of the tragic accident.

During a conference on April 19, the state prosecutor confirmed the four deaths, identifying the Mexican Agents as First Commander and Director of the AEI, Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and his bodyguard/escort Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes.

He mentioned the "two instructor officers from the United States Embassy," who, he detailed, died in an accident while returning from the operation to destroy clandestine laboratories in the municipality of Morelos.

Synthetic Drug Labs Raided

During the press conference on April 19, authorities reported on the discovery of the two clandestine synthetic drug laboratories, as well as a camp with supplies in the municipality of Morelos. Photos of the lab seizure had previously been shared via Chihuahua FGE's website and social media.

Locating and destroying the aforementioned facilities required three months of work. While the official mentioned two laboratories, the report indicates there were six.

“These laboratories were located in the municipality of Morelos, in the southern part of the state. In an open area of approximately eight hundred and fifty square meters, divided into five areas,” added César Jáuregui.

Initial reports on the lab raids do not mention any involvement of US agents or authorities.

Two methamphetamine laboratories were located in the Sierra Tarahumara, between the municipalities of Morelos and Guachochi in Chihuahua, during a joint operation conducted by the State Investigation Agency (AEI), the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Strategic Operations.

At the site, authorities discovered two facilities suspected of being used for the production of synthetic drugs, as well as an evidence of a camp.

The discovery took place approximately 9 hours from Chihuahua City, in a border zone between the municipalities of Guachochi and Morelos, where the authorities had arrived.

At the first camp and laboratory, the following was discovered:

2 boilers and pallets with sacks marked “Tquisa”

19 1,000L drums

17 1,000L containers

14 tanks with acetone

14 containers with a white material

16 containers with a black material

4 tanks of a black material

15 ovens and over 100 gas cylinders of various sizes

Convoy Accident

The accident happened in the early hours of the morning.

According to the Chihuahua prosecutor, the accident occurred when a convoy of five vehicles was involved in an accident around 2:00 AM as the group was returned from the lab's location.

"The vehicle involved in the accident was that leading the group and allegedly it skidded off the road, falling down a ravine before exploding." César Jáuregui mentioned at the press conference.

The two AEI officers who died in the accident.

“Our deepest condolences and prayers for the families of those who died in this tragic accident,” added Jáuregui Moreno.

The Secretary of Public Security of Chihuahua, Gilberto Loya, shared a message regarding the death of Román Oseguera Cervantes.

“I recognize his commitment and work in favor of security. To his family, friends, and colleagues, I send my deepest condolences and all my solidarity in this difficult time,” the official shared.

The Governor of Chihuahua Maru Campos, shared a message on her social media about the death of Pedro Román Oseguera.

“I want to express my deepest condolences to the wife, children, family, friends and colleagues of Maestro Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, General Coordinator of the State Investigation Agency, who lost his life in the line of duty, working for the peace and security of the people of Chihuahua.”

Who are the US 'Training Instructors?'

According to the Chihuahua prosecutor, the two US agents were training officers from the U.S. Embassy, conducting training exercises, according to the official. The agents' deaths were also commented on social media by Ambassador Ronald Johnson, who highlighted the risks faced by security personnel from both countries.

"We deeply regret the tragic loss of two U.S. Embassy staff members, the Director of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency (AEI), and one of the agency's agents in this accident. We recognize their dedication and tireless efforts in addressing one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones."

Often, the term US Embassy staff members is used as generic cover terms for certain law enforcement, intelligence officers or contractors. There has long been joint training between US and Mexican forces and police. However, given the distance travelled to the labs, it is likely the US officers were present during the raids.

Sources Infobae, US Ambassador, Borderland Beat

An Armed Clash Has Been Reported on the Border Between Jalisco and Zacatecas

2026-04-19T12:10:00.007-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

On Saturday afternoon, a clash took place between armed civilians and members of the Public Security forces in the community of Laurel, located within the municipality of Tepetongo.

According to police sources, the incident reportedly began in the state of Jalisco around 7:20 p.m., subsequently moving into Zacatecas territory and passing through various municipalities and communities situated along the border region between the two states.

Among the locations identified as points through which the confrontation passed were Colotlán, Chimaltitán, Totatitle, Bolaños, Villa Guerrero, and Santa María de los Ángeles, before finally reaching the Tepetongo area in Zacatecas.

Residents of these regions reported the presence of "Monstruos"—vehicles featuring improvised armor plating—as well as at least two other units carrying armed civilians.

As of now, authorities have not officially confirmed whether there were any injuries, fatalities, or arrests resulting from this incident.

The towns of Colotlán, Chimaltitán, Totatitle, Bolaños, Villa Guerrero, and Santa María de los Ángeles all fall within Zacatecas and Jalisco.

Source: NTR Zacatecas

Two Methamphetamine Labs Discovered in the Mountains of Chihuahua

2026-04-18T21:39:00.002-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

Two methamphetamine laboratories were located in the Sierra Tarahumara—between the municipalities of Morelos and Guachochi in Chihuahua—during a joint operation conducted by the State Investigation Agency (AEI), the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Strategic Operations. At the site, authorities discovered two facilities suspected of being used for the production of synthetic drugs, as well as an encampment containing provisions for human consumption.

The discovery took place approximately nine hours from Chihuahua City, in a border zone between the municipalities of Guachochi and Morelos, where the authorities had arrived.

Officials explained that at the first encampment and laboratory—an open area covering approximately 850 square meters and divided into five distinct sections—the following items were found: 19 one-thousand-liter drums, 2 boilers, and pallets stacked with sacks bearing the label "Tquisa"; 17 one-thousand-liter containers; 1 restroom facility; and 2 water storage containers.

