Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
.

Friday, April 25, 2025

Drone Footage Shows Assassination of Baja California Sur Narcotics Investigator, Former Governor Cota Montaño's Nephew

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat


Commander Ulises Omar Cota Montaño, of the State Criminal Investigation Agency (AMIC) of the Attorney General's Office of the State of Baja California Sur, was shot dead on Tuesday afternoon in the city of La Paz.

The officer belonged to the Criminal Investigation Agency of the PGJE (General Directorate of Justice of the State of Buenos Aires) and was the nephew of former Governor Leonel Cota Montaño.

Michoacan-Jalisco-Guanajuato Dozens Of Roadblocks With Semi-Trailers Set On Fire By "CJNG" Cartel. Mexican Government Downplays Violents Events On April 23, 2025

"Char" 
APRIL 24, 2025 





VIDEO TRANSLATION 


Saucedo is an expert on security issues, national security too, of course, David. 

Thank you very much. Thank you for your patience in allowing me to come on air. Nice to meet you. How are you, Pepe? Nice to meet you. To the audience, at your service. Thank you very much. The concern is everyone's. What's happening in Michoacán, Tierra Caliente, Limoneros, and its surrounding areas, part of the state of Jalisco and part of the state of Guanajuato? 

The brutal violence that erupted yesterday is attributed to the actions of the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel. However, on the other hand, there is talk that in Guanajuato, the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel no longer has the presence it had three years ago. You will remember that there were countless Oxo convenience stores being burned, vehicle fires. The same thing. What's happening in that area? Why did the violence erupt yesterday suddenly, uh, the way we already described it? David Saucedo.


 Today, Omar García Harfush gave a somewhat implausible explanation at the morning press conference. He said that two drug trafficking groups clashed in these three states and that this was what caused a series of narco-blockades, which were broadcast on social media. The population in these three states was on the lookout, expectant, with a dose of panic, because they couldn't move, they couldn't leave, from various towns and cities where these narco-blockades took place. 

However, in this region, there are no two groups. There are at least eight groups. In the case of Jalisco, the Jalisco cartel is disputing control of the state with the Nueva Plaza cartel and the Jalisco cartel. In Sinaloa, in the north of the state, with the Nueva Plaza cartel in the metropolitan area of ​​Guadalajara, in the area of ​​Penjamo and Abazasolo, where There were six narco-blockades in the state of Guanajuato. 

The Jalisco cartel is also disputing control of criminal activity with the Sinaloa cartel and the local mafia, the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel. In the case of Michoacán, in the northern part of the state of Michoacán, where these narco-blockades occurred, there is a dispute between a coalition of drug-trafficking mafias in Michoacán, led by the Cartels United by the Michoacán family, the Knights Templar, Los Viagras, against the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel. 

So, there are not two groups in this area. There are at least eight of the ones I just mentioned. On the other hand, organized crime and drug traffickers do not attack each other with narco-blockades. They use other types of tactics and strategies. Normally, narco-blockades are used by of criminal groups to stop the deployment of federal forces, state forces that are trying to carry out a seizure or capture a high-profile drug trafficker. Then it seems a little hard to believe this off-the-record version from the federal government. The story was circulating yesterday, and still is today, that the federal government tried to capture a top commander of the Jalisco cartel. A failed capture operation unleashed this hell in several municipalities and cities in these three states. And in the face of shame, the federal government couldn't, had no choice but to blame this situation that developed in these three states on a confrontation between organized crime groups.


Failed operation, probably a failed operation. Federal forces were unable to capture the target they had planned and calculated, and they are justifying this blunder by blaming organized crime groups for this incident. They were indeed the ones who carried out these narco-blockades. However, in the face of an attempt to capture one of their leaders, it was even mentioned in the name of one of them. The commander of this region is Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, one of the commanders of the Jalisco Cartel, who is second in command of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. They are not directly involved in the objective of El Mencho. 

We don't have any data to support this. The last time they tried to capture El Mencho, there were even narco-blockades in more states, I think. If I'm not mistaken, there were six, and they used their entire arsenal, they took it out of their warehouses. The surface-to-air missiles they had and shot down, you will remember, a Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the then federal police. Had they attempted to capture Mecho, I think the situation would have been even more complicated yesterday. The situation of the governors in all this. Why so much silence? It seems to me that they allowed the federal government to provide information about these operations. The federal government took a long time, only until yesterday, sorry, until this morning. We had a final version from the federal government. The governors only mentioned that they were putting out the fires, clearing the roads, removing the vehicles that had been stolen and burned. More from the civil protection perspective, they had finally allowed free traffic on the roads that had been blocked, and the federal government took it upon itself to provide information about what caused it. 

