Demoralizing The Opposition With A Blazing Fire

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

An all too familiar sequence unfolds like many others before it in the ongoing Sinaloa civil war. 

A hapless young man has been captured this time around by assassins from the Fuerzas Especiales Unión. The enforcers are part of an alliance between Los Chapitos and the CJNG. 

What little could be heard from the lousy audio is that the captive’s name is Oscar. He’s twenty-four years old and currently lives in the town of Pueblos Unidos. 

The Mayiza faction hired him to do their bidding. Needless to say, that job came with deadly risks. His captors are going to light him on fire as a reminder of those perils. 

Pueblos Unidos, Sinaloa

Source: Ivan’s Daily News

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Organized Crime Uses 'Suicide Hitmen' to Commit Homicides in Mexico

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

Criminal groups have opted to employ kamikaze hitmen, that is, people who don't care about dying as long as they commit the crime.

On at least three occasions in recent years, criminal groups have opted to employ kamikaze hitmen, who commit their crimes knowing that the possibility of surviving is very low.

The recent assassination of the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo, could be seen as an example of this new strategy by criminals to impose their rule despite the strong protection that security forces provide to officials.

Minor Responsible for the Murder of Carlos Manzo

Víctor Manuel ‘N’, the 17-year-old identified as the murderer of Mayor Manzo, was not deterred even by the risk of being killed himself.

The minor took advantage of the revelry of the Day of the Dead celebrations (Saturday, October 1st) to blend in with the attendees and approach within a few meters of the victim, whom he shot at least seven times with a 9mm handgun, leaving him practically dead at the scene.

This occurred despite the fact that, according to the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar García Harfuch, the mayor had security details that were reinforced in May.

The federal official revealed that the seized weapon is linked to two violent incidents between rival criminal groups operating in the region, where local cells act in alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and others operate in opposition.

Carlos Manzo was murdered by a minor.

In September, the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo, defended his coordination with Governor Bedolla on Carlos Marín's program.

Other hitmen killed

Another case of these hitmen committing suicide occurred last year in Coyuca de Benítez, Guerrero, where, after evading security, a man murdered the then-candidate for mayor, José Alfredo Cabrera, during his campaign closing rally.

The candidate for the PRI-PAN-PRD coalition was about to begin his closing speech and, as he approached the stage, was greeting his supporters, unaware that an individual was pointing a gun at his head from behind and firing at least twice, killing him instantly.

Despite evading the security provided by the National Guard, the assailant, identified as Abel 'N', was also neutralized by members of that security institution in the town square after being killed in his attempt to flee.

Cabrera also had six private bodyguards, whom he paid for himself, after surviving an assassination attempt a year earlier, as well as the murder of his running mate, Aníbal Zúñiga, a few days prior.

José Alfredo Cabrera

The murderer of José Alfredo Cabrera died after committing the crime.

In November 2021, individuals carrying assault rifles and grenades attacked the Guaymas City Hall in Sonora, killing a bodyguard and a feminist activist, although one of the gunmen was also killed.

That day, the Feminist Collective of the Sea, led by Marisol Cuadras, symbolically occupied the building for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The occupation was attended by the Secretary of Public Security, Andrés Humberto Cano, and the mayor, Karla Córdova, according to the then-head of the Navy, Rafael Ojeda Durán.

“The two men got out to talk to them, and that's when the attack occurred, but they were after the captain, the Secretary of Public Security,” Ojeda Durán explained.

According to Governor Alfonso Durazo, the investigation focused on an attack against the Guaymas police chief, Andrés Humberto Cano.

Kamikaze hitmen

Kamikaze hitmen have been on the rise in recent years.

Federal forces vs. hitmen

So far in the current federal administration, federal security forces have had to resort to confrontations with hitmen in the face of constant direct attacks, mainly in states permeated by organized crime.

As a result of clashes between criminal groups and their infiltration into various criminal activities ranging from drug trafficking to extortion, illegal deprivation of liberty, and even political acts, among others, federal authorities have resorted to constant operations and protection for officials at various levels who have been threatened.

Sources: Milenio, Borderland Beat Archives

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The Young Face of Drug Trafficking: Up To 250,000 Children and Adolescents Are Recruited in Mexico

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

In Mexico, it is estimated that up to 250,000 children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 are at risk of being recruited by organized crime, primarily in the states of Chihuahua, Colima, Baja California, and Mexico City, according to the civil organization Reinserta. The organization pointed out that children are currently being recruited through digital means.

Therefore, it called on federal authorities to classify child recruitment as a crime and to promote state-level prevention plans that address the root causes within the specific context of each state.