Also discovered were 14 vessels containing acetone; 14 containers holding a white substance; 16 containers holding a black substance; 15 ovens; 7 tanks connected to the ovens via hoses; 10 small tanks; 61 connected gas cylinders; 42 additional gas cylinders; and 4 tanks containing a black substance.

Meanwhile, at the second camp-laboratory—situated in an open area measuring approximately 40 meters—authorities located: a stockpile of sacks containing a white substance, two condensers, two boilers, six 1,000-liter containers, and five drums holding liquid substances.

Additionally, during their inspection of the site, authorities discovered a camp measuring approximately 20 by 15 meters, stocked with provisions for human consumption.

Once the evidence had been secured, the relevant investigative procedures were carried out; therefore, further information regarding this incident will be released at a later date.

The municipalities of Morelos and Guachochi in Chihuahua.

Source: El Sol de Parral

Nearly 500 Pounds of Liquid Meth Worth up to $3 Million Found in Minivan After Fort Worth Crash; 2 Dead

2026-04-18T13:03:00.006-06:00

"Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

Two men were found dead inside a minivan carrying nearly 500 pounds of liquid methamphetamine worth up to $3 million after it crashed in a Fort Worth neighborhood Thursday, prompting a hazmat response and a federal drug investigation, police said Friday.

Officers responded to a reported car accident on Delga Street near the North Freeway frontage road late Thursday morning and found that the van had crashed into a parked car before rolling into a nearby fence. One man was already dead in the passenger's seat; first responders rendered aid to the driver but he did not survive.

Firefighters on the scene discovered ten buckets full of an unknown chemical, prompting a hazmat response. One firefighter was affected by the fumes and was taken to a hospital, but he was expected to be released Friday in good condition.

Police said the chemical in the buckets tested positive for liquid meth, and estimated the total weight to be about 480 pounds. Agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration responded to collect the drugs.

Fort Worth PD said the Tarrant County Medical Examiner will release the victims' identities and causes of death, and the investigation into the drugs is ongoing.

Police and firefighters responded just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday to a reported car accident in the 1900 block of Delga Street near the North Freeway frontage road, authorities said.

Source: CBS News

Feds Try To Cut Down El Chapo's Family Tree To Cut Off Chicago's Drug Flow

2026-04-18T09:15:00.001-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

Evidence suggests law enforcement is chopping down the Sinaloa family tree in a continued effort to dismantle the organization that was built by drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Chuck Goudie reports.

Source: NBC Chicago

Daniel Kinahan Arrested in Dubai on Irish Warrant for Organized Crime Charges

2026-04-17T11:40:00.000-06:00

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Irish drug trafficker Daniel Kinahan has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates based on an arrest warrant issued by an Irish court and is likely to be extradited back to Ireland.

Kinahan, was arrested in Dubai on April 15. just after an arrest warrant was issued by the Irish Courts in relation to alleged Serious Organised Crime offenses.

Daniel, his brother and his father, Christy Kinahan Sr., have been living in Dubai since 2016, when they moved from Spain to the Middle East following an attack on a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel by the rival Hutch gang.

A statement from the Garda Press Office said the Gardaí are aware of the arrest of an Irish National in the United Arab Emirates. The arrest is in accordance with the bilateral extradition agreement between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.

However, Gardaí say the arrest of the Irish National in Dubai remains a matter for the authorities in the United Arab Emirates at this time, but added, "Today’s arrest is another extremely important demonstration of the need for international law enforcement cooperation in tackling transnational organised crime. An Garda Síochána has developed many major international partnerships in our efforts to target transnational organised crime groups."

Irish Garda Investigation

In 2023 The Irish Times revealed that Kinahan was at the centre of a major Garda investigation into the cartel’s crimes in Ireland, with a file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Though a decision to charge him took almost three years, the DPP has directed the 48-year-old be charged with organised crime-related offenses.

The Irish Garda has completed a major criminal investigation into the leadership figures of the Kinahan Cartel, submitting a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a decision on criminal charges against them.

The crimes investigated were committed in the Irish Republic and are linked to the cartel’s drug-trafficking business and its dispute, which escalated into a bloody feud with the Hutch gang, resulting in 18 dead.

Many Garda officers believed that US authorities were the most likely to bring the Kinahans to justice, mainly because of the power of US law enforcement and the rewards of up to $5 million offered for information that would lead to criminal charges.

However, there is now renewed hope the leadership figures of the cartel, who have been based mainly in Dubai for much of the past decade, will be charged in the Republic and extradited there to face trial. The Garda file has been under review by the DPP for several months and there is optimism within Irish law-enforcement charges will be approved.

Completing the major Garda investigation and submitting the file into the cartel’s top tier is very significant as its founder, Christy Kinahan Sr, has not been before the courts in Ireland for more than two decades.

He has never been charged with any cartel-related or violent crimes in Ireland. In the 1980s, he served time for dealing heroin, and later charges included passport fraud and money laundering.

His sons, Daniel and Christopher Jr., who have been named in Irish courts as leaders in the cartel, have never faced charges in Ireland.

Dubai Arrest

The Dubai government said police had arrested an Irish fugitive for his “alleged role in an international organised crime network”.

It added: “The arrest followed the receipt of a judicial file from Irish authorities detailing the suspect’s alleged crimes and his involvement in an international criminal organisation. Based on the file, Dubai Public Prosecution issued an arrest warrant to initiate legal procedures ahead of his extradition.

“Specialised teams immediately launched intensive search and surveillance operations, leading to the suspect’s capture within 48 hours of the warrant being issued. Dubai police confirmed that the arrest took place on 15 April, reflecting the force’s rapid response and operational readiness in handling international cases.”