This situation was caused by the Michoacán government, which, I believe, without the federal government's agreement, advanced a hypothesis that there had been an operation in Apatingán and that this had caused this confrontation. Later, the federal government corrected it today in the morning press conference, saying that it was more the responsibility of organized crime groups. Well, we thank you very much, David Saucedo, for putting your finger on the sore spot to understand what is happening, especially in light of those who listen to us there, of all the people there who want to know the truth beyond the official discourse. 

Thank you, Pepe, I send you a big hug. Also, a very big hug for you, David. Saucedo, specialist consultant on security issues. A very, very brief break. We'll be back.


Thursday, April 24, 2025

María del Carmen member of, 'Guerreros Buscadores De Jalisco', and her son Jaime Daniel Ramírez were murdered In Tlajomulco, Jalisco

 "Char"

April 24, 2025



Román Ortega

A member of the Guerreros Buscadores collective of Jalisco and her 26-year-old son were murdered Wednesday night in the park of the Las Villas subdivision, in the municipality of Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

The two were María del Carmen Morales and her son, Jaime Daniel Ramírez Morales, who were searching for Ernesto Julián Ramírez Morales, María del Carmen's son and Jaime Daniel's brother, who had been missing since February 27, 2024.

The double homicide occurred around 11:00 p.m. in a park located at 32 Villa Sur Street, at the intersection with Villa Sur Street, in the aforementioned housing development.

Witnesses said the attackers, dressed in black, arrived on two high-powered motorcycles, fired directly at their victims who were in the grassy areas of the housing development, and immediately fled.

In a statement, the Guerreros Buscadores collective of Jalisco mourned the murder of their partner María del Carmen and her son Jaime Daniel. They also demanded justice so that those responsible be arrested and punished.

“Today, unfortunately, our collective has suffered a devastating blow. We demand an immediate and thorough investigation into the events to clarify those responsible for this double homicide. Justice for María del Carmen and her son Jaime Daniel, as well as for Ernesto Julián, whose case remains unsolved.”


Photo / Courtesy
In the same statement, he called on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to pressure state authorities to take the necessary measures to eradicate violence in the state.

“We ask the President to put pressure on the state of Jalisco to take concrete measures to prevent violence and guarantee justice for the victims and their families.”


✝️

SOURCE: EL OCCIDENTAL, EL PAÍS

RICO Charges Filed Against Dozens of Tren de Aragua and Anti-Tren Gang Members

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat


Two superseding indictments were unsealed charging 27 individuals currently or formerly associated with the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses. The first superseding indictment (the “TdA Indictment”) charges six alleged members of TdA. 

The second superseding indictment (the “Anti-Tren Indictment”) charges 19 alleged members of “Anti-Tren,” a splinter faction comprised of former TdA members, along with two additional associates of Anti-Tren. 

Of the 27 defendants, 21 are in federal custody, including 16 who were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five who were arrested last night and today in operations in New York and other jurisdictions.

“As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Walgreens Reaches Settlement with DOJ, Agrees to Pay $350 Million for its Part in the Opioid Crisis

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat


The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA).

The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032. That would include a potential buyout worth nearly $10 billion by the private equity firm Sycamore Partners that Walgreens announced in early March.

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Los Chapitos Cartel Captured And Interrogated A La Mayiza or MF Member. The Captive Confirms MF Leaders Are Behind The Attack Of The Municipal Police Booth; One officer reported dead In Los Huizaches Sector Culiacan, Sinaloa.

 "Char" 

April 19, 2025 



In the early hours of Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the municipal police booth located in the Los Huizaches neighborhood in Culiacan, Sinaloa, was viciously attacked by gunfire. Hundreds of bullet casings were found at the police booth. As a result of the attack, a municipal police officer who was clocking out from work was killed when he was hit by bullets. 

In the current Sinaloa Civil War between La Mayiza/MF versus Los Chapitos/La Chapiza, both criminal groups have ruthlessly attacked police authorities that are not align with their criminal organization. 


VIDEO TRANSLATION
BY: SOL PRENDIDO

Sicario: Why do we have you here?

