Three Ex-Military BLO Hitmen Arrested in San Pedro, Nuevo León

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat

In two operations carried out in the metropolitan municipality of San Pedro Garza García, seven men were captured in possession of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines

At roughly 11:00 pm at night on September 27, 2021, the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) arrested three men in flagrante delicto, or rather in the act of committing an offense, on Padre Mier Street in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo Leon.  

San Pedro Garza García is part of the greater metropolitan area that surrounds the major city of Monterrey, one of the largest urban areas in northern Mexico. San Pedro is located to the south west of central Monterrey. 

The arrest occurred in the Los Sauces neighborhood of San Pedro. The three men arrested by the FGE were found to be in possession of short barrel firearms and cocaine of an unspecified amount. Something about the three detainees led to the FGE to begin immediately delving deeper into the larger group that supported them, investigating the local network that they belonged to. 

Multiple publications, including Reforma, report that the group in question is part of the Beltrán Leyva Organization (BLO). 

Following an intelligence investigation based on information they gathered about the three detainees, a search warrant was requested by the FGE’s Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Drug Trafficking for a home located in the Palo Blanco neighborhood of San Pedro, to the west of Los Sauces. This search warrant was authorized by a State Criminal Control and Trial judge. 

An operation to execute this search warrant was planned for the next day, no less than five hours after the initial arrest, suggesting something about the detainees made the FGE move with great swiftness. But news publication El Norte writes that no information was released about these first three detainees.

On September 28, 2021, in the pre-dawn hours of 4 am in the morning, the operation began. Agents of the FGE, with the support of Army (SEDENA) soldiers, entered the residence on Doblado Street, between Emilio Carranza and Puebla streets. Four cartel hitmen were located and arrested within the residence. 

After securing the hitmen, FGE agents found on the property unspecified amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, along with two cell phones, a digital scale, and cash. Four short barrel firearms and one long barrel firearm, identified as a .223 caliber rifle, were found and seized from the property, as well as various ammo. 

The property was secured for further evidence collection by the FGE. Later, while elements of the Army were guarding the residence, two locksmiths arrived to open a Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV that was in the garage of the residence, in order to search it.

Of the total seven detainees, the FGE chose to release information on four of the arrested men. The four are:  

• Yoni 'N', 20 years old, originally from the state of Chiapas
• Kevin 'N', 24 years old, originally from the state of Tamaulipas
• Jorge Luis ‘N’, 38 years old, originally from the state of Veracruz
• Juan ‘N’, 34 years old, originally from the state of Tabasco

An insider source told El Norte that three of the four detainees whose names have been released, Kevin, Jorge Luis and Juan were ex-military members who belonged to the Army (SEDENA). 

Two of those arrested deserted from SEDENA only just recently, no more than a few months ago. They apparently deserted in order to begin their criminal careers as part of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, said the source. They were assigned to operate in the San Pedro and Santa Catarina areas near Monterrey by the BLO.

The source said the third former soldier allegedly deserted two or three years ago.

Sources: FGE Official Press Release, Zocalo, Reforma, El Norte, Hoy Tamaulipas, TeleDiario, Noticias en La Mira, Noticieros.Televisa, ABC Noticias, La Silla Rota   

Additional Photo Credit: Mary Chuy Glez