Late Night Raid Leads Entry Team Face To Face With Cartel Boss's Pet Bengal Tiger, Pitiquito Sonora

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Agents from the Sonora Attorney General's Office came face to face with a Bengal tiger, the apparent exotic “pet” of a cartel boss, while they were executing a late night search warrant as part of investigating cartel fuel thieves in Pitiquito, Sonora. 

The Late Night Raid

Recently, a gasoline service station was set on fire in the state of Sonora. Through the investigation into the service station incident, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGJE) came to suspect that local cartel fuel thieves, known as huachicoleros, were behind the attack. Allegedly they controlled the black market sale of theft in the region of the gas station and the fire was done in order to eliminate the "competition". 

Through further investigation into the local huachicoleros scene, the FGJE was able to gather enough evidence to request a search warrant for a property thought to be used by criminals involved. Based on the evidence they presented, a judge approved the search warrant and a late night raid was planned on the property, which was located in the Centro neighborhood of Puerto Libertad, in Pitiquito municipality, Sonora. 

In the very late night hours of September 20, 2021, a team of Army (SEDENA), FGJE, and Ministerial Criminal Investigation Agency (AMIC) gathered to execute the raid. When the team moved in and broke down the door of the residence on the property, they came face to face with a healthy, two year old Bengal tiger. 

Released photo of the tiger found, from the FGJE

The tiger was evidently entirely unanticipated by the entry team. Lopez Doriga Digital writes that the team of security forces “were chased away by the huge feline” and “they fled when they realized that a Bengal tiger was guarding the property”. The team re-grouped and re-strategized, deciding to call in animal specialists who arrived and then participated in the capture of the tiger, who it turned out was chained to a limited radius of movement. 

Video Source: La Voz de Pueblo, Warning: Overly dramatic music for no reason

Once the specialists had placed the tiger inside a secure cage, the residence was properly searched and four vehicles were seized. 

The vehicles were (1) a 2020 black Toyota 4 Runner SUV, (2) a 2021 red Chevrolet Blazer SUV, (3) a 2017 white Jeep Sahara Wrangler Unlimited sport SUV, and (4) a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 SUV which had custom armor plating. Two firearms, ammo, tactical vests, and communication radios were also seized from the property.

The animal specialists who were called in to aid with the animal’s capture determined that the tiger was a healthy female, approximately two years old. The tiger was left under the care and custody of the staff of the Ecological Center, who sent the tiger to their facilities in the city of Hermosillo, capital of the state of Sonora. 

Released photo of the tiger found, from the FGJE

Personnel from the Federal Attorney's Office for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) was called in to investigate the origin of the tiger, examining where she originally came from and how she was smuggled into the country. According to PROFEPA’s website, in Mexico, in order to keep an exotic animal (such as a tiger) at home, an authorization must be requested and approved. They also detail that an animal such as a tiger must be kept in specific conditions which confine it, both for the safety of others and for the safety of the animal itself.

The Cartel Landscape of Pitiquito

Pitiquito municipality lies in an interesting spot strategically because it is in between the municipality of Altar and the municipality of Caborca.

Caborca municipality is believed to be controlled by Rafael Caro Quintero’s Caborca Cartel. Los Salazar’s armed wing Los Cazadores, which is CDS Los Chapitos allied, are believed to control the municipality of Altar. As such, Pitiquito is sandwiched between two regions controlled by rival groups. 

The municipality of Pitiquito has been a major hotspot of cartel activity especially in the last 30 days, starting with Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Cazadores giving the police chief of Pitiquito three days to leave “or else” at the end of August 2021. 

Then there was a major battle on September 6, 2021 in Pitiquito that left at least 4 cartel members and 1 police officer killed, with another officer reportedly kidnapped. It is believed the battle arose when members of the Caborca Cartel and members of Sinaloa Cartel's Los Salazars/Los Cazadores clashed, then police responding to reports of gunfire were shot at, leading to various police versus cartel member gunfights. 

Then a few days after the battle, the remains of 5 alleged cartel members were discovered, some of which had been left on train tracks to be mutilated by trains passing over them. 

Released photo of the tiger found, from the FGJE

Sources: State Attorney General’s Office Tweet, El Universal, Tribuna, Lopez Doriga Digital, Then 24, News Agencia EFE, Telemundo

Related Stories for Further Reading: 

CDS Los Cazadores Tells Police Chief To Leave, Pitiquito, Sonora

Sonora On Fire: Caborca Cartel & CDS Clash, At Least 4 Cartel Members Killed

5 Bodies Found Near Pitiquito, 2 Beheaded And Mutilated By A Train