Captive: Because I belong to the Mayito Flaco mob. 

Sicario: What were you doing for them?

Sicario: I was transporting people, food, and gasoline across Federal Highway 15D near Tamazula. The security checkpoint in Tamazula is in their pockets and they wouldn’t allow us passage. 

Sicario: What all did you hear when you worked alongside the MF crew?


Captive: I heard about the attack that took place at the police substation in Los Huizaches. That attack was carried out by Carlos Alberto Páez Pereda, aka Carlitos Rugrats and Ramiro Félix Heras, aka El Güero Reyna. The purpose behind this was to draw law enforcement attention to the area. So, that operatives from the Chapiza mob could be apprehended whenever they were out in search of the MF crew. 


Sicario: What are your colleagues saying?


Captive: We were told that by implementing this strategy we would come out triumphant on this matter. The area would have the necessary law enforcement presence against the Chapos mob. That in turn would get them easily arrested and tortured afterwards. 



BY: CHAR

CARLITOS RUGRATS & EL GUERO REYNA/ F1

CARLOS ALBERTO PAEZ PEREDA
CARLITOS RUGRATS 

Carlitos Rugrats is a lieutenant of Ismael Zambada Sicairos, 'Mayito Flaco" and important to point out that Carlitos Rugrats has an armed wing aligned with La Mayiza or MF called 'Los Rugrats' with their base of operations in Laguna Colorada, south of Culiacan, Sinaloa. 



Photo posted on Instagram of Ramiro Félix Heras, "El Güero Reyna" and/or "F1," friend and compadre of Ismael Zambada Sicairos, "Mayito Flaco," leader of La Mayiza or Los MF.

El Güero Reyna, or F1, has his base of operations in Bacata and has a presence in Los Vasitos, Las Tapias, and Cosalá, in Sinaloa. El Güero Reyna is key to methamphetamine production. El Güero Reyna is considered a key lieutenant of the Mayo Zambada criminal organization.








Intelligence Reports Claim Mexican Cartels Plotted Assassination of Ecuador’s President Noboa

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat


Ecuador has declared a state of “maximum alert” over an assassination plot against President Daniel Noboa.

In a statement entitled “The revenge of the bad losers” issued early on Saturday, the Ministry of Government said “all security protocols have been activated” due to the threat emanating from “criminal organizations, in collusion with political groups defeated at the polls”.

Noboa was re-elected earlier this month, promising to continue a crackdown on rampant cartel violence that plagues Ecuador. 

His opponent, Luisa Gonzalez, has continued to insist that the vote was fraudulent.

Friday, April 18, 2025

La Chapiza Cartel Sends Brutal Message In Good Friday To Los Cabrera/MF In El Rosario , Sinaloa, Two Bodies Dismembered And Narco Banner Found.

 "Char" 

April 18, 2025 


The Sinaloa Civil War between La Mayiza/MF and Los Chapitos/La Chapiza continues, and a peace treaty at the moment does not seem possible. 

The morning of this Good Friday, April 18, 2025, various reputable Sinaloa news sites, including "NOROESTE," reported the finding of two dismembered bodies, a man and a woman along with a narco banner found in El Rosario, Sinaloa, which is about forty-five miles away from the port of Mazatlan, Sinaloa. 

The narco banner found next to the dismembered bodies made threats against the Los Cabrera and MF criminal groups. 


WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE AND VIDEO!


BANNER TRANSLATION

THAT IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ANYONE WHO IS SUPPORTING AND STILL BELIEVES THAT SINALOA IS CONTROLLED BY LOS MAYOS, COME FOR YOUR TRASH, CABRERA, AND MF


 

California Fugitive Killer Cesar Hernandez Caught in Tijuana

 "Socalj" & "Char" for Borderland Beat

A multi-agency manhunt led to the arrest Thursday night of an escaped California inmate wanted in the killing of the Tijuana chief of a state police unit that searches for foreign fugitives in Mexico, Baja California prosecutors said.

César Moisés Hernández, 35, who had been on the run since December when he first escaped from correctional custody in Central California, was located Thursday by Mexican law enforcement in the Lomas de Matamoros neighborhood in eastern Tijuana. Further details about the arrest were not immediately available.