"Children and adolescents in Mexico cannot continue to be the youngest faces of the war. We must act with laws, public policies, education, but also with empathy. Abandoning optimism will not solve this problem. It is important to make it clear that political will is urgently needed, but so is social will," stated Saskia Niño de Rivera, co-founder of Reinserta.

The civil group presented the book "How Not to Be a Hitman?" where he indicated that 6 out of 10 adolescents in juvenile detention who were recruited by organized crime began using drugs between the ages of 11 and 15, and 5 out of 10 adolescents in detention who were recruited by organized crime joined a cartel between the ages of 14 and 16.

Furthermore, 7 out of 10 adolescents who have had problems with the law had already had contact with criminal groups in their neighborhoods.

He also emphasized that 81 percent of the country's territory has a presence of some criminal group, which is why this is a nationwide problem.

José Pablo, operations director of Reinserta, explained that the report arose from research they conducted on this topic between 2020 and 2021, when they interviewed 70 children and adolescents involved with organized crime in seven states.

The book contains some of these testimonies, including that of Braulio, recruited by organized crime as a teenager, who recounted how he was always in contact with criminals because his cousins ​​sold drugs or were hitmen.

The book also includes the testimony of Tito, who grew up in an environment where violence was commonplace, as his father introduced him to the world of crime without his knowledge.

"This book is based on stories like Raúl's and Susana's; we didn't invent them. It's the result of Reinserta's work, taking a team and listening to these stories. The text addresses the facts and risks involved. It's about understanding that we live in a country that normalizes violence, a country that is violent towards its children," stated the operations director.

Furthermore, she reiterated that children in Mexico "face vulnerabilities that are reflected in the factors at risk, in abandonment or neglect, in exposure to violence, in the lack of educational and employment opportunities, which ultimately leads to marginalization across all social structures."

Reinserta recommended that authorities create an information system to track the number of minors who have been recruited, as well as develop specialized mechanisms for the care, recovery, and reintegration of children and adolescents who have been recruited.

Source: La Jornada

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The Hearing for Joaquín Guzmán López, Son of 'El Chapo,' Has Been Postponed for the Third Time in the US

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

The hearing for Joaquín Guzmán López, known as "El Güero," originally scheduled for Thursday, November 13, 2025, in Chicago, has been postponed again.

The hearing for drug trafficker Joaquín Guzmán López, leader of Los Chapitos and son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, has been postponed from November 13 to December 1.

The judge overseeing the case, Sharon Johnson Coleman, indicated in a document published this Monday that she is postponing Guzmán's hearing again, which was to have taken place this Thursday in a federal court in Chicago.

This is the third time this hearing has been postponed, having previously been rescheduled from July 15 to September 15 and from September 15 to November 13.

Last July, Ovidio Guzmán López, another of El Chapo's sons and brother of Joaquín, pleaded guilty to four drug trafficking-related charges in a Chicago court as part of an agreement with U.S. authorities, the terms of which were not disclosed.

Similarly, in August, Mexican drug trafficker Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, co-founder and longtime leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, formally pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons charges in a federal court in New York.

Source: Milenio

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China Finally Places Controls on Fentanyl Precursor Chemicals Shipping to US, Mexico & Canada

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

On November 10, 2025, Beijing will require a permit to export 13 specific chemicals to Mexico, the United States, and Canada, including those used to manufacture the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

China’s National Narcotics Commission issued a notice on Monday directing Chinese companies to adhere to the country’s laws, including the newly tightened controls. The notice urged Chinese firms to verify overseas buyers and immediately stop transactions if buyers requested falsified packaging or information.

The Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday that China will adjust its list of chemical precursors related to pharmaceuticals and require export licenses for certain chemicals to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, according to a report by the SCMP, written by journalist Fan Chen.

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Iran Planned to Assassinate Israel’s Ambassador to Mexico

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plotted to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico, starting late last year, but the effort was contained and there is no current threat a U.S. official said on Friday.

The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plot against the ambassador, Einat Kranz Neiger, had been active through the first half of this year. 

Israel says Mexico thwarted the attempt said to be part of Iran's revenge in the aftermath of the deadly 2024 Israeli bombing of Iranian embassy in Syria.

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Attorney General's Office (FGR) Arrests Former Agent in Tijuana Implicated in Colosio Case

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

The Attorney General's Office (FGR) arrested Jorge Antonio Sánchez Ortega, a former agent of the now-defunct Center for Investigation and National Security (CISEN), in Tijuana. He has been identified for nearly three decades as the suspected second shooter in the assassination of Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta, which occurred in 1994 in Lomas Taurinas.

