Mica for cartelinsider.com
Authorities in Baja California reported the arrest of three people, one of whom may be the sister of Juan José Ponce Félix, also known as El Ruso, leader of a cell that operates as the armed wing of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada from the Sinaloa Cartel, and is the main rival of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons.
According to state security authorities, three individuals have been arrested and weapons have been seized from them by the State Security Citizen Force (FESC) with the support of the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA), following a anonymous citizen report.
The incident occurred on the morning of Friday, January 19th, when officers carried out a deployment that ended with the seizure of two long guns, a handgun, ammunition, and a vehicle.
During the operation, carried out near the Ejido Estación Coahuila in Valle de Mexicali, authorities intercepted a Nissan Frontier truck that matched the description provided by the anonymous complainant.
As they approached, the officers identified a subject carrying a firearm, who was arrested with two adult companions and two minors, who were related to one of those arrested.
In the vehicle, loaded weapons and stocked magazines were found, these being evidence as part of the confiscated material.
The detainees, native of Sinaloa, have been transferred to the facilities of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to determine their legal status.
The arrested individuals were identified as César Antonio “N”, 25 years old, Ramón Omar “N”, 43 years old, and Xóchitl Harumi “N”, 37 years old.
A special protocol has been implemented for the care of the minors, who were handed over to the Public Ministry for custody and later reunification with their family. In the meantime, a property related to the incident is being monitored in anticipation of a Technical Investigation Order.
Unofficial information reports that Xóchitl Harumi is the sister of Juan José Ponce Félix, leader of Los Rusos, the armed branch of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s faction within the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Russian, who for more than 20 years managed to maintain a low profile within the Pacific organization, is considered the main rival of the Chapitos within the criminal organization in the border state.
This leader of the Los Rusos faction operated for many years under false aliases: Jesus Alexander Sanchez Felix and/or Miguel Angel Gaxiola Quintero.
The criminal career of Ponce Félix began when he was 19 years old, around 2001; he worked alongside Gustavo Inzunza, alias El Macho Prieto, a hitman who operated in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa.
Like his top boss, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, El Ruso handles himself with discretion so authorities have little graphic information about this individual; however, Infobae Mexico revealed in June 2023, videos that circulate on YouTube where Ponce Félix is shown firing guns allegedly in the Sierra de Sinaloa.
In the videos, El Ruso can be seen exhibiting his skills with firearms. These videos, recorded in the town of Aguacaliente, Tepuche, and in the Loma de Rodriguera neighborhood in Culiacán, Sinaloa, had accumulated over 72 thousand views in July 2023 and were published in July 2013.
Ponce, also known as El Ruso, is originally from Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, and currently has a pending arrest warrant for extradition, without having been detained yet.
Since the release of these recordings, El Ruso has not appeared in any new videos, which marks a discreet strategy following the conflict with Los Chapitos. In the audiovisuals, Ponce can be seen handling everything from pistols to high caliber long guns, even in his property nicknamed “El Bingo 777”.
This character is part of the cartel led by El Mayo Zambada and, to this day, has evaded authorities’ reach, despite their high notoriety in the underworld of organized crime.
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Mica
Email: mica@cartelinsider.com
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