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Opinion: Cartel Clickbait

El Armadillo for Borderland Beat

I’ve been studying Mexican drug cartels since 2018, and one of the most persistent issues I’ve seen is the overwhelming amount of misinformation and disinformation that spreads whenever cartels enter the mainstream spotlight. The result is a distorted, often cartoonish understanding of how these organizations actually operate.

A perfect example is a YouTube Short posted by Barstool Chicago—a branch of the Barstool Sports media brand—that has racked up over 9 million views, 300,000 likes, and 19,000 comments. The title? "The Sinaloa Cartel has an army of 100,000 soldiers." The video opens with a shot of the infamous CJNG convoy video, because obviously, and goes on to use Ovidio Guzmán’s release during the first Culiacanazo as its main reference point.

To anyone familiar with the Mexican drug war, the title alone is enough to make you groan.

"The" "Sinaloa Cartel" has an "army" of 100,000 "soldiers." 

Every part of that sentence deserves scrutiny.

What Sinaloa Cartel? Certainly they mean the federation, but which faction—Los Chapitos? Los Mayos? Or are they citing some outdated figure from when Chapo, Mayo, and the Beltrán Leyva brothers were still united? Well in the context of Culiacanazo, they must mean Los Chapitos.

But "army"? Are we talking about professionally trained, full-time combatants? 100,000 of them? The Chapitos have an army bigger than Canada's?

I know it may sound pretentious and pedantic, but it’s deserved. It’s not just a YouTube short, this is the kind of content that shapes public perception. And when the narratives are this lazy, the consequences go beyond misinformation. They distort the way people understand a conflict that has already been flattened by years of oversimplification.

Wikipedia cites the same 100,000 figure on its page about the Mexican Drug War—but they attribute it to the combined strength of all cartels in Mexico.

The America First Policy Institute, a think tank stacked with former Trump officials, many of whom are now back in the White House, also uses this number in their 2023 “An America First Approach to Defeat the Cartels.” It’s a policy doc that proposes using severe tariffs as leverage against Mexico, among other things. They claim the Sinaloa Cartel has 100,000 members

So where is everyone getting this 100,000 figure from?

The 100,000 figure comes from a single anonymous U.S. defense official quoted in The Washington Times, with no report, methodology, or breakdown to back it up. It’s a headline-ready soundbite, not a serious estimate.

What does “foot soldier” even mean in this context? Are we talking about Sicarios? Lookouts? Bodyguards? Just throwing out a round number like that without explaining who counts is deliberately vague and deliberately dramatic.

It also came out in 2009, at the peak of Calderón’s militarized drug war and during a time when the U.S. and Mexico were ramping up cooperation under the Mérida Initiative. Framing cartels as narco-armies with tens of thousands of troops helped justify foreign aid, militarization, and policy decisions. That context matters.

And even if we entertain the number, modern research doesn’t support it. A 2023 peer-reviewed study by Prieto-Curiel et al. estimates that all cartels combined across Mexico have between 160,000 and 185,000 members—including everyone from shooters to accountants. If Sinaloa and the Zetas alone had 100,000 in 2009, you’d expect cartel ranks to be well into the hundreds of thousands today. They’re not.

In 2023, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram testified that the agency estimates the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have over 45,000 members, associates, facilitators, and brokers operating across roughly 100 countries. Again, that number includes far more than just “soldiers". Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador pushed back on the claim. 

During the 2019 Culiacanazo, Government estimates put the number of armed men deployed by the Chapitos in Culiacán at 700–800. This was in Sinaloa’s capital city, the organization’s heartland.

In February 2024, Nick Sortor, a popular right-wing influencer with 900,000+ followers on X, tweeted (then deleted):

“BREAKING: The Mexican Senate has just APPROVED the entry of U.S. special forces to take on the cartels. FINALLY! Trump has designated the cartels as ‘foreign terrorist organizations’ and they’re about to PAY for the American lives they’ve taken.”

That tweet racked up views fast. Then Elon Musk quote-tweeted it, adding: LFG 🔥🔥.”

Except it was completely false.

Journalist Ioan Grillo stepped in with a correction:

Elon bro — this tweet is bullshit. The Mexican Senate totally did not approve for U.S. special forces to come into Mexico and fight cartels. They allowed them to train Mexican soldiers, which they have been doing for years. Anybody who knows anything about this knows it's BS.”

The original tweet was fact checked by X's community note feature. Sortor deleted it. But Elon’s tweet is still up.

And the pattern kept going.