This is the second time he has been arrested in connection with the same case. No further details about the arrest have been released.

Unofficially, a source within the Attorney General's Office confirmed that he was arrested pursuant to a federal warrant.

Sánchez Ortega was one of the first people arrested after the assassination of the then-PRI presidential candidate, because he was wearing a jacket stained with the victim's blood and tested positive for gunshot residue using sodium rhodizonate.

Despite this evidence, the former agent was released shortly afterward, citing a lack of evidence.

His name resurfaced in 2024, when the Attorney General's Office (FGR) identified him as the alleged second shooter and requested his arrest.

FGR identifies him as alleged second shooter

According to the Attorney General's Office, the accused was the CISEN agent assigned to protect the presidential candidate, who was released at the time in a clear cover-up involving Genaro García Luna, who was the operational subdirector at CISEN and who rescued him in Tijuana, Baja California.

The evidence presented by the Attorney General's Office (FGR) against Jorge Antonio demonstrates his presence at the scene of the crime, at the exact moment of the shooting, just seconds apart.

"All the evidence provided by the FGR, and especially the blood tests, demonstrate that the victim's blood type was found on the accused's clothing.

"The rhodizonate tests indicate that the accused fired a weapon during that time, and none of the exculpatory evidence has been able to support his claim," he stated. 

Furthermore, it was asserted that numerous witness testimonies place the accused at the scene of the crime at the time of the shooting, from which he fled; and he denies having helped transport Luis Donaldo Colosio when he was wounded.

Sources: Milenio, Borderland Beat Archives

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Sheinbaum Reiterates: There Will Be No US Intervention in Mexico

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated this Thursday that there will be no U.S. intervention in Mexican territory, asserting that Mexico is a free, independent, and sovereign country, and that her government maintains a relationship of collaboration and respect with Washington.

In her morning press conference at the National Palace, the president downplayed reports circulating in international media about alleged leaks related to security issues, and assured that the country will know how to respond to any real threat.

“If there were a real threat unrelated to these leaks or alleged leaks—because they aren't even leaks in any international media outlet—well, we have the national anthem, as I've already said: 'A soldier in every son,'” she affirmed.

Sheinbaum Pardo emphasized that any form of interference is rejected by Mexican society and that her government maintains a framework of understanding with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump based on cooperation, not intervention.

“The reality is that there will be no intervention from the United States. There simply won't be any, because the Mexican people are united against any interference or intervention, because no Mexican man or woman, except for a very few who are the absolute exception, wants any intervention,” Sheinbaum Pardo stated.

She added that her government's principles are based on the defense of national sovereignty and mutual respect between nations. “Mexico is a free, independent, and sovereign country, and so it should be. The principles under which we negotiate with any foreign government, in our movement and for those we represent—the people of Mexico—are always based on non-intervention,” she noted.

The President also emphasized that the relationship with the United States is developed within a framework of understanding that prioritizes dialogue and cooperation. “We have prioritized dialogue, and we have a framework of understanding with the United States government that, under no circumstances, includes interference or intervention, but rather collaboration and cooperation,” she maintained.

Source: La Jornada

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Daniel Silvestre Manjarrez, aka El Dany, is Arrested

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

In Culiacán, Sinaloa, federal security forces arrested Daniel Silvestre Manjarrez, alias “El Dany,” one of the most wanted individuals by U.S. authorities, on Wednesday.

The Mexican government's Security Cabinet reported that Daniel Manjarrez, is a U.S. citizen and is wanted on a U.S. arrest warrant for his involvement in conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. He was also the subject of an FBI Red Notice.

Omar García Harfuch, head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), emphasized on social media that “the arrest is the result of the coordinated work of the @GabSeguridadMX and international cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking.”

In a press release, the SSPC (Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection) detailed that the arrest was made possible by an operation at a property located in the Infonavit Humaya neighborhood of Culiacán. The operation involved personnel from the SSPC, the Secretariat of National Defense (Defensa), the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the Attorney General's Office (FGR), and the National Guard (GN).

"Security agents identified the property where one of the most wanted individuals by U.S. authorities was hiding. During reconnaissance patrols, they detected the presence of the suspect, ordered him to stop, verified his identity, and arrested him," the press release stated.

'El Dany' was turned over to the appropriate Public Prosecutor, who will determine his legal status and compile the case file before handing him over to the authorities who requested his extradition.

Source: La Jornada

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Uruapan Mayor Killed at Día de los Muertos Festival—9th Sitting Mayor Slain in Sheinbaum’s First Year

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, was murdered at a public event on November 1st. His killing is the most recent in an accelerating trend of high level politicians being murdered by organized crime groups.

