Luis Santiago, Who Had Disappeared in Etzatlán, Has Been Found Alive

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

The minor is now with his loved ones and is safe and sound, although no further details about his whereabouts were released.

The minor's family announced his location; however, no details were given about how he was found.

Luis Santiago Marín García, 16 years old, was found alive three days after his disappearance was reported in the municipality of Etzatlán, Jalisco.

According to information provided by his family to this news outlet, the minor is now with his loved ones and is safe and sound.

Although no further details were released about the circumstances, the location, or how he was found, his family expressed their gratitude for the prompt location of Luis Santiago. "My son is home now. He just arrived safe and sound," said the minor's mother, María Gabriela García Martínez.

Authorities confirm the minor's location

This Tuesday morning, the Jalisco State Commission for the Search for Missing Persons published the official report confirming the teenager's location, thus concluding the alert issued after his disappearance.

Luis Santiago had been reported missing since the night of January 3, a situation that caused his family great anguish. According to his mother, the young man exhibited unusual behavior before leaving his home.  Around 7:40 p.m., he said he was going to the store, but he ran out of the house and disappeared from sight, even though a family member tried to follow him.

Hours later, upon returning home, the family found a letter in the minor's closet, in which he announced that he was going to work and would not be able to communicate for a while, assuring them that he was fine and that he would send money later.  Given this situation, the family expressed their fear that the teenager might have been a victim of possible recruitment through a false job offer, a problem that, according to search groups, has been increasing in Jalisco.

Luis Santiago is in his third semester of high school and combined his studies with occasional jobs. His mother acknowledged that she was worried about some of the teenager's recent friendships.

Where can you find information on missing persons?

The Jalisco State Missing Persons Commission publishes information about missing persons on its Facebook page.

Each profile includes a photo and description of the missing person, their distinguishing features, details about the last known location, and contact information for providing information.

Sources: Milenio,   Borderland Beat Archives

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Luis Santiago Disappeared in Seconds, and His Family Suspects That Organized Crime Recruited Him

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

Luis Santiago Marín García, a 16-year-old teenager from Etzatlán, Jalisco, disappeared on January 3. His family fears he may have been recruited by organized crime.

Restless behavior, a trip to the store, and a farewell letter marked the beginning of the nightmare for María Gabriela García Martínez, mother of Luis Santiago Marín García, a 16-year-old from Etzatlán, Jalisco, who disappeared on January 3.

For her, the evidence points to possible recruitment by organized crime through a false job offer.

Her son was last seen around 7:40 p.m., after spending the day restless and constantly glued to his cell phone.

She explained that since the afternoon they had noticed a change in the teenager's behavior: “We noticed he was acting suspiciously, restless, going in and out, glued to his cell phone. He was like that throughout the afternoon and evening.”

A trip that raised alarms

According to her testimony, as night fell, Luis Santiago went into his room, put on a jacket, and announced that he was going to the store. However, his aunt, Fabiana Vanessa García Martínez, sensed something strange and decided to follow him:

“He goes into his room, puts on his jacket, and leaves, saying, ‘I'm going to the store.’ My sister thought he looked suspicious and followed him. He started running, and my sister tried to catch up with him, but there came a point where she couldn't see him anymore because he kept running and running, and she lost sight of him.”

Luis Santiago is in his third semester of high school and combined his studies with occasional jobs as a construction worker's assistant, mainly on weekends and during school breaks.

“In the afternoons he would go to high school, and on Saturdays he would go to work, or during vacations he would also go to work… He helped with construction work, he was an assistant.” Although he never openly expressed any problems, his mother acknowledged that she was worried about the friends her son had recently made:

“That's the only thing, really, that he was hanging out with, that he was in contact with some friends that I saw, and I didn't like their friendship.”

According to Gabriela García, these young men were neither childhood friends nor schoolmates: “I didn't know them, and he met them there... In fact, one of the boys who went with him wasn't even in school.”

Trail lost in minutes, a chronicle of the disappearance

Fabiana Vanessa, Luis Santiago's aunt, was one of the last people to see him. Her testimony reconstructs, step by step, the moment the teenager left home and disappeared in a matter of minutes.

“That day I was visiting my sister. I live a block away from her house. The boy was going in and out, and he was glued to his cell phone. I approached him, and he was responsive, he answered my questions, he ate well, but I did notice a restlessness about him.”

According to her testimony, the atmosphere in the house was normal. There were family visits, food, and goodbyes. It was during that time that Luis Santiago took advantage of a moment of inattention: “He went into his room. He was in there for less than ten minutes. I was already at the door because we were saying goodbye to my brother and sister-in-law. That's when he took advantage of the situation and slipped away.”

Minutes later, the teenager left the house.

After searching the area where he was first seen, his relatives proceeded to file a report.

“I was standing on the sidewalk and I saw him. He was wearing a red windbreaker jacket, a white baseball cap with lime green stripes and the letter M, dark navy blue, ripped jeans, and black sneakers,” she detailed.