Also in February, Benny Johnson, another influencer with 3.6 million followers, posted:

“🚨BREAKING: Mexican authorities have captured and detained the leader of Cartel del Noreste, ‘El Ricky.’”

Another viral hit. Another distortion.

Grillo again:

The arrested Mexican trafficker ‘El Ricky’ was an underboss in the Northeast Cartel — not the top leader or one of the most well-known drug lords in Mexico. It might coincide with Trump pressure. But these kinds of arrests also happen a lot.

And most people will never see the correction. Benny’s tweet got over 3 million views and 90,000 likes. 

These kinds of posts become even more dangerous when you consider who’s reading them.

Musk, who now holds an influential role in the administration, gets much of his information through X. And when Trump formally designated cartels as FTOs, Elon tweeted:

That means they’re eligible for drone strikes.”

According to a senior Pentagon official quoted this month, that is not the case. 

As the U.S. and Mexican governments continue to take action against the cartels—through policy shifts, enforcement strategies, and cross-border cooperation, we’ll likely keep seeing these kinds of moments: viral claims, inflated numbers, and oversimplified narratives. It’s a reminder that lawmakers and officials, just like the public, are not immune to misinformation. And as these issues move further into the political spotlight, it becomes even more important to keep the conversation grounded in facts.

Every reporter/analyst/researcher—professional or volunteer—who covers crime in Mexico is bound to get things wrong at times. That’s the nature of reporting on clandestine networks: when stories break, verifiable information is often scarce or unavailable. On top of that, these criminal organizations actively engage in information warfare, deliberately muddying the waters to confuse law enforcement, rivals, and the media alike. Still, those who work within this space, despite the challenges, are far closer to the truth than the sensationalized narratives we often see from the outside.

This isn’t a call for complacency. The cartels are a real and dangerous threat. More action, diplomatic, economic, and yes, even military, might be necessary. But action based on viral myths, wild numbers, or influencer fantasies isn’t just useless—it’s reckless.

The drug war is a decades-long, transnational conflict tangled in a web of rival factions, street gangs, corrupt officials, crooked border agents, bought-off cops, new presidents on both sides of the border, American demand, Colombian supply—you name it. 

It’s a mess. The last thing it needs is clueless content creators reducing it to clickbait and feeding the public cartoon versions of reality.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

EMPRESA MF Or Enterprise MF Hung A Narco Banner In Obregon Bridge And Costera In Culiacan, Sinaloa. MF Claim, 'After the storm there will come calm, peace and freedom'

 Char 

April 16, 2025


Empresa MF or Enterprise MF led by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, "Mayito Flaco" heir of the Mayo Zambada faction of the Sinaloa Cartel hung narco banners in Culiacan, Sinaloa. The banners were hung this morning Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the Obregon Bridge and Costera. The banners pointed to a key Los Chapitos lieutenant with various aliases named Jesus Krisam Espinosa Ojeda or Juan Pablo Solis Mendez "El 300" with leadership in Culiacan, Sinaloa. El Krisam or El 300 is a violent individual who has a robust criminal record. El 300 escaped from the Aguaruto Penitentiary in the first Culiacanazo of October 17, 2019. 



EMPRESA MF



BANNER READS


The banner signed by "Empresa MF" reads as follows:

Luis Ezequiel Rubio Rodriguez, alias "El Morral," is in charge of the Shadai AC clinics where nine innocent people died. He is also responsible for the murder of 13-year-old Danna Sofia.

Jesús Krisam Espinoza Ojeda, alias "El 300," is one of those responsible for kidnapping, extorting, and dispossessing innocent people of their property.
Juan Manuel Avendaño, alias "El 14," is a child killer for the organization. Fea is the mastermind behind the deaths of the children Alexander and their father, as well as the attack on soldiers on the Itaje border.
These three individuals are responsible for all the violence in the state of Sinaloa, under the orders of Ivan, Alfredo, and the Panu.

All the injustices and deaths of innocent people are acts of their decisions, to lose a state and a war that is clearly lost.

SINALOA!!!

This struggle is to defend the people from so much injustice, theft, extortion, kidnapping, looting, and toll collection. After the storm, calm will come, peace, and freedom.

Sincerely, MF COMPANY!!






Lastly, I want to point out that I am not a mouthpiece to any cartel just wanted to share what the narco banner read and I always want to bring to our readers the best news coverage. 


