Celso Ortega Jiménez—known as *La Vela* (The Sail) or *El Ardillo Mayor* (The Elder Squirrel)—is the criminal boss who exerts the greatest political and administrative control within the state of Guerrero, having brought municipalities governed by the PRI, PRD, *Movimiento Ciudadano*, Morena, and the Green Party under his dominion.
Although for over two decades he was linked to the now-nearly-defunct PRD—due to the party affiliation of his brother, Bernardo, and his nephew, Jorge Iván Ortega—in reality, the criminal group’s control has long since transcended the barriers of party colors, acronyms, and political allegiances.
Across the vast territory now controlled by this criminal group, no public official makes a decision without first securing the approval of the man born in the community of Tlanicuilulco, within the municipality of Quechultenango.
**El Ardillo Mayor is the Son of a Rural Policeman**
Celso is the son of former rural policeman Celso Ortega Rosas, who earned his nickname by mimicking the cry of a small animal that he and his colleagues found lying on a dirt road while he was serving as a public security officer in his community.
In Quechultenango, there is another story—one that borders on myth. During his adolescence, Mr. Ortega Rosas had a best friend who was exceptionally skilled at running along the rocky trails of the region—a friend nicknamed *El Chivo* (The Goat).
This friend’s aptitude for moving across open terrain and descending into the narrow caverns of Juxtlahuaca—located in the community of Colotlipa—was rivaled by Celso Sr.’s own prowess at climbing trees; thus, over time, he acquired the moniker *La Ardilla* (The Squirrel).
The father and founder of the criminal organization was imprisoned in 2008 on charges of kidnapping and homicide. The victims were two agents from the Specialized Sub-prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (SEIDO), a division of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR); however, he spent just over two years in the Chilpancingo prison before being released. On January 26, he was shot and killed by a rival group in Chilpancingo.
Consequently, leadership of the organization fell to Celso—La Vela’s son—with his brother, Jorge Iván (El Barco), serving as second-in-command, and Antonio (La Parota) as third.
Los Ardillos Control 10 Municipalities in Guerrero
On at least two occasions, community leaders and municipal mayors from the Central and Lower Mountain regions have mobilized in Chilpancingo to demand the construction of public works—primarily roads and bridges—as well as the electrification of communities that still lack this service.
However, they also use these mobilizations as an opportunity to demand the release of political allies, as well as operatives from their criminal organization who are currently imprisoned on various criminal charges. Mayors from the following municipalities have participated in these protests:
Quechultenango (PRD)
Mochitlán (PVEM)
Tixtla (Morena)
Chilpancingo (PRI-PAN-PRD)
Juan R. Escudero (MC)
Chilapa (PRI-PRD)
Zitlala (PRD)
Atlixtac (PVEM)
Ahuacuotzingo (PRD)
Acatepec (PVEM)
Jesús Plácido, leader of the Indigenous and Popular Council of the State of Guerrero “Emiliano Zapata” (CIPOG-EZ), has criticized the state government for establishing a dialogue table with the mayor of Chilapa, Mercedes Carballo—who, he asserts, is the sister-in-law of the principal leader of Los Ardillos.
During protests held in Chilpancingo in 2023 and 2025, Guillermo Matías Marrón acted as the coordinator for the mayors of the Central and Lower Mountain regions. He publicly displayed a high-handed attitude toward the Secretaries of Government, Health, Education, and Public Works who appeared to engage in dialogue with him on the esplanade of the *Sentimientos de la Nación* Auditorium, located in front of the Government Palace.
Matías Marrón declared that the officials were being detained; he then ordered the removal of a canopy that had been set up specifically for the meeting, leaving them exposed to the scorching sun “so they can feel what it is like to be the people.” Months later, Matías Marrón was replaced as coordinator by Alberto Michi Campos—who hailed from the ranks of Morena but was aligned with the interests of the criminal group.