Something immediately caught her attention: “The jacket looked very bulky to me. He turned around, or rather, he didn't even turn to look at me, he just glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and said to my mother, ‘I'm going to the store.’ It seemed very suspicious to me.”

While the mother asked a relative to accompany her to follow him, Fabiana decided to take another route so as not to lose sight of him:

“I ran in the opposite direction. From where we live, it would be two blocks down. I saw him walking with giant strides. He's about five feet eight inches tall, and I'm short, so there was a big difference in our strides.”

The aunt tried to call for help: “I called his father and said, ‘Come here, Santi is on the last street, I don't know what's wrong with him, come, I'm alone.’ I also called my sister and said, ‘Come here, something is going to happen, he's going to get away.’”

From a distance, she noticed that the young man wasn't completely alone. About three and a half blocks away, she saw another person come out: “It was kind of dark, and I didn't know him. I see the boy take something out from under his jacket and put it in his backpack.”

The moment was decisive. Fabiana remembers telling her sister, “‘Hurry, he’s going to get away.’ My dad arrived on his bicycle, and I told him, ‘He’s already at the corner, he’s the one in the red jacket.’ But by the time we got to the entrance of the town, he had disappeared.”

That was the last trace of him. They continued searching, they went to the bus terminal, they asked at the stalls if anyone had seen the young man or if he had gotten into a van, but nobody saw anything. “He was gone in seconds. After that, we didn't hear anything. We went back home and started the protocol, we went to the mayor's office, to the police station, to file a report.”

Goodbye in a letter: I don't want to cause you any more problems, I'm going to miss you

Hours after noticing his absence, the family returned home and found a letter inside the boy's closet. The contents raised even more alarms:

“If you are reading this letter, it's because I'm not here anymore, I left home and I won't be able to answer messages or calls for a while. But don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll call you when I can and also to send you money. And, well, I love you very much, I don't want to cause you any more problems and I'm going to miss you,” the note read.

The mother confirmed that the letter is now part of the investigation file.

“Yes, it's at the Prosecutor's Office, I took it to them and they made a copy of it,” she said. Despite this, she assured that there has been no significant progress. “The authorities say they are going to follow up, but I haven't seen much progress. I hope Pablo Lemus can help us to expedite this search.”

This was the letter Luis Santiago left as a farewell to his family.

For Gabriela, the possibility that her son was recruited is real.

“I do believe, then, that he was taken away to be recruited, with a false promise, because he did leave me a message saying he was going to work.” With a trembling voice, she sent a direct message to her son: “Come home, we love you very much, I miss you, I want you to be here with us, we miss you so much,” she said through tears.

Disappearance of teenagers, a constant problem

The Commission for the Search for Missing Persons published the official search notice for the teenager on Monday. This case is not isolated. In August 2025, teenagers Paul Alexander and Carlos Alejandro, both 16 years old and from Jalisco, were found dead in Culiacán, Sinaloa, after being reported missing in Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos and Zapopan, respectively.

The Jalisco Attorney General's Office confirmed that both were victims of forced recruitment, contacted through social media with false job offers, a method identified as a growing trend. The young men were reportedly taken to Zacatecas for training before being transferred to Sinaloa, where they died in an armed confrontation.

According to the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection of San Pedro Tlaquepaque, by the end of 2025, 70 people were located in the vicinity of the new bus terminal, of which 26 were women and 44 men.

Of the total, 36 were minors: 15 girls and 21 boys, and 34 were adults. The operation was implemented in October 2024 and continues with a force of 44 officers and eight units, comprised of State Police, the National Defense Secretariat, the National Guard, and municipal police.

The strategy includes foot patrols, the presence of the K9 canine unit, two service modules, and 24 video surveillance cameras with permanent monitoring. In September 2025, an Uber driver prevented a 15-year-old girl from allegedly becoming a victim of organized crime after the teenager accepted a job offer with an unusually high salary through social media and requested a ride to the bus station.

During the trip, the driver noticed something was wrong, stopped the vehicle on the side of Lázaro Cárdenas and Río Seco, and requested assistance from municipal police.

This is what Luis Santiago looked like when he left his home and told his family he was going to the shop.

Data from the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons (RNPDNO) reports between 3,300 and 3,500 missing children and adolescents in the state as of the end of 2025, placing Jalisco among the states with the highest incidence nationwide. Six out of ten missing teenagers are girls, mainly between 15 and 17 years old.

The highest concentration of reports is in municipalities in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, where more than 65 per cent of cases are concentrated, especially in Guadalajara, Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, Tonalá and Tlajomulco.

Meanwhile, Luis Santiago's family remains hopeful that he will be found alive and demands that his case not be added to the growing number of disappearances in Jalisco: "As a mother, as an aunt, help me with my nephew... I want you healthy, I want you safe... Please help us, please help us find him, that's all we ask."

Source: Milenio

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Justice Dept. Drops Claim That Venezuela’s ‘Cartel de los Soles’ Is an Actual Group

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

Last year, before capturing President Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration designated a Venezuelan slang term for drug corruption in the military as a terrorist organization and said he led it.