GOEM Or Grupo De Operaciones Especiales Mencho Armed Wing Of CJNG Cartel In Puebla; Interrogates Six Male Subjects Involved In Home Invasions And Vehicle Thefts

 "Char"

APRIL 15, 2025

GOEM
GRUPO DE OPERACIONES ESPECIALES MENCHO 


Jalisco Cartel New Generation or CJNG Cartel's armed wing GOEM/Grupo De Operaciones Especiales Mencho (Mencho Special Operations Group) reappears in Puebla. This specific armed wing's last broadcast was on October 8, 2024, in which it targeted a fuel theft criminal figure. 

In the current videocast officially published on April 15, 2025, the GOEM armed wing of CJNG Cartel targeted a gang that appears to be involved in home invasions and vehicle thefts. The six male individuals were killed and found with a butcher knife stabbed in their chests with a poster that CJNG Cartel claimed responsibility for the killings. 


GOEM/GRUPO DE OPERACIONES ESPECIALES MENCHO/ Mencho Special Operations Group

VIDEO TRANSLATION
BY: SOL PRENDIDO 

Sicario: Give us your name, moniker, and what you do for a living. 

Captive #1: My name is Oscar Emilio Guiron Hernandez, aka El Katracho. I’m dedicated to burglarizing homes and robbing people. 

Sicario: Give me an estimate of how much you’ve stolen. 

Captive #1: I’ve burglarized approximately 10 houses and robbed about 15 people. 

Sicario: Give us your name, moniker, and what you do for a living. 

Captive #2: My name is Aldo Giovanny de la Fuente Ramirez, aka El Giovas. I shoplift at the Tiendas 3B businesses and commit robberies. 

Sicario: Give me an estimate of how much you’ve stolen. 

Captive #2: I’ve swindled 30 of the Tiendas 3B establishments and robbed 60 people. 

Sicario: Give us your name, moniker, and what you do for a living. 

Captive #3: My name is Jose Antonio Ramos Jimenez, aka El Guaco. I came here to steal motorcycles and sale drugs. 

Sicario: Give me an estimate of how many motorcycles you’ve stolen. 

Captive #3: Approximately 40 motorcycles. 

Sicario: Give us your name, moniker, and what you do for a living. 

Captive #4: My name is Daniel Flores Aparicio and everyone knows me as Maletas. I steal motorcycles, rob people, burglarize houses, and sale drugs. 

Sicario: Give me an estimate of how much you’ve stolen. 

Captive #4: I’ve stolen around 100 motorcycles, robbed 70 people, and burglarized 80 houses. 

Sicario: Give us your name, moniker, and what you do for a living. 

Captive #5: My name is Gustavo Gil Andrade and everyone calls me Chucky. I steal motorcycles and burglarize homes.  

Sicario: Give me an estimate of how much you’ve stolen. 

Captive #5: I’ve stolen about 20-25 motorcycles and have burglarized 30-35 homes. 

Sicario: Give us your name, moniker, and what you do for a living. 

Captive #6: My name is Jose Alejandro Rines Sanchez, aka El Scrappy. I commit robberies at the OXXO establishments and rob people. 

Sicario: Give me an estimate of how much you’ve stolen. 

Captive#6: I’ve hit 20 OXXO stores and have robbed approximately 40 people. 

Sicario: We, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel don’t extort, kidnap, rob, or charge fees. Good morning, city of Puebla. This message is to inform you, the population, that we’ve come to the state of Puebla. To exterminate all these scumbag people who have the city at the top of the list. In robbery, kidnapping, and extortion statistics, even though the government alters the figures. 

We know that in Puebla citizens can neither live nor go out on the street in peace. Because if they do, they’re robbed, kidnapped, or extorted by those scumbag independent groups. They have no respect for people who work for a living or codes of honor towards society. We reiterate that we, CJNG, the G.O.E.M. Group, and Operativa Barredora, are here to support you, bring order, and purge the city of these scumbags. 

This problem has existed for years now with the complicity of government personnel and former officials who’ve shielded each other. Everyone knows that the South and markets in general are where all the nests of extortionists, kidnappers, and drug distribution centers are located. Just as well, clandestine graves also exist here. We’ve demonstrated that we don’t kill innocent civilians. 