Kinahan is the second figure at the apex of the cartel arrested in Dubai for extradition to Ireland. His close associate Sean McGovern was arrested in Dubai in 2024 and extradited to Ireland last year.

He has since been before the courts and has pleaded guilty to a range of offences. They included directing organised crime in relation to a Kinahan-Hutch feud murder in 2016 and surveillance on another man who was being targeted for execution.

Kinahan and McGovern were among seven key figures at the top of the Kinahan cartel, who were all based in Dubai at one time, sanctioned by the US department of the treasury in April, 2022. American law enforcement also offered rewards of $5 million for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of Christy Kinahan or his sons, Daniel and Christopher.

Sources Extra.ie, RTE, Irish Times

Fentanyl Made in the U.S.: How Clandestine Labs Operate Within the Country

2026-04-17T05:40:00.004-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

From the importation of chemical precursors to the procedures carried out in clandestine laboratories, fentanyl is also produced and distributed within the United States.

Two court records obtained by MILENIO reveal not only the long-standing existence of clandestine laboratories—where fentanyl is synthesized and pressed into pills—but also that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has chosen not to list them in its database of clandestine laboratories.

One such case occurred in Los Angeles, California, where a network of drug producers and traffickers was uncovered in late 2024 during an investigation that led to the discovery of three clandestine laboratories where fentanyl was being produced.

A woman, Suppatra Tansuvit, and two of her operatives—Eric Hanson and James Tinlsley—ran the operation, which was exposed when a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant tipped off authorities about the presence of drug labs in the city, an area currently grappling intensely with the fentanyl overdose crisis.

Unlike many other cases, this one was investigated directly by an agent from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)—Lyndon Versoza—a specialist in money laundering and smuggling.

“They rent properties in the names of their identity theft victims, using them as short-term residences and as locations to mix and sell fentanyl, as well as to manufacture counterfeit identity documents,” Versoza noted regarding the case, according to court records.

**Raids on U.S. Laboratories**

In 2024, agents from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) raided two of the network's fentanyl laboratories, where they discovered the materials and chemicals the criminal group used to manufacture the drug.

According to the CDC, as of 2023, California had by far the highest number of recorded fentanyl overdose deaths, with 7,203 cases, followed by New York, with 4,936. ...and Florida, with 4,593.

The first laboratory in Tansuvit’s network was raided on February 21, 2024, at 770 S. Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, specifically in Unit 7069 of the apartment complex.

Inside, authorities found seven kilograms of fentanyl, weapons, and fake identification documents, as well as laboratory equipment—such as metal presses and molds—and other drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin, MDMA, and psilocybin. There was also a kilogram of fentanyl that was being dried in a dehydrator machine.

The second laboratory was discovered after personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to a report of a fire at 2276 South Figueroa Avenue, a commercial rental building.

There, they found more than eight kilograms of fentanyl, along with equipment such as mixers, glass pipes, containers, mixing spoons, scales, chemical agents, presses, and a video surveillance system from which they obtained footage showing how the laboratory operated.

“The video continuously showed Tansuvit and Hanson mixing and selling drugs, sometimes while armed,” an investigator from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated in the case files. “In this video, I observed Tansuvit wearing latex gloves and a respirator mask. She was mixing powders—which appeared to be fentanyl and cutting agents—in mixing bowls and mixers.”

A third laboratory was brought to the attention of the Los Angeles Police Department by another informant; it was located at 8539 Lookout Mountain Avenue in Los Angeles. However, police were unable to reach the location before it was dismantled and the suspects fled. The site turned out to be an Airbnb rental.

Thanks to the video surveillance system in the second laboratory, authorities were able to confirm that it operated daily under the supervision of James Tinsley, who was also responsible for purchasing furniture and ventilation systems for the labs, as well as maintaining the financial ledgers.

The Tansuvit network, the postal inspector explains, was already on the radar of the Los Angeles police and the DEA itself. The 15 kilograms of fentanyl found in the first two laboratories are sufficient to cause fatal overdoses in at least 7.5 million people, according to estimates by the U.S. anti-narcotics brigade.

**Drop in Fentanyl Seizures at the U.S.-Mexico Border**

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2025 saw a decline in fentanyl seizures along the border with Mexico, dropping from 27,000 pounds in 2023 and 21,000 pounds in 2024 to 12,000 pounds in 2025, with the downward trend expected to continue into 2026.

Another case occurred in 2022 in Missoula, Montana—a riverside city near the U.S.-Canada border—where Andrew Kyle Whittecar, a U.S. citizen, was arrested while traveling to Wisconsin.

A highway patrol officer searched the vehicle in which Whittecar was traveling and discovered $3,000 in cash, cocaine, and more than 6,000 fentanyl pills, as well as a handgun and ammunition—findings subsequently confirmed by a laboratory analysis conducted by the DEA.

The second lab after a report.

The man stated that he was engaged in transporting fentanyl pills between various cities, prompting the initiation of an investigation against him. Security agents traveled to one of his properties in Stevensville, Ravalli County, where they located a clandestine fentanyl laboratory hidden within a storage unit.

There, they found pill presses, dyes, chemicals, and—according to U.S. prosecutors—"other substances indicative of the production of illicit pills." At that same location, they discovered 400 grams of fentanyl powder.

During a subsequent search, boxes containing laboratory equipment—such as glassware—were found, consistent with operations involving the mixing of chemicals for drug production.

"Two DEA forensic chemists examined the chemicals and equipment located in the storage units and concluded that they were sufficient to produce fentanyl," states the complaint filed against the man.

Furthermore, messages were found on his cell phones discussing the nature of laboratory production, such as "calculate production using the leftovers" or "make more drugs—between 80 and 100 grams per batch."