President Nicolás Maduro in 2024. In a revised indictment, the Justice Department abandoned its claims that “Cartel de los Soles” was an actual organization.

The Justice Department has backed off a dubious claim about President Nicolás Maduro that the Trump administration promoted last year in laying the groundwork to remove him from power in Venezuela: accusing him of leading a drug cartel called Cartel de los Soles.

That claim traces back to a 2020 grand jury indictment of Mr. Maduro drafted by the Justice Department. In July 2025, copying language from it, the Treasury Department designated Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization. In November, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and President Trump’s national security adviser, ordered the State Department to do the same.

But experts in Latin American crime and narcotics issues have said it is actually a slang term, invented by the Venezuelan media in the 1990s, for officials who are corrupted by drug money. And on Saturday, after the administration captured Mr. Maduro, the Justice Department released a rewritten indictment that appeared to tacitly concede the point.

Prosecutors still accused Mr. Maduro of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy but they abandoned the claim that Cartel de los Soles was an actual organization. Instead, the revised indictment states that it refers to a “patronage system” and a “culture of corruption” fueled by drug money.

Where the old indictment refers 32 times to Cartel de los Soles and describes Mr. Maduro as its leader, the new one mentions it twice and says that he, like his predecessor, President Hugo Chávez, participated in, perpetuated and protected this patronage system.

Profits from drug trafficking and the protection of drug trafficking partners “flow to corrupt rank-and-file civilian, military and intelligence officials, who operate in a patronage system run by those at the top — referred to as the Cartel de los Soles or Cartel of the Suns, a reference to the sun insignia affixed to the uniforms of high-ranking Venezuelan military officials,” the new indictment said.

The retreat calls into greater question the legitimacy of the Trump administration’s designation of Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization last year. Spokespeople at the White House and the Justice, State and Treasury Departments did not respond to requests for comment.

Elizabeth Dickinson, the deputy director for Latin America at the International Crisis Group, said the new indictment’s portrayal of Cartel de los Soles was “exactly accurate to reality,” unlike the 2020 iteration.

“I think the new indictment gets it right, but the designations are still far from reality,” she said. “Designations don’t have to be proved in court, and that’s the difference. Clearly, they knew they could not prove it in court.”

Still, Mr. Rubio again referred to Cartel de los Soles as an actual cartel in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, a day after the revised indictment was unsealed.

“We will continue to reserve the right to take strikes against drug boats that are bringing drugs toward the United States that are being operated by transnational criminal organizations including the Cartel de los Soles,” he said. “Of course, their leader, the leader of that cartel, is now in U.S. custody and facing U.S. justice in the Southern District of New York. And that’s Nicolás Maduro.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s annual National Drug Threat Assessment, which details major trafficking organizations, has never mentioned Cartel de los Soles. Nor has the annual World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

But the 2020 indictment, which laid out a lengthy narrative about a yearslong conspiracy, portrayed Cartel de los Soles as a drug trafficking organization, led by Mr. Maduro. It said the group took actions like providing weapons to the FARC, a Marxist rebel group in Colombia that has funded its militant activities by drug trafficking, and trying to “flood” the United States with cocaine “as a weapon.”

The drafting of the 2020 indictment was overseen by Emil Bove III, then a terrorism and international narcotics unit prosecutor in New York. Mr. Bove ran the Justice Department in the opening months of the second Trump administration and had a turbulent tenure, which included firing dozens of officials and ordering the dismissal of bribery charges against Eric Adams, then the mayor of New York. Mr. Trump later appointed Mr. Bove to a lifetime position on a federal appeals court.

While the experts in Latin American crime and narcotics issues praised the corrective about Cartel de los Soles, some also criticized other aspects of the revised indictment.

For example, the indictment added as a defendant — and a supposed co-conspirator with Mr. Maduro — the head of a Venezuelan prison gang called Tren de Aragua. The connection described in the indictment is thin: It says only that the gang leader, in phone calls in 2019 with someone he thought was a Venezuelan official, offered security services to protect drug shipments passing through Venezuela.

Last year, Mr. Trump declared that Mr. Maduro was directing the activities of Tren de Aragua, even though the U.S. intelligence community believes the opposite is true.

Jeremy McDermott, a co-founder of InSight Crime, a Latin America crime and security think tank, said the inclusion of the Tren de Aragua leader as an accused co-conspirator with Mr. Maduro in a drug trafficking conspiracy “reflects President Trump’s rhetoric” but was misleading. He pointed to his think tank’s analysis of Tren de Aragua that says the gang has no ownership of major cocaine shipments.

Source: New York Times

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"America Doesn’t Belong to any Single Power": Sheinbaum on Trump's Statements About 'Doing Something with Mexico'

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

President Claudia Sheinbaum has stated her position regarding the events in Venezuela and Trump's statements.

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has expressed and clarified her position through social media and press releases regarding the United States' intervention in Venezuela.

During these events, Trump also spoke about Mexico, prompting the Mexican president to state that U.S. intervention is not an option and to affirm that the relationship between the two countries is based on collaboration and shared responsibility.

