Federal Agents Follow In The Footsteps Of 'Lupe' Tapia

 "Ivan" for Borderland Beat 

The son of 'Mayo' Zambada's operator, Heibar Tapia, was captured in the Bachigualato sector; heir of the throne (Lupe Tapia) 

Jose Guadalupe Tapia Quintero's cell has been on the trail since last June.

For the past two months, they have secured laboratories and arrested people linked to his group, among them his son, Heibar Josue Tapia Salazar, who was captured last week in Culiacan.

According to the Attorney General's Office and the DEA, Lupe Tapia is Ismael el Mayo Zambada's logistical operator in drug trafficking from Sinaloa to the United States, and his son is considered his natural successor.

Heibar was captured while traveling in a vehicle accompanied by another person, whose identity was not disclosed.

The capture took place on Tuesday, August 22 in a special operation involving the Special Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime of the Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of National Defense and the National Guard.

The federal agents located Heibar in the Bachigualato sector.

"Between federal authorities it was determined to integrate a joint force to carry out operational activities in the Bachigualato neighborhood in the municipality of Culiacán, Sinaloa, with the aim of reducing the possibility of violent action in the city," said the Sedena.

According to the Sedena, they were arrested in flagrant offense and without firing a single shot, in possession of fentanyl pills and a firearm for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces.

After his arrest, he was transferred to the state delegation of the FGR in the midst of a heavy security detail.

Moments later he was taken to the airport to be transferred to Mexico City.

During the transfer to the airport, the police blocked the circulation of vehicles on the Airport road.

The Sedena assured that "these activities were carried out in strict compliance with the rule of law, with full respect for human rights and the National Law on the Use of Force. This arrest represents a decisive blow to organized crime".

Data from the Attorney General's Office indicate that in June they had already made arrests and seizures linked to Lupe Tapia's group.

Three people, alleged members of the cell, were arrested in different parts of the city and 25 vehicles allegedly used to move drugs and 8,500 fentanyl pills were seized.

The Attorney General's Office is investigating the possible relationship between the cell and three methamphetamine laboratories seized between June 24 and 26 in Cosala.

Information from the FGR indicates that the seizure of an airfield next to the La Primavera residential complex on Saturday 20 and the capture of two people in the Stanza Toscana subdivision on Sunday 21 are not related to Heibar's capture.

On Tuesday night, after Heibar's arrest, messages began to circulate on social networks reporting the alleged presence of armed groups in the streets of Culiacán.

State Public Security Secretary Cristóbal Castañeda assured that the messages were false and that there were no convoys circulating.

Governor Rubén Rocha Moya acknowledged that because of the capture they reinforced security to avoid violent acts, such as those that have occurred with other arrests.

"They are being taken preventively, why? Because of what has happened in other states, they say that it could happen here, fortunately there are no indications", he commented.

He pointed out that the State Government was unaware that the federal authorities would implement the capture operation in the city.

"They are not operations that are coordinated with us, they are operations that they organize, on Sunday it was the Navy, now it was the Sedena," he said.

Heibar's father, Lupe Tapia, in 2014 was identified by the DEA as an operator for Mayo Zambada, who plays an important role in international drug trafficking.

Tapia Quintero was accused of overseeing and coordinating the purchase and transportation of drugs from Sinaloa to the United States, specifically Arizona and California.

The Treasury Department froze his assets and prohibited Americans from conducting any financial or commercial transactions with him.

"The DEA and its OFAC partners will not allow these dangerous cartels and their associates to exploit the U.S. financial system," DEA Special Agent in Charge Doug Coleman stressed at the time.

"We are relentlessly following the financial trail to deprive these traffickers of their assets, draining the lifeblood from their criminal enterprises. Our actions will focus on their financial nerve centers, as well as the underlying logistics that are essential to their daily operations, such as the transportation network we are taking action against today," he said.

In February 2013, he was indicted by a federal grand jury on several charges, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine with intent to import, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering concealment.

The DEA states that he owns several businesses, including bus and trucking businesses used to move large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico to the U.S.-Mexico border, including Arizona.

During the investigation they seized 67 kilos of methamphetamines, 30 kilos of cocaine, more than $770,000, and arrested three people.

Article published on August 28, 2022 in the 1022nd edition of the weekly Ríodoce.

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