In its 2025 report on drug threats to the United States, the DEA acknowledged that fentanyl was becoming increasingly potent and dangerous—a result of experiments conducted by narcotics producers who were mixing the drug with other substances to increase its potency.

"DEA laboratories are reporting a downward trend in fentanyl purity. This should not be mistaken to mean that street-level fentanyl is any less dangerous," notes the anti-drug agency.

Moreover, the supply chains for the chemicals used in the manufacture of fentanyl are extensively documented. For example, on September 19, 2025, two executives from the Chinese pharmaceutical firm Amarvel Biotech—Qingzhou Wang and Yiyi Chen, both Chinese nationals—were sentenced on U.S. soil to 25 and 15 years in prison, respectively, for importing 200 kilograms of chemical precursors into the United States.

U.S. authorities, such as the DEA, identify Asian nations—specifically China and India—as the primary sources of supply for the production of fentanyl, a drug that is cheaper than cocaine and can be up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Source: Milenio

Your Loss of Blood Doesn't Look Promising

2026-04-17T04:31:00.000-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

The plan wasn’t to end up apprehended by the Chapiza mob. Much less to be seen all bloody inside a video looking defeated.

It could be said that this was the furthest thing on their minds. Despite all of the planning that went into ensuring that something like this didn’t take place.

Several members under the command of the Mayito Flaco/Cabrera mobs find themselves having to deal with the aftermath of what shouldn’t have happened.

A series of questions is asked by their captors. Whatever answers they give don’t really matter, though. Death is a guarantee once the interrogations are over.

Escuinapa, Sinaloa

Source: Anonymous

Rogelio Portillo Jaramillo, the Welfare Delegate in Huetamo, Is Wanted by the DEA

2026-04-17T03:40:00.003-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

Rogelio Portillo Jaramillo, the delegate in Huetamo, is wanted by the DEA for alleged conspiracy to distribute drugs.

The delegate for the Secretariat of Welfare in Huetamo, Rogelio Portillo Jaramillo—who appears on the list of individuals most wanted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—remains missing after his burnt-out pickup truck was discovered on April 2 in the municipality of Tiquicheo.

The vehicle was located on April 2 on the dirt road connecting the communities of El Palmar and El Algodón.

Police officers confirmed the presence of the wrecked vehicle and proceeded to cordon off the area.

Subsequently, the Michoacán State Attorney General's Office (FGE) was notified to initiate the corresponding investigative proceedings.

Investigative personnel collected forensic evidence to determine whether the pickup truck belongs to the official reported missing; the investigation seeks to establish a link between the discovery of the vehicle and the delegate's disappearance.

Portillo Jaramillo was last seen on March 28, 2026, at approximately 5:00 p.m. in the municipality of Huetamo.

After losing contact with him, his family filed a missing person report with the authorities, which led to the issuance of a search bulletin.

**Wanted by the DEA**

According to information released by the DEA, the official faces charges in the Southern District of Texas for conspiracy to distribute drugs.

DEA Indictment Against Rogelio Portillo Jaramillo

The U.S. agency lists him as facing a pending charge in a federal court in Houston, related to activities allegedly linked to a criminal organization reportedly led by his father, identified as Edilberto Jaramillo.

Reports from U.S. media outlets indicate that the DEA considers him "armed and dangerous."

As of April 20, it was reported that Portillo Jaramillo had been added to the list of individuals wanted by the anti-drug agency.

Also appearing on the same list are Marcelino Portillo Mendoza and Francisco Jaramillo Valdovinos, who are cited for alleged ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in the border region between Michoacán and Guerrero.

Tiquicheo, Michoacán

Source: Contra Muro

Sanctions Expose Ties Between Cartel del Noreste and Mexico’s Politicians

2026-04-15T16:30:00.003-06:00

By "Karamazov" for Borderland Beat

On April 14th, OFAC sanctioned three individuals and two casinos related to the Northeast Cartel (CDN) in an effort to diminish the power of this foreign terrorist organization following its formal designation in 2025.

Chart: Casinos Connected to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN). Source: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0440

Casino activities have been linked to money laundering, as they are considered high cash-use activities. Two of the three connected individuals, Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez (Penilla) and Jesús Reymundo Ramos Vázquez (Ramos), are not directly linked to criminal activity; they are accused of presenting a legal front to the cartel before the government and civil society.

The first, Penilla, is a lawyer close to major drug kingpins such as the Treviño brothers and Mayo Zambada, as well as the new political class of the MORENA party. In 2023, Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal and Senators from MORENA, Amalia García Medina and Juan Carlos Loera de la Rosa, awarded him several distinctions, making him appear as a model citizen in front of society and giving him legitimacy within the political class.

Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez (Penilla) and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. Image from when Sheinbaum was on the presidential campaign trail. Source: https://www.reforma.com/no-conozco-al-abogado-del-mayo-ni-hay-complicidad-csp/ar2959276

The second, Jesús Reymundo Ramos Vázquez, is a criminal rights defender who, since 2018, has been connected to the former Los Zetas and has received payments for denouncing officials for abuses and disappearances by SEMAR and SEDENA.

The third person accused by OFAC is the criminal leader Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez (Islas), a.k.a. “Crosty,” who, according to the accusation, is the regional leader responsible for human trafficking, drug transportation, and guarding all the stash houses in the Laredo region.

Amid the context in which the government denies the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED), which has declared that forced disappearances in Mexico are carried out in a systematic manner, the same officials who are supposed to work to end forced disappearances have direct connections at every level with different criminal organizations.

This connection must be known to the general public, as forced disappearances in Mexico continue, and the persons who are supposed to be working to uphold the law and protect human rights are enabling those responsible for forced disappearances.