What did Sheinbaum say about Trump's statements?

The events in Venezuela have sparked significant discussion on social media among Latin American presidents, most of whom have rejected the actions of the United States.

Following this, Mexico and Colombia have been mentioned in the conversation, as Donald Trump stated that these countries also have problems and didn’t rule out taking action against them.

Following the statements, President Claudia Sheinbaum was questioned about what Trump had said:

“He (President Donald Trump) insists on intervention, Madam President,” she was asked.

For her part, Sheinbaum Pardo said that U.S. intervention in Mexico is not an option, assuring that their relationship should be handled collaboratively and responsibly.

“They already know that this is not an option for us, but we are collaborating. The most important thing is shared responsibility as well. That is, we prevent and address insecurity in Mexico, the violence,” the President said.

She also added that Mexico is working to prevent drugs from entering the United States, but the neighboring country to the north must also work to prevent weapons from crossing the border from their side.

“We prevent drugs from reaching the United States, and they must also prevent weapons from reaching Mexico and combat the organized crime that operates in the United States,” President Claudia Sheinbaum asserted.

In addition to the above, from the city of Tula, the president stated that this is an issue that has been discussed with President Trump's team and with President Trump himself.

“It is a time for collaboration on various issues, particularly on the issue of security.”

Likewise, after learning of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Claudia Sheinbaum affirmed that there is a very good relationship with the United States, even after President Donald Trump stated that, “something will have to be done with Mexico.”

She also reiterated that Mexico's position, following the U.S. bombings in Venezuela, is to be in favor of a peaceful solution and to reject military intervention.

“We defend the Estrada Doctrine and what the foreign policy of our country represents: against interventions and in favor of the peaceful resolution of any conflict,” she commented.

In her statement, she also reiterated that Article Two of the United Nations Charter clearly establishes that there should be no military intervention, but rather a multilateral solution within the framework of the United Nations.

“That is our position, which is why we condemn this intervention in Venezuela, and we will be attentive to developments,” Sheinbaum said after what happened with the Venezuelan president. Likewise, during her morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that military intervention isn’t necessary to solve the problems of any country.

Therefore, she assured that on several occasions, offers from the United States to send its military into Mexico to work on the arrest of cartel members have been rejected.

"He said it several times, in the 14 calls we've had; on several occasions, he has insisted that the United States be allowed to enter Mexico. We have said no very firmly."

During the conference, the president also said that intervention in Mexico is an issue that they are probably not taking seriously, but that for Mexico, it remains a firm no.

"Intervention has never brought democracy, it has never generated well-being or lasting stability; only the people can build their own future, decide their own path, exercise sovereignty over their natural resources, and freely define their form of government—a fundamental national principle," she emphasized.

Finally, Sheinbaum Pardo maintained that Mexico's position regarding its relationship with the United States is one of cooperation without subordination or intervention.

"Mexico firmly maintains that the Americas do not belong to any one doctrine or power; the American continent belongs to the people of each of the countries that comprise it," she concluded.

Source: Telediario

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AMLO Rejects Arrogant US Attack on Venezuela's Sovereignty and Kidnapping of Maduro

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

In his message, the former president concluded with an unusual expression directed at the US president: "For now, I'm not sending him a hug."

Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador condemned the US military intervention in Venezuela—calling it an attack on the people's sovereignty—and the "kidnapping" of President Nicolás Maduro.

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US Military Launches Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela, Arresting Nicolas Maduro on Narco Terrorism Charges

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

U.S. forces struck at least 13 targets across Caracas during an operation aimed at capturing Venezuela’s leader. Delta Force helicopters were tracked landing near Maduro’s hideout.

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Blows against the Los Chapos do not weaken them, experts say.

 CHAR 

THIS ARTICLE WAS TRANSLATED FROM RIODOCE AND WRITTEN BY: MIGUEL ANGEL VEGA

The murder of El Panu and the arrests of the Lindoro brothers only lead to a restructuring of the faction.

The arrests of Mario Lindoro Elenes and Mario Alberto Lindoro Navidad in Zapopan, Jalisco; of Carlos Gabriel Reynoso García, "El Pollo," in Mazatlán; the murder of Óscar Noé Medina González, "El Panu," in Mexico City; and the death of Alán Gabriel Núñez Herrera in Culiacán are blows that temporarily force the Chapitos to retreat and regroup, but they do not weaken them as many believe, observed a source at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, with whom this weekly publication spoke.

“For months we thought the Chapitos were weakened; there was even a moment when their leader, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, was cornered, but he managed to escape.  Afterward, we believed the group was weakened, but suddenly they returned with force, demonstrating all the power they possess, and now it's unclear how weakened they truly are,” the source said.

However, the real blows against El Chapo Guzmán's sons don't come from arrests, deaths, or seizures, but from operators and entire groups that “switch sides,” as they call those who change allegiances, ending up joining the Mayiza, the group commanded by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, also known as El Mayito Flaco.

