Mica for cartelinsider.com
Federal authorities are hot on the heels of Aureliano Guzmán Loera, “El Guano”, one of the four leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s brother is not precisely well-liked by his nephews, Los Chapitos, according to renowned journalist Anabel Hernández.
On July 8th, it was announced that Luis N, also known as “R8”, the alleged head of security for Aureliano, was captured in a joint operation with the Mexican Army and the National Guard on the border of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, and El Durazno, Durango.
The events occurred during the afternoon of Monday, and according to reports in the media, Federal Forces deployed an operation to capture Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s brother. Still, upon their arrival at the “Golden Triangle,” they were met with gunfire from “El R8” and other hitmen.
After a confrontation that allegedly left a toll of four dead and five injured, the military captured Luis ‘N’ and three different individuals. The authorities have not issued any statement about the events, but some sources claim that “El Guano” escaped the scene.
Federal forces’ helicopters were seen flying over Culiacán and the ‘Golden Triangle’ during this operation. A social media video shows the moment “El R8” is loaded onto a military aircraft to be transferred to Mexico City.
The 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment by the DEA details that the Sinaloa Cartel does not have a leader and operates under the “umbrella model,” which involves cooperation between the four factions.
This structure theoretically gives the leaders of independent drug trafficking groups the ability to share resources – such as smuggling routes, corrupt contacts, access to illicit chemical suppliers, and money laundering networks – without sharing profits or having to answer to a leading chain of command,” explains the DEA report.
The Sinaloa Cartel is considered by American authorities to be one of the oldest criminal organizations in Mexico and one of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers in the world, while also being accused of leading the trafficking of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States.
The Chapitos lead the Pacific Cartel ―Iván and Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, as well as Joaquín and Ovidio Guzmán López―the faction of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, leader and founder of the Sinaloa Cartel for over three decades.
‘El Guano’ leads another faction known as the ‘Guano People’, while Rafael Caro Quintero, one of the founders of the Guadalajara Cartel, who is currently incarcerated at the Federal Social Rehabilitation Center (CEFERESO) No. 1, maintains control of the municipality of Caborca, Sonora.
“The two main factions are El Mayo and Los Chapitos. Aureliano Guzmán Loera, the brother of El Chapo Guzmán, doesn’t hold much power. El Mayo Zambada never takes him into account, and Los Chapitos think he’s useless,” said journalist Anabel Hernández, author of “The Secret History: AMLO and the Sinaloa Cartel,” in an interview with Infobae Mexico.
In the case of Caro Quintero, Hernández assured that “there is no information indicating that Rafael Caro Quintero was active and had returned to drugs.”
“I do not have any information to speak about, and, I repeat, I do not have any information to speak about, not even from Mini Lic (Dámaso López Serrano, son of Dámaso López Núñez ‘El Licenciado’, a former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel) who said that yes, Rafael Caro Quintero was active and had returned to drugs and Mini Lic and his father spoke with Rafael Caro Quintero,” the writer pointed out.
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Mica
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4 Comments
I’m not a fan of any cartel member, but out of curiosity is there any information on Guano tying him to the fentanyl trade?
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Guzman clan was dismantled and eradicated off the face of Earth and exiled to PlanetX or Mars?
Maybe the government will start selling cocaine and heroin again. After all, these plant extracts are highly medicinal and recreational and much less harmful than modern synthetics. I put them skin to alcohol, which is one hell of a drug boys and girls.
If you use too much alcohol you get sick just like when you use too much heroin. Cocaine is great because it relieves pain and provides stimulation and euphoria, whereas fentanyl mixed with elephant tranquilizer is deadly.
you are part of the problem, meanwhile stinky junkies like you exist, there would be some one trying to sell them shit.
Hey Mica, this is off topic but I wanted to thank you for starting Cartel insider. I’m a long time ready of you from BB. As I said this is off topic but I recently read “Wolf Boys” and I’m no sure if you read it but Z40 said during the 2006 elections that once their man was in office, the Zetas would basically own Mexico. Their man AMLO lost but when he finally won in 2018, CJNG, the new narco paramilitary, started expanding rapidly, Z40 and Z42 aren’t getting extradited and Sinaloa is getting it from all sides. Now that SheinBaum is president do you Think CJNG will achieve Zetas 2006 aspiration? always love reading your work.Keep up the hard work!
Thank you for reading, Sean. I appreciate your support.
I’m familiar with the story of AMLO being supported by the Zetas, and I believe it to be accurate. Your question about the CJNG achieving dominance under the new president is a good one. Several factors must align for the CJNG to reach this goal. First, they need to demonstrate total control over Zacatecas. However, the most significant factor will be the future of the Pacific Cartel alliance. If the Sinaloa Cartel remains united under the new leadership of Flaco Mayito, I don’t believe the CJNG can achieve dominance.