Ortega Jiménez is vying for control of the municipalities of Tecoanapa, currently governed by the PVEM; Ayutla, which is administered by an indigenous council; and Olinalá, which is governed by PRI member Manuel Sánchez Rosendo.
He has a natural interest in seizing control of José Joaquín de Herrera, located in the mountain region where the Community Police of the Founding Peoples (CRAC-PF) operates—a presence that has proven to be an obstacle for him.
During the first half of 2026, violence has intensified in Olinalá, Tlapa, Alpoyeca, and Huamuxtitlán, as it is known that the Ortega criminal group aims to secure exit routes leading to the neighboring states of Puebla and Morelos.
Relatives Involved in Politics
Whenever questioned about his relationship with Celso, Bernardo Ortega Jiménez responds that he has had no contact with him since they were very young—specifically since Celso left Tlanicuilulco, in the municipality of Quechultenango, to move to Chilpancingo and pursue a law degree.
Bernardo Ortega Jiménez has served as mayor of Quechultenango for two constitutional terms—from 2009 to 2012 and from 2012 to 2015. Additionally, he has served three terms as a local deputy for District 24, which comprises the municipalities controlled by the criminal organization.
District 24 is currently represented by Jorge Iván Ortega—Bernardo’s son and Celso’s nephew. It is the only plurality seat that the PRD secured in the 2024 elections.
Neither Bernardo Ortega nor his son, Jorge Iván, has ever been pictured in photographs or videos alongside the leader of Los Ardillos—unlike other political figures, including the former mayor of Chilpancingo, Norma Otilia Hernández Martínez.
The Enemies of Los Ardillos Are Lucky
On the night of January 22, 2022, an attack took place at the base of operations of the Union of Peoples and Organizations of the State of Guerrero (UPOEG)—located in Buenavista de la Salud, within the municipality of Chilpancingo—involving the use of high-powered weapons, weaponized drones, and at least one vehicle featuring improvised armor.
It was there that Professor Mario Zamora Maldonado—a UPOEG self-defense member and a member of the State Coordinator of Education Workers of Guerrero (CETEG)—lost his life.
On October 17, 2023, the principal leader of the Union of Peoples, Bruno Plácido Valerio, was assassinated as he arrived at the central offices of the Secretariat of Health in the municipal seat of Chilpancingo.
The rift between Plácido Valerio and Ortega Jiménez was a matter of public record, as the self-defense group founded in Ayutla was blocking the latter’s expansion into the Costa Chica region.
On October 6, 2024—just one week after being sworn in as Mayor of Chilpancingo—Alejandro Arcos Catalán, a member of the PRD party, was assassinated; his mutilated body was subsequently displayed inside an abandoned pickup truck in the Indeco neighborhood, located at the western entrance to the state capital.
Prior to this, the individuals whom Mayor Arcos Catalán had been grooming to serve as his Secretary General and as the heads of the Municipal Public Security Secretariat had been “eliminated.”
In connection with this case, the only person currently in custody is the former police chief, Lieutenant Colonel Germán Reyes Reyes. According to the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE), Reyes allegedly ordered the crime acting on instructions from the leader of Los Ardillos—though, to date, he has not yet received a formal sentence.
From May 6 to May 11, a group of armed civilians carried out incursions into the communities of Tula, Xicotlán, Acahuehuetlán, and Alcozacán—all located within the municipality of Chilapa—displacing at least 500 people, the majority of whom were women and children. The Secretary of Citizen Security, Omar García Harfuch, stated that a conflict is currently unfolding in that area between the Ardillos and the Tlacos. The preliminary toll to date stands at six dead, 23 homes set ablaze, and five vehicles reduced to ashes.
The affected communities constitute the operational zone of the Indigenous and Popular Council of the State of Guerrero (CIPOG), an organization led by Jesús Plácido Galindo—the nephew of the slain Bruno Plácido.
If this trend continues, Celso Ortega would wield decisive influence over the 2027 electoral process, regardless of the political party affiliation of any politician who approaches him to seek his support.
Source: Milenio
Discover more from Cartel Insider
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.