“In Navolato, some of their people switched sides, and that's why things calmed down there. But in Elota, for example, the fighting continues intensely. In Culiacán, there are people who have switched sides. But even so, the Chapiza remains strong. They have lost ground, but then they regroup, fight back, and regain territory, and that's why nobody knows how much longer this will last,” said a hitman leader from one of the factions, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

In a poster revealed by the DEA, neither Mario Alberto Lindoro Navidad nor Mario Lindoro Elenes are identified as part of the inner circle of Los Chapitos' financial operators, but Medina González is recognized as a high-ranking security lieutenant protecting the organization, while Alán Gabriel Núñez Herrera is singled out as a key figure in fentanyl trafficking, which, according to the DEA, is one of the faction's main sources of income to finance its war.

Until October of last year, the U.S. agency had identified 21 operators who were still at large, excluding Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar. Of these high-ranking operators, 16 were located in Sinaloa or elsewhere in Mexico, and included hitmen in charge of the group's security, coordinators for the operation of clandestine laboratories, front men and money launderers, and operators for the production and trafficking of fentanyl.

Of that group, all of whom had photos and names, only five remain: Carlos Limón, Jesús Tirado Andrade, Juan Pablo Lozano, Liborio Núñez Aguirre, Noel Pérez López, and Samuel León Alvarado. The rest have been killed or arrested.

According to Mike Vigil, a security analyst and former head of DEA operations in Mexico, although the deaths or arrests of their operators destabilize Los Chapitos, they do not lose power or control because it is an organization that always has other people ready to take over from their predecessors, and in this way, they have no difficulty replacing the people who are important to them. “These arrests and deaths don't weaken them at all, because this is a group that is too cunning, and they are prepared for this. When they lose someone or one of their operatives is arrested, they already have someone to replace them, whether to protect them at all costs, or to move drugs or launder money; they even have the replacements for the replacements already ready,” Vigil explained. Security Reports

These statements foreshadow that the war between the Chapos and the Mayos will continue indefinitely, as observed by people linked to both sides, as well as journalists and gunmen with whom information has been gathered or exchanged about the current situation.

Chronology

On Sunday, December 21, at a well-known restaurant in the Zona Rosa in Mexico City, Óscar Noé Medina González, the alleged head of security for Los Chapitos, was executed. At the time of his death, he is believed to have been Iván Archivaldo's main lieutenant in charge of the group's security. No one knows what he was doing in Mexico City, nor why, given his high level in the organization, he didn't have security. Leader Profiles

Just a few hours after the murder of Panu, another key figure in the Los Chapitos organization, was found dead with his hands tied in the Tres Ríos sector in Culiacán. He was Alan Gabriel Núñez Herrera, for whom the U.S. Department of Justice was offering a one-million-dollar reward. It is presumed that his torture and execution were carried out by people linked to La Mayiza.

A day later, on Tuesday, December 23, hours before Christmas, Carlos Gabriel Reynoso García, "El Pollo," was arrested along with Jesús Arturo Dávalos Valenzuela, who were apparently linked to the Chapitos, in Mazatlán. At the time of their capture, tactical equipment was seized, including weapons for the exclusive use of the army and communication equipment.

That same Tuesday, Mario Lindoro Elenes, "El Niño," and his son Mario Alfredo Lindoro Navidad, "El 7," Iván Archivaldo Guzmán's father-in-law and brother-in-law, were arrested. The arrest followed a series of raids conducted at various residences in Zapopan, Jalisco, where drugs, weapons, documents, money, cell phones, and luxury vehicles were seized. 

Article published on December 28, 2025, in issue 1196 of the weekly newspaper Ríodoce.

SOURCE: RIODOCE 

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CSRL Sabotages Train Track in Attempt to Rob Cargo in Cortázar, Guanajuato

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Members of the Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima sabotaged train rails near Cortazar in an attempt to derail a train loaded with high value electronics, reported government officials. The sabotage was detected by an engineer before the train arrived.

The criminals cut a 40 cm portion out of the track, damage that would have likely derailed the train.

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Pedro Inzunza Noriega, 'El Sagitario', operator for 'El Chapo Isidro', arrested in Culiacán

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

Following a search authorized by a federal judge, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, alias 'Sagitario', was arrested along with three other people.

Federal authorities announced the arrest of Pedro Inzunza Noriega, alias El Sagitario, the most trusted operator of Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias El Chapo Isidro, a drug trafficker identified as having inherited the criminal business of Alfredo Beltrán Leyva, former leader of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel.

According to a statement from the Mexican government, following an investigation involving elements of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPyC), and the Attorney General's Office (FGR), a property linked to El Señor de la Silla, as Inzunza Noriega was known, was identified.  A search warrant was then obtained, and the target was arrested, along with three other people.

“The arrested individuals will be transported by air by Navy personnel to Mexico City, where they will be placed at the disposal of the FEMDO (Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime) so that their legal situation can be determined according to law,” the Mexican government detailed in a statement.

Where did the search take place?

At a property located in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, identified during the federal investigations.