They’ve all had something to do with robberies, kidnappings, or extortions. Among them there have also been police officers. And you, Governor Alejandro Armenta, is your commitment to them so strong that you make up the insecurity figures? We invite all Puebla residents who don’t believe in extortion on behalf of the CJNG to report it to the authorities. Governor and municipal president, we’re leaving you a handful of scumbags to inaugurate your annual fair. Pay attention to the real crimes that plague the city of Puebla.

Sincerely, CJNG, the G.O.E.M. Group, Operativa Barredora







US Transfers 100,000 Acres of Borderland in New Mexico to the Army

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat


Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum traveled to New Mexico today to announce the emergency withdrawal and transfer of administrative jurisdiction over approximately 109,651 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border. The land will be transferred to the Department of the Army for a period of three years, subject to valid existing rights.

This action is intended to safeguard sensitive natural and cultural resources in the region while enabling the Department of the Army to support U.S. Border Patrol operations in securing the border and preventing illegal immigration.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Four Killed by Gunmen in Attack at Sports Field in Cárdenas, Guanajuato

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Four were killed after an armed group attacked civilians at a packed soccer field yesterday evening in Cárdenas, Guanajuato. The event is similar to another attack which left eight dead last month in San José de Mendoza, a town just eight kilometers away.


Siblings of La Nueva Familia Michoacan Leaders Sanctioned, Rewards Offered for "El Pez" and "El Fresa"

 El Armadillo for Borderland Beat from OFAC

Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four individuals affiliated with La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), a Mexican cartel designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, that has poisoned Americans by trafficking fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the United States. LNFM’s crimes also include the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States and violence against its rivals and Mexican security forces, utilizing drones and bombs in addition to conventional firearms.  Those sanctioned today, all of whom are siblings, include the group’s notorious co-leaders: Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.

“Today’s action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM, who continue to traffic deadly fentanyl and other drugs, smuggle illegal aliens over our Southwest border, and attack law enforcement,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.  “The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans.” 

Today’s action reflects ongoing coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Justice, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of State.  This action was also coordinated closely with Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera.

Today’s action complements the unsealing of indictments of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga by a federal grand jury sitting in the Northern District of Georgia.  Additionally, the Department of State announced Narcotics Rewards Offers of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and up to $3 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.

VIOLENT ACTIVITIES OF LNFM

LNFM is a drug trafficking organization primarily based in the Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacan that has trafficked fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine to the United States, and that has laundered the proceeds of these illicit drugs through the U.S. financial system.  In addition to poisoning Americans, the group has engaged in acts of terror and violence within Mexico.  For instance, LNFM has utilized drones to drop bombs on its rivals, with utter disregard for Mexico’s civilian population.  They also terrorize local communities through kidnappings, killings, and extortion.

On November 17, 2022, OFAC designated LNFM pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production.  On February 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of LNFM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended by E.O. 13886.

SANCTIONING KEY LEADERS OF LNFM

LNFM’s leaders, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga (Johnny) and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga (Jose Alfredo), are drug traffickers based in Mexico.  Johnny and Jose Alfredo were previously designated on November 17, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 14059 for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production.  Today, OFAC is sanctioning them pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, LNFM, a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. 

In addition, OFAC is today sanctioning two siblings of Johnny and Jose Alfredo, underscoring how Mexico-based cartels often rely on familial networks to facilitate their criminal activities.  Ubaldo Hurtado Olascoaga (Ubaldo) is a senior leader of LNFM involved in extortion and narcotics trafficking on behalf of LNFM.  Ubaldo oversees sicarios, or hitmen, for LNFM and has illegally mined and extracted mercury and uranium for the organization.

Adita Hurtado Olascoaga (Adita) has laundered drug proceeds for LNFM, including through used clothing stores along the Rio Grande Valley.  This trade-based money laundering scheme includes the purchase of used clothing in the United States and their shipment to Mexico, where the used clothing is sold, and the laundered proceeds are received by LNFM.  In addition, Adita has trafficked arms for her brothers from the United States into Mexico to use against rival cartels in Mexico.

Ubaldo and Adita are being sanctioned pursuant to E.O. 14059 and E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, LNFM.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.  In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.  Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations of E.O. 14059 or E.O. 13224, as amended.  Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions.  OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation.

Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions with the individuals designated today entails risk of secondary sanctions pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended.  Pursuant to this authority, OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Exports, reexports, or transfers of items subject to U.S. export controls involving persons included on the SDN List pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, may be subject to additional restrictions administered by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security.  See 15 C.F.R. section 744.8 for additional information.