The scale of terror would not be possible without the help or complicity of the government, as extermination camps have been operating while security forces refuse to apply the rule of law. That is why it is essential to remove from power all these corrupt political actors that make it possible for cartels to operate with complete impunity. Sources: OFAC, Reforma This article was written by Karamazov for Borderland Beat

A Glossary of Cartel Terms

2026-04-15T15:22:00.005-06:00

El Armadillo for Borderland Beat

This glossary is a starting point, a collection of terms, slang, and references commonly encountered in the coverage of Mexican organized crime. It is intended as a resource for anyone with an interest in this world, whether that means readers of Borderland Beat, researchers, journalists, or simply curious observers who may come across unfamiliar language in articles, cartel communications, narco-mantas, corridos, or social media posts tied to the criminal underworld.

Some are widely known, others are specific to certain organizations. It is also worth keeping in mind that a great deal of cartel slang is deeply regional in nature, meaning there are likely many terms common in certain states or cities that do not appear here at all, and that the same word can carry a slightly or completely different meaning depending on where you are.

This list is far from comprehensive. It does not attempt to catalog every cartel or criminal organization, as that is a separate project entirely, nor does it cover every significant location. Some groups are named here because their references appear frequently enough in open sources that leaving them out would create gaps for the reader. The list also does not include basic Spanish vocabulary where the meaning is obvious. A tonelada is a ton, an arsenal is an arsenal of weapons, and so on. The focus is on terms as they appear in cartel contexts, though not every word or phrase here is exclusive to the criminal world.

This is a living document that will be re-published as new terms emerge or as existing definitions benefit from additional detail. Readers are encouraged to leave comments with suggestions, corrections, or regional variations they think should be included. Your input is what makes a resource like this more useful over time.

Glossary

Alucin - Someone who falsely claims to be cartel-affiliated, typically adopting the dress, mannerisms, and speech of someone connected to organized crime without actually being so.

Ajuste de cuentas - Settling of scores.

Amparo - A legal injunction used in the Mexican criminal justice system, frequently invoked by defense attorneys to challenge or delay criminal proceedings, arrests, or detention orders.

Ametralladora or metralleta – A machine gun.

Antro – A nightclub, bar, or disco often with a seedy or disreputable character such as a low-end establishment frequented by criminals.

Apodo - Nickname or alias. Nearly all cartel members operate under an apodo rather than their real name, both for security and as a matter of culture within criminal organizations.

Armero - An arms trafficker or dealer.

Artillado - To be heavily armed or, a vehicle equipped with a mounted weapon.

Bandera - Literally "flag." Refers to the cartel affiliation a member represents and the territory they control in its name. Defending one's bandera means holding territory; allowing it to fall means ceding ground to a rival.

Belico - Bellicose, warlike, aggressive. Used to describe an individual or attitude that takes pride in violence and shows no fear in combat.

Billetes – Literally "bills." Money, cash.

Blindadas - Armored vehicles used by cartels, either manufactured or state forces.

Boludo - Helicopters, especially those operated by state forces.

Cachas - Handgun grips, often ornately detailed in silver or gold and stylized with nicknames, cartel symbols, saints, or other personalized imagery.

Cafetera - Literally "coffee maker." A term used to describe Cartel Arellano Felix (CAF), often associated with a mischievous coffee pot symbol. Numerous cells in Tijuana claim CAF affiliation even without direct ties to the Arellano Felix family.

Calentar la Plaza - Literally "to heat up the plaza." To draw unwanted attention to a cartel's territory through excessive or indiscriminate violence, public displays of brutality, or reckless behavior that provokes law enforcement or military intervention In contested areas, a rival group may deliberately heat the plaza as a false flag tactic, committing acts of violence designed to provoke a government crackdown on the controlling cartel rather than on themselves.

Camisa / Camiseta - Literally "shirt" or "jersey." Refers to one's cartel affiliation, framed as a team one wears proudly. Saying someone "wears their camiseta" means they are loyal and committed to their organization.

Cantar – Literally "to sing." To snitch or give information to authorities.

Caravana / Comboy - A convoy of cartel gunmen vehicles traveling together for patrol, transport, or to locate and engage rivals.

Carne de Canon - Literally "cannon fodder." A derogatory term for low-level rival gunmen considered expendable by their own leadership, soldiers sent into dangerous situations with little chance of survival.

Cartucho - A round of ammunition.

Chaleco / Chaleco Antibalas – A vest; in cartel context typically a ballistic or bulletproof vest. Chaleco antibalas is the explicit term for bulletproof vest.

Chicoteado - To move at high speed; to "haul ass." Can be used literally, such as driving fast, or more broadly to mean moving or advancing quickly.

Cincuentas - .50 caliber weapons.

Clave – A code or nickname.

Clavo – A hidden stash of drugs, money, weapons, or other contraband.

Clonada – Cloned; refers to uniforms, vehicles, or markings copied from law enforcement or military units to disguise cartel members as police or soldiers.

Cobro / Derecho de Piso - Extortion fees or "plaza taxes" that cartels charge businesses, vendors, and individuals operating within territory they control.

Collares / Mano de Orula / Elegua / Santo - Terms and ritual objects associated with Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religious tradition increasingly practiced by criminals and civilians alike across Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. Collares are the beaded necklaces worn by initiates; Elegua is a prominent orisha (deity); Mano de Orula is a protective bracelet received during initiation. Santo is Saint.

Cortas / Largas - Literally "short and long." Refers to small arms (handguns) and long arms (rifles).

Costales - Literally "sacks." Packages of drugs prepared for transport or delivery.

Cuatro Letras - Literally "four letters." A reference to CJNG (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion), notable for its four-letter acronym, a departure from the three-letter initials that have historically characterized most major Mexican cartels (e.g., CDG, CDS, CAF).