The operation was led by the Secretariat of the Navy and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, in coordination with the Attorney General's Office, through the Criminal Investigation Agency and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime.

According to official information, the investigation was conducted against a criminal group affiliated with the organization formerly headed by the Beltrán Leyva brothers, dedicated to the production and trafficking of drugs such as fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, with operations in the state of Sinaloa. The investigations intensified after a confrontation last November in the mountainous area of ​​the municipality of Choix, where Navy personnel were attacked by armed civilians. In that incident, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, alias Pichón, identified as one of the main operators of the criminal group, was neutralized.

Following subsequent investigations, authorities located a property in Culiacán allegedly linked to Inzunza Noriega, identified as Pichón's father and as second-in-command of the criminal structure led by Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias El Chapo Isidro, who had reportedly assumed control of the organization.

With the evidence gathered, a federal judge issued a search warrant, which was executed today, leading to the arrest of Sagitario and three other people. During the operation, firearms and various quantities of drugs were seized.

What is known about Pedro Inzunza Noriega?

The capo, also known as El de la Silla, began his criminal career as a financial liaison between organized crime groups and money laundering structures in Mexico and the United States.

According to the indictment filed on May 10, 2025, in a New York federal court, his role evolved into the operational and logistical leadership of a criminal cell dedicated to the importation and distribution of drugs, mainly methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.

Pedro Inzunza 'El Sagitario' arrested in Culiacán

The court document indicates that Inzunza Noriega operated from Mexico but had intermediaries and transporters under his command in U.S. territory, using front companies and highly organized smuggling schemes.

His structure also participated in extortion, the use of armed violence, and the financing of attacks against rival authorities or opposing groups. Along with his son, Pedro Alfonso Inzunza Loaiza, the defendant faces multiple federal charges that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has characterized as part of a pattern of "narco terrorism," a term it uses to describe violence perpetrated by criminal groups for the purposes of intimidation, territorial control, and institutional destabilization.

Narco terrorism Charges

Along with his son, Pedro Alfonso Inzunza Loaiza, the defendant faces multiple federal charges, including:

Conspiracy to manufacture and distribute illicit drugs.

Conspiracy to import fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

International money laundering.

Participation in terrorist acts related to drug trafficking.

Source: Milenio

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CJNG Sicarios Attack Bars in Villaflores, Chiapas: Eight Kidnapped, Seven Found Dead

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

A convoy of Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) sicarios dressed in tactical uniforms and driving cloned military pickups, burned two bars in Villaflores, Chiapas this weekend.

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CIA Likely Behind December 18 and December 24 Land Strikes on Venezuelan Drug Targets

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

A firsthand account of an explosion along the Venezuelan coast on December 18 is raising questions about who may have been responsible for the attack and whether it and a supposed fire at a nearby chemical plant were either of the drone strikes confirmed by Trump on December 26.

Two members of Venezuela’s Wayuu indigenous community in the area told NBC News that they witnessed an unexplained explosion on December 18 that destroyed a hut along the coast that possibly was used for storage.

The arid coastal strip in the northwest of Venezuela, known as Alta Guajira, is heavily controlled by the National Liberation Army or ELN, an armed guerilla group known for its history of drug trafficking that is also active in neighboring Colombia.

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Los Chapitos Lose 80% of Their Leaders in Less Than 500 Days of War

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

Iván Archivaldo and Alfredo Guzmán are on the ropes. Their main leaders have been killed by rivals, shot dead by federal forces, are under arrest, or are on the run.

Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, the two Chapitos who remain at large, are in serious trouble: the "war in Sinaloa" hasn't even lasted a year and a half, and they have already lost their most important leaders.

On December 23, two key financial operators were arrested in Jalisco: Mario Alfredo Lindoro Navidad, "El 7," and Mario Lindoro Elenes, "El Niño," brother-in-law and father-in-law, respectively, of the eldest son of El Chapo Guzmán. Both had a crucial task for the survival of Los Menores: ensuring a constant cash flow to finance the war.

That same day, but in Culiacán, Alan Núñez Herrera was murdered; he supplied them with weapons to fight against La Mayiza. And just hours earlier, on December 21, the number three in the Los Chapitos structure and their top security chief was executed in Mexico City: Óscar Noé Medina, "El Panu."

The four losses before Christmas, within less than 60 hours, represent the accelerated loss of money, ammunition, and protection for Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo. And a reality that is now impossible to hide: the "historic" Sinaloans who protect Los Chapitos—because they watched them grow up in Culiacán or because they are loyal followers of their father—are becoming extinct.

"It's a changing of the guard before our very eyes," says a source in the security cabinet. "The Sinaloans are losing ground in Culiacán, and a new generation has to come in to protect Los Chapitos, who have already seen that their circle isn’t invincible," says an agent deployed in the Mexican Pacific.

In October 2024, MILENIO published a list compiled during the previous administration by the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), which tracked 10 leaders who head the Los Chapitos' troops. These were the most trusted people in the faction who would go all out against La Mayiza and other rivals. Old-school capos and millennials hardened in the family "narco-wars" since birth. The true lords of lead. December 31st marks 479 days of the "war in Sinaloa," and eight out of ten of them are already out of the fight. Their fates are a mosaic of typical outcomes for those who enter organized crime: murdered by rivals, killed by federal forces, arrested, or on the run. All under the shadow of having been betrayed by their own friends.