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Pickpocket Gang Members Killed, Left with Narco Message From Comandante Diablo in Puebla

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Over the last week, a crime group has been killing off the members of a notorious pickpocketing gang in Puebla, leaving signed narco messages. On 28 October, the groups leader was found dead next to a narco message claiming the group would continue the killings of her gang.

Image: Ambas Manos

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Babygirl, Go Ahead And Paint Your Lips With Your Blood

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

Assassins from the Operativa Rockeros, an armed wing of the Cartel del Golfo, have captured a low-level Cartel del Noreste member. 

They waste no time using a fixed-blade knife and strong-arm tactics to interrogate the enslaved man within their grasp. 

The kneeling captive gives up every bit of information he knows while an enforcer slices into his back. 

His testimony reveals the name of an unknown organized crime sector where drugs are being sold day and night near the Tamaulipas and Nuevo León state lines. 

Video translation is as follows: 

Captive: When I arrived my job was to get the supplies off of the truck and help out the young men. Once I got off of the vehicle Mr. H told me that I would be staying here with them. And that I’d have to follow the orders El Tigre gave because he was in charge of the area of operations: Chester. 

Sicario #1: Uh huh. So, what else?

Captive: After this I consumed cocaine all night long so that I wouldn’t fall asleep. This was done on account of the fact that every one of their drug points operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Once the sun came out we moved towards the hills…

Sicario #1: Tell me about their Improvised Armored Fighting Vehicles (IAFVs). 

Captive: I honestly don’t know anything about those IAFVs. 

Sicario #2:  How are you not going to know anything you fuck. 

Captive: The only thing I do know is that…

Sicario #2 speaks to his counterpart: Go head and let him go. I’ll hold him for you. 

Captive: They’re always in the same vehicles working 24-7. Every time the guy in charge comes to one of the drug points. He pulls surveillance with a drone to ensure that no one comes into the area. 

Sicario #1: What do they call the drone operator?

Captive: Just the same it’s Mr. H. 

Sicario #2: How many drones does he have?

Captive: He has 4 of them in the back of the truck. 

Sicario #2: Are they small or large drones?

Captive: They’re large. 

Sicario #1: Are the drones armed?

Captive: No. They only use them for surveillance. If anyone tries coming near, whether it be the government, national guardsmen, or civilians, it helps them to get away in advance. 

Sicario 2: Go ahead and lick the blood off of my blade you faggot. Mmm. Are you hungry or what?

Sicario #1: Babygirl, go ahead and paint your lips with your blood. Ok, now tell us more…

Source: Vivo en Marte

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Security Industry Businessman Remains Missing in Reynosa, Tamaulipas

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Two weeks ago, businessman Marco Antonio Mariño Leal was reported missing in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. He was last seen around 3:00 PM, Thursday, the 9th of October while visiting a security business he owns in Reynosa. He remains missing, with no updates from government on the case.

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The Interrogation and Beheading of Abraham León

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

A young man by the name of Abraham León finds himself having to answer several questions asked by the assassins from the Chapiza mob. They recently abducted him from the Los Ciruelos ranch that lies east of Culiacán. 

As a captive, he already knows that his life in this world is over. And that there really isn’t much he can say in his defense considering the predicament that he’s in. For the most part he’s too much in shock to bother uttering anything. 

The Chapo enforcers have him identified as a Mayiza operative. Their only plans here involve removing his head with a machete once the questioning is over.  

Video translation is as follows:

Sicario #1: Go ahead, we’re recording. 

Sicario #2: Who were you working for young man?

Captive: For Comanche and his brother McKlein. 

Sicario #2: What all did he tell you?

Captive: He always promised me so many things but never came through with anything 

Sicario #2: He never gave you anything?

Captive: No. 

Sicario #2: How long have you been working for him?

Captive: Just under 2 months. 

Sicario #2:  Are you a marrano (pig)? I’m talking to you!

Captive: Yes sir. 

Sicario #2: This will be the fate of every marrano. 

Sicario #3: We are the absoluto Ivan Archivaldo mob. 

Los Ciruelos, Sinaloa

Source: Ivan’s Daily News

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US Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Shift to Pacific Ocean, One Near Mexico

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

On 28 October, the United States Secretary of War announced it conducted strikes against four boats allegedly trafficking drugs in the Eastern Pacific, killing a total of 14 alleged traffickers. The strikes left one survivor, who the Mexican navy unsuccessfully attempted to rescue at the request of the US Coast Guard. 

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