Cuerno de Chivo - Literally "goat horn," referring to the curved magazine of the AK-47. Used broadly to refer to AK-pattern rifles and sometimes rifles in general.

Cuete - A handgun.

El Salado - A rancheria in Sinaloa associated with the faction of Ismael "Mayo" Zambada.

Empotrada - Literally "embedded" or "mounted." A vehicle with a weapon fixed or mounted onto it, often referring to trucks with heavy weapons such as machine guns or .50 caliber

Escoltado / Escolta – A bodyguard or security escort; can refer to individuals on foot or traveling in vehicles.

Escuadra – Slang for a pistol.

Escuadra Fajada - To carry a handgun tucked into the waistband.

Feria - Literally "fair." Money, especially cash.

Flaca / Flakita - Affectionate nicknames, "skinny girl" for Santa Muerte (Holy Death), a folk saint widely venerated by criminals and the marginalized in Mexico and the United States.

Flete - Literally "freight." A delivery or shipment of drugs.

Fuerzas Especiales Unión / FEU – A alliance between CJNG and Los Chapitos formed against La Mayiza in the Sinaloa Cartel civil war. Their logo, notably AI-generated, depicts a chicken and a pizza — the chicken referencing former CJNG leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Señor de los Gallos, and the pizza referencing La Chapiza.

Gabacho / Los Gabachos - Slang for Americans or the United States and its government. Can carry a derogatory tone depending on context, though it is also used neutrally.

Guacho / Wacho - Slang for a member of the Mexican armed forces. Often used with a dismissive or hostile connotation.

Guasave - A city in northern Sinaloa serving as the base of operations for the Beltran Leyva Organization, also referred to as Cartel del Guasave.

La Capi / Capital - "The capital." Most commonly refers to Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa and historic base of the Sinaloa Cartel. Other states may use the term for their own capital. Mexico City may also be referenced this way in some contexts.

Los Chapitos / Los Menores / La Chapiza / La CH - The Sinaloa Cartel faction loyal to the sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, primarily Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and Jesus Alfredo Guzman. Rather than a single monolithic group it is a network of factions, cells, and allied families operating under the Guzman brothers' umbrella.

La Empresa - Literally "the business" or "the company." A neutral term used by various cartels to refer to their own organization.

La Frontera Chica - Literally "the small border." A subregion of Tamaulipas along the Rio Grande comprising smaller border towns such as Ciudad Mier, Ciudad Guerrero, and Miguel Aleman, historically contested by cartels.

La Mafia - An older, broadly used term for the criminal underworld of Mexico and organized crime generally.

La Mayiza / Los Mayos / Empresa MF - The Sinaloa Cartel faction loyal to the Zambada family, named for Ismael "Mayo" Zambada. A network of cells, allied families, and regional factions operating under the Zambada umbrella. Following Mayo Zambada's capture in 2024, leadership has fallen primarily to his son Ismael "Mayito Flaco" Zambada Imperial.

La Palma - A rural area in Sinaloa, land of origin of the Beltran Leyva family.

La Tuna - A rancheria in Sinaloa, land of origin of the Guzman-Loera family.

Lanzapapa - Literally "potato launcher." Refers to grenade launchers.

Levanton - A forced abduction.

Limpieza - Literally "cleaning." The killing or expulsion of a rival group from a given territory.

La Maña - A local term in Tamaulipas for cartels and organized crime. Used more broadly across Mexico to refer to organized crime generally.

Monstruo - Literally "monster." A heavily modified vehicle, typically a truck or large SUV, reinforced with improvised armor plating and often equipped with mounted weapons. Monstruos are larger and more extreme than standard blindadas.

Mordida - Literally "the bite." Bribes paid to police, government officials, or military personnel.

NAME-iza suffix (Chapiza, Mayiza, Menchiza) - A naming convention appending "-iza" to a leader's name to denote their faction or loyalists. Chapiza refers to those loyal to Los Chapitos; Mayiza to those loyal to Mayito Flaco; Menchiza (less common) to those loyal to El Mencho of CJNG.

Narcomanta / Narcomensaje – Public communications from a cartel. A narcomanta is typically a physical banner hung in a visible location, while a narcomensaje is a written message, often left at a crime scene or accompanying a body. Both are used to send warnings, make threats, or claim responsibility for acts of violence.

Narcofosas - Clandestine graves used by cartels to dispose of victims' bodies, often found in rural areas or remote terrain.

Narcos – Can refer to individuals involved in the drug trade or to anti-narcotics law enforcement.

Nectar Lima - Code name for Nuevo Laredo, part of a broader system of Tamaulipas-specific code words and slang terms for locations.

Pasamontaña - A balaclava or ski mask.

Parque - Literally "park." Ammunition.

Pechera / Empecherado – A ballistic or bulletproof vest; can also refer to a tactical chest rig or plate carrier, often worn with cartel-branded patches. Empecherado describes someone geared up in one.

Perico – Literally "Parrot." Slang for cocaine.

Pistolero – A gunman or armed enforcer.

Pitazo - A tip-off or warning passed to cartel members about incoming law enforcement operations, military movements, or rival activity.

Plebes / Plebada - Young, lower-ranking cartel members or foot soldiers. Can simply mean "the guys" or "the crew," Sinaloan origin.

Punteros - Lookouts or scouts stationed at strategic points to monitor and report on the movements of law enforcement, military, or rival groups.

Rafagazo - A burst of gunfire.

Rifle Terciado - To have a rifle slung across the body, conveying a state of readiness and willingness to engage at any moment.

San Judas Tadeo / Juditas - Saint Jude Thaddeus, patron saint of lost causes, widely venerated by criminals in Mexico. Statues displayed in cartel contexts often show his staff held in the left hand rather than the right, a deliberate inversion signaling criminal association.