This is how the leaders have been falling:

The first to fall this year was El Gavilán, the mysterious head of Los Chapitos' hitmen, who was killed on January 6, 2025, during a shootout against Los Rugrats, the armed wing of La Mayiza. His death was concealed by Iván Archivaldo to avoid showing weakness, but the beginning of the year already marked a trend: a slow bleeding of Sinaloan leaders.

The following month, in Calimaya, State of Mexico, another important accountant for Los Chapitos was murdered: Mario Alberto Jiménez Castro, El Kastor, for whom the United States had offered a one-million-dollar reward. A hooded gunman ended his life in a parking lot, a common setting for meetings between friends that end in deadly betrayals.

The US offered a million dollars for information on 'El Kastor', who was killed in February.

That same February, the powerful financial operator José Ángel Cannobio Inzunza, known as El Güero, was arrested in Culiacán, Sinaloa. The United States was seeking him as one of the main exporters of fentanyl, and coincidentally, his arrest came days after Los Chapitos felt pressure from Washington following their designation as a terrorist organization for opioid trafficking.

Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, known as El 27 or La Perris, was killed in May in a confrontation with the military in Navolato.  Like his predecessor as head of security for Los Menores—Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, El Nini—his death sparked speculation among social media users identified as alleged members of organized crime: How did the authorities know his exact location? Was he betrayed?

The last person killed on the list is Óscar Noé Medina, El Panu, who was executed four days before Christmas. His open and well-known conflicts in Culiacán with Jaziel Abdiel Guzmán Araujo, Iván Archivaldo's cousin, have revived theories about defections and disloyalty within Los Chapitos' inner circle.

‘El Panu' fue asesinado en un restaurante de la Ciudad de México. 

The physical deaths of other leaders haven’t been confirmed, but their presence has disappeared: federal sources confirmed to MILENIO that at least three of them have ceased to actively support the sons of El Chapo Guzmán.

Samuel León Alvarado, El León, reportedly fled Sinaloa after the explosives attack in Culiacán in February of this year. Liborio Núñez Aguirre, El Karateca, allegedly made a deal with the federal government to stop supporting the conflict between the Chapitos and the Mayiza in exchange for the definitive suspension of "acts depriving him of his liberty, consisting of detention for extradition purposes," a request that was made public in 2023.

The only international leader on the list, Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, Chiquito Malo, leader of the Colombian Clan del Golfo, also reportedly withdrew his support in Mexico to focus on his own country, following the U.S. crackdown.

"The Colombian drug traffickers are fighting their own domestic battles to get involved abroad. Chiquito Malo just lost a brother in his own war. They're preoccupied with their own affairs," the source confirms.

Only two leaders remain, but their influence has diminished within the Chapitos' inner circle and the national organized crime landscape: arms trafficker Juan Pablo Lozano, El Camarón, who may be hiding in the United States, far from the troubles in Sinaloa; and Pedrito Loaiza, son of Don Pedro Loaiza, a drug trafficking legend in the Sierra Madre Occidental, who hasn’t played a prominent role in the conflict.

And although they’re not considered top leaders, other losses have surrounded the Chapitos in the last year: from the arrest of Mauro Alberto Núñez Ojeda, Jando, a trusted confidant of Iván Archivaldo, to Kevin Alonso, El 200, a hitman boss. 

The Cousins ​​Step In

“At this point, Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo (Guzmán) only have their cousins ​​left. The core group, their blood relatives. But they don't seem as skilled or experienced as the men they've lost in the war,” says the source, who conducts criminal intelligence in the state.

It is likely, he says, that other relatives of the two Chapitos will rise to positions of power, such as Alberto Zepeda Cano, alias El Chapito Lomas, and his brother Joel Zepeda Cano, alias El 23. And that Jaziel Abdiel Guzmán Araujo, the American cousin, will gain influence. However, the recent downfall of Iván Archivaldo's brother-in-law and father-in-law demonstrates a compromised family circle.

“This shows us the changing of the guard: the native Sinaloans are stepping back, and their places could be taken by enforcers from the Jalisco Cartel. That would be historic, something never seen before,” the military officer assures.

Earlier this year, Iván Archivaldo forged an unlikely alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG): in exchange for greater protection against eventual arrest or assassination and increased capacity to attack La Mayiza, Los Chapitos would share routes established by their father with Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, who has been implementing an aggressive expansion plan throughout northern Mexico for years.

The pact stipulated that a high-ranking member of the CJNG, such as Audias Flores Silva, El Jardinero, would take charge of the two brothers' security, using the same force and strategies that have made El Mencho untouchable. To assume complete control of this difficult mission, he would have to infiltrate the inner circle of Los Chapitos' security chiefs, a compact group made up of native Sinaloans. “When we in the government learned that there was an alliance between Los Chapitos and the CJNG, this was one of the most worrying possibilities: that the strength of the Jalisco group would be evident in the displacement of the Sinaloa group, and that they would gradually become indispensable to Los Chapitos.

