Latest News
Newest cartel reporting and translated news from Cartel Insider, updated as stories publish.
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Leonel García, aka El 40 Escapes Following Federal Operation in Durango
A federal security operation in Durango has once again placed the state at the center of the Sinaloa Cartel’s internal conflict, following an attempt by authorities to capture Leonel Garcia—alias “El 40″—who is identified as a key operative for the “Los Mayos” faction. According to national media reports, the operation took place in the early…
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A New Arsenal! Mexico Is Significantly Increasing Its Arms Purchases from Israel and Overhauling Its Military Arsenal
Why is Mexico buying more and more weapons from Israel? And what does this say about security in the country? In just one year, Mexico’s legal purchases of Israeli weaponry skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. They jumped from 1,572 weapons in 2024 to 7,649 in 2025—a 386% increase that not only breaks with recent trends but…
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Federal and State Forces in Sonora Arrest “El 01,” Alleged Mastermind Behind Drone Attacks in Moris
State authorities had identified him as a high-priority target linked to the “Los Salazar” criminal group. Hugo Guerrero, alias “El 01,” was arrested during an operation conducted by the Sonora Attorney General’s Office in Hermosillo. The arrest was confirmed by the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection during an inter-agency public security meeting. He had…
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The Inglorious Mayiza Mob Beheaded Jesús Ramón
The body of 22 year-old Jesús Ramón hangs suspended out of the back of a speeding truck. Members from the Mayito Flaco mob abducted him from the community of El 10 over the weekend after he was identified as an operative for Ivan Archivaldo. They wasted no time executing him following a brief interrogation. During…
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“La Tripa,” a Criminal Leader and Police Commander under Cuauhtémoc Blanco, has Been Arrested
He is linked to homicides and extortion in the state of Morelos; authorities seized a handgun, a quantity of drugs, a vehicle, and a fake ID Federal agents captured Homero Figueroa Meza, leader of the *Comando Tlahuica* and a former official in the Cuernavaca municipal government during Cuauhtémoc Blanco’s tenure as mayor. The arrest took…
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‘El Titán’, an Alleged Fuel Theft Ringleader, is Transferred to the University Hospital in Monterrey
Turning to news from Nuevo León this morning: a federal judge has ordered the transfer of José Antonio Cortes Huerta, aka El Titán.” You may recall we reported on him about a month ago; he had been in custody but has now been transferred from the penitentiary to the University Hospital in Monterrey. This follows…
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Confessions of a Hitman: The Recruitment of ‘El Mawicho’ and CJNG Military Training
This is the story of how a young man, barely 21 years old, went from being a petty thief to becoming part of a cell within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The account of Mauricio Iram Suárez Álvarez—alias “Mawicho”—details the process that, according to his own testimony, led him to join the ranks of…
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A Family Was Intercepted, Robbed, and Assaulted on a Highway in Guanajuato
A family trip ended with the family being held against their will in Guanajuato; twelve hours later, they were released—but not without coming under fire. A family traveling along the Querétaro-Celaya section of the Pan-American Highway fell victim to kidnapping and a subsequent armed attack. State public security reports indicate that a couple traveling with…
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When ‘El Chapo’ Owned a Soccer Team to Launder Millions… and it Won the Championship
In the summer of 2003, Mexico didn’t know it, but the Sinaloa Cartel had triumphed in Mexican soccer. It was June 21, and the residents of Irapuato, Guanajuato, had their eyes fixed on the Sergio León Chávez Stadium: the home team, *La Trinca Fresera*, was playing the return leg of the Promotion Final. If the…
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Preorders Are Now Open
After a lot of late nights, research, and revisions, preorders are finally open for The 50 Most Influential Mexican Narcos. This project has been years in the making and tells the story of Mexican organized crime through the men and women who shaped it. 📖 English Edition: https://a.co/d/0arM7iNy 📖 Edición en Español: https://a.co/d/09MP9NHT The book…
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Drug Cartel Checkpoint Caught on Maps! Armed Hitmen Stop Google Street View Vehicle in Culiacán
Google Maps captures an armed encounter. Armed gunmen stopped a Google Street View vehicle in Culiacán during what was supposed to be a routine Google Maps update, resulting in the recording of a scene few would have expected to see. A Google Street View vehicle was traveling through a rural area of Sinaloa when it…
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The Murder of a DEA Informant Who Linked ‘El Nini’ to a Culiacán Municipal Police Commander
Gradually, investigations by U.S. authorities have increasingly pointed not only to members of Los Chapitos but also to their alleged accomplices as being responsible for a mass killing. “This is what will happen to all the snitches and rats.” That message accompanied the gruesome scene: before the eyes of passersby and authorities lay the bodies…
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Guanajuato: Surveillance Without Peace
After more than a decade of multi-million-dollar video surveillance contracts, Guanajuato combines high public spending, a lack of transparency, and mechanisms that hinder accountability—all without any reduction in violence. In Mexico, governments have presented the expansion of surveillance systems as a primary response to violence. However, the growth of this industry has also entailed high…