Scar / Escar / Eskar - The FN SCAR, a Belgian-made rifle increasingly documented in cartel arsenals.

Sicario – A hitman or gunman.

Soplon / Dedo - An informant or snitch. Soplon means "one who blows" (the whistle); dedo means "finger" (one who points). Being identified as either is often a death sentence within cartel culture.

Tablon / Tabla / Tabliza - A wooden plank used as an instrument of corporal punishment, both to discipline low-ranking members within a cartel's own ranks and to punish civilians who violate the organization's rules in areas under its control.

Terrenos - Literally "lands." Territory controlled by a cartel.

Topón - A direct confrontation or gunfight between rival cartels or between a cartel and state security forces, implying a significant engagement rather than a minor skirmish.

Tostón - A .50 caliber round or, more broadly, a reference to heavy-caliber weaponry.

Tres Eslabones - Literally "three links." like the links of a chain. The alliance of El Musico, El Sagitario, and El Chapo Isidro, who lead the remnants of the Beltran Leyva Cartel.

Tregua - A truce or non-aggression pact between organizations or factions.

Trocas - Literally "trucks." In cartel context, can refer not just to the vehicle but to a truck carrying armed gunmen.

Tropa del Infierno – Literally "Troop from Hell." The armed wing of the Cártel del Noreste (CDN), itself a splinter of Los Zetas. Based primarily in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

Tusi – A synthetic drug cocktail, typically pink-dyed powder, containing a mix of substances most commonly ketamine and MDMA, despite the name it rarely contains actual cocaine. Originated in Colombia and increasingly trafficked by Mexican cartels.

Ultima Letra - Literally "the last letter." A reference to Z, the final letter of the alphabet, reference to Los Zetas.

Un Cuatro - A trap or set-up.

Un Super – A Colt chambered in .38 Super caliber, highly popular in Mexico.

Vieja Escuela - Literally "old school." Can refer specifically to Los Zetas Vieja Escuela, a splinter faction of the original Zetas cartel, or more broadly to an older, supposedly more honorable way of conducting cartel business, often invoked to contrast with the perceived brutality and disorder of newer generations of criminals.

Beltrán Leyva Operator Behind 2017 Bar Murder Killed Days After Prison Release

2026-04-14T09:09:00.006-06:00

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Óscar Antonio Gómez Sierra, alias ‘El Negro’, a Beltrán Leyva Organization (BLO) operative jailed in 2017 for the murder of a law student in a bar altercation, was killed at a carwash in Morelos two days after being released from prison.

El Negro was shot and killed by gunmen outside a carwash in Tetela del Monte, Cuernavaca on 10 April, days after his release from prison. It is unknown who ordered the killing, but the assassination after a nearly 9-year sentence shows the coordination of his attackers, likely only possible through a major criminal group.

In 2017, El Negro made national headlines and was the target of a major manhunt after he killed 23-year old Alfredo Israel Hernández, a law student who tried to stop El Negro from attacking a woman in the Attico bar in Cuernavaca, Morelos. CCTV footage from the bar showed that El Negro pulled out a pistol, fatally shooting Hernández before fleeing the scene with the help of bar Attico’s security. Bar Attico was later shut down by the state. Locals created a Change.org petition denouncing El Negro, and alleging that Attico was a known drug distribution site controlled by the BLO, along with several other Cuernavaca bars.

After the killing, El Negro fled Morelos state, stopping in Guanajuato, before being arrested in November 2017 in San José del Cabo. He was imprisoned at the Atlacholoaya de Morelos prison until his release last week.

El Negro arrested in 2017.

In the 2010s, El Negro was wanted by Interpol for drug trafficking and distribution. He worked for Abel Maya Bandera, a BLO officer, in the states of Mexico and Morelos. El Negro was a fixture in Cuernavaca’s bar scene, known to be connected to several drug dealers on the state’s radar.
He was the son of Leticia Sierra Camacho, who was arrested in 2015 for drug trafficking.

Sources: Zeta Tijuana 2017, Change.org 2017, La Union 2018, El Universal 2017, @linea_caliente_

The Tepalcatepec Cartel is Recruiting Foreigners to Operate Drones in Michoacán

2026-04-14T09:02:00.003-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

We begin in Michoacán. There, the Tepalcatepec Cartel hires foreigners to carry out surveillance duties on airstrips used for drug trafficking. *Milenio* was able to speak with a Colombian national who claimed to have been brought to our country to operate on behalf of Juan José Farías—known as "El Abuelo" (The Grandfather)—the leader of *Cárteles Unidos* (United Cartels).

In Mexico, organized crime continues to recruit foreigners—mostly Colombians with experience in security operations. This is the case in Michoacán, where *Milenio* interviewed a man who was hired by the Tepalcatepec Cartel to ostensibly provide protection for municipal government officials.

"Well, I was initially contacted by someone named 'La Roca'—'The Rock'—who serves as the 'war commander' for all the Colombians, you know? He oversees the entire military wing—or, let's say, the military side of the organization here. Operating outside the law,

I was contacted by a person who said they needed personnel to protect government figures—people who possessed the necessary physical capabilities and military training. I was recruited by the Tepalcatepec Cartel. That was the specific role for which I arrived here in Mexico."

Upon landing in Michoacán, his passport was confiscated, and he was informed that he would not be protecting any government officials; instead, he would be serving the interests of Juan José Farías Álvarez—"El Abuelo"—the leader of *Cárteles Unidos*, for whom the United States is offering a reward of $40,000.