“Without El Panu and other security chiefs who were childhood friends of Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo (Guzmán), the CJNG emerges stronger at the beginning of 2026: the survival of Los Chapitos depends on them. One more betrayal, and the fire will spread throughout Sinaloa,” he asserts.

Source: Milenio

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Cartel del Noreste Members Detained While Distributing Toy Guns with CDN Logos in Guadalupe, Nuevo León

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

In Guadalupe, Nuevo León, authorities detained four men allegedly linked to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN) while they were distributing toy guns marked with the legend "CDN" to children in the Escamilla neighborhood.

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Two Guatemalans Linked to CJNG to Stand Trial

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

Two Guatemalans linked to the CJNG will face legal proceedings in Mexico after being arrested with weapons exclusively used by the Army, in a case that once again highlights the international dimension of organized crime and security cooperation. Federal authorities confirmed that the two detainees will remain in pre-trial detention while the trial against them proceeds.

The Attorney General's Office (FGR) reported that the defendants, identified as Pedro Pakim and Leonardo Choc Ical, both Guatemalan nationals, were charged for their alleged involvement in crimes related to the possession of firearms, cartridges, and magazines reserved for the Armed Forces.

Arrest of 2 Guatemalans after joint operation in Michoacán

The capture of the Guatemalans linked to the CJNG occurred in the municipality of Tangancícuaro, Michoacán, as a result of a coordinated operation between the Security Cabinet of the Mexican Government and state authorities. According to the FGR, National Guard elements detected the alleged criminals during patrol duties in the region.

During the operation, the perpetrators allegedly participated in an armed attack against National Guard personnel, an incident that resulted in the death of one of the federal officers. This attack was key to strengthening the investigation file and justifying the criminal prosecution against them.

Weapons and equipment seized during the arrest

At the time of their apprehension, authorities seized an arsenal considered for the exclusive use of the Army, which aggravates the legal situation of the detainees. Among the confiscated items are:

Two firearms

Seven magazines

111 cartridges

A tactical vest with the CJNG initials

This type of weaponry is strictly prohibited for civilians, according to Mexican law, due to its high firepower and its use in military and national security operations.

Legal proceedings and mandatory pre-trial detention

Following the arrest, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, attached to the Specialized Regional Control Prosecutor's Office (FECOR) in Michoacán, presented the necessary evidence to a control judge. Based on this evidence, the judicial authority ordered that both defendants be formally charged.

The judge also imposed the precautionary measure of mandatory pretrial detention, meaning the accused will remain incarcerated while the legal proceedings unfold. This measure is applied in cases involving serious crimes, such as those related to organized crime and the use of weapons restricted to the military.

The CJNG and its Transnational Dimension

The case of the Guatemalans linked to the CJNG reflects the transnational expansion of this criminal group, considered one of the most powerful and violent in Mexico. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been singled out by national and international authorities for its recruitment capabilities, its presence in several states of the country, and its connections outside of Mexican territory.

The involvement of foreign nationals in criminal activities related to Mexican cartels underscores the complexity of the criminal phenomenon and the need for international cooperation to combat it effectively.

Security and Challenges for the Mexican State

The Attorney General's Office (FGR) emphasized that these types of actions are part of a comprehensive strategy to contain violence, dismantle criminal cells, and guarantee the rule of law.  According to the authorities, the arrest and prosecution of individuals linked to criminal organizations sends a message that there will be no impunity, regardless of the nationality of those involved.

The attack against the National Guard and the loss of a federal officer also reignite the debate about the risks faced by security forces and the need to strengthen protection and equipment for those who combat organized crime in the country.

A Key Process in the Fight Against Organized Crime

The trial against these Guatemalans linked to the CJNG will be closely watched, not only because of the seriousness of the crimes charged, but also because of what it represents in the fight against criminal networks that operate beyond borders. The resolution of the case could set an important precedent in terms of security, justice, and regional cooperation.

Meanwhile, authorities reiterated their commitment to continue with coordinated operations to curb violence and weaken the structure of criminal groups that threaten the country's stability.

Tangancícuaro, Michoacán

Source: La Verdad Noticias

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FBI's Most Wanted Trafficker Ryan James Wedding Part 4: Mexico City Raids Yield 62 Motorcycles, Art and Two Canadian Gold Medals

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

As part of a joint agency and international operation, Mexico's FGR, SSPC, GN, SEMAR and the Army carried out four raids on homes and properties in Mexico City and the State of Mexico, related to "a former Olympic athlete and one of the 10 most wanted fugitives by U.S. authorities."

Doses of methamphetamine and marijuana, 62 high-end motorcycles, two vehicles, works of art, two medals, ammunition and various documents were found.

The two medals, intially reported as Olympic medals are a pair of Wedding's Canadian National Team medals. Wedding later placed 24th in men’s snowboarding giant parallel slalom during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

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