"Yes, I spent two months protecting airstrips—providing security for the runways using drones. Honestly, we didn't really discuss exactly what was coming in or going out, but, well, it’s no secret to anyone: it’s a cartel—they deal in drugs, weapons, extortion... yes, that sort of thing. But we didn't have authorization to get too close to the actual operations."

However, he never saw a single peso of the 40,000 pesos per month he had been promised. The clashes with rival groups—combined with the lack of payment—ultimately led him to desert, along with several of his companions.

At this moment, I know of three people who escaped alongside me—though others had already deserted before us. Many had already deserted because, relatively speaking—as I mentioned earlier—it is a complex and difficult transition to go from working for the State to working for organized crime, for an entity operating outside the law. Consequently, many people have deserted—and, truth be told, the pay simply stopped coming.

Now, without money or a passport, he wanders through the Tierra Caliente region, surviving on charity. Due to his criminal record, he is unwilling to approach the authorities to ask for help or to request repatriation to his home country. There are three of us here in Apatzingán looking for work; however, because of our accents and our nationality, people look down on us.

It is incredibly difficult; we have even been forced to beg for food on the streets. The recruitment of foreign military personnel by drug cartels isn’t a recent phenomenon in Michoacán.

From 2025 to the present, the Michoacán Secretariat of Public Security has detained 78 South Americans—34 of whom were Colombians who were either training criminals in the use of explosives or had been enlisted into the cartels' ranks under false promises of legitimate employment.

Source: Milenio

New Discovery At Rancho Izaguirre In Jalisco; A Mass Grave Containing More Remains Has Been Found

2026-04-14T07:22:00.008-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

The Izaguirre Ranch in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, continues to yield evidence of horror. Advocacy collectives witnessed the findings uncovered by forensic experts from the Attorney General's Office, who discovered human remains—including those that may belong to minors.

The "searching mothers" entered the Izaguirre Ranch once again and discovered a new mass grave containing many, many human remains. It was a discovery even larger than the one made last year, when the initial reports were filed.

The *Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco* (Warrior Seekers of Jalisco) collective and other organizations dedicated to finding missing persons reported that they opened a septic tank located approximately 80 centimeters below the surface.

There, they found the first clues: calcined bone fragments, dental remains, and even more clothing items—as well as paper wrappers that had been partially consumed but provided dates predating 2015. Ultimately, everything they had previously alleged is now being substantiated by the evidence.

To date, nearly 100 unique DNA samples have been obtained from clothing items recovered at the Izaguirre Ranch, a property that was operated by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

There is now a possibility that, as families reflect on their missing loved ones, those who recognize a specific article of clothing may be able to request a direct forensic comparison.

The collectives asserted that there are still areas within the ranch grounds that require intervention—specifically spots where additional human remains may lie buried at depths of two to three meters—and they are therefore requesting the deployment of backhoes and heavy machinery.

Since the searching collectives first discovered the ranch on March 5 of last year, 47 individuals have been arrested, and 70 young victims of forced recruitment have been liberated from other properties linked to this same case.

However, what the public often fails to realize is that the term "forced recruitment" encompasses a host of other crimes: it involves human trafficking, unlawful deprivation of liberty, excessive and exploitative labor hours, and—crucially—homicides, as the victims were coerced into committing acts they didn’t wish to perform.

Indira Navarro told us that the government made them sign a confidentiality agreement. In other words, they’re not permitted to disclose absolutely anything—not a single detail—regarding what has been found so far, so as not to compromise the ongoing investigations.

Today, the Attorney General's Office reported that the evidence found at the ranch remains under forensic analysis, and insisted on referring to the site as a training camp.

Teuchitlán, Jalisco

Source: Imagen Noticias

Children and Hitmen: Organized Crime Now Recruits Youths as Young as 13, Oaxaca Prosecutor's Office Confirms

2026-04-13T18:27:00.003-06:00

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

The Oaxaca State Prosecutor confirmed the arrests of youths—some as young as 13—involved in murders and extortion, all of whom were recruited en masse by organized crime cells.

Organized crime in Oaxaca has succeeded in recruiting children and youths to carry out murders and extortion. This was confirmed by the General Justice Prosecutor's Office (FGJ), which further indicated that these minors are being enlisted in activities such as acting as lookouts.

The General Justice Prosecutor, Bernardo Rodríguez Alamilla, stated that four criminal groups are implicated in these activities.

This recruitment stems from the dismantling of the criminal cell led by "Comandante Cromo," who is linked to numerous executions, acts of extortion, and the kidnapping of business owners and migrants, as well as control over street-level drug dealing in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region.

"These groups have expanded their recruitment bases and are now incorporating children and youths; those who were detained—identified and taken into custody—were involved in an attack on a family in which a father was murdered alongside his wife and children in the La Ventosa area," stated Rodríguez Alamilla.

Youths as young as 13 have been detained in Oaxaca due to criminal ties: Prosecutor

The prosecutor described the situation unfolding in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as "grave" for several reasons. One of these is the high level of violence and insecurity resulting from the breakdown and deterioration of the social fabric.

"This is reflected in the fact that the majority of the individuals we are detaining in Juchitán de Zaragoza are youths between 18 and 19 years of age—and even as young as 15, 14, and 13," he asserted.

Furthermore, the prosecutor indicated that the detention of minors colluding with organized crime points to a process of social erosion—one that cannot be resolved solely through police operations and arrests, but rather requires a massive institutional effort to mend the social fabric, as the ultimate goal is to restore governability and social peace.

Most of these young people have been detained in the Juchitán de Zaragoza area, where the oldest are up to 19 years old.

Bernardo Rodríguez noted that security forces have fulfilled their mandate by conducting more forceful and surgical operations, as these have led to the capture of more than 200 members of these criminal cells.

La Ventosa, Oaxaca